THE VOICE UPSTAIRS

Ghosts and visions may be the least sinister problems facing a young maid and her haunted love in post–World War I England.

However hard she tries, problems have followed Wilhelmina Price ever since her deathsense appeared the day before her mother died. Wil’s best friend, Edison Summerfield, who’s heir to Wither Grange (and secretly in love with her), knows of her abilities—Wil can “see and summon the dead and even predict a death before it came.” But Wil’s inability to sense Ed’s brother’s ghost, who’s haunting the nursery, leads him to fear that he’s losing his mind. When a maid drowns in the millpond, just like Wil’s mother did, it seems that neither incident was accidental. Wil and Ed’s search for the truth leads them to long-buried secrets that twist and turn and, of course, do not want to be brought to light. Intensely atmospheric and eerie, with a killer opening hook, this is a nonstop thrill ride of visions, communing with spirits, and interactions with angry (and not-so-angry) ghosts. The deeply heartfelt central romance is enchantingly melodramatic, drawn in sharp contrast to the parental figures’ muted emotions. Ed is also very sensitive to the power differential between himself and Wil: She and her grandfather are employed by his family, even as she longs to go to university. The layered mystery blends well with the brave, clear-voiced protagonist. Main characters are white.

A compelling, secret-filled gothic tale.