ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
“Wraith” is a horror/mystery/supernatural novel. It follows the story of Cecily LeClercq, the protagonist who is surrounded by tragedy. At a young age, Cecily becomes the sole witness of her mother’s death. Years later, Cecily has followed in her mother’s footsteps in her avoidance of people. Cecily limits all contact with other humans to the absolute minimum. Cecily works with a florist, traveling into the remote Carolina wetlands to retrieve cuttings and pieces of plants for the florist’s use.
One day, as Cecily stops into her employer’s building, a stranger named Rene comes looking for her. Rene is from Paris and claims that a distant elderly relative must see Cecily before she dies. Cecily finally agrees to travel to France to meet the last bit of her mother’s family that remains alive. However, the trip is not as simple as it seems.
While in France, Cecily begins to learn the frightening history of her LeClercq ancestors. Death stalks the LeClercq family, materializing as a vicious wraith who makes itself known whenever the death of a LeClercq is near. As Cecily fights to untangle the historical mystery that brought the wraith’s vengeance upon the LeClercq family, the wraith sets its sights on her. Will Cecily solve the mystery and free the LeClercq family before the curse claims her as its next victim?
I greatly enjoyed this book. The author did a great job balancing and blending the horror, mystery, and supernatural elements in this book. I was brought along for the ride with Cecily in her race against time to solve and banish the LeClercq curse. I was immediately engrossed in the novel, and I tore through it quickly. The writer’s style is easy and engaging. The main characters are flushed out nicely, drawing the reader in as this rollercoaster of a book moves forward. I found myself cheering on Cecily while fearing for both her and those around her. The plot builds, escalating the danger as it barrels toward the end.
I must say I both did and did not like the ending. This is where I dropped my five-star rating to four. I was on the edge of my seat as the ending approached, reading faster and faster to find out how Cecily’s story would end. I was actually surprised as the ending unfolded, which is quite a feat as I usually figure it out beforehand. Without giving anything away, the novel wraps up in a way that leaves me full of questions, feeling as though something was a bit too unresolved.
Overall, I loved this book. I would greatly recommend this for a variety of readers. I believe it would please most fans of horror, mystery, supernatural, and gothic tales. It is an engaging read that should not be passed up. Pick up this novel and enjoy the ride!