It’s no secret. I love Lisa Jackson.
I love her even more because she sent me an autographed book. 😉
Truth be told, I’d love her even if she didn’t. I’ve been reading her books for years.
I recently read Close to Home. It was great!
Close to Home: Book Blurb
Vowing to make a fresh start, Sarah McAdams has come home to renovate the old Victorian mansion where she grew up. Her daughters, Jade and Gracie, aren’t impressed by the rundown property on the shores of Oregon’s wild Columbia River. As soon as they pull up the isolated drive, Sarah too is beset by uneasy memories—of her cold, distant mother, of the half-sister who vanished without a trace, and of a long-ago night when Sarah was found on the widow’s walk, feverish and delirious.
Ever since the original mistress of the house plunged to her death almost a century ago, there have been rumors that the place is haunted. As a girl, Sarah sensed a presence there, and soon Gracie claims to see a lady in white running up the stairs. Still, Sarah has little time to dwell on ghost stories, between overseeing construction and dealing with the return of a man from her past.
But there’s a new, more urgent menace in the small town. One by one, teenage girls are disappearing. Frantic for her daughters’ safety, Sarah feels her veneer cracking and the house’s walls closing in on her again. Somewhere deep in her memory is the key to a very real and terrifying danger. And only by confronting her worst fears can she stop the nightmare roaring back to life once more…
My Book Review of Close to Home
Here is my book review of Close to Home, which I also posted to Goodreads:
Lisa Jackson never disappoints me. She always writes clever mysteries, and Close to Home sure falls into this category! My interest was captured from the moment I began reading.
The book is about a woman named Sarah, who has two daughters and who moves them all into her childhood home, which needs extensive renovations. Sarah’s eldest daughter, Jade, is a teenager who exhibits all the appropriate teen traits: surliness, stubbornness, and selfishness. Jade is also skeptical when it comes to all things supernatural.
Jade’s younger sister, Gracie, on the other hand, is not. She has abilities, as Sarah does. They both can see ghosts.
The supernatural, however, plays a small role in the main plot of this book. The big problem is that teenage girls are disappearing from their new, small town.
As Sarah and her girls adjust to their new digs, they attempt to figure out the history of their family and Sarah learns quickly that she must face certain facts she doesn’t like, including her poor memories of one particular night when she was a child.
The mystery of the dissappearing girls are linked to this memory and events from Sarah’s past.
As the plot thickens, Sarah has encounters with both her ex-husband and her neighbour, while Jade is forced to deal with a broken car, an unreliable boyfriend, and bullies at her new school.
In the meantime, Gracie keeps pestering her mom for a dog, and teen girls start vanishing… although they don’t end up dead. (This was a bit disappointing to me; I like trying to solve homicides!) Instead, they are kept by two males kidnappers in horse stalls, and are going to be sold to the highest bidder, unless they can escape.
Eventually, Jade becomes one of these girls, as does a rival from her school.
Without revealing too much more of the story, I will say that the events leading up to the climax are enjoyable to read about, as they contain darkness and intrigue… perfect elements of a thriller! Readers learn about Sarah’s family, including her mysterious brother, and a dead body shows up on Sarah’s property, too. There is so much to this book that is it’s tough to write about without being a spoilsport, so I’ll stop talking about it now.
Just know that the ending will shock you… and you will love it.
I promise. *ahem* This is a Lisa Jackson novel, after all. 😉
Buy Close to Home
Naturally, this book is available pretty much everywhere books are sold, and on a ton of places online.
Here is a link to Amazon. You can buy the book there, or find it elsewhere.
Wherever you find it, I am positive you will love it, if you enjoy suspense novels! 🙂
And don’t forget to buy a copy of Risky Issues, while you’re shopping for books. 😉
Hi Lorraine,
I loved your review of Lisa Jackson’s CLOSE TO HOME. You gave enough information, especially at the end, to entice readers without giving spoilers. I wish it wasn’t a thriller, as my goal in life is to never be scared before bedtime (when I do most of my reading). I love ghosts, but Casper the Friendly Ghost is more my speed.
Hugs, dear friend.
Michelle, I appreciate your comment. I have to say, however, that Close to Home is not super-scary, so you should be fine if you choose to read this book. It’s more of a mystery than anything else.
The hard part about writing reviews is being careful not to give away too much of the plot, because part of what makes the experience of reading a book enjoyable is actually reading, learning, and discovering things about each character and the events that take place.
Well, at least for me, that’s how it is. 😉
Sounds like a good book.
It is, Lois. 🙂