Haverscroft is a gripping and chilling dark tale of physical and mental isolation, a modern ghost story that will keep you turning its pages late into the night.
Kate Keeling abandons all she knows to move to Haverscroft House in a desperate attempt to salvage her marriage. Unaware of the tragic secrets lurking behind its beautiful and decaying facade, Kate can’t ignore the creeping dread swelling within her as she settles her family and builds a home in a house she loathes.
Her workaholic husband, Mark, insists Kate’s growing fears are all in her mind. If she continues with fanciful imaginings she will be ill again and unable to care for their two children. Only when one of the twins asks about the people in the spare room does Kate begin to realise the danger within the walls of the house they now call home. Can she keep her children safe and escape Haverscroft House even if it will surely end her marriage?
Semi-Finalist in The Book Bloggers Novel of the Year Award 2020
Longlisted for the 2019 Not the Booker Prize
Reviews
“A perfect modern ghost story that will have you hiding under the covers.”
Prima Magazine
“Haverscroft is a very modern ghost/psychological story. It’s written in an apparently effortless and easy style, which I’m sure this was a lot of hard work to achieve. The uncomplicated prose allows the mood and atmosphere of the novel to seep into your pores – this a genuinely gripping tale.”
Paul Burke, NB Magazine
“A beautifully atmospheric and gripping debut that kept me awake at night. A complex ghost story which didn’t disappoint. Highly recommended.”
Ruby Speechley – Someone Else’s Baby
“An atmospherically creepy ghost story that keeps you guessing till the end! Sally Harris is one to watch.”
Angela Clarke – Sunday Times Best Selling Author
“Atmospheric, spooky and sharply observed, a gripping read from start to finish.”
Hannah Persaud – The Codes of Love
“Haverscroft is probably my perfect Halloween read. I’m not a huge fan of traditional horror stories, and rarely read ghostly tales; this contemporary telling of the age-old haunted house tale is superbly done and I enjoyed every single spine-tingling page.”
Anne Cater – Random Things Through My Letter Box
Haunting the Haunted: Is a Ghost Story All About Relationships?
A ghost story needs a haunting; that goes without saying—something or someone trapped or lingering, failing to move to the next world. But there is usually far more in a story than the main supernatural thread…
My life in books
Ten books that have most influenced my writing? That’s quite a challenge!I write gothic fiction, ghost stories and other dark tales. Here are the ten books I’ve found most influential.
Haverscroft – Writing A Ghost Story
Advice often given to fledgeling writers is to write what you know. That sounds like a good premise, but if I’d followed it, Haverscroft would not have been written. I’ve never seen a ghost. So how do you write a ghost story, assuming most of us will not experience the supernatural, even if we wanted to?