Book Spotlight: The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Girl Upstairs 
Author: Jessica R. Patch 
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Trade 
Release Date: April 28, 2026 
Genre: Psychological Thriller

"Jessica R. Patch weaves a dark, twisty tapestry that’s both unsettling and unexpectedly hopeful. Masterful." –New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan

She bought this house to save her marriage. Unearthing its secrets might just claim her life. 

Gwen McDaniel’s life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park, is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child. Here, she and Steven can start over, renovating their cliff-side fixer-upper while patching up their marriage. Soon, everything will be better. 

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it’s more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don’t lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic’s carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood underneath. 

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and the Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture emerges: A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined…  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Harlequin.com | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

---

Book Excerpt

The house looms over the harbor, its whitewashed exterior faded. It perches on the bluff like something forgotten, left to rot against the salt and wind. The porch wraps around the front, its boards warped and buckling. I can tell they’ll protest beneath my feet when I approach. Two barrels of dead flowers flank the doors.

The windows are the worst—too many, too large. They stare blankly, smeared with age and dust, clouded, like the house has been watching for so long it’s gone blind.

According to Teresa, the house caught fire in 1980, but it was contained to the main floor’s primary room and the bathroom beside it. Tragic accident around Christmastime.

The roof curls at the edges, blackened with damp, and the chimney stands like a broken spine, bricks crumbling away one by one.

Behind it, the forest presses in. The trees of Acadia stand silent, the pines too still, the birches stripped bare like reaching bones.

Something about the house is jarring. Not just old or neglected. Plenty of houses wear their history in their walls, in their beams, in the way the air inside feels heavy with time, but this one feel like the years left behind something that never quite settled.

We finally step out of the vehicle. I stand a few feet from the porch steps. The wind shifts, cold and sudden, and I swear the house exhales. Like it’s been holding its breath.

Like it’s been expecting me.

---

Also Available

---

About the Author

Jessica R. Patch is a New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than thirty novels. Known for her pulse-pounding plots, emotionally charged characters, and signature twists, Jessica’s stories explore themes of justice, resilience, and the unshakable power of hope.

Whether weaving inspirational stories of danger edged with romance or crafting chilling thrillers that probe the shadows of the human heart, Jessica delivers fiction that thrills while shining light in the darkest places. She makes her home in Northwest Mississippi, where she enjoys life with her family, a good cup of tea, and dreaming up her next edge-of-your-seat story usually over tacos and queso. 

You’re invited to join the Patched In community at her website: jessicarpatch.com and receive a FREE short thriller, Nobody Has to Know.

---

Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a signed copy of The Other Sister and a $10 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 27, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 4, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only for the print copy. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

---

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Author Interview: The Other Sister by Jessica R. Patch

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Other Sister by Jessica R. Patch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Other Sister
Author: Jessica R. Patch
Publisher: Love Inspired Trade
Release Date: April 22, 2025
Genre: Thriller, Domestic Thriller, Psychological Thriller

She thought she was the only one lying about her identity. Until she stepped into her sister’s life. 

Charlotte Kane has always dreamed of a different life, one where she isn’t living paycheck to paycheck. An existence worlds away from the chaos of her own. Then her estranged mother dies, and Charlotte makes a stunning discovery—she has an identical twin who was given up for adoption. 

Acelynn Benedict is polished, successful and seems to have everything Charlotte yearns for—a wealthy, doting family in Savannah, a handsome boyfriend, a great career. She’s just as surprised as Charlotte to learn she has a sister. But when tragedy hits and Charlotte is forced to assume Acelynn’s identity in a desperate moment, she uncovers something altogether darker… 

No one in her sister’s life is quite who they seem to be. And every discovery leads Charlotte deeper into a web of deadly secrets. Charlotte may have wanted Acelynn’s life, yet now that she’s living it, she wants out. But if she reveals the truth about herself, it will mean returning to her old life—and she’s already a dead woman there.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Harlequin | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub

---

Excerpt

“What in the world is this?” she asks. “It’s like he’s obsessed—”

“With death, right?” All of these women, including myself, look as if we’re being laid to rest. “And he’s not asking them to pose. He’s sneaking into unsuspecting women’s homes and drawing them while they sleep.”

“What a freak show, Char. Things just become more bizarre by the second.”

“Tell me about it!” I fill her in on everything that transpired at the Newsoms’, from Bianca in the bedroom, to MacKenzie’s murderous outburst, to Ford’s displays of affection for me. “I can’t trust any of these people. There’s no loyalty, and it traces back to the mothers. They’re in some kind of competition for the better life.”

Tillie slowly glances up at me.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

My hackles rise. “You can’t possibly be comparing me to them. I would…” My words trail off, because I have taken things that don’t belong to me. Things I coveted and wanted but couldn’t afford. And dark things transpired with a particular person who used to visit a restaurant I worked in. She was glamourous and well-liked. Rich.

