Turn Off the Light

by Jacquie Walters

Two women living centuries apart are bound by the same dark secret in this haunting novel that "upends everything you think you know about ghost stories" (Jennifer McMahon, author of The Winter People).

"A delightful twist on both the haunted-house and beach-read genres." —Carissa Orlando, author of The September House

The Devil enters through doors left open…

On the isolated Eastern Shore of Virginia, Edith is a healer, a woman of knowledge—and a woman watched. Shadows move where they shouldn’t. Whispers creep through the dark. Terrified she has opened her home to the Devil, Edith makes a desperate choice.

Claire doesn’t believe in ghosts—until she returns home to care for her dying father and finds her childhood house… listening. As one sleepless night bleeds into the next, she becomes convinced something is stirring beneath the floorboards. Something that has waited a long time to rise.

Is the house haunted? What compels this lurking darkness? As the danger mounts, Edith and Claire will discover they’ll need each other to survive. But they are separated by four hundred years. And time is running out for them both.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Adult, Mystery Thriller, Gothic

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 3, 2026

About the author

Check out Jacquie's book community on IG @sendmeabook for book giveaways and authentic book recommendations from authors. Broadening perspectives to narrow the distance between us. ♥️

Jacquie Walters is an Emmy-nominated screenwriter. She graduated from Stanford's Novel Writing Program and is passionate about layered mysteries, psychological anomalies, and characters with everything to hide. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two children, and beloved Golden Retriever.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

A jump-scare horror thriller set in a haunted house where the devil himself threatens its inhabitants, blended with a gripping murder mystery, is the perfect recipe for any thriller lover looking for a page-turner to devour in one sitting. Add two timelines, two women separated by centuries yet bound to the same cursed house, both fighting an ancient evil—and you have an irresistibly intriguing premise. This heart-thrilling, nail-biting, deeply disturbing horror novel delivers exactly that, and I truly enjoyed every chilling moment of it.

The first timeline takes place in the 1600s and centers on Edith, who lives in an isolated house on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. She is a healer and herbalist—gifted, compassionate, and deeply misunderstood. The women in her community view her with suspicion, twisting her good intentions into something dark and unnatural. Edith is married to David Harris, a hardworking commissioner who desperately wants a child and pressures her to conceive. But Edith harbors deep fears about pregnancy, haunted by the tragic fate her own mother suffered after becoming pregnant.

When an apple appears mysteriously in her room, strange and terrifying events begin to unfold: hissing sounds in the night, candles relighting themselves, windows opening on their own, eerie creaks and whispers, and bruises blooming on Edith’s body without explanation. Something is in the house. Something watching. Something that wants her. As fear tightens its grip, Edith must confront whether an evil entity is stalking her—or whether the danger lies even closer than she ever imagined.

In the present-day timeline, we meet Claire, a single mother who returns to her childhood home with her four-year-old daughter, Julia. Her sister Tilly and brother-in-law Peter are caring for their father, whose dementia is rapidly worsening after a fall. Claire comes back hoping to spend what may be their final days together as a family—but it quickly becomes clear that her father’s decline isn’t the only thing wrong in that house.
He speaks in terror about something evil. He becomes erratic, even harming himself with sharp objects. Little Julia senses a presence too, claiming to see and communicate with someone unseen. Yet Tilly and Peter dismiss Claire’s fears, refusing to believe anything supernatural is happening and resisting her attempts to move their father into a care facility.

As memories resurface, Claire is reminded of another sister, Gabby, who vanished two decades earlier after claiming that something sinister lurked in the attic and near the dumbwaiter. Could Gabby’s disappearance be tied to the house? And could the same malevolent force now be closing in on Claire and her daughter?

Across centuries, Edith and Claire must each face the evil rooted within the walls of the same house. To save themselves and the people they love, they will have to uncover a truth so dark it may shatter everything they thought they knew—about the house, their families, and even themselves.
Overall, this is a gripping, fast-paced, and beautifully written horror mystery with a brilliantly clever, twist-packed ending that completely blew me away. It earned a well-deserved five stars from me, and I’m officially adding this author to my auto-approved favorites list. I cannot wait to see what terrifying story she brings us next.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company / Mulholland Books for sharing this unputdownable horror mystery’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[Rachel Hanes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do judge a book by its cover, and that’s one of the reasons that I wanted to read this book. Little did I know that the author, Jacquie Walters, had previously written, “Dearest”, in which I read last year. “Dearest” wasn’t one of my favorite reads, but I must tell you, the writing and storyline in this book is so much better (in my opinion anyways)! I really enjoyed this story, and it was almost a five star read for me, until things became a little too OTT towards the ending.

