Beautiful Novel for Halloween: A Haunting at Havenwood

 

A Haunting at Havenwood by Sally Britton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Louisa Banner is sent by her mother into the wilds of Northumberland to ingratiate herself with a great aunt she's never met. While there, she meets Erasmus Grey, whom she mistakes for a ghost upon their first meeting. But she's not too far off, for the ancestor for whom Erasmus is named keeps on showing up with his wife to given unhelpfully vague instructions to his descendent. Somewhat reluctantly, Erasmus and Louisa begin investigating the lost treasure of the area, putting together more helpful physical clues that the ghostly pair left behind before they died. As their friendship grows, they grow closer to each other and to the answers they seek, but will her mother's plans for her ruin their chances?

My favorite part of the entire book was the ghostly Erasmus Grey, whom I found I had to read aloud in my (poor imitation) Scottish accent because it was so enjoyable. The obvious affection between the ghosts was beautiful and the wife was quick to push her great-grandson into Louisa's arms. The romance between the neglected daughter and secretly-published author was cute and clean with no real surprises, but much sighing and contentment. The book could have used a little more information in the conclusion, but overall it was a great read and I look forward to finally reading the rest of the series.

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