"The Souls of Lost Lake" by Jaime Jo Wright

Wren Blythe has long enjoyed being among the Northwoods, helping her father with programming at a youth camp. But when a little girl in the area goes missing, an all-out search ensues, reviving the decades-old campfire story of Ava Coons, the murderess, who still roams the woods. Joining the search, Wren stumbles upon the Coons cabin ruins and a rotting porcelain doll. But even more terrifying is seeing her name etched on the doll's foot like a sinister omen. In 1930, Ava Coons has spent the last ten years carrying the mantle of mystery since she emerged from the forest as an eight-year-old girl, spattered with blood, dragging a logger's axe. She has accepted she'll never remember what happened to her family. When a member of the town of Tempter's Creek is murdered, rumors spread that Ava's secret is more malicious than previously imagined. Both women discover that to save the innocent, they must face an insidious evil.

I don't know anyone who can craft a creepy, suspenseful novel like Jaime Jo Wright, and the fact that she manages it with two different--yet wholly intertwined--story lines makes it all the more impressive. This book is no exception. Everything is so perfectly balanced between the two story lines, and I love how they so often mirror each other below the surface. 

I enjoy Tolkien, and this has a surprising--and creepy and fun--Lord of the Rings twist that I never saw coming. There are numerous references to the stories as well, thanks to Wren's (aka Arwen's) Tolkien-obsessed father. I found Ava herself, though she has been accused of murder and is in danger herself, to be a source of humor in the past timeline. She has a very direct way of speaking with Preacher Pritchard that tends to shock him, yet made me smile. Both the preacher and Eddie (modern timeline) were wonderful.

It's a spectacularly creepy suspense, but with highly moving moments and hints of romance. Highly recommended!

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.