5-STAR REVIEW: THE BELL TOLLS AT TRAEGER HALL by Jaime Jo Wright REVIEWER’S CHOICE! 🏆

Publication Date: October 21, 2025

An abandoned estate encased in stagnant darkness . . .
A haunting legacy intent on silencing all within reach . . .

In 1890, the ominous tolling of the bell announces that death has come to Traeger Hall, leaving orphaned Waverly Pembrooke to piece together the puzzle behind her uncle’s and aunt’s murders. Bound by the terms of her uncle’s eccentric will, Waverly finds herself alone in a manor shrouded by death and questioning the reasons for her uncle’s paranoia. A madness hovers over Traeger Hall, and Waverly–as well as the people of nearby Newton Creek–are ill-prepared for the woe that has descended.

In present day Newton Creek, whispers of a family curse still cling to the century-old, abandoned property of Traeger Hall. When Jennie Phillips takes possession of the estate after her mother’s passing, she is intent on solving the mystery of the Traeger murders. Yet a modern cold case suggests that untimely deaths and mysterious occurrences still plague the property. And as thorny truths surface, Jennie realizes the dark legacy threatens not only the town and the Traeger descendants . . . but also, chillingly, Jennie herself.

Traeger Hall looms menacingly over the town of Newton Creek with a legacy of death. The mystery of a murder in 1890 reflects a murder in present day in The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright.

1890: Waverly Pembrooke’s life has changed on a dime. After hearing the bell tolling at the home of her uncle, Leopold Traeger, she discovers her aunt and uncle dead, stabbed to death in a brutal slaying. Determined to figure out the killer, and possibly save herself, she works with the town’s undertaker, Titus Fitzgerald, to find the killer before it is too late.

Present day: Jennie Phillips arrives in Newton Creek still reeling from her mother’s death. Ready to be free of any connection to her late father, she is eager to sell Traeger Hall as soon as possible. But after finding a body at the mill, she has to determine if the stories about the mysterious Traeger Hall curse are just a story, or if opening up the Hall has really unleashed a deadly curse on the town. Working with Zane Harris, the fiancé of the dead woman, she must uncover the past to discover who is haunting Traeger Hall.

Some books take a minute to invest in the characters and get you to connect to the story. But this book had me invested immediately. I connected so easily with the characters and the setting. The murder part of the mystery happened right away, keeping you guessing throughout. I loved how Wright was able to handle the two timelines seamlessly, and I didn’t feel like I was in one timeline too long. The only criticism I could have is that the killer in 1890 was a little unbelievable. However, I do think that Wright was able to leave plenty of clues to show that it was possible. The romance was a little rushed and a bit cheesy, but if you can’t have a little fun, then what is the point of reading?

The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall is an excellent atmospheric gothic mystery that keeps you guessing, both in the past and in the present.

Jaime Jo Wright is the author of thirteen novels, including Christy Award-winner and ECPA bestseller The Vanishing at Castle Moreau, Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award-winner The House on Foster Hill, and Carol Award-winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. Jaime has also written two Publishers Weekly bestselling novellas. She lives in Wisconsin with her family and fabulous felines.

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