cover image The Haunting of Henderson Close

The Haunting of Henderson Close

Catherine Cavendish. Flame Tree, $24.95 (240p) ISBN 978-1-78758-103-6

In this atmospheric novel, Cavendish (The Demons of Cambian Street) tells what happens when tour guides go from telling dark and haunting stories to becoming the haunted ones drawn into the story. Hannah relocates to Edinburgh after her grown daughter moves away and her husband leaves her, and she finds her dream job as a tour guide at Henderson Close, a once-thriving neighborhood that’s now buried underground. The Close is rumored to be haunted by Miss Carmichael, a woman who was murdered. Soon after Hannah arrives, she starts seeing historical figures and even appears to temporarily slip back in time to when the town thrived. When she confides in fellow tour guides Mairead and George, they admit they see things too. After Mairead goes missing, Hannah and George delve deeper into the story and find increasing evidence that the three of them are somehow connected to the murder of Miss Carmichael. Although the ending is unsatisfying, this creepy and mysterious story is still worth reading. [em](Jan.) [/em]