In 1930 Ava Coons is living in a small town where people are suspicious that she killed her family as years earlier when she was thirteen she appeared out of the woods carrying an axe and covered in blood with no memory of what happened. In present day Wren is living in the same area and a little girl has gone missing.
I'm not going to say much beyond that as there are lots of twists and turns and some really good suspenseful parts. I wouldn't read this book before bed! I didn't have any idea until close to the end of the book how the story would resolve.
I'm really enjoying this author but this book was definitely darker than the other ones I've read by her. I'm a very visual person and there were a LOT of references to people being chopped up which I found disturbing. There is also a very difficult section of the book where someone is dying from an extended illness and it brought back a lot of painful memories for me so was really hard for me to read.
There was no language and just kissing. There is some hints of possible sexual abuse and there is some violence and of course the numerous references mentioned above.
Overall not my favorite book by this author but I am looking forward to reading more by her and am hoping they don't include people covered in blood! I really like this author's writing style and really like the suspenseful tones of the book. I just don't want so many references to death! ( )

I loved this book! Part mystery, part romance, part Christian inspiration and MULTI-Layered.
As the story goes, back in 1930, the people of Tempter's Creek are convinced that Ava Coons has murdered her entire family even though no bodies were ever found. Wren Blythe lives with her father and brother in a remote Wisconsin Missionary Camp where her father works. The tale of Ava Coons is shared around the campfire and when a young girl goes missing, people question if the ghost of Ava Coons is haunting the forrest nearby and responsible for the young girl's disappearance.
Wren has a premonition and after the search party fails to find the girl, she decides to do her own search. Ava and Wren have something in common. They both feel a sense of loss, of not feeling complete, yet they are surrounded by a community of faith. Fast paced with strong, well developed characters, this is a MUST READ!
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Jaime Jo Wright is the queen of spooky, and The Souls of Lost Lake is no exception! The dual timeline features a young woman who everyone suspects of murdering her family, yet there’s no evidence and plenty of skepticism that a child could carry out such a heinous crime. Years later Ava Coons has become a campfire story to scare the daylights out of kids! Wren grew up with the stories, but now suspects that a missing child is somehow tied to the legend. I loved both stories as told by Wright. To get the scoop on what really happened decades before, and have a modern mystery to solve, was a treat for this reader. And when I say spooky, I mean it! Especially a creepy porcelain doll that shows up in unexpected places — shiver-y goodness. The title is appropriate as people can be lost in so many ways. While throughout their lives, Wren and Ava feel disconnected from others, they find a sense of place and acceptance. Wright kept me guessing until the very end of the book. I didn’t see either ending coming!

The Souls of Lost Lake is perhaps my favorite of all of Wright’s books, and that is saying a lot. It definitely is a highly recommended read. Just make sure you keep the light on. 😉

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

Good story, really spooky reader ( )

Review of eBook

In the small town of Tempter’s Creek, Arwen Blythe works with her father at the Christian youth camp. She enjoys the Northwoods, but the disappearance of six-year-old Jasmine Riviera revives the decades-old legend of Ava Coons, a young girl who murdered her family, and who [according to the legend] still roams through the woods.

When Ava Coons, with absolutely no memory of what happened to her family, wandered out of the woods one day, she was covered in blood and dragging a blood-covered logger’s axe. It was easy for folks to believe that she’d murdered her family. Now, six years later, the murder of one of the town’s citizens in a similar manner causes rumors and accusations to fly . . . all naming the child-murderess Ava Coons as the person responsible for the crime.

When Wren, helping in the search for the missing child, discovers the ruins of the Coons cabin, she finds an old porcelain doll there. To her horror, she discovers “Arwen” written on one of the doll’s feet. How could her name be on the doll?

In both timelines, a young woman must face the secrets of the past in order to right the wrongs. Will Ava remember what happened to her family? Will Wren discover the missing girl?

And what secrets will each one uncover?

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Told in two timelines, this absorbing . . . and ominous . . . tale reveals the lives of two young girls, one in 1930, the other in the present day. Well-defined, nuanced characters and a strong sense of place anchor this unputdownable tale. There’s a bit of creepiness, a bit of eeriness, and long-held secrets that promise to change everything.

The evolving story reveals some unexpected surprises and keeps those pages turning as fast as possible. Readers are sure to empathize with both Ava and Wren; their stories, though different, are both compelling and heart-wrenching. With its satisfying denouement, readers will find their questions answered as a lingering sense of hope brings the story to a close.

This satisfying journey through faith, honesty, and redemption in a variety of circumstances is sure to remain with readers long after they’ve turned the final page.

Several questions for discussion are included.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley
#TheSoulsofLostLake #NetGalley ( )