The Poisoned House by Michael Ford (author)

Abigail is a maidservant in Greave Hall, an elegant London household governed by the tyrannical housekeeper, Mrs Cotton. Whilst the widowed master slips slowly into madness, Mrs Cotton gradually usurps the position of gentlewoman of the house. She wears his dead wife’s jewellery and clothes, entertains guests as though the house is her own and reserves her most despotic treatment for Abi. In the dead of night, Abi makes a desperate bid for freedom, only to be captured and returned to Greave Hall. But as Mrs Cotton’s malice intensifies, a ghostly presence distracts Abi with clues to a deadly secret…

“Evocative and gripping, this thrilling ghost story set in Victorian London is unputdownable… A must-read.” Bookfest

“Presented in quality prose, this is a well crafted novel in the style… of Wilkie Collins and Susan Hill.” School Librarian