Bruce Davenport, a young man who was recently laid off and still mourning the premature death of his wife, is near penniless when called by his estranged mother to come help at the family estate. Their relationship was strained when Bruce left home as a teenager, and he is not looking forward to returning. But with no options available to him, he takes off for the home in the Ozark Mountains. On top of these difficult circumstances, Bruce is a single parent to his four-year old son, Cody. When he arrives at the family home, his clunker of a car breaks down, and mom is nowhere to be found. Bruce and Cody are not just faced with an empty house, but one that is malevolent, cursed, and haunted. And then an ice-storm hits, so they are stranded for the night.

Elderwood Manor by Christopher Fulbright and Angeline Hawkes is an original take on the ghost story genre – which happens to be one of my favorite horror narrative forms. After a rather unexceptional start where the authors seem to be phoning in the story – the early going was bland and written at “arms-length” with little imagination and investment into the characters – the plot takes off once the guys reach Elderwood Manor. The atmosphere is chilling and the suspense builds in an unnerving rate.  The descriptions of hauntings are clever and unique and I was captivated. The plot becomes downright scary as Bruce must not only keep himself alive, but also protect a four-year old. Anyone with a child will be especially chilled as Bruce has to make decisions knowing they could lead to the death of his precious child if he makes the wrong choice. The authors portray this well without rehashing typical child-in-danger clichés. The climax does go a little over the top, but you certainly will not be bored. A solid 4-star read.