The Secret of Crickley Hall
by James Herbert

The Secret of Crickley Hall is a new take on the classic ghost story...in much the same way as his bestseller Once was a new take on the classic fairy tale. James Herbert is an author who has produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past generation. In recent years his fiction has become a skilful blend of horror and thriller fiction - what we like to call Chiller fiction. He explores the darker, more obtuse territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension. He masterfully and relentlessly draws the reader through to a story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside.

The Secret of Crickley Hall is set in a childrens home in a coastal town in England. Crickley Hall is an unusually large house on the outskirts of the village at the bottom of Devil's Cleave. Some of the children are persecuted by the people who run the home and have found places between the floors and walls of the home toavoid the adults. They can also spy, of course. One day there is a flash flood which sweeps through the town and the childrens home. All the children escape, except the kids in the walls and floors, who drown. They come back as ghosts and seek their revenge. A river flows past the front garden. Gabe has brought his wife, Eve, and daughters, Loren and Cally, down to Devon, to this peaceful seaside village of Hollow Bay. Here, they discover the secrets of Crickley Hall.

If you have not read any James Herbert, he is a wonderful gothic style writer. Lots of hauntings and creepy things that go bump in the night. A horror writer in the classical sense - more fright than blood and gore (except for his Rats series). Well worth checking out.