The Girls Are Never Gone

The Conjuring meets Sadie in this queer ghost story, when seventeen-year-old podcaster Dare finds herself in a life-or-death struggle against an evil spirit.Dare Chase doesn’t believe in ghosts. But as the host of Attachments, her brand-new paranormal investigation podcast, she knows to keep her doubts to herself if she wants to win over listeners.Her first season’s subject is the Arrington Estate—a sprawling manor rumored to be haunted by the spirit of Atheleen Bell, who drowned in its lake almost thirty years ago. Dare’s more interested in investigating the suspicious circumstances of Atheleen’s death, which she thinks point to a decades-old murder, not something supernatural.But Arrington is full of surprises. As Dare is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the estate, she’ll have to rethink the boundaries of what is possible. Because if something is lurking in the lake…it might not be willing to let her go.

Kirkus Reviews

“Nancy Drew meets Ghost Hunters in this queer thriller. An utterly addictive ghost story.”

School Library Journal

“A horror mystery that will keep readers guessing until the end.”

Publisher's Weekly

“Sarah Glenn Marsh establishes a chillingly gothic atmosphere, where house and lake are as much characters as the living and the dead...[but] the three clever girls at the center of this unsettling narrative steal the show.”

and I loved it! One of Sarah Glenn Marsh’s most captivating novels yet!”

“Based on the real life haunted house in the author’s family, this beautiful ghost story was impossible to put down. I felt like I had opened a doorway into an eerie, layered story that might not let me leave

Alexandra Christo, author of To Kill a Kingdom

“A diabetic heroine solving mysteries and hunting ghosts? I couldn’t get enough! This mystery unfolds page by spooky page, ending in a twist you won’t see coming. Be prepared to sleep with the lights on!”

Astrid Scholte, internationally bestselling author of Four Dead Queens

“The Girls Are Never Gone is a spine-tingling atmospheric tale that will haunt you long after the book’s final twist. Sarah Glenn Marsh can turn any ghost skeptic into a true believer; you’ll be sleeping with the lights on and avoiding all mysterious bodies of water. I dare you to wade into the murky depths and discover what spooky delights are in store.”

Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling author of Across the Universe and Give the Dark My Love

“A breathless page-turner, this novel kept me up way too late reading! This is Sarah Glenn Marsh’s best novel yet, and once you start, you won’t be able to put it down. Just keep the lights on!”

Megan Shepherd, New York Times bestselling author of Grim Lovelies and The Madman’s Daughter

“The Girls Are Never Gone is a deliciously creepy, turn-the-page-as-fast-as-you-can, stay-up-all-night read. Spine-tingling and smart. I devoured it and craved more!”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Once we’ve crossed the bridge, we take another dirt road, this one less traveled. The path ahead is studded with the occasional rock that makes Mom gasp when it plinks against the windshield. At last, we reach the base of the gentle slope up to the house and begin a slow crawl along the driveway. Paradise Lake looks murkier up close, less pristine than it did from above on the bridge, as it laps at the shore to our left.You’d think the water in a lake called Paradise would be a little less muddy.Out my window is a wooded field. Most of the trees have been reduced to stumps poking out of the earth like jagged teeth, no doubt waiting to be ground to dust to make way for a visitors’ parking lot.The house itself watches our approach through shattered eyes, having taken a few rocks to its front windows. It’s just as big as the beast it appeared to be in pictures, though less polished. It crouches against the trees that flank it on either side, as if trying to disappear into the sprawling woods, afraid of someone seeing the slight sag in its double-­story columned porch, the lingering graffiti stark on its white, peeling sides, the overgrown lawn, the moss that clings patchily to its shingles. Behind the house, farther away than they appear, the mountains, those huddled blue giants, see everything.Was Atheleen Bell happy to see this place when her family arrived? Did she flash her wide, carefree smile, imagining thesummer adventures she’d have on the grounds? Did she—­like I soon would—­shoulder her bags and stride eagerly toward the porch, her little black-­and-­white cat at her side? Or did she shrink back from the sight of the neglected building starved for love? Perhaps it looked less forbidding in her day, even though it was old back then, too.By the time Mom stops the car as close to the front door as she seems willing to get, the afternoon clouds covering the sun have stained the mountains the deep plum of a bruise. I lean against her, inhaling the familiar scents of coffee, dog dander, and spring meadow fabric softener—­of home.“You’re sure you want to do this, baby girl?” she asks softly, frowning up at the house.“You’re just salty because you’re going to miss my cooking for a whole month, and you’ll have to order takeout every night,” I try to tease, but as I follow her gaze, my voice gets smaller until it vanishes altogether.There are secrets in that house, concealed by cracked paint and faded grandeur. Who knows what I might dig up during the renovation process ahead? Perhaps evidence about the life and death of a girl my age—­and I’m ready to explore. I’m not leaving without some insight into Atheleen’s final days and a bigger follower count.The Arrington Estate is a dark place, but I like the dark. It’s content, it’s quiet and empty. Just as I’ve done so many times before, I’ll reach out into the darkness, safe in knowing nothing ever reaches back.

About the Author

Sarah Glenn Marsh writes young adult novels and children's picture books. When she's not writing, Sarah enjoys ceramics, ghost hunting, traveling, and all things nerdy. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband and their menagerie: four rescued sighthounds, three birds, and many fish. She is the author of the Fear the Drowning Deep series and the Reign of the Fallen series.

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