Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright ~ Book Review 2025

In 1921, Marian Arnold's family built their fortune in the brewing business.  But after her parent's death, and prohibition demolishing the business, Marian goes to live in her mother's summer estate which is the only thing left to her.  But when she is there Marian starts experiencing frightening visions.  When the milkman is found dead in her mother's beloved butterfly house, things take an ominous turn in Marian's life.  Then when her cousin Ivo, shows up, Marian is excited as she has always looked up to Ivo.  But Ivo does not come alone.  He shows up bringing a fiance and friends in tow and Marianne is no longer sure of his intentions.  The group doesn't seem to care that prohibition exists and are only too eager to break out the drinks each night.  When another person turns up dead, chaos ensues and Marian no longer knows who to trust. Fearing she is next, Marian turns to her childhood friend Felix, a war veteran, who lives on the estate with his mother.  But is he enough to protect her from what is happening?

In the present day, Remy Shaw has taken a job as a research assistant with a popular biographer.  She moves into his sprawling home which is the former manor of his latest person of interest to write about, Marian Arnold.  The house is odd, with many strange hallways and rooms and a layout that makes no sense and Remy is given a bedroom off a little room where it is rumored Marian Arnold was killed by the infamous Butterfly Butcher serial killer who was never identified or caught.  As she starts to dig into Marian's  life and the mysterious murders linked to the mansion, out of the blue, Marian's great-great grandson turns up wanting to protect his ancestor's legacy from anything Remy and the author may find.  

I really enjoyed this book.  Though not a huge fan of being scared, this author blends just the right mix of creepiness, mystery and great story telling that also takes on a serious subject.  The era is interesting as I have not read many books that deal with the effects on the lives of people who were affected by prohibition.  The main characters and some of the relationships really drew me in and all the emotions are brought out in the reveals as the story moves along.  The pacing was excellent and kept me wanting to pick up the book and keep going to find out what was going on.  

I rated this a 10/10