Itβs that time of year, friends. Β The leaves are falling and the weather is getting colder, so a cozy blanket and a memorable ghost story are in order. Β Luckily for us, Kristen Loesch is serving up a doozy of a generation-spanning historical gothic mystery with THE HONG KONG WIDOW. Β In 1950s Hong Kong, Mei and five other mediums are selected to take part in a nightly seance competition to determine who has the strongest otherworldly connection. Β But the event takes a gruesome turn, police are called in to investigate, and questions arise. Β Did a crime occur, or was it all just a grisly fever dream collectively imagined by those who spent time in the Maidenhair House? Β The questions remain unanswered until decades later, when Meiβs daughter is compelled to get to the bottom of what has become an internationally researched urban legend. Β She and Mei cross continents to return to Hong Kong, and revisit ghosts in need of closure... and vengeance.Β Β Reminiscent of Amy Tan and inspired by her own Chinese heritage and time spent living in Hong Kong, Loesch's voice is authentic, well-researched, and intentional. Β In her sophomore novel, THE HONG KONG WIDOW, Loesch melodically weaves a rich tapestry of home, both as a physical structure and as a given or defined family, and explores its power to scar, strengthen, and shape those who are a part of it. Β Also explored is the mother-daughter relationship, and whether a daughter can ever fully understand her mother as a unique person with distinct experiences and perspectives separate from those of motherhood. Β Β Β Given Loeschβs dynamic and enthralling writing, some readers may be a smidge disappointed in the ending to THE HONG KONG WIDOW, as Loesch employs more βtellβ than βshowβ to conclude the story. Essentially, a somewhat lengthy interrogation scene with Q&A ties up multiple and complex plotlines. Β Further, one open plotline that doesnβt fit neatly into the rest of the story is explained in the authorβs note at the end of the book.Β Β On the whole, THE HONG KONG WIDOW is richly imagined and utterly captivating. Β Loesch is a powerhouse of a writer, and seamlessly blends ghosts, love, loss, books, and art into a truly outstanding and unique novel. Β This should be at the top of your fall must-read list for 2025!Β
Hong Kong, 1953: In a remote mansion, witnesses insist a massacre took place. The police see nothing but pristine rooms and declare it a collective hallucination. Until decades later, when one witness returns…from the Edgar®-nominated author of The Last Russian Doll.
In 1950s Hong Kong, Mei is a young refugee of the Chinese Communist revolution struggling to put her past in Shanghai behind her. When she receives a shocking invitation—to take part in a competition in one of the city's most notorious haunted houses, pitting six spirit mediums against one another in a series of six séances over six nights, until a single winner emerges—she has every reason to refuse.
Except that the hostess, a former Shanghainese silent film star, is none other than the wife of the man who once destroyed Mei’s entire life.
It is promised the winner will receive a fortune, but there is only one prize Mei wants: revenge.
Decades later, the final night of that competition has become an infamous urban legend: The police were called to the scene of a brutal massacre but found no evidence, dismissing it as a collective hallucination. Mei knows what she saw, but now someone else is convinced they know what she did. She must uncover the truth about the last night she ever spent in that house—even if the ghosts of her past are waiting for her there. . . .
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