I’ll Be Waiting

Author Kelley Armstrong’s newest release, I’ll Be Waiting, is the perfect book to put readers in the mood for the spooky season. A grieving wife’s desperate attempt to connect with her deceased husband beyond the grave turns deadly in this highly atmospheric tale of supernatural horror. Make sure you have all the lights turned on before starting this one!

Terminally ill Nicola Laughton considers herself to be a fortunate woman. While she’s lived with cystic fibrosis since childhood, modern medicine has improved her quality of life as well as her life expectancy. Married to Anton, the man of her dreams, she’s enjoying life to the fullest until the day a car crosses the center line, claiming her husband’s life. As Nicola kneels on the pavement cradling her husband in her arms, Anton’s dying vow is to wait for her. Captured by cell phone cameras, the scene soon goes viral with rumors that Anton’s ghost or spirit appears hovering over them while whispering to Nicola. The news is all it takes to bring self-proclaimed psychics out of the woodwork, telling Nicola they can facilitate her reconnection to her dead husband, only to leave her disappointed and disillusioned. In one last desperate attempt, friends and family step in to set up a final séance with a reputable parapsychologist at Anton’s family’s Lake Erie beach house, where Anton spent a great deal of time. Soon after their arrival, mysterious events occur, indicating the possible presence of entities residing in the old house. Is Anton reaching out? Or has something darker, more sinister been awakened?

I’ll Be Waiting is a tension-laden, highly atmospheric paranormal thriller. A foreboding tone is set early, enhanced by the setting in a secluded beach house, complete with unexplained voices and footsteps, doors opening and closing, a creaking dumbwaiter, a room full of creepy porcelain dolls watching . . . and a history that includes a missing boy and murder. As the story progresses, short flashbacks give readers insight into past events, raising more questions while leaving readers to decide what’s real and what’s not. The author slows the pace through the middle portion of the book, taking time to build the suspense while keeping characters and readers off-balance with a variety of eerie, goosebump-worthy incidents, only to pick up speed again as danger escalates through the final showdown. Some readers may find it hard to connect with characters who appear elusive due to the mysterious, ever-changing aura and circumstances surrounding them. Readers are challenged with uncovering the truth while figuring out who to trust in this tale of things that go bump in the night.

Kelley Armstrong has expertly rendered another paranormal page-turner, a smoke-and-mirrors mystery perfect for fans who enjoy a good ghost story without crossing over into full-blown horror. Armchair detectives will also enjoy the challenge of solving this one.