Review: The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jamie Jo Wright

THE BOOK

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.

THE REVIEW

Hello everyone who is listening, my name is Katie and I’m from Paperbacks and Ponytails on YouTube. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright, and again thank you to Baker Publishing for sending me a copy of this book to read and share my thoughts with you.

I said in my written review that this book was a can’t put down, but shouldn’t be read at night thrilling read from the queen of creepy goodness.

In this book, we are following dual timelines that are connected through family secrets, mystery, and intrigue. In the modern timeline, we are following Kit and her best friend Madison–who wants to save the Barlowe Theater from the clutches of her grandfather who wants to tear it down. So Madison hires a ghost-hunting TV show to bring publicity to the theater. But soon things get turned upside down and Madison is discovered missing. Ghost-hunting skeptic Evan and Kit must work together to uncover what happened.

In the past timeline during the early 1900s, we follow Greta who is from the poorest part of town. She is friends with a few of the upper crust of society. Her friends take her to the Barlowe Theater which is newly built. And during the show at the theater Greta witnesses a baby being thrown from the balcony by a woman in white. But there is no baby to be found and she is presumed to be insane. Along with money troubles, her older brother is killed during the construction of the Theater, and now another brother goes missing with his friends in the Barlowe Theater. These boys are never seen coming back out. What mysteries lie in wait at Barlowe Theater?

I loved this new book by Jaime Jo! It was the perfect amount of creepy and entertaining fun. I really loved both timelines. The historical timeline is usually my favorite in dual-timeline books, which is the case in this book. I was so invested in the characters and what was going to happen to them. I loved both Greta and Kit and couldn’t wait to turn the next page. I dropped everything else to read this book. I mentioned that this book shouldn’t be read at night, it’s not over the top creepy but when you’re reading it at 1 am and you get to the point in a book where it’s a dark and creepy atmosphere and something grabs a character?

You know it’s time to either read quickly or go to bed and wait until morning to finish. It was a five-star, compelling, and highly entertaining read that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. A must read for historical mystery lovers.

Thank you to the Historical Bookworm Show for having me on their podcast to talk about The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright.

THE AUTHOR

Jaime Jo Wright (JaimeWrightBooks.com) is the author of ten novels, including Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award-winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She’s also a two-time Christy Award finalist, as well as the ECPA bestselling author of The Vanishing at Castle Moreau and two Publishers Weekly bestselling novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her family and felines.

Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.