I adored Jacquie Walters’ previous evil mom novel, Dearest, so I was very excited to read this.
Turn Off the Light is a genius, dual timeline novel. In the present day, we have Claire and her daughter Julia visiting her dying father in her childhood home. There are especially painful memories tied to the house for Claire, as her sister Gabby went missing years earlier. Strange things begin to happen, Claire’s father becomes increasingly erratic, and things long-buried threaten to return.
Rewind a few hundred years, and we meet Edith, who is a gifted healer and herbologist. She is also having problems conceiving with her husband. Guess how people treat her?! With suspicion, of course! When an apple seemingly appears from nowhere, it starts a chain of inexplicable events, and Edith fears she will not be given the benefit of the doubt.
Turn Off the Light is a compelling novel. The two timelines interweave so well, and the final act of the book is edge-of-your-seat stuff. I literally stayed up past my bedtime as I desperately wanted to see how things ended. The concept is similar to Emilia Hart’s novel Weyward, but is a bit more thrilling.
Another fantastic read from Jacquie Walters! Yay for women in horror!
California Reading 