White Horse by Erika T. Wurth

Available now

CW: murder, child abuse, child sexual abuse, parental death, suicide

This one is really, really good. It’s part horror, part thriller, and is my favorite type of story: one that feels incredibly true to life. Kari has always believed that her mother abandoned her at just two days old, and with her father suffering brain damage after an accident, hasn’t been able to be a traditional parent to her. When Debby, her best friend and cousin, finds a bracelet belonging to Kari’s mother in an attic, Kari is forced to confront the bitterness and anger she feels towards her mother. That is, until she touches the bracelet and begins to see visions of her mother and her mother’s past. Now convinced there is more to her mother’s disappearance than she was led to believe, Kari must use the bracelet and face her mother’s past.

I really love a story with complicated and realistic relationships. Kari and Debby are absolute best friends and have been through so much together and would go to the ends of the earth for each other. Debby’s husband Jack? He hates Kari with a passion. This really complicates Kari and Debby’s relationship, and Debby’s ability to help Kari on her quest to discover her mother’s real fate. Kari’s Aunt Squeaker doesn’t always give her straightforward answers about her mother and the power behind the bracelet, which frustrates Kari to no end. Her father isn’t able to answer questions about the past and Kari is still processing the grief of losing her best friend as a teenager. As if that isn’t enough, Kari’s favorite bar might possibly go up for sale and she wants to buy it but is terrified of the commitment. There is so much working against her at every turn, and it’s rarely the mystical that impedes her; it’s the people around her and their complicated relationships. How do you focus on following your mother’s ghost and having visions when your best friend won’t speak to you because you blew up at her husband again? How do you focus on bank loans and financial planning when you’re potentially hunting a killer? It’s the inclusion of all the normal that really made the book special. It draws you in and makes you root for Kari’s success, and closure about her mother’s disappearance, because you want Kari to buy the bar and live a happy life.

Kari is also a huge fan of Stephen King and there are some top-notch references to the author and his books. Truly a delight.

I absolutely loved this one. It was my November pick for Book of the Month and I’m really glad they included it as a selection because I haven’t seen this book get the love it greatly deserves.

If you’d like your own copy of this book, you can order it online here, click on the book cover above, or sign up for Book of the Month with my link.

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