[close]
Lost Among The Living by Simone St. JAmes
5 Stars
From The Book:
England, 1921. Three years after her husband, Alex, disappeared, shot down over Germany, Jo Manders still mourns his loss. Working as a paid companion to Alex's wealthy, condescending aunt, Dottie Forsyth, Jo travels to the family’s estate in the Sussex countryside. But there is much she never knew about her husband’s origins…and the revelation of a mysterious death in the Forsyths’ past is just the beginning…
All is not well at Wych Elm House. Dottie's husband is distant, and her son was grievously injured in the war. Footsteps follow Jo down empty halls, and items in her bedroom are eerily rearranged. The locals say the family is cursed, and that a ghost in the woods has never rested. And when Jo discovers her husband’s darkest secrets, she wonders if she ever really knew him. Isolated in a place of deception and grief, she must find the truth or lose herself forever. And then a familiar stranger arrives at Wych Elm House…
My Views:
I loved the main character of Jo. She’s strong, courageous, feisty, driven, and a bit impulsive. Her grief from her war and personal losses didn’t stop her from creating a life for herself and striving for independence. How she put up with her employer without killing her was a bigger mystery that the mystery in the story.
This story will satisfy the "ghost story lovers" and the mystery and suspense "who-done-it" enthusiasts. I wasn’t surprised when the protagonist was revealed...but I enjoyed the journey and sleuthing along the way. The reasoning behind the crime did surprised me, though it tied in very well with the historical events behind the story. Overall...a ghost story, a mystery and a good bit of history makes for a 5 star read.