In this story we have Past chapters from the 1600’s that deal with one of our main characters of Edith (in which I really enjoyed reading). I think I would have been happy if the whole book was about her. Then we have our Present day chapters that deal with another of our main characters, that being Claire. I felt that I could resonate with both of their characters, and Edith was very interesting.

In our Present day chapters, Claire returns back to her childhood home after receiving a call from her sister that her father’s health is declining rather quickly. Once Claire returns home, her father has become more ill, and he claims that he is seeing the devil. Is her father’s dementia getting worse? Or is there something demonic going on inside the family home? Claire also has to deal with the grief and memories of her oldest sister Gabby, who disappeared 20 years prior. The stress starts to take its toll on Claire. Not only is her father seeing and hearing things, but so is Claire and her young daughter, Julia.

In the Past chapters, Edith is a young wife who works with herbs and plants to heal people. Edith is shunned from the community as they think she has a higher power and might be working with the Devil. How can Edith convince these people in her community that she just wants to help them, and not hurt them? And how does both Claire and Edith’s stories intertwine together 400 years later?

This was such a good story, and when I wasn’t reading this- I couldn’t wait to pick this book back up. I do feel towards the end that things became a little over the top for me, but others may enjoy that storyline and where it went more than I did. I know that after reading this book, I will definitely be looking forward to this author’s next book!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown & Co., and the author for an ARC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading, in exchange for an honest opinion.
Publication date: March 3, 2026

[Dutchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Claire and her daughter Julia head to her childhood hometown near the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia to help her sister care for their bedridden father. Claire left home right after their older sister, Gabby, went missing and started a new life in LA and hasn’t been back since. Upon arriving, she starts to hear and see things that she can’t explain. Rewind to the 1600s and we meet Edith who is a healer within that same village that Claire lives in during the present day timeline. Unfortunately, during this time, any woman that exhibited healing qualities or some semblance of intelligence was considered a witch. Claire discovers her house once belong to Edith and believes that maybe she is connected to Gabby‘s disappearance as well as the unexplained noises in the house.

I definitely favored Edith’s timeline more so than Claire’s. Claire had a super unlikable feeling to her and didn’t have much depth. Edith, on the other hand, was written really well. The pacing is what lowered my rating. It was too slow and not much happening for 3/4 of the novel. The last quarter however, things started moving rather quickly and how everything tied together was done really well. The only piece I wasn’t too keen on was how Gabby‘s disappearance was explained. While that sub plot was needed, it felt a bit out of place with Edith and Claire’s connection. At least it did to this reader, I’m sure others will feel differently.

This was really light on the horror aspects and would consider it more historical fiction/mystery with a bit of supernatural elements.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

[Kurryreads (Kerry) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 thank you to the publisher for an early ebook! Creative, entertaining, and suspense filled paranormal read

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTrUYY8VB/

[Nikki Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the second novel by Jacquie Walters was announced, I was immediately elated! I was a big fan of Dearest and couldn’t wait to get my grubby little hands on this.

This is told through two different stories and timelines separated by centuries. What brings them together is the childhood home of Claire’s, that a woman named Edith lived in centuries before.

When she comes home with her daughter to be by her dying father’s side, strange things begin to happen. Even her father who is on his deathbed is acting odd.

Turn Off The Light is a completely different experience from her debut. This one is a slow burn tale that unfolds with creepy happenings and focusing on the past of Edith’s life. Why is Edith’s spirit still alive in the home?

I enjoyed the novel and will be excited for Walter’s next adventure. This is perfect for people who are curious about horror without all the gore and favor character driven stories.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub date 3/3/26

Thank you to Mulholland Books and Jacquie Walters for my gifted copy!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you Little, Brown and Company for access to the ARC!

4.25 stars

I don't know why, it should have been obvious, but I didn't know this was going to have a haunted house vibe going into it. This is one of my favorite commonly used tropes, so it was a pleasant surprise. The blend of horror and historical fiction was interesting too, I feel like it's not done often enough. This story follows two women - one in the 1600s and one in present day.

This is my second book by this author and I enjoyed it more than her debut. To be fair, the plot just resonated with me more. I liked Edith a lot, she was subject to the exact type of persecution I predicted - she is a healer, and any woman who showed an interest in anything outside of marriage and children back then was viewed as suspicious. She was tenacious though, and I was rooting for her even as I felt that slow sense of dread as the townspeople turned more and more against her. For the first half of the book I was a lot more interested in her story.

