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Unfinished Business
Angela is haunted by family secrets and visits from the spirit of her deceased grandmother, Angelique, who mysteriously disappeared six decades ago. The grandmother she never knew.
Recovering from a traumatic divorce, Angela yearns for a fresh start in life. She escapes to her estranged mother's home on the North Shore of Lake Superior where she becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of her grandmother's disappearance - despite her mother's inexplicable fears and objections.
A strange force leads her to a cabin on Gunflint Trail in Minnesota's Northwoods where she uncovers clues about her grandmother's life. She also reconnects with Thomas, her long lost soulmate from a past lifetime. Together they embark upon a journey that leads them to Isle Royale and Voyageur's National Parks where they make startling discoveries that shatter all they thought they knew about the mysterious Angelique.
Finally, they are able to help Angelique complete her unfinished business upon this earth and move on into the spirit world.
Recovering from a traumatic divorce, Angela yearns for a fresh start in life. She escapes to her estranged mother's home on the North Shore of Lake Superior where she becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of her grandmother's disappearance - despite her mother's inexplicable fears and objections.
A strange force leads her to a cabin on Gunflint Trail in Minnesota's Northwoods where she uncovers clues about her grandmother's life. She also reconnects with Thomas, her long lost soulmate from a past lifetime. Together they embark upon a journey that leads them to Isle Royale and Voyageur's National Parks where they make startling discoveries that shatter all they thought they knew about the mysterious Angelique.
Finally, they are able to help Angelique complete her unfinished business upon this earth and move on into the spirit world.
- GenresThriller
240 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2025
About the author
Janet Kay
6 books84 followersJanet Kay lives and writes on a lake in the woods of Northwest Wisconsin.
Drawn to nature since she was a child, she sees its wonders as a source of renewal, reflection, and connection with something greater than oneself.
She is also strongly drawn to the Victorian era. This is reflected in her writing.
Her lifelong passions include creative writing, travel, photography, and spending time with family and friends.
She has published five novels to date - Waters of the Dancing Sky, Amelia 1868, The Sisters, Rainy Lake Rendezvous, and her latest release - Unfinished Business.
An intriguing psychological thriller with a supernatural twist, Unfinished Business is set along the North Shore of Lake Superior including Isle Royale and Voyageurs National Parks.
According to Valerie Biel, award-winning author of Beyond the Cemetery Gate:
"From intriguing to terrifying, this thriller is a page-turning read! It's the perfect mash up of paranormal mixed with historical fiction alongside a budding romance as a family mystery is unraveled. It's Wendy Webb's "The Haunting of Brynn Wilder" meets the classic movie "Somewhere in Time."
Check out her website at
http://www.novelsbyjanetkay.com
Drawn to nature since she was a child, she sees its wonders as a source of renewal, reflection, and connection with something greater than oneself.
She is also strongly drawn to the Victorian era. This is reflected in her writing.
Her lifelong passions include creative writing, travel, photography, and spending time with family and friends.
She has published five novels to date - Waters of the Dancing Sky, Amelia 1868, The Sisters, Rainy Lake Rendezvous, and her latest release - Unfinished Business.
An intriguing psychological thriller with a supernatural twist, Unfinished Business is set along the North Shore of Lake Superior including Isle Royale and Voyageurs National Parks.
According to Valerie Biel, award-winning author of Beyond the Cemetery Gate:
"From intriguing to terrifying, this thriller is a page-turning read! It's the perfect mash up of paranormal mixed with historical fiction alongside a budding romance as a family mystery is unraveled. It's Wendy Webb's "The Haunting of Brynn Wilder" meets the classic movie "Somewhere in Time."
Check out her website at
http://www.novelsbyjanetkay.com
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 26, 2025
Review by Jalene Dion:
"Unfinished Business by Janet Kay is about Angela, a thirty-year-old woman trying to rebuild her life after a messy divorce. She escaped to her estranged mother's mansion to heal from her trauma. She is haunted by family secrets and visits from the spirit of her deceased grandmother, Angelique, who mysteriously disappeared six decades ago. Angela embarks upon a journey into the Northwoods to resolve unfinished business. Her search takes her across cabins, hidden islands, and national parks. What was the mystery behind Angelique's disappearance?
The author's writing style is captivating and detailed. The characters are well-developed and easy to identify with. Angela's determination and courage were amazing. Despite her past, she remained focused on finding the cause of her grandmother's disappearance. She truly inspired me, and I was rooting for her all through her journey. This book looks into themes of healing, sacrifice and resilience.
Angela's mother was a tough and easy-to-follow character, trying to protect her daughter from her childhood trauma and the family's overwhelming secret. Thomas (Angela's soulmate) made me love this book even more. He was always there when she needed him and played a big role in her journey. I recommend Unfinished Business by Janet Kay to anyone who enjoys a blend of suspense and thriller."
"Unfinished Business by Janet Kay is about Angela, a thirty-year-old woman trying to rebuild her life after a messy divorce. She escaped to her estranged mother's mansion to heal from her trauma. She is haunted by family secrets and visits from the spirit of her deceased grandmother, Angelique, who mysteriously disappeared six decades ago. Angela embarks upon a journey into the Northwoods to resolve unfinished business. Her search takes her across cabins, hidden islands, and national parks. What was the mystery behind Angelique's disappearance?
The author's writing style is captivating and detailed. The characters are well-developed and easy to identify with. Angela's determination and courage were amazing. Despite her past, she remained focused on finding the cause of her grandmother's disappearance. She truly inspired me, and I was rooting for her all through her journey. This book looks into themes of healing, sacrifice and resilience.
Angela's mother was a tough and easy-to-follow character, trying to protect her daughter from her childhood trauma and the family's overwhelming secret. Thomas (Angela's soulmate) made me love this book even more. He was always there when she needed him and played a big role in her journey. I recommend Unfinished Business by Janet Kay to anyone who enjoys a blend of suspense and thriller."
April 28, 2026
This had so much potential as the story was genuinely interesting, but there were too many flaws for me to get thoroughly engaged. The biggest issue was the writing, itself. Misspelled words, punctuation errors, etc. I also felt like everything was being explicitly stated to the reader instead of developing through events and dialogue. Several times I had the thought, “Does she think we are dumb?” This also coincides with the same phrases being constantly scattered around the book. A good editing would have made the world of a difference to me.
Also, the plot armor was THICK. Every person Angela (or Angelique) met was perfectly friendly. You really expect me to believe Karl didn’t care how much she paid for his cabin? Or that a couple would let a woman they just met make herself at home while they were away? It just felt so silly and unbelievable.
Finally, this was grossly misclassified as a thriller. There’s some mystery and touches of magical realism but I, not once, felt compelled to call this book a thriller.
*I received free a copy via GoodReads giveaways
August 22, 2025
I found this book in the gift shop at Gunflint Lodge. When I am traveling, I love finding books with spooky stories about the place I am traveling.
Reading this right after my trip to Northern Minnesota was so much fun because the story is firmly rooted in the area.
The descriptions Janet Kay has of the northwoods reminds me of nyvrecent vacation. A story about a newly divorced woman in a rural area with family secrets, a sweet but strange romance and spooky ghosts is totally my jam.
Another strength of the book is how historically accurate it is. Having one of the characters as a descendents of Justine Kerfoot is a fun way to tie in the history of Gunflint.
Be warned that domestic abuse is depicted in this story. However I found that it was the perfect book to read on a rainy Minnesota day!
I am also posting this review on my blog:
http://glamorousbookgal.blogspot.com/...
Reading this right after my trip to Northern Minnesota was so much fun because the story is firmly rooted in the area.
The descriptions Janet Kay has of the northwoods reminds me of nyvrecent vacation. A story about a newly divorced woman in a rural area with family secrets, a sweet but strange romance and spooky ghosts is totally my jam.
Another strength of the book is how historically accurate it is. Having one of the characters as a descendents of Justine Kerfoot is a fun way to tie in the history of Gunflint.
Be warned that domestic abuse is depicted in this story. However I found that it was the perfect book to read on a rainy Minnesota day!
I am also posting this review on my blog:
http://glamorousbookgal.blogspot.com/...
April 27, 2026
2.5 stars really
The concept was good but the writing was very amateur. Also lots of errors in spelling and wrong names. Wish it had been edited better.
But I liked that it took place in a real place I know.
The concept was good but the writing was very amateur. Also lots of errors in spelling and wrong names. Wish it had been edited better.
But I liked that it took place in a real place I know.
January 9, 2026
great story! really enjoyed it. loved the whole concept and the main characters. writing has a lot of beautiful imagery that transports you to the great lakes. pulled me in from the start to end.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews