The Invited by Jennifer McMahon

After hunting high and low for the perfect home, Helen and Nate are determined now to build their own. They've found a plot of land that fits their needs exactly and have laid the foundation for their future house, but soon find that their dreams could end in nightmares.

The land they've chosen has a bad reputation to begin with but when someone starts stealing items and leaving behind strange and even threatening messages, Helen and Nate have to wonder if it's all worth it.

It turns out, their land was once home to the notorious Hattie Breckenridge, a woman hanged for being a witch after she was blamed for a fire that claimed the lives of several of the town's children. Decades later, her legend still haunts the people of the tiny town where Helen and Nate have chosen to build their home. What's more, Hattie was rumored to have buried treasure somewhere on her property and local treasure hunters are none too pleased with the idea that outsiders might stumble across it.

Helen and Nate spend ample time house hunting but nothing fits the bill. In fact, the only home Helen fell in love with would have required so much work that Nate convinces her it's easier for the two of them to build their own home.

Modeled after the house Helen fell for, their home-to-be isn't overly complicated and they have the funds to build and outfit it exactly how they want, even after buying the land they've chosen to build it on. And the land came at a bit of a steal considering the previous owner lost his wife (literally) there.

But the property has more of a history than that and Helen, a history buff and former teacher, decides to dig into the story just as soon as she hears the first whispers about Hattie Breckenridge.

Helen is drawn to Hattie's story in no small part thanks to the fact that she believes she's seen Hattie herself. And she finds herself mysteriously drawn to items that have a tie to Hattie's story. Which increases her sightings of Hattie exponentially. Much to Nate's displeasure.

There's a pretty big subplot involving a local girl whose mother has left. The girl in question spends her time treasure hunting on Helen's property, convinced if she can find Hattie's treasure then her mother will return.

Jennifer McMahon has been a go to for me since her debut, Promise Not to Tell. Her plots are always intriguing and her writing deliciously creepy as well as clever and suspenseful. And so each new release goes on my must have list just as soon as it's announced and I gobble it up as fast as I can get my book junkie hands on it.

The Invited has all the hallmarks of a great McMahon outing: a questionably paranormal setting, a mystery at the center of the plot, and average folks facing a potential danger that could cost them everything. And yet, something was missing from this latest.

Simply put, the book wasn't as strong as McMahon's previous titles. It's a good read but not a wow one.