The year is 1926. Having run away from home in the dead of winter, three children finds themselves alone in a forest, on the verge of freezing to death. And then, in the distance, they spot an abandoned house. For Jack, Jenny and George, the discovery of Hadlow House feels like a miracle. They manage to break inside and start a fire, and for a short while they feel as if they've been saved. But then they start to notice something strange about this particular house, and they realize that they might not be alone after all. Does something menacing lurk in the shadows, watching their every move? Soon the children find themselves trapped in a battle for survival. Unable to turn to anyone else, they must take up arms against a malevolent entity that seems able to reach into their minds, turning them against one another. Can any of them survive and - if so - will they ever be the same again? is the ninth book in the series, which tells the story of one haunted house over the centuries from its construction to the present day. All the lives, all the souls, all the tragedies... and all the ghosts. Readers are advised to start with the first book in the series.