THE PREMONITION AT WITHERS FARM BY JAIME JO WRIGHT

In 1910 Michigan, Perliett Van Hilton is a self-proclaimed rural healer, leaving the local doctor convinced she practices quackery. It doesn't help that her mother is a spiritualist who regularly offers her services to connect the living with their dearly departed. But when Perliett is targeted by a superstitious killer, she must rely on both the local doctor and an intriguing newcomer for assistance.

In the present day, Molly Wasziak's life has not gone the way she dreamed. Facing depression after several miscarriages, Molly is adapting to her husband's purchase of a peculiar old farm. A search for a family tree pulls Molly deep into a century-old murder case and a web of deception, all made more mysterious by the disturbing shadows and sounds inside the farmhouse.

Perliett fights for her life, and Molly seeks renewed purpose for hers as she uncovers the records of the dead. Will their voices be heard, or will time forever silence their truths?

Daphne du Maurier and Christy Award-Winning author, Jaime Jo Wright resides in the hills of Wisconsin writing suspenseful, mysteries stained with history's secrets. Jaime lives in dreamland, exists in reality, and invites you to join her adventures at jaimewrightbooks.com!

MY REVIEW 

The story is very eerie at times and I was a little uncomfortable with the storyline. I don’t like anything to do with people who claim they can talk to the dead. I have  read other books by this author so I knew somewhere in this dual story were God and His truth. The house itself felt chilly and almost like readers had interrupted some sinister goings on. I was intrigued by where the author was going as she takes us  from past to present. 

 I liked Perliett and how dedicated she was to caring for the sick. She may not have a certificate saying she can practice medicine but she does have answers that help those who need it. I’m not sure I cared for  her mother much since she believes she can speak to the dead. Oh how this part of the story made me uneasy. Underneath Perliett’s smile is a grief so big that it overwhelms her. Losing her father was hard on her and she misses him everyday. What she can’t understand is why her mother can’t speak to her father but is able to help others who have lost a loved one. I had to know why myself and that kept me going page after page. There is some  danger for Perliett as she becomes  involved with a mystery. 

As we move to the present we meet  Trent and Molly. They have just purchased an old farm house which I don’t think Molly is thrilled with. Their marriage isn’t great at the  moment and with the added burden of a place that needs work, more stress comes their way. It was sad how many miscarriages Molly has experienced and her grief consumes her. When a body is found by Trent and it is revealed that the woman is a relative, the town starts to gossip. Why didn’t he tell Molly that  he knew  who the dead person was? Why would he keep the information about the house they bought a secret ? Something is not adding up and the plot thickens.

In both timelines it is evident that the past is destroying relationships. Grief overshadows each of our characters as they seek guidance and truth. We also have a mystery involving the Cornfield Ripper. That sent chills down my spine as I began to see how this crime would connect the past to the present. The author does an excellent job of weaving in and out seamlessly through history with riveting characters and suspense that will keep you glued to the pages. 

The ending is very good and connects the dots from the past to the present in an adventure where evil plays games with the innocent. It was hard to read the book at times because I didn’t like the topic of spirits, ghosts and talking to the dead. But have patience readers because the author gives us a solid ground of faith. She shows that the only spirit we should be talking to is the Holy Spirit.  When we allow our mind to wander we can get trapped into believing things that are not  of God. It is a warning as you read this book to guard your mind against anything  that is not of God. In the end we see that grieving is something that takes time and we need to allow God to keep our mind focused on His Word. 

“Grief is a shadow man that follows us into our futures and swallows it up if we let him.”

I received a copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.