It sort of flipped in the second half though. I initially didn't care too much for Claire, she came off as uptight and controlling in my opinion. I completely understood the friction in the relationship she had with her sister and the rest of her family. However she grows a lot as a character, acknowledging certain mistakes and I found myself more hooked on her narrative as the novel progressed. Walters did a good job weaving the two storylines together; it seemed pretty unclear to me how these two women related besides their physical address but when it became clear what was going on I felt the entire thing was pretty clever.

I will say the big bad reveal was not particularly surprising, but honestly, I'm not sure if the author meant for it to be obvious or not. Hard to explain without including spoilers as I sometimes do (but not with ARCs!). Be on the lookout for this one in March, it's definitely worth the read.

[Heathers_readss · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read the authors previous book “Dearest” you understand how phenomenal it was, and exactly what to expect going into this one.

“Turn off the light” definitely exceeded expectations for the authors post debut book. The horror elements are so heavily present, the writing contents feel like the author did a lot of research and really put her whole heart and imagination into the characters and plot of this book.

The storyline features two timelines, 400 years apart.. which interconnect in a surprising way.

Despite being a horror there are lighter themes of humour, womanhood and female bonds sprinkled throughout which give a quiet uplifting reprieve.

I honestly have no notes on this one, it was very well done 👏🏼

Thank you for the gifted copy! All opinions are my own

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the synopsis of this book I will expected something different from what it was. It’s marketed as a horror novel, however, in my opinion this is more a simple murder mystery type of book. This marketing most likely skews my rating somewhat as it’s not what I expected to read. The prose is good and the plot was also good. I think had I gone in expecting more of a gentle thriller this would have been more in line to meet my expectations. I did enjoy the dual timeline. The surprise wasn’t enough to make me love this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[OutlawPoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. It hits that witchy/folk vibe you might be looking for!

The story is told in 2 timelines. While I enjoyed both, I found I preferred our historical timeline and that particular main character. I was so worried for her!

The more modern timeline is a good one, but I had trouble with our sisters. I was kind of unsympathetic to both of them so it was a little hard for me to be concerned. I was worried for the little girl and the grandpa, though.

The storytelling is atmospheric and the author does a great job of putting you into the minds of our charcters.

It's a good read!

* ARC via Publisher

[KaysKillerReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would love to say this novel is the best of the year, but considering it’s only January, we still have a lot of year left. I’m honestly a little sad I read this so early; it’s going to be a very hard novel to top. This might already be my best of 2026.

In this story, you follow two narratives, Claire and Edith. Both are beautifully written and so intricately woven together that it is an art in itself. As you read, you’re constantly trying to piece things together, thinking it has to be heading one way, when in all actuality, it is nowhere near that. The story is so much more elaborate and wonderful than I ever could have come up with given the chance. I would love a glimpse inside Jacquie Walters’ brain and writing process.

It’s not easy to pull off a story with such a large time gap between characters and still make each time period feel authentic, but this one does it flawlessly. When reading Edith’s chapters, I could clearly picture the timeline right down to the old clothing, language, and houses. I felt as if I had travelled in time. Claire’s storyline, on the other hand, I knew was current and modern. I could picture the changes and updates to the house, the differences in clothing, and the shifts in language, thoughts, and attitudes. The atmosphere in both timelines was so strong, especially the modern small-town setting in Claire’s, where everyone knows your sh*t. Growing up in a town of 1,400 people myself, that aspect rang painfully true. The gossip mill is always running. Everyone… knows… everything.

I truly enjoyed this story so much. I wanted to know everything about every character and every storyline. There was not a single thread I cared about more than another. I wanted to live in this story. Not literally, because that would be awful, but I also did not want it to end. I personally needed more pages and more time with these characters, even though the storyline was the perfect length and absolutely perfectly written. I just didn’t want the journey to end.

Six stars, reluctantly marked as five only because that is all I am allowed to give.

[Stacy40pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turn Off the Light by Jacquie Walters. Thanks to @mulhollandbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

On the isolated Eastern shore of Virginia,
Edith lives a quiet life as a healer but the community turns against her calling her a witch. Terrified of herself, she makes a mistake that echos through centuries.

