This House Is Haunted: A Novel

A Dickensian ghost story from the bestselling author of The Heart’s Invisible Furies and A Ladder to the Sky“A wonderfully creepy novel…magnificently eerie.” —The ObserverThis House Is Haunted is a striking homage to the classic nineteenth-century ghost story. Set in Norfolk in 1867, Eliza Caine responds to an ad for a governess position at Gaudlin Hall. When she arrives at the hall, shaken by an unsettling disturbance that occurred during her travels, she is greeted by the two children now in her care, Isabella and Eustace. There is no adult present to represent her mysterious employer, and the children offer no explanation. Later that night in her room, another terrifying experience further reinforces the sense that something is very wrong.   From the moment Eliza rises the following morning, her every step seems dogged by a malign presence that lives within Gaudlin’s walls. Eliza realizes that if she and the children are to survive its violent attentions, she must first uncover the hall’s long-buried secrets and confront the demons of its past. Clever, captivating, and witty, This House Is Haunted is pure entertainment with a catch.

New York Times Book Review

“A richly horrifying experience…a Gothic manse, honeycombed with secret passages, occult symbolism, and a subterranean river of terror, all there for the right lucky reader to stumble upon in the dead of night.”

The Observer

“Wonderfully creepy…This magnificently eerie novel…takes us on a skillful journey through fear.”

The Times (UK)

“Great fun…Boyne keeps up a constant barrage of surprises and the pace is terrific.”

Sunday Independent

“A lesson in classic storytelling…Boyne takes us on a highly original, entertaining journey that, like all great ghost stories, saves its most unexpected twist for the very end.”

Mail on Sunday

“A superior ghost story…Truly spine-tingling.”

Daily Express

“An adventure that will delight Dickens fans and intrigue anyone who dares to follow [Eliza Caine] on her journey.”

Daily Beast

“Boyne’s plotting and pacing are first-rate, and his mastery of the slow-boil is evident.”

Publishers Weekly

“A subtle, satisfying tale of ghostly terror.”

Glamour

“A classic Dickensian ghost story, with an unexpected and horrific twist.”

Booklist

“A perfect, shivery gothic tale.”

Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Like the writers of Victorian ghost tales to which he pays homage, Boyne is a master at creating an unsettling presence. This House Is Haunted gathers momentum right up to the stunning denouement, and ends with one word that serves as an icy finger down the spine.”

The Record

“Boyne paints a picture that is both gloomy and thrilling, creepy and enticing…The result is a novel, just in time for Halloween, that is fast-paced, unputdownable, lively, and intelligent.”

a real indulgence and a fine read all around.”

“A good old-fashioned ghost story

Bookpage

“Literate horror fans will take wicked delight in [This House Is Haunted].”

in a good way

“Boyne applies his dependably fluid writing style to this eerie Victorian ghost story, which offers an unsettling

The Readist

“Rife with Gothic elements, This House Is Haunted will please fans of Jane Eyre, Ann Radcliffe, and the like. A beautiful call back to the height of Gothic Literature.”

Fourth Street Review

“Everything a classic ghost story should be…pure Gothic fun.”

Acid Free Pulp

“Fans of Gothic novels will definitely enjoy This House Is Haunted. Its appeal, however, stretches further than to just those who are looking for an entertaining Gothic homage…an alluring work of fiction that encompasses what we most look for in a novel.”

About the Author

John Boyne was born in Ireland in 1971 and is the author of seven novels for adults and two for children. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas won two Irish Book Awards, was short-listed for the British Book Award, reached number one on the New York Times best sellers list, and was made into an award-winning Miramax feature film. His novels are published in more than forty languages. He lives in Dublin.

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