From the New York Times bestselling author of Red Rabbit comes a supernatural horror where ghosts and ghouls are the least of a witch’s problems in historical New England.

Not all is as it seems in the small village of Ascension, Massachusetts. A mother wasting away from cancer is suddenly up and about. A boy trampled by a milk cart walks away from the accident. A hanged man can still speak, broken neck and all.

The dead are not dying.

When Rabbit and Sadie Grace accompany their friend Rose to Ascension to help take care of her ailing cousin, they immediately notice that their new house, Bethany Hall, is occupied by dozens of ghosts. And there’s something in the attic that neither want to investigate.

New England in the 1880s is notoriously unwelcoming to the weird, and the villagers are wary of their visitors. As the three women attempt to find out what’s happening in the town, they must be careful not to be found out. But a much larger—and dangerous—force is galloping straight for them…

I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher. All thoughts are my own.

When I started this book, I didn’t realize it was a continuation of “Red Rabbit,” which I hadn’t read. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to go back and read that book first, but I never felt lost while reading “Rose of Jericho.” From what I can tell, this book shares characters with “Red Rabbit” but can easily stand on its own.

Set in 1880s New England, the book kicks off with Death himself being murdered by a man who sought vengeance against Death after his wife died. The problem is, now that Death no longer exists, anyone who dies continues to walk the earth – wounds and all.

The core of the novel takes place in Ascension, Massachusetts, a small, insular village where we see the repercussions of the loss of Death. A mother dying of cancer suddenly recovers, and her son, who people witnessed being crushed by a milk cart, walks away unscathed. Others who have died (or should have) are also miraculously alive. While many would like to attribute it to the power of prayer, it is anything but holy – especially seeing as how the longer those who should have died remain, the more unhinged and dangerous they become.

On top of the walking dead, we also have Bethany Hall – a home riddled with ghosts, and it’s in this home that Sadie, Rose and Rabbit have come to stay to help Rose’s ailing cousin (who – thanks to Death’s demise is no longer as sickly as she once was). But Sadie, Rose, and Rabbit are witches, and they feel a presence amongst the ghosts – something that waits in the attic that even the ghosts are afraid of.

I absolutely loved the premise of this one. Who would have thought that Death himself could die? And, of course, everyone would become “living dead” if Death wasn’t around to see them off to wherever we go next. This idea is very inventive, allowing for a lot of exploration, and Grecian definitely has fun with it.

Another thing that makes this book work so well is the characters. Grecian doesn’t just create protagonists who react to the strange events unfolding around them; he gives them depth, history, and personal stakes that make their journey all the more engaging. Rabbit, Rose, and Sadie Grace are fascinating figures, and I really want to go back and read the first book to learn more about them.

The novel’s supporting characters – both living and dead – are just as intriguing. The townsfolk of Ascension have an unsettling, almost puritanical distrust of anything unnatural, creating a slow-burn tension that permeates the book. They want to believe everything happening is by the hand of God, which puts them in even more danger. And the spirits? They aren’t just spooky set pieces; they have personalities, motives, and a presence that makes them feel as integral to the story as the living characters.

While I personally didn’t feel that this book was especially scary, there is an ever-present sense of dread. The idea of people being hurt or killed but never succumbing to their wounds was fun to explore, but you know that eventually, something has to give, and things are going to get dark. Rather than lots of gore or jump-scares, Grecian builds an unsettling atmosphere filled with the sense that, at any moment, things could go very, very wrong.

I read both an ARC and listened to an ALC of this and I have to give major kudos to the narrator. John Pirhalla is fantastic. Not only does he provide convincing voices for each character, but he also sings the songs in the book rather than just speaking the lyrics. His ability to make even his singing voice reflect the character impressed me. This really upped my listening experience!

Overall, this is a fascinating, well-written novel that offers a fresh take on supernatural horror. With its compelling characters, unique premise, and immersive setting, it’s an engaging read that balances creepiness with adventure. While it may not deliver traditional scares, its unsettling atmosphere and the mystery at its core make it an enjoyable novel for fans of gothic horror or just a good eerie mystery.