The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright

About the book:

Left at an orphanage as a child, Thea Reed vowed to find her mother someday. Now grown, her search takes her to Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin, in 1908. When clues lead her to a mental asylum, Thea uses her experience as a post-mortem photographer to gain access and assist groundskeeper Simeon Coyle in photographing the patients and uncovering the secrets within. However, she never expected her personal quest would reawaken the legend of Misty Wayfair, a murdered woman who allegedly haunts the area and whose appearance portends death.

A century later, Heidi Lane receives a troubling letter from her mother--who is battling dementia--compelling her to travel to Pleasant Valley for answers to her own questions of identity. When she catches sight of a ghostly woman who haunts the asylum ruins in the woods, the long-standing story of Misty Wayfair returns--and with it, Heidi's fear for her own life.

As two women across time seek answers about their identities and heritage, can they overcome the threat of the mysterious curse that has them inextricably intertwined?

My thoughts:

It took awhile for me to gather my thoughts after reading this amazing dual timeline mystery by Ms. Wright.

Thea Reed and Heidi Lane are two characters separated by a century but we see a close connection as the story unfolds. Thea was a traveling postmortem photographer in 1908 in Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin. An occupation that I have never given any thought to but found it weirdly wonderful. I loved Thea and my heart ached for her as she tried to find why her mother abandoned her.

Heidi has returned to Pleasant Valley where she experiences some of the same things that Thea had so many years before. I loved the relationship that Heidi had with Emma a young woman with autism. My heart went out to Heidi, too as she deals with family issues of her own.

The author tackles heavy topics including mental illness and anxiety disorders and does so quite well. The characters are well crafted and the writing is top-notch making me a very happy reader. The Curse of Misty Wayfair had my undivided attention from beginning to end which is why I highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.