ARC Review: I'll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong

I'll Be Waiting
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publication: St. Martin's Press (October 1, 2024)

Description: From New York Times Bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a spellbinding new tale of supernatural horror involving a haunted-house, seances, lost loved ones, and a sinister spirit out for blood...

Nicola Laughton never expected to see adulthood, being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis as a child. Then medical advances let her live into her thirties and she met Anton, who taught her to dream of a future… together. Months after they married, Anton died in a horrible car crash, but lived long enough to utter five words to her, “I’ll be waiting for you.”

That final private moment became public when someone from the crash scene took it to the press―the terminally ill woman holding her dying husband as he promised to wait for her on the other side. Worse, that person claimed it wasn’t Anton who said the words but his ghost, hovering over his body.

Since their story went public, Nicola has been hounded by spiritualists promising closure. In the hopes of stopping her downward spiral, friends and family find a reputable medium―a professor of parapsychology. For the séance, they rent the Lake Erie beach house that Anton’s family once owned.

The medium barely has time to begin his work before things start happening. Locked doors mysteriously open. Clouds of insects engulf the house. Nicola hears footsteps and voices and the creak of an old dumbwaiter…in an empty shaft. Throughout it all she’s haunted by nightmares of her past. Because, unbeknownst to the others, this isn’t her first time contacting the dead. And Nicola isn’t her real name.

In this atmospheric, thrilling new ghost story, Kelley Armstrong's full talents are on display to thrill, chill and leave the reader guessing how Nicola escapes with her life--if she can.

My Thoughts: Nicola Laughton never expected to live as long as she has, nor did she ever expect to fall in love. Nicola has cystic fibrosis and medical advances have extended her life span. She didn't expect to outlive her husband Anton, but a freak car accident takes his life. Before dying, he was overheard to tell her that he'd be waiting for her on the other side. 

Their story went viral and new Nicola is being plagued with psychics who want to help her connect with her lost spouse. Grieving hasn't ruined her find analytical mind, though, and she ends up outing a number of fake psychics. 

For one last try at contacting Anton and finding her own peace, Nicola agrees to one last seance. Dr. Cirillo is a noted parapsychologist and has agreed to conduct it at the Lake Erie beach house where Nicola and Anton built a number of happy memories. Accompanying her are her brother-in-law Jin and a young woman named Shanie who she is met at a grief counseling session and is now mentoring. 

As soon as they arrive at the house, weird things start to happen. There are the usual ghostly sounds of footsteps and creaks. Locked doors are found open. The house is surrounded by midges. The housekeeper's son who acts as groundskeeper goes missing. And Nicola experiences a series of "accidents."

Nicola hasn't admitted to anyone that this isn't the first time she's been at a seance that has gone wrong. When she was a teenager, she accompanied two friends into the woods to try to connect with a pair of lovers who were grossly murdered. The seance leads to the death of one of the friends and the other being committed to a mental health facility for the rest of her life. 

This story was spooky. Nicola tries to keep her analytical side at the forefront but there are quite a few things that can't be explained rationally. She also comes to suspect that each of her fellow guests at the seance may be manipulating events to meet their own agenda. 

Fans of horror will be the perfect audience for this one. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.