"I'll Be Waiting" by Kelley Armstrong

 

I don't believe in ghosts, but I always love to read great ghost stories, and this book didn't disappoint. "I'll Be Waiting" by Kelley Armstrong is a fantastic paranormal tale involving a haunted house, séances, and murders.

Nicola Laughton was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a child and wasn't expected to live long. Medical advances extended her life. A few months after her marriage, her husband died in a freak car accident, and his dying words were, "I’ll be waiting for you." She never expected to outlive her husband. Devastated, she seeks to contact him via mediums and séances, which turn out to be charlatans.

When her family finds a reputable medium—a professor of parapsychology—and proposes a séance at a secluded place, she agrees and decides to give it one last chance. The plot thickens when strange occurrences take place at the Lake Erie beach house they rented, reawakening old nightmares from her past.

I loved the book! There is nothing like a good spooky paranormal/ghost-hunting story to get your juices going. This is not your typical ghost story either! It is a creepy tale full of twists and shocking revelations with a spooky atmosphere. The book is written from Nicola's first-person point of view and combines flashbacks into her past. It explores themes of loss, grief, depression, trust, and family.

The book is well written with an engaging storyline, well-rounded characters, and a unique plot. The dark atmosphere was well sketched and convincing, with the creaking of an old dumbwaiter, creepy porcelain dolls, and eerie voices. The tense atmosphere and freaky supernatural occurrences get into your head and make you begin to doubt your own grip on sanity, along with that of the character, but it wasn't too scary if you get my drift.

The author takes the paranormal and adds it to real, normal life. She makes the unreal believable. The feeling of dread in this book grows with one incident after another. I did feel that the heroine took some unnecessary risks and acted recklessly. There were times I wanted to shake her, and I was afraid for her.

Overall, it was a great tale that kept me in suspense right up to the last page. I loved that we didn't know what was real and what wasn't, and the way the author combined past and present, real and unreal. I enjoyed the read and would recommend it to those who enjoy ghost tales with secrets, intricate relationships, and chilling paranormal activity.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book: "I'll Be Waiting" by Kelley Armstrong