The ending of this one really made the story for me! I loved how both timelines merged together and all little mysteries were wrapped up neatly. While there was a touch of magical realism, it was light. The book was special because it is part historical fiction and part contemporary fiction; best of both genres! I loved both timelines. I especially enjoyed Edith and Violet and loved the cleverness of how they were brought into the current timeline.

“Grief creeps in when least expected, like water through a crack the moment a facade is broken.”

Turn Off the Light comes out 3/3.

[Melissa (Nissa_the.bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacquie delivers yet another haunting, slow burn! The place where these two women’s lives meet and intertwine without even realizing was such a fascinating idea. At first I had no clue what direction this story was headed in, but we begin to see it flesh out slowly and deliberately in Jacquie’s superb writing style. I was honestly scared for Claire. The things she was seeing and experiencing would have been terrifying for anyone, but poor Edith had it even worse, living during a time where women with a brain were often seen as witches or touched by the devil. It’s hard to choose which POV I enjoyed more because both were so important and wouldn’t work without the other. I like that the story focused not only on the supernatural, but the science fiction realm as well. Turn Off the Light is more than a paranormal mystery - it’s about the lengths women will go through to protect one another.

[Sacha · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Perhaps the best indication of my feelings on this book is that when was about halfway in, I immediately popped on Libby and queued Walters's previous book. I enjoyed this one thoroughly.

Edith and Claire live in the same house (kind of) but in entirely different timelines. That noted, their actions seem to be impacting each other. Inexplicable occurrences of all kinds plague both women, and they come to understand that somehow - 400 years apart - their choices are impacting each other.

For obvious reasons, a central feature of the novel includes jumping between timelines, and this is accomplished seamlessly. Edith is a housewife and way more importantly a healer, and she is also having some personal struggles - physical, moral, and religious - that plague her. She knows what she thinks is right. She also feels she may be being punished. Such is the plight of women forever. I absolutely loved her character and immediately felt invested in her story. As soon as I met her, I felt like she was giving _American Horror Story: Roanoake_ and _Coven_ crossover, and I am here for it.

400 years later, Claire is visiting her family home - previously Edith's home in the before times - with her very young daughter, Julia, for a terrible reason; her father is dying. Claire's sister Tilly and her husband are taking care of the father and the home, and there is clear tension among the group. it also comes to light that Claire and Tilly's sister went missing a long time ago, and the family has a lot of unexpressed pain over this horror. This even resulted in their mother leaving the country.

While both timelines deal with serious and concerning and sad issues, there are also little jolts of humor (mostly from Julia, who does the world's most kid thing in one scene that had me cracking up). There's also so much powerful messaging about resiliency and trusting yourself and the bonds of women. This is very clearly a horror novel, but it's a smart one, and I loved the setting, the characters, and the general plotting, too.

I will mention that there is an instance of SA in here that was tough to read. That noted, it's not gratuitous and it is self-contained, but it is important.

I'm literally first in line for Walters's previous book ATM, and I'll be among the first for the next one, too. This was a treat.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Samantha (Reading_Against_Noise) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have officially added Jacquie Walters to my auto buy list and she deserves to be on everyone’s radar. My first read from her was Dearest, an easy five stars, so the moment I saw she had a new release I requested it immediately. Walters blends tension and trauma beautifully and always adds that silver lining of female empowerment. I wouldn’t call this pure horror since it leans more toward a slow burn thriller with a few horror elements. I enjoyed it overall, though most of the action lands in the second half. I do wish some of the characters had been more fully developed instead of feeling two dimensional, but the ending absolutely delivered and made this a very satisfying read. 3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for this arc.

[Adam Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dearest was one of my favorite books last year, so I was incredibly excited to get my hands on Turn Off the Light and it did not disappoint in the slightest. What starts as a fascinating mixture of historical witchy fiction mixed with a sad and emotional contemporary haunted house story takes a turn that is simply breathtaking and brilliant. Without giving anything away, a lot of dual or triple timeline books have come out in the past few years, but Walters brings something wholly original to this sub-genre and completely reinvigorated it for me. This book is everything you want from a horror novel and more. I can’t recommend it enough!

[Courtney Whalen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Little, Brown & Company for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dearest was one of my favorite reads of 2024, so I went into Turn Off the Light with sky-high expectations— and Jaquie Walters still managed to completely blow me away.

Let me tell you… this book already has a permanent spot in my top 10 favorites of 2026, and it’s only January. That’s how hard this one hit.

