Synopses & Reviews
Life can be cruel for a servant girl in 1850s London. Fifteen-year-old Abi is a scullery maid in Greave Hall, an elegant but troubled household. The widowed master of the house is slowly slipping into madness, and the tyrannical housekeeper, Mrs. Cotton, punishes Abi without mercy. But there's something else going on in Greave Hall, too. An otherworldly presence is making itself known, and a deadly secret will reveal itself--a secret that will shatter everything Abi knows.
Review
"This ghost story is light fare, chilling, and suspenseful." Starred Review, School Library Journal
Review
"In all scary, compelling and atmospheric enough for a satisfying chill." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"This snugly plotted novel for readers over the age of 13, which purports to be Abigail's private papers from 1855, would serve as an excellent introduction to the adult tradition of ghost stories set in the same era." Wall Street Journal
Review
"The strength of the novel is the girl's perseverance despite her disbelief, and the reward for Abi at the end will be just as great for the audience rooting her on." Booklist
Synopsis
Abigail is a maidservant in Greave Hall, an elegant London household governed by the tyrannical housekeeper, Mrs Cotton. As Mrs Cotton's malice intensifies, a ghostly presence distracts Abi with clues to a deadly secret.
About the Author
Michael Ford read English and Classics at Oxford University, before a stint teaching English in Greece. He also worked as an editor for children's nonfiction books. He is now an editor of adult fiction and lives in England.