The Dead of Winter - Chris Priestley

Michael Vyner lost his father and now has lost his mother. After her death he is taken to live with Sir Stephen, a friend of his father's, and now is his legal guardian. As soon as Michael arrives at Hawton Mere he begins to see strange things. He sees a woman in white along the road to the estate. As he is exploring, he sees a boy in the mirror that is not him. He hears strange sounds coming from a priest hole, where a priest died years ago. Michael even hears what sounds like someone running in the hallway outside his bedroom. As he finds out about the history of Hawton Mere he discovers that Sir Stephen's wife, Margaret, died in the moat surrounding the estate. Once he sees a picture of her he realizes that she is the one he saw on the road, and she is the one outside his window at night. What does the ghost of Margaret want? Why does is seem to only be Michael who can see the ghost and no one else? What other evil might be lurking in the halls of Hawton Mere Estate?

The book is set in Victorian England, as is the way that the characters speak. Don't let the language deter you. Once I got past the first few chapters it becomes a really good ghost story. I didn't want to put it down. The story keeps you interested and wanting to know what will happen next. This is a perfect book to read around Halloween, or when you just want to give someone a good scare.

T.B. 3/4/12