The White Devil by Justin Evans

Looking for a creepy ghost story to get you in the Halloween spirit? Look no further than Evans' second book, The White Devil.

Andrew Taylor, a 17 year-old American, is enrolled in the prestigious Harrow School of London after he is expelled from his elite prep school in the U.S. for drug abuse. Shortly after his arrival at the school, Andrew witnesses the murder of one of his peers by a sickly and odd-looking fellow. The murderer is not located, and as strange situations seem to follow Andrew, he becomes an object of scrutiny, particularly after his past comes to light.

Renowned poet and cynical alcoholic Piers Fawkes is the unlikely housemaster of Andrew's dorm and also writer and director of a play that features Lord Byron, one of Harrow's more famous alumni. Andrew, who bears an uncanny resemblace to Byron, is cast in the lead role, and Fawkes finds himself drawn to the young man.

Evans has crafted a spooky and well-written story, with elements of history, poetry, paranormal and romance all wrapped up in one tragic, ghostly tale.

Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie

Andie Miller has had 10 years to get over her divorce and her ex-husband, and now that she's getting ready to remarry, she is ready to put the past behind her. While visiting her ex to wrap up some final details, he asks her one last favor - to take over supervision of two orphans in a creepy haunted manor in a remote corner of the world - for which she will be paid enough money to begin her new life debt-free.

When Andie arrives at the home, she is greeted with open hostility by the housekeeper, Mrs. Crumb, and stony indifference by the two children: 12 year-old Carter and 8 year-old Alice. As Andie sets about debunking the ghosts that she keeps hearing about, getting through to the children and getting the house in order, she begins noticing some odd occurrences and strange characters hanging around the house.

The longer Andie spends at the house, the more determined she is to protect and stay with the children, and the more she starts believing in ghosts. Will she be able to protect the children from the malevolent spirits she has seen? Can she convince the children to leave the only home they have known? Will she marry her fiance and live happily ever after?

Jennifer Crusie has penned a spooky and fun story complete with romance, terror, humor and intrigue. Gothic chick lit! While it gets a little messy towards the end with a sudden storm of characters and plot lines, overall, it is still a quick and satisfying easy read.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Setterfield introduces us to Margaret Lea, a biographer and daughter of a London rare bