The Restoration

Restoring an old house reveals secrets that the owner’s family members—both living and dead—will do anything to keep hidden in this spine-tingling horror outing from Moncrieff (the GhostWriters series). Terri Foxworth is thrilled at the prospect of a high-paying job living in and restoring the faded Glenvale mansion. Miss Vandermere, the last living descendant of the estate’s original owners, warns Terri that she’s fired previous restorers for “too much imagination.” After Terri’s 10-year-old daughter, Dallas, arrives to stay with Terri for the summer, it doesn’t take long for the pair to realize that “too much imagination” is a euphemism for believing in ghosts—especially after meeting Miss Vandermere’s long-dead brother, Niles. Pulled into the mystery of Niles’s death, mother and daughter discover the history of dangerous people at Glenvale, learn of more deaths that occurred there over the years, and, most disturbingly, realize how few have made it out of the house alive. The story is slightly hampered by sketchy characterization, but the well-plotted mystery will keep readers guessing who Terri and Dallas can trust right along with them. This is sure to please readers looking for spooky haunted house tales. (Oct.)