She had everything I wanted. She was the person I wanted to be…and when you dream every moment of being someone else and living another life, escaping your own for a million reasons, those thoughts become your reality. You enter it, slipping over the edge until you don’t even know what you’ve done or how far you’ve fallen until it’s too late. All you can do is try to clean up the mess but in turn make it messier until people are hurt.

But I’m not that woman anymore.

Am I?

What constitutes change? Actions. Behavior.

Maybe I am still the old me. I can’t think about that right now. I have too many other things piling up on my plate. It’s just that now my plates are china and not paper.

---

Also Available

   

---

About the Author

Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author, Jessica R. Patch has penned over 27 novels and is known for her dry wit and signature twists whether she’s penned a romantic suspense or a dark, twisty thriller. When she’s not getting into fictional mischief with her characters, you can find her cozy on the couch in her mid-south home reading books by some of her favorite authors, down the street at the Mexican restaurant, or collecting recipes to amazing dishes she’ll probably never cook.

Connect with Jessica by visiting jessicarpatch.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to her email newsletter "Patched In" updates and receive a FREE short thriller.

---

Author Interview

Q: What inspired you to write The Other Sister? 

Jessica: I watched a CW show called The Ringer back in 2012 and knew I wanted to write my own version of a ringer/twin story.


Q: How long did it take to write this book? 

Jessica: I wrote the first draft in about 3 months and revised it in 3 weeks. Before sending it to my editor and then going through another round.


Q: What surprised you while researching/writing this novel? 

Jessica: Detective Patrick surprised me most, especially at the end in the conversation he had with Charlotte. It made me cry because I think it beautifully portrays how Jesus isn’t ashamed to call us his, even if we still feel our shame.


Q: Do you have a favorite quote from The Other Sister? 

Jessica: Want is an open grave that constantly needs filling.


Q: When did you first know you wanted to be an author? 

Jessica: 2008 after reading Rush of Wings and The Still of the Night by Kristen Heitzmann—highly recommend!


Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know? I don’t like driving long distances, so I always have a friend or my husband in the driver’s seat!


Q: What are you currently reading? 

Jessica: I’m listening to a general market thriller by J.T. Ellison called A Very Bad Thing. I just started it so I can’t say if I can recommend it or not yet.


Q: What is your favorite genre to read? 

Jessica:Mystery/suspense/thriller/horror (not possessions or hauntings)


Q: What is your favorite hobby? 

Jessica: Ha! I’ve been trying to decide on a hobby. I think I may take up making sourdough. TikTok makes it look pretty easy and delicious. LOL

Q: What is your favorite season and why? 

Jessica: Hands down fall. I love cool weather, fall colors, bonfires, quilts, hot tea and cider and of course as a teenager T.Ping houses with toilet paper! Ahahaha.

---

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed paperback of The Garden Girls & a $20 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 22, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 29, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

---

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Author Interview: The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Garden Girls
Series: Strange Crimes Unit: South Division
Author: Jessica R. Patch
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Trade
Release Date: April 23, 2024
Genre: Christian Psychological Thriller

On a remote Outer Banks island, a serial killer collects his prized specimens. And to stop him, an FBI agent must confront his own twisted past. 

FBI agent Tiberius Granger has seen his share of darkness. But a new case sets him on edge. It’s not just the macabre way both victims—found posed in front of lighthouses—are tattooed with flowers that match their names. There’s also the unsettling connection to the woman Ty once loved and to the shadowy cult they both risked everything to escape. 

Bexley Hemmingway’s sister has gone missing, and she’ll do anything to find her—including teaming up with Ty. That may prove a mistake, and not just because Ty doesn’t know he’s the father of her teenaged son. It seems the killer is taunting Ty, drawing everyone close to him into deeper danger. 

As the slashing winds and rain of a deadly hurricane approach the coast of North Carolina, the search leads Ty and Bex to an island that hides a grisly secret. But in his quest for the truth, Ty has ignored the fact that this time, he’s not just the hunter. Every move has been orchestrated by a killer into a perfect storm of terror, and they will need all their skills to survive…  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop| BookBub

---

Excerpt

“Knowing you were alive wasn’t closure, Bex. Now I know why you did what you did, but I feel like we have three dots after our names.”

“An ellipsis?”

Tiberius grinned. “You were always the smarter one.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“How many perfect shells do you find out here?” He rolled the tiny pieces through his fingers.

“Not many.”

“We’re all broken, aren’t we? We’ve all been chipped away at in one form or other. Beaten up. Beaten down. Lied to. Exposed, exploited. Betrayed,” he whispered. “We never arrive on sandy shores unscathed.”

“No. We don’t. We carry scars, little chips and cracks. They reveal our story, but there’s hope, Tiberius. There’s always hope that what was marred can be mended.”