Set across four hundred years, this story follows Edith, a healer on the isolated Eastern Shore of Virginia in the 1600s, where shadows move when they shouldn’t and whispers creep through the dark. Terrified she has opened her home to something evil, Edith makes a desperate choice that echoes far beyond her lifetime.

In the present day, Claire returns to her childhood home to care for her dying father— only to realize the house is listening. As sleepless nights pile up, she becomes convinced something is stirring beneath the floorboards. Something that has been waiting a very long time to rise.

What makes this book truly special is how these two women—separated by centuries—are bound together by the same looming darkness.

This story scared me, tugged at my heart, gave me hope, and nearly made me cry. I loved the dual POVs between Edith and Claire. Usually, with timelines like this, I end up favoring one perspective over the other— but here, both were equally haunting, emotional, and impossible to put down.

If you love ghost stories but want something layered, atmospheric, and genuinely unique, this is absolutely the book for you. Creepy, emotional, and beautifully written, Turn Off the Light is a haunting I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

Highly recommend for fans of ghostly suspense with heart. 🕯️👻📖

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly, I didn't care for the "Claire" chapters at first. I was more interested in what was going on with Edith and her situation and didn't find Claire super compelling, despite her dying father and missing sister. I didn't think Claire's four-year-old daughter Julia felt like an authentic, believable child character at times. Similarly, I thought that the character of Ethan, Claire's ex-turned-fellow-investigator, was too convenient and too agreeable, and while that opinion didn't change, over time I did start to appreciate him a little more (it was nice to see that at least ONE guy in this whole mess listened to women). And, as the author started to weave Claire and Edith's stories together more, I started to appreciate Claire more, too. Most of all, I liked that, at its core, this book was about love between siblings, and love between friends.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Alicia Ceasar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turn Off the Light by Jacquie Walters follows two women in two timelines, hundreds of years apart but somehow connected.

This is my second book by this author and I have to say, I think she is now an autobuy author! This book is completely different from Dearest but I was just as invested. This is a quiet horror with a mystery at its heart that slowly unravels through the novel.

I felt like I was very invested in Edith’s storyline from the past and as someone who doesn’t always love historical timelines, I was surprised. It took me a little while to have that same interest in Claire’s story but by the end, I was very attached to both characters. This book does one of my favorite things in books which would be a spoiler to say but I wasn’t expecting it so I was pleasantly surprised.

I do think you have to trust the process because it takes a little while to really get into this book but once you are hooked, it is impossible to put down! I would recommend this to thriller readers who like a bit of horror and want a book that feels unique.

[Marianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in trade of my honest review:

Wowza! This is easily one of the best horror novels I’ve read. What stood out most to me was that there wasn’t a single idiot character. From the summary alone, I was intrigued by how the timelines would eventually run parallel, and the author did an excellent job bringing everything together in a way that made sense and was done seamlessly.

While a few sections felt slightly choppy and could possibly have benefited from trimming a chapter or two, the overall atmosphere was incredibly eerie and disturbing. This book captures that clenching fear, the kind that feels like sticking your hand into a garbage disposal and hoping it doesn’t suddenly turn on 👀

A deeply unsettling and gripping horror read that stayed with me long after I finished! Highly Recommend! Comes out 03/03/26

[Letsreadagoodbook · Rating 5 out of 5]

holy moly I have never been so wrapped up in a book! this one was amazing! I loved it so much! I was little confused at 1st because i was like what is happening but the further you got alone the better it got! I was rooting for edith to make it out and was so happy at that ending! it was amazing!! if i could give more then 5 stars I would!

[Sarah Merriken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the publisher for the early copy.

I think I've found my new favorite author. I flew through this, but the last 20% had me losing my mind.

[Lucy Vieira · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ A story about womanhood, survival, educated women, outsmarting stereotypes, and how women can support each other and create community regardless of what’s going on in the world. This book is about regaining your power, and of course, some spooky moments that were throughly enjoyed. Thank you netGalley for this advanced copy.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacquie Walters has delivered yet again. In Turn Off the Light she utilizes two timelines to tell the story of one house and the inhabitants living in it during different times in history. Usually when there is more than one timeline in a book, I tend to enjoy one timeline more than the other. That was not the case with Turn Off the Light. I found both timelines to be riveting, gripping, chilling, dark, and enticing. The characters in both timelines are fully fleshed out and dealing with their own demons while living in a home that may in fact be haunted! One home, two women who are separated by four hundred years find themselves bound to the home and feel that the end is near...

