Also by this author: The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus, The Premonition at Withers Farm, The Premonition at Withers Farm, The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater, Night Falls on Predicament Avenue
Published by Bethany House Publishers on October 10, 2023
Genres: Fiction, Christian, Mystery, Suspense
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Barlowe Theater stole the life of Greta Mercy's brother during its construction. Now in 1915, the completed theater appears every bit as deadly. When Greta's younger brother goes missing after breaking into the building, Greta engages the assistance of a local police officer to help her uncover the already ghostly secrets of the theater. But when help comes from an unlikely source, Greta decides that to save her family she must put the threat of the phantoms to rest.
Decades later, Kit Boyd's best friend vanishes during a ghost walk at the Barlowe Theater, and old stories of mysterious disappearances and ghoulish happenings are revived. When television ghost-hunting host and skeptic Evan Fisher engages Kit in the quest to identify the truth behind the theater's history, Kit reluctantly agrees to work with him in hopes of also finding out what happened to her friend. As the theater's curse begins to unravel Kit's own life, she sets out not only to save the historical building and her friend, but to end the pattern of evil that has marked their hometown for a century.
In this atmospheric dual-time tale, two women--separated by a century yet bound by the ghosts of the past--pursue light in the face of darkness.
I would be the first to admit I am a big theater fan. If I had my choice, I’d be attending musicals or plays every week. I take a trip to New York City almost every year mostly because of Broadway. When I saw The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright, I could not resist it. Missing loved ones? A baby whose existence most everyone denies? Rattling pipes, muffled cries, unexplained scratches? SIGN. ME. UP. When I spent a weekend on a historic aircraft carrier many years ago, I went to the special evening “ghost stories.” In September, the ship was even named to be one of the most haunted places in Texas! I’m not one for horror novels or haunted houses, but I couldn’t read The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater fast enough.
The novel occurs in two different timeframes: 1915 and the present. Both feature missing loved ones…and barriers galore that stand in their ways. Circumstances—sometimes dangerous ones—try to divert their focus, but Greta and Kit have friends that support them even when hope feels lost. What’s so incredible about Wright’s writing is how these two stories intertwine. She created two complete plots that easily could have stood alone. Instead, Wright sews them together in a way that’s chill-inducing. Each chapter serves a purpose; there’s no meaningless filler. The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater demands your attention, and it doesn’t let go.
This brings me to the book’s one constant—outside of Wright’s astronomical storytelling, anyway: The theater. From the beginning, Barlowe Theater has a personality all its own. The theater grows with the book, Wright unveiling all its qualities slowly and perfectly. Imagine a budding relationship. You start off with the basics before diving into any hidden corners or secrets. The theater isn’t only a setting but its own character. I’ve been to countless theaters at this point in my life. The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright makes me want to ask questions of the places I love. What sort of tales do the halls hold?
If you want a good ghost story for Halloween, give Jaime Jo Wright’s book a try. I loved everything about it, and you will, too.
