I don't seek out ghost stories or gothic mysteries, but I am always intrigued by books set in Suffolk, and this is a stunner!

Evie and her son Alfie have escaped an abusive relationship in America and travelled to spend Christmas on the Suffolk coast with Evie's brother, Luke. But Luke isn't there to meet them, and the family home, Seahurst, is abandoned.

Already dealing with her own troubled personal life, Evie's concerns grow as there is no sign of where Luke might be. The house itself becomes increasingly sinister and Evie begins to suspect that her father's death months earlier may not have been suicide as was claimed.

This is a gripping and atmospheric tale. The Suffolk setting is powerful and the characters are well drawn with all the different elements of the plot sensitively handled. I thought it was great and was sorry when it came to an end - though I took care not to read it late at night, or in a strange place.