In the past...
Edith is a healer. She knows how to use things found in nature to help those who are ill. She has a natural gift, but those in her community find nothing natural about it. They watch her; they whisper, and Edith fears that something, perhaps the devil, has gotten into her home.

In the present...
Claire and her young daughter have returned to her childhood home to care for her dying father. She doesn't sleep much and begins to wonder if what she is sensing and what her daughter is seeing is real and if so, is her childhood home haunted?

I had a hard time putting this book down. I was drawn in by both women's timelines. I felt for Edith and how she was judged for having the gift of healing. She was watched and judged while those in her community turned their harsh eyes upon her. It was a time when people feared witches and those who were different were looked at with skeptical eyes. It was a dangerous time to be a woman. Plus, strange things are happening in her home. I also felt for Claire, a single mother, who has come home again as her father is dying. She is not only faced with the impending loss of her father, but she can't shake the horrible disappearance of her sister, Gabby, who vanished when she was a teenager. As her father mumbles, he speaks of evil and dark things.

This book was fantastic. I loved the blending of various genres. This is part historical fiction, part horror, part mystery. Although this is labeled as a horror book, this is not your typical horror book. It is more horrific than blood and guts type horror book. I found this book to be atmospheric and brimming with unease and tension. The horror in this book simmers and ebbs and flows throughout. As I mentioned, it is more horrific than horror. This one won't keep you up at night or checking behind the shower curtain or under your bed, and yet it has eerie and creepy moments.

4.5 Stars

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company | Mulholland Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖

[Kristi Lamont · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of Turn Off the Light, by Jacquie Walters, from Little, Brown and Company | Mulholland Books/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

⭐ 4 ⭐

Not only was this book straight up my proverbial alley, I got to experience some good/trippy goosebumps at some point when reading it—because I realized that 10 years ago today I reread The Ghosts by Antonia Barber (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...)!!

Talk about your evidence of time just…..being….

This was a story well told. The time shifts were easy to follow, and things weren’t _too_ predictable. But if you’re not a fan of magical realism, I wouldn’t bother.

Definitely look forward to reading more by Ms Walters.

My (Adult) Thoughts About The Ghosts
I gave it 5 stars and said this: “It will perhaps make no sense to anyone when I say that I at last understand beliefs I have held at my core since childhood because of this book, which has always seemed to linger on the edge of my consciousness. That is fine. Just know that it was important I read it again, and perfect that ‘again’ was ‘now.’ If you've read the book, you'll know what I mean when I say I am purely delighted that life has come full circle.

Today’s Facebook Memory About The Ghosts
Here it is: “It came it came it came today at 3 o'clock! ‘The Ghosts’ by Antonia Barber, a book from childhood that changed my thinking forever! I thought perhaps I'd dreamed it. But, no! It was all I had remembered, and more. Life has come full circle. I'm not sure if it's possible to be both giddy and at peace at the same time, but if it is, I am.”

DESCRIPTION
Two women living centuries apart are bound by the same dark secret in this haunting horror novel by Jacquie Walters, author of Dearest and "a talent to watch" (Sarah Langan).

The Devil enters through doors left open…

On the isolated Eastern Shore of Virginia, Edith is a healer, a woman of knowledge—and a woman watched. Shadows move where they shouldn't. Whispers creep through the dark. Terrified she has opened her home to the Devil, Edith makes a desperate choice.

Claire doesn’t believe in ghosts—until she returns home to care for her dying father and finds her childhood house… listening. As one sleepless night bleeds into the next, she becomes convinced something is stirring beneath the floorboards. Something that has waited a long time to rise.

Is the house haunted? What compels this lurking darkness? As the danger mounts, Edith and Claire will discover they'll need each other to survive. But they are separated by four hundred years. And time is running out for them both.

[Syndrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those books that took me a little bit to get into, but once I hit chapter 7, around 20% in, I was hooked!

I'm not sure I'd really consider this one to be much of a horror story — although that could just be due to the fact that I'm used to reading much darker novels. I'd say the horror elements are mild, the thriller elements are a bit stronger, and mystery is the strongest of them all here.

That said, Jacquie Walters did a great job weaving the two different timelines in this story together using a rather unique connection between them. I definitely wasn't able to guess ahead of time what was really going on here and it was satisfying seeing how the whole mystery unfolded throughout the story. I found the pacing to be really well done as well. It's a bit of a slow build but that just gives us plenty of time to set the scene and let tension build up naturally throughout the novel. I'd say the ending does ramp up pretty quickly, but it manages not to feel overly rushed or anything like that. The ending felt well-rounded and I'm satisfied with how it all wrapped up.

