Midwest Book Review =
Rating:
5 / 5
When C.H. Foertmeyer weaves a mystery, it does not disappoint. And when his first book, Carver: High Mountain Tragedy, was nominated and placed third in the Dorothy Parker Awards in Excellence, it was no fluke. All this author's books are thought provoking and quirkily intriguing.
In The Room Beyond the Veil, past and present converge with sometimes hair raising results. 21-year old Tom Jewett and his wife Sally move from Nebraska to Colorado and buy a 19th century fixer-upper. Tom falls in love with their new home immediately but Sally has her doubts. Despite their discovery of secret rooms laden with treasures from the past, Sally has a sense of foreboding. Tom's dreams of visiting his past are real and frightening. His ancestry beckons by day and by night, and Sally is helpless to forestall the outcome.
In the early morning hours, during a thunderstorm, Tom goes downstairs to check their fusebox and simply disappears. He wakes up in 1870, in the person of a long dead ancestor named Ulysses Jewett, age ten. Several members of the nineteenth century Jewett family have died of influenza. Tom as Ulysses realizes he has been returned to the past to ensure the survival of future generations. But will he ever return to Sally and resume the life they shared?
I don't want to reveal all of Foertmeyer's secrets. The plot is tight and believable, the characters of both centuries strong and well developed. Old ways and new add to the story's interest. For example, modern technology is used in one century to solve the mysteries of another. Foertmeyer books are never boring or predictable and always exciting. If you like mysteries, time travel, or simply a well written story, this one has it all.
A Fine Story of Mystery and Suspense
Rating:
5 / 5
Tom and Sally Jewett are starting a new life. Purchasing an old house,
sight unseen, in the small town of Traber, Colorado where
his great grandfather was born and raised. Upon walking into their new
home, he's filled with the excitement of fixing it up and
settling down. His wife Sally is a little less sure of the situation
until Tom uncovers hidden rooms and expensive treasures. With
every secret niche that is uncovered their lives are improved
financially. Emotionally, it's a bit draining when strange dreams lead
them further into a tangled mystery from the past.Who is the lady sitting in the parlor from Tom's dreams? Her clothes are
not of this century and her beckoning manner leads him
to believe she is trying to get his help in some matter. Dream upon
dream leads him just a bit further into the past until one
morning he awakens to find himself truly living in another time and
another body. Why is he here? How will he get back to his
wife Sally? THE ROOM BEYOND THE VEIL is a fine story of mystery and suspense. Mr.
Foertmeyer will entangle you in the very first
chapter and hold you through to the end with his fine imagination and
excellent story telling. I thoroughly enjoy the chance to jump back into time if the book does it
well enough. No doubt Mr. Foertmeyer does just that. He
keeps his characters and dates straight and true while leading the
reader on a merry chase. It's difficult to figure out where the
story is going and how it will come together and that's another huge
plus for this wonderful author. I've been a devoted fan of C.H. Foertmeyer since reading his first book
and THE ROOM BEYOND THE VEIL has kept me firmly
attached to this talented author. I highly recommend his book for
teenagers and adults both! Stacey Bucholz - All About Murder Reviews
|