His eyes filled with moisture. “I could use some hope. Some mending.”

Couldn’t they all? Without hope, there was no meaning in life. The ocean was vast and shadowy, always reminding her that darkness lurked and was immense, terrifying and unpredictable, but when dawn peeped over the horizon it brought light to the darkness and color. Vibrant and beautiful. That was hope—light piercing the darkness, overwhelming it with its glory and majesty, bringing a new day and fresh mercy. Light chased away shadows and sparkled on the shores, beckoning one to come and stand in its presence with outstretched arms and to be wrapped in its warmth. Yielding to hope was possible. For Tiberius. For anyone who wanted to come and partake.

---

More Books In This Series

---

About the Author

Jessica R. Patch is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author known for her dry wit, signatures twists, and complex characters. She loves reading true crime books, discussing cold cases over chips and salsa with her girlfriends, and hunting down serial killers in her romantic suspense novels and psychological thrillers.

Jessica loves to encourage and inspire people to forward living devotionals through her monthly email newsletter. You can join the Patched In community at her website. 

She resides in the Memphis area with her husband and her spoiled tri-color Shetland Sheepdog since becoming empty nesters. Jessica is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Management. 

Connect with Jessica by visiting jessicarpatch.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

---

Author Interview with Jessica

Q: What was the inspiration behind The Garden Girls?

Jessica: I was thinking about temptation and how sin leads to bondage and how it’s rarely something we recognize as evil. We’d all run from horns and a pitchfork so to speak. But the enemy masquerades as an angel of light. Those thoughts birthed a wicked villain who doesn’t appear wicked at all, but strikingly good-looking and tempting. He’s a different kind of villain because he doesn’t actually force his victims to his “lair”. They willingly come due to his deception and charm. Then he gives them the choice and once they’ve accepted, he cages them. Then they see the horror they missed before. And from there, the story bloomed (see what I did there).


Q: How long did it take you to write this story?

Jessica: I had 3 months to write The Garden Girls including initial revisions before I sent it to my editor.


Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this book?

Jessica: I do but I can’t share it because it’s a spoiler! ☺ But I’ll share a funny quote I love from Ty when he’s flustered seeing Bexley again and he’s angry because he thought she was dead for so long (not spoiler; he finds this out in A Cry in the Dark).

His jaw pulsed again. “Well, we can start with the fact you’re a liar.”

 

She wasn’t expecting the barbs so quickly. But that was Tiberius. Flying off the handle before collecting facts. No wonder he had a viral video out there about a serial killer. “I see you’re still quick to jump to conclusions and impulsivity.”

 

He slung his hand in the air toward her. “I see you still can’t do anything with your hair.”

Q: What is your favorite aspect of writing romantic suspense?

Jessica: Whether I’m writing romantic suspense with my Love Inspired Suspense books or like, The Garden Girls, a psychological thriller, it’s the twists! Not just revealing who the villain is, but all the unpredictable twists throughout the story. I love a good jaw-drop so I know other readers in these genres will too and so you have to deliver.


Q: How long ago did you start writing?

Jessica: I wrote my first book in 2009 for publication, but I’ve always been a storyteller and have written stories all my life—like most writers.


Q: What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

Jessica: Good question! So many things. I love working at home and setting my own schedule. I love meeting people when I’m researching and learning about their lives and jobs. But mostly my favorite thing is being able to share real hope through fictional characters and know that someone will be ministered to because of it.


Q:Do you prefer to read ebooks or physical copies?

Jessica: I’ll be honest, these days it’s neither. It’s audiobooks. I’m so busy writing in my quiet hours that the only time I have to read is on my hour morning walk with the dog, my hour at the gym and when I’m cleaning or cooking or folding clothes. Audiobooks have been a fabulous way to pass that time and I’ve actually read more books this way, but I love books in any form. ☺

Q: How many bookcases are in your home?

Jessica: What a fun question! I have 8 bookshelves and that’s only because thousands upon thousands of books are on my Kindle.

Q:Would you share something about yourself that most readers would not know?

Jessica: I’m pretty open and share a lot of myself on my Facebook page and through my newsletter, but I’m not sure how many readers know that I attended Bible college and majored in Missions. It’s where I met my husband who is an ordained minister, though he’s a corporate guy now. I feel like he pastors his company. ☺


Q: What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Jessica: I love spending time at the library, eating tacos and talking true crime with girlfriends—literally this is what we do. I love the beach and visit a few times a year with my husband and I’m a big binger of TV, especially murder documentaries but I suppose that’s no surprise. And obviously reading whether eBook, paperback or audio.

---

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will win a signed paperback copy of Her Darkest Secret and A Cry in the Dark and a $25 Amazon card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 15, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 22, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only for print. Ebooks available if winner is Canadian. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

---

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!