The main reason I'm knocking a star off of my rating is simply because I found the present day timeline to be noticeably weaker — and maybe a tad too dramatic — compared to the historical timeline. I also found Edith's character to be the most fascinating, so that's probably influencing my opinion a bit as well. As a woman healer back in the 1600s — a time when intelligent women were regarded with great suspicion — she proves herself to be a rather strong character. But, as I said earlier, the connection between the two timelines was so well done that I can't complain too much about the present day plot at all. Without it, this would be a completely different story and wouldn't have quite the same charm overall!

So overall, I would definitely recommend this story to readers who are interested in mysteries with some ghostly/thriller aspects weaved in!

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Mulholland Books, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

[April M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this story a few months after losing my mom similarly, so this book hit me in ways that was cathartic and also healing. The entire time she was with her dad felt accurate and sad, but having it end with the funeral and moving forward did a lot for me.

Seriously this book was great!
Haunted Houses, sick parents & disappearances, Witchcraft, Virginia Woods and Beach Dunes, Bones, Ghosts and Grief pulled apart at the marrow.
It was wholesome and not too scary, enough I felt spooked but nothing too brutal. The time element was cool, that’s a new component that blended the story well together by the end. I had never considered that concept for a Haunted House and it made for a cool outcome.

The spooky bits were fun but once you knew, it wasn’t too spooky anymore. There was also tears and touching moments. Honestly, I liked it!

My only small comments were about:
•the shadow man (He was David yes? why was he haunting the house? Was this just a possible outcome of how Edith was going to die? I was confused as to why he was there if it ended that way)
•Ethan. Lol I’m not big on romance but this character felt very unimportant and too eager to help and accept everything. So I don’t know if he was either written for personal reasons or to have Claire get someone to talk to / figure out things with. Claire would have done great without a love interest
•the dumbwaiter was moving but that was never explained, or the witch mark…? Or the man her dad kept seeing in the mirror??

Honestly though, I was willing to put it aside because it was still a feel-good horror read. A witch got a happy ending, there was closure with deaths, disappearances and closed loops. I want my own copy cause I definitely will comfort read this one I bet.


❝𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯...❞

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 & 𝘾𝙤 𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙫𝙞𝙖 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣.




𝗧𝗪: Parental Illness and Dementia, Parental Death, Child Disappearance, Bodily Violations, Supernatural Horror, (Breif) Gore via an accident, Severe Allergic Reaction, Psychological Horror and Mental Distress, Religious Abuse, Nightmares, Murder and Death

[Carrie Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒚, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒊𝒕.

The apple plays such an iconic role in storytelling. In Christianity it doomed mankind. In Greek mythology it started the Trojan War. And in TURN OFF THE LIGHT, it is a symbol of foreboding; an ominous presence of what's to come.

I knew after reading DEAREST that I wouldn't be reading this one at night. Told in two timelines four hundred years apart, TURN OFF THE LIGHT is first the story of Edith. She lives in an isolated part of Virginia, and she's an intuitive healer. However, the people of the town don't like that she can accurately predict death and accuse her of being a witch. Edith questions every mark on her body, terrified that the devil has found a way in.

Claire has returned to her childhood home to help her sister care for their father, who is being ravaged by dementia. The dread and unease begin almost immediately as Claire's father says some odd things and behaves in a terrifying manner. However, his actions are attributed to his illness; mere hallucinations. But right away Claire feels that the house is different. She's still afraid of the cellar, but it's more than that. It's like the house is alive, pulsating with an energy that she can't explain.

I was completely blown away with how the author connected these two storylines. I don't know if an insane amount of research went into this book or if it was all a product of her imagination, but the end result left me speechless. It also validated beliefs I had abandoned because they just seemed to 'out there' to have any truth to them. But now she's got me going down rabbit holes all over again--and I will never look at a fingernail the same way again. This is horror exquisitely done. If you want something teeming with dread, something that will get under your skin and haunt you in a way that is uncomfortable, this is the book for you.

Many thanks to Little, Brown, and Company/Mulholland for this early copy. Pre-order now and get yours when it releases March 3, 2026.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kind of silence that screams.....

I've not read Jacquie Walters before, but she's definitely got my attention now. Turn Off the Light doesn't flash glaring Horror with brutal blood and innards. It's a journey into familiar landscapes. And that can ratchet things up in itself on the ol' Creep-O-Meter quickly.

