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I've had a copy of The Poisoned House sitting on my nightstand for months now. **The creepy floating hand and the words "ghost story" on the cover were a little off-putting to me though; it looked a little too Amityville Horror for my taste, so I didn't exactly dive in.
When I found myself in need of a book last weekend, I picked it up and discovered that the story is set in 1850s London and features a 15-year-old servant girl. It's a young adult novel, I told myself. How scary can it be? And I was right. While there were certainly some suspenseful moments, this wasn't a creepy ghost story, but rather more of a mystery.
The Poisoned House brought Downton Abbey to mind. The protagonist, Abi, is a scullery maid at Greave Hall and the staff features prominently in the story. The hateful housekeeper, Mrs. Cotton, is intent on making Abi's life miserable but the other staff members seem to have a soft spot for Abi. Even the drunkard cook offers a kindness here and there.
Greave Hall hides a deadly secret and plays host to a master gone mad, an otherworldly spirit, outright arrogance, and a young woman's broken heart. Abi is determined to discover the truth behind the odd happenings at Greave Hall, but never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined the truth.
While this well-written novel by Michael Ford isn't horrifically scary, it's probably best suited to tweens and teens who are not particularly sensitive.
The publisher provided a review copy of The Poisoned House.
