The House of Dead Maids

The House of Dead Maids, by Clare B. Dunkle, is a must read for anyone who likes scary books. This quick read is an introduction to the classic Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. Although I usually don’t like to read scary books, I could not put this book down. The intriguing storyline told with rich vocabulary and interesting characters had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. At the beginning of the story, the reader is introduced to Tabby Aykroyd who has been taken from a knitting school to work as a young maid at Seldom House in a small, odd village. The first night she spends there, she knows another young maid was sleeping in the bed with her. The next morning no one will answer her questions about who that person was. She quickly realizes that this is no person, but the ghost of the previous young maid trying to communicate with her. Shortly after, she is introduced to the old master, Jack Ketch, and the little boy he has paid money to bring home as well. The little boy doesn’t have a Christian name and has no manners or understanding of the appropriate way to behave. Nonetheless, Tabby works to take care of the little boy and tries to teach him how to become a better person. He can see many ghosts – the dead in the village do not rest. Tabby soon realizes the horrifying purpose that she and the boy are to serve at Seldom House. This haunting tale will take you to another period of history in Yorkshire, England and make you eager to read Wuthering Heights. Watch the trailer below – be ready to be scared!

The Hunt for the Seventh

The Hunt for the Seventh by Christine Morton-Shaw is a must read for those of you who love ghost stories and mysteries. This is another great read from the Texas Lone Star list 2010-11.Jim and Sally’s father is still grieving their mother’s death. Thinking that he will give his family a fresh start, he takes the position as head gardener of Minerva Hall. The family is allowed to live in a section of the castle-like grounds. The first sentence of the book is –“Somebody died here once”. Actually, six children have died over many years – all on the summer solstice every thirty years. The grounds hold the statues of these children. The ghost of a child tells Jim to find the seventh. The only person on the grounds that he can communicate with is the master’s autistic son, Henry. Henry speaks in riddles and makes very little eye contact. Jim keeps seeing frightening things and soon relives each child’s death. It is up to him to stop the prophecy that is destroying Minerva Hall. Readers who like The Hunt for the Seventh will want to read Morton-Shaw’s The Riddle of Epsilon. Click on the book trailer video below for more information.