We begin in 1630 along the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. Edith Harris is a young woman recently married to her husband David. Life in the budding colonies is difficult and exhausting. Everything must be done by the grip of the hand and the sweat of the brow. Edith rises early and finds an apple near the hearth. It's highly unusual since there are no apple trees in the vicinity. But Edith can't resist a bite of the juicy fruit. Sound familiar? Oh, wait and see.

Then Walters flips the screen to current times. Claire and her four year old daughter, Julia, have left California to arrive at the family home in Virginia. They are greeted by Claire's sister, Tilly, and her husband Peter. Their father is dying. Tilly and Peter have already moved in as caregivers. Claire feels like a third wheel trying to fit in. As the story unfolds, both Claire and Julia feel that there is something not right about this house. And it all points to the cellar with its burnt beams and its unusual markings on the walls. Nightlight time, folks.

Turn Off the Light is soft Horror. But what Walters does is to implement human reactions to non-specifics......and it works well. These characters interact with tightly knit emotions under these circumstances. Their relationships are built on previously shaky ground that still trembles into the present. The dying father and the sister-to-sister tension are familiar and relatable. Walters depends on that to draw her readers in. As the story unfolds, we feel the actions of 1630 seeping into the present. It's a clever turn of events that is quite attention getting. Well done, Jacquie Walters. Well done.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity.

[VeroniCanRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was the perfect blend of thriller, horror, historical fiction, and family drama.

🍎 For Fans of:
- thriller horror
- paranormal
- historical fiction
- women’s fiction
- dual POV
- dual timeline
- grief & guilt
- father dying of dementia
- single mother
- return to childhood home
- distanced sisters

📖 About the Book
This book follows Claire and her young daughter Julia who has returned to her childhood home where her sister has been taking care of their father who is nearing death via dementia. Once she arrives, her daughter and father start acting weird and Claire starts seeing, hearing, and smelling things. Meanwhile, in another timeline we meet Edith, a healer whose town is turning against her. Their stories offer more questions than answers but ultimately answer each other.

✏️ Spoiler-Free ARC Review
I’ll admit that I put off reading this ARC since my own grandfather was dying of dementia earlier this month. After his funeral (and the healing family time that came with it), I started it.

Right away I was pulled in. Both timelines are compelling and pulled me in emotionally and with their plot lines. There’s a lot of mystery in both and the historical fiction of it all made me so much more interested than if it was two closer timelines.

As for vibes, I enjoyed the visceral travel through grief, through joy in her childhood, through loss and guilt of her sister, and the very real dynamic between her and her sister,who has been her father’s caretaker.
At times it felt so creepy and sped towards more of a horror than anything else, only to lean more towards a historical thriller by the end.

This book was the perfect blend of thriller, horror, historical fiction, and family drama.

I can’t wait to read more from this author!

🖤 Thank you to author Jacquie Walters, publisher Mulholland Books, and NetGalley for the digital advanced reader copy. As always, my reviews are honest, my own, and voluntary!

[Caitlin Forcier · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5 on Fable)

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for selecting me as an early reader and providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own 🖤

Turn Off the Light follows Claire as she returns to her childhood waterfront home to help her sister care for their dying father. The house itself carries a long and troubled history marked by mystery, fire, and disappearances dating back to its original owner, Edith, a mid seventeenth century healer rumored to be a witch. As Claire grapples with anticipatory grief and the weight of the past, the boundaries between history and the present begin to blur, pulling her into dangers she never expected. Told through dual timelines with alternating points of view, this eerie story draws you in, unsettles you, and makes turning off the light the last thing you want to do.

This story was a big yes for me. It has been a while since a thriller truly pulled me in, but this one did so in a major way. I was genuinely spooked multiple times and found my skin crawling during several scenes. It reminded me of Weyward, one of my favorite books, but with a much darker tone and a stronger atmospheric presence. I was hooked immediately and could not wait to unravel the mystery.

My only complaints are fairly minor. Claire’s repeated fixation on her four year old daughter’s sugar intake felt overemphasized without a clear reason, one early plot point never fully resolved despite its initial weight, and there is a sudden pivot during a major twist that felt a bit jarring at first, though it ultimately came together and worked for me.

If you love dual timelines, multiple points of view, witchy vibes, and stories that keep you questioning whether the danger is paranormal or psychological, you will likely love this one. It releases on March 3 and is absolutely worth your time.