"Historical haunting | Eerie intrigue | Sinister secrets"
September 2016 Book of the Month
Chilling historical novel in which an orphan becomes entangled in a web of supernatural goings-on and family secrets.
It’s 1853 and, following the death of his father, William’s Uncle Seth offers to take him in, so he walks the eighty miles to Seth's cliff top mansion in North Wales, land of his deceased father. While William tries to settle into these unfamiliar, unfriendly circumstances (his uncle is arrogant, ill-humoured and makes William work as a valet to his stepson, Toby), he witnesses a series of unsettling occurrences - the sound of a woman sobbing for help, the sight of a cloaked figure near the cliffs, words written in frost on his window.
Could these haunting happenings be the work of the Hag of the Mist, as claimed by Rhiannon, the superstitious scullery maid? William is unconvinced, but the home truths turn out to be even more terrifying than local folklore.
Alongside the thrilling unfolding of the mystery, this truly gripping tale also features a strong strand about seeing the good in people and acting nobly. Perceptive, good-natured and empathetic, William is a character you really do root for (he even finds it in his heart to understand how Toby came to be such an idle brat, and he even risks his own life to protect him), and his action-packed story would surely make an enthralling screen adaptation.
Alone and penniless after his father is killed in a cotton mill accident, fourteen-year-old William faces the rest of his childhood in a brutal workhouse. Then his long-estranged uncle Seth sends for him, and William thinks his fortunes are changing. But arriving at Uncle Seth's grand house in North Wales, Jessop Rise, William encounters a ghostly figure.
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Alone and penniless after his father is killed in a cotton mill accident, fourteen-year-old William faces the rest of his childhood in a brutal workhouse. Then his long-estranged uncle Seth sends for him, and William thinks his fortunes are changing.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Haunting of Jessop Rise and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-14 years old
The Haunting of Jessop Rise features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Gritty Reads, Historical Fiction, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Horror & Ghost Stories, Recommended Children's eBooks, Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Featured Books for 13+ readers
Paperback. Not Available.
The Haunting of Jessop Rise was written by Danny Weston and published by Andersen Press Ltd
The Haunting of Jessop Rise has 308 pages
