The Premonition at Withers Farm

Author: Jaime Jo Wright
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Release Date: October 11, 2022

The voices of the past cannot stay silent forever.

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?

---

Reviewer: Mindy Houng

"Because we know that even the smallest of joy is a gift - a momentary gift from God - but that this world will inevitably steal it away, because that's what happens in a broken place. So even joy hurts because we love hard."
 
It's another eerie and beautifully crafted dual-timeline murder mystery by the fabulously talented Jaime Jo Wright. I loved how seamlessly Perliett's 1910 voice merged with Molly's present-day story. Centered around a local farm that Molly and her husband buy, the plot unearths ghost stories and murders from long past when another murder pops up in the present time around the farm. The writing is lyrical, the characters so real, and the plot quite intricate and delicious.
 
The book isn't just a murder mystery, though. It has examples of great faith and addresses tough topics like the emotional and spiritual aftermath of miscarriages, climbing out of grief and depression, and anxiety, and working through a rocky patch in marriage. It also has a couple of characters that flirt with the spiritual world that they don't quite understand. But the author balances this out with characters solidly rooted in the Bible. I enjoyed Perliett and George's banter and discussions, and I loved Molly and Trent's relationship as it grew and stretched.
 
I received the book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

---

---

Reviewer: Anna Bottoms

The Premonition At Withers Farm is an excellent dual timeline book that confronts the very foundations of faith and looks at loss, depression, and hope. This book was one I didn’t want to put down. It is set in farm country with a backdrop of mystery and murder.

1910: Perliett relied on her father’s faith and wisdom to balance out her mother’s spiritualism, but after his death finds more questions than answers. As she searches for truth and uses home remedies to help her neighbors, she butts heads with George, the local college-educated doctor. George is a Christian firmly rooted in his faith. He’d like to help Perliett, but she is an obstinate female, determined to do things in her own way. Sometimes to her own detriment. Now with a killer on the loose targeting women who look like Perliett, they may have to put aside their differences for a greater cause.

Present Day: Molly is dealing with losing four children and can’t climb out of the pit of despair the last miscarriage tossed her into. Now that her husband Trent has purchased the Withers farm, she feels she might be losing her mind. Trent loves his wife but doesn’t know how to help her. Maybe keeping his distance isn’t the best thing to do, but he doesn’t know how to reach her. When he finds a dead body near the farm and a door to old mysteries are opened, they must rely on their faith to make it through the trouble and back to each other.

This well-written, tightly plotted story clearly shows the dangers of dabbling in the spirit realm without a foundation built on God’s truth rather than man’s limited knowledge. 

I received a copy courtesy of Bethany House through NetGalley. This is my honest review. I recommend this book.

---

---

Reviewer: Joy Hannabass

In Michigan in 1910, is Perliett Van Hilton practicing quackery, or do her healing herbs, oils, and other things she's read about truly help her neighbors? And over a century later, is Molly Wasziak losing her mind, or is there a definite reason she is hearing voices and seeing dead people?

The Premonition at Withers Farm is my first book by Author Jaime Jo Wright, and I wasn't disappointed at all! Scary? Definitely, but not as bad as I was thinking. This dual-time read totally grabbed my heart in the beginning, and kept it! In fact, it still has it because I can't get this book out of my mind.

In 1910 Michigan, Perliett lost her Christian influence when she lost her father, and her mother also started slipping away. This started a life of fear and confusion for Perliett because her mother, Maribeth, made a career out of speaking to the other side. When Perliett is targeted by a superstitious killer, life gets even more intense for her. Emotions are flying everywhere as she tries to figure out who this person is and why they want her. Could it be the same killer that killed two other beautiful young ladies in the neighborhood? 

In present-day, Molly is fighting depression because of several miscarriages over the past several years. Dealing with these losses is definitely not going so well, and her depression seems to be getting worse. Her husband Trent seemed to let it all go and was back to work with each miscarriage like nothing had happened. Seeing dead people and hearing voices from the dead was sure to literally drive Molly crazy. But what to do? Talking to Trent might get her committed, and he didn't speak to her about anything, so there it was.

I felt so bad for these two ladies and Trent as well. They were scared and didn't know how to tell others their true feelings. I have a soft place in my heart for Trent and Molly, and I was rooting for the two to make things work in their marriage. They had been through so much and deserved a second chance. But things get bad, but you must read the book to find out. It's no fun to know what will happen!! 

I wasn't sure where Jaime Jo Wright was going with some of the dark messages she left us as readers. A séance? Ghost showing up, dead people resurfacing? Not something Christians usually write or read, but I was pleasantly surprised in the end. I think Wright does a phenomenal job writing this ending. I will definitely be reading more from Jaime Jo write in the near future! If you haven't read her books, I highly recommend you read them! Start with this one, The Premonition at Withers Farm. You will love this one if you are a suspense, thriller, or mystery person. For me, this book is a Five Star read!!

I received a review copy courtesy of Bethany House Publishers through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.

---

---

Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

The Premonition at Withers Farm by Jaime Jo Wright is a fascinating dual-time look at the world of spiritualism and faith. 

In 1910 we meet Perliett Van Hilton. Perliett's father was a believer, and when he passed, so did his influence over her mother. Maribeth's living was talking to the dead, and her actions throw Perliett's faith into question. Her mother is intent on helping Mrs. Withers, whose daughter (Eunice) was murdered. She is positive she can contact Eunice beyond the grave to expose her killer's identity. 

Meanwhile, in the present day, Molly Waziak and her husband Trent have just purchased the old Wither's farmhouse. While dealing with severe depression, Molly struggles to adapt to the strange farmhouse and its secrets. It doesn't help when a search of their family tree turns up a century-old murder case.

I always expect a good scare from a Jaime Jo Wright book, and she delivered once again. I was torn by the subject matter as it seemed totally inappropriate in a Christian book. But, in this case, it worked. The question of life after death and the longing we feel to communicate with our deceased loved ones are examined from a spiritualist perspective through seances, channelling, and ghostly apparitions. But, in the end, as the author states, she believes in Jesus, and the pursuit of God will "result in an eventual knowing of what lies beyond the veil." This is something both Perliett and Molly discover as their lives hang in the balance.

The author also explores the area of postpartum depression with Molly's character. She did a fine job, and I applaud her accurate portrayal of what that feels and looks like, having experienced it myself.

If you enjoy a good scare and a mystery, I highly recommend you read The Premonition at Withers Farm.

I received a courtesy review copy from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley for my honest review.

---