The Secret of Crickley Hall

By James Herbert,

Book cover of The Secret of Crickley Hall

Book description

The Caleighs have had a terrible year... They need time and space, while they await the news they dread. Gabe has brought his wife, Eve, and daughters, Loren and Cally, down to Devon, to the peaceful seaside village of Hollow Bay. He can work and Eve and the kids can…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked The Secret of Crickley Hall as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

A family tragedy leads a young family to seek an old home in a peaceful seaside village in the UK. There is a reason the house is vacant… it’s haunted. I was chilled reading this book. James Herbert is a master of suspense and does a great job of tying past events to the present. 

I enjoyed how the spirits of the past interacted with the current homeowners. It was scary and believable!

What I love about this story is that it is set very firmly along the traditional lines of a ghostly tale rather than outright horror. It is set against the tragic backdrop of the history of Crickley Hall. 

The suspense is built up beautifully, initially by means of the children and the family dog, who are all nervous and uneasy in their temporary new home. Parents Eve and Gabe also experience strange happenings in the house, but are less willing to admit it, even to themselves. That rings true, for me.

These events are exacerbated by the fact that the…

From S.P.'s list on creepy British ghost stories.

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