The Resurrection of Evania James

by

Jaime Jo Wright

Atmospheric dual-timeline tale of Gothic suspense.

The Resurrection of Evania James by Jaime Jo Wright is an eerie, atmospheric Gothic suspense tale and perfect entertainment not only for the spooky season, but for the entire year. Two tales of suspense unfold: one set in 1879, the other in the present, and both are mesmerizing as the past encroaches on and informs the present. 

In the earlier timeline, Eloise James is horrified when her father has her younger sister, Evania, committed to an asylum for the chronically insane as his solution for dealing with her grief over the loss of her illegitimate infant during childbirth. But when Eloise gets word that the hospitalized Evania is at death’s door, she defies their father and travels to the institution with the intention of demanding her release and taking her to distant relatives to help her convalesce. However, once she arrives at the asylum, she discovers that many patients admitted there are never seen again, and Evania is among the missing. 

In current times, Tilly Thompson, the caregiver for her grandfather who is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, moves with him into the James Mansion, the ancestral home of the town’s founding family, only to accidentally discover the skeletal remains of a young woman entombed behind a stairwell wall. Together with her high school nemesis, one of the last members of the James family, she tries to uncover the story of the woman in the wall. 

Both storylines had me enthralled from the start with their earnest, engaging, and very vulnerable female protagonists. Eloise, heartbroken over her beloved sister’s fate, has always been an obedient daughter and is defenseless before her father, who sees her as little more than property. Although his attitude is the prevailing sentiment of the time, her father is truly a cruel, unfeeling tyrant. Tilly is neurodivergent and was the target of bullying in high school; her most painful treatment came at the hands of the popular scion of the town’s founding family, Luke James. Nurtured by her paternal grandfather, she has become his caregiver in his waning years after his recent diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s. Knowing her affinity for the large Victorian mansion, abandoned by Luke James and his brother, Kyle, after the deaths of their parents, Grandpa Don purchases the old home as a gift for Tilly in return for her caring for him there until he eventually succumbs to his disease. 

From the start, the house holds clues to the past, and the author’s vivid descriptions create a waiting-and-watching atmosphere. Tilly must overcome the pain of her memories to pursue the mystery of the unidentified woman, and her alliance with her former tormentor reveals that he, too, suffered from the memories of his own past. It was satisfying to watch the two reconcile their memories, collaborate, and see their relationship evolve as they work to uncover the truth hidden behind the walls of James Mansion. 

I recommend THE RESURRECTION OF EVANIA JAMES to readers of gothic mysteries, suspense, and thrillers. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.