Jaime Jo Wright
384 pages
Bethany House, 2023
Back Cover Description:
It promises beauty but steals life instead. Will the ghosts of Barlowe Theater entomb them all?
Barlowe Theater stole the life of Greta Mercy’s eldest brother during its construction. Now in 1915, the completed theater appears every bit as deadly. When Greta’s younger brother goes missing after breaking into the building, Greta engages the assistance of a local police officer to help her unveil the already ghostly secrets of the theater. But when help comes from an unlikely source, Greta decides that to save her family she must uncover the evil that haunts the theater and put its threat to rest.
Decades later, Kit Boyd’s best friend vanishes during a ghost walk at the Barlowe Theater, and old stories of mysterious disappearances and ghoulish happenings are revived. Then television ghost-hunting host and skeptic Evan Fisher joins Kit in the quest to identify the truth behind the theater’s history. Kit reluctantly agrees to work with him in hopes of finding her missing friend. As the theater’s curse unravels Kit’s life, she is determined to put an end to the evil that has marked the theater and their hometown for the last century.
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The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater was a five-star read for me! This book is a wild ride from start to finish in the best possible way. It hooks you in the very first chapter and you must keep reading to find out what happens next.
The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater is a dual-timeline mystery that centers around a theater where mysterious things happen in the past and present. People have disappeared in both timelines and two young women, Greta and Kit, take it upon themselves to find out what happened to the people they care about.
Though the boys who disappear in the theater are part of the narrative, I think the real focus is on the women in this story. You see really strong young women who are up against hard things, you see female friendships in various states of health, and you see how women can stand in solidarity with each other.
I also love that Jaime tends to write heroes that are unique and not the stereotypical hunk you see in many romances. It makes her love stories feel so realistic and relatable.
This is a Christian Fiction book so know that the discussion around ghosts and mysterious beings is addressed with sound theology and you will not be left wondering in the end. No spoilers, but you are in good hands!
I will never stop recommending all of Jaime Jo’s books, but I think this might be one of my favorites.