The Invited by Jennifer McMahon Also by this author: The Night Sister, Burntown, The Drowning Kind
Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group on April 30, 2019
Genres: Fiction, Ghost, Literary, Mystery & Detective, Suspense, Thrillers, Women Sleuths
Pages: 368
Helen and Nate have given up the hustle and bustle of busy suburban life to build a house on land in the Vermont woods. The deal on the land was one they couldn't pass up and it seemed the perfect spot for the house of their dreams. It isn't long that they realize the land had a dark past, one riddled with violence and death.
Helen, a former history teacher, becomes obsessed with learning more about history of the land. Local history tells a legend of Hattie Breckenridge, who lived and died on the property. Helen begins filling the house with local artifacts that are tied to the land and the three generations of Breckenridge women. Though she knows each of the women died suspiciously, she feels that returning these pieces to the house will bring peace to the spirits of the Breckenridge woman. Though it does, it also unleashes a series of mysterious occurrences. Is the spirit of Hattie Breckenridge attempting to scare the young couple away from her precious land or a messenger of warning? It's up to Helen to decide, before the chain of mysterious deaths continues.
Jennifer McMahon is one of my “insta-buy” authors. The moment I hear of a new book, I add it to my must-read list. This may be one of my very favorites, for I do love a nice ghost story. This book is filled to the brim with all the things I love about a spooky read: isolated location, mysterious path, twisted family histories, haunted objects. You really can’t go wrong. With it, McMahon adds her trademark ability to spin a excellently crafted story. She excels at creating young female characters, particularly young girls, and that is once again proven with this most recent title.
This is the perfect book to curl up and read on a dark and rainy Spring afternoon. You’ll want to read it in one sitting, I guarantee it.
If you haven’t read McMahon’s books yet, what are you waiting for!? This is an excellent start, but definitely go back and catch up on her back-list. Check out my reviews of her previous titles here. Highly, highly recommended!
