After discovering a death mask inside one of the walls and the six year old soon having nightmares, you know that the ominous foreboding is set in motion.

The Toll House by Carly Reagon | Waterstones

Shaking with fright, he made his way along the passage, and summoning up all his courage, pushed open doors and gazed fearfully into empty rooms. Then, quite suddenly, he heard the footsteps in front of him. An edge-of-the-seat, nail-biting read. I loved it. -- KATE HAMER author of THE GIRL IN THE RED COAT This novel was, in fact, carried off so much more convincingly and compellingly three years ago by the fantastic Alison Littlewood in 'Mistletoe'. A book that feels like it's watching you . . . unsettling and gripping' Cari Thomas author of THREADNEEDLE

Oh, I do love those books that are perfect for October. You know the ones. The ones that match the darker nights, the ones to curl up in front of a blazing fire with a hot cup of tea by your side. The ones that make you pull the curtains to keep the outside from coming in. But perhaps, in this instance, you should be more concerned about what already lurks within. Some houses like to keep hold of their secrets, to retain the past and replay the bad things that happened there. This occurs when Kelda moves into the old Toll House with her son. Signs are not good right from the very first chapter of this book, and it will have you looking over your shoulder, wondering what that creak on the stair really was. No doubt just the cat. But no, here she is, sitting by your side! Yikes. Should I go and investigate? Barnes, who had taken the candle from the mantelpiece, stood peering at the sleepers in silence and dropping tallow over the floor. But when Kelda finds a death mask concealed behind one of the walls, everything changes. Inexplicable things happen in the house, Kelda cannot shake the feeling of being watched and Dylan is plagued by nightmares, convinced he can see figures in his room. As Dylan's behaviour becomes increasingly challenging, Kelda seeks answers in the house's mysterious past. But she's running out of time. Empty rooms always delude me into the belief that I possess a deep voice," said Meagle. "To-morrow I----"

The Toll House by Carly Reagon | Hachette UK The Toll House by Carly Reagon | Hachette UK

Recommended Reads about Race, Racism, and Demarginalizing History - Necessary Non-fiction You Should Read for Life-changing Insights and Impact Kelda and her young son move into the toll house for a fresh start but not all is as it seems once she finds a death mask hidden behind a wall. Now, if I was Kelda I would have been straight out of that house and as far away as I could have gone. However, that wouldn’t have made for a very good novel so I, for one, am pleased she stayed.Inexplicable happenings take place within the walls and Kelda cannot shake the feeling she is being watched, paired with Dylan suffering from nightmares which seem too real with ghostly figures watching him in his room, Kelda has to look into the dark and gruesome history of this house that has seen far too much horror take place within but perhaps it’s all in her head as the pressure of her new job and the arrival of her sister start to take their toll, leaving her to wonder just what is real and what is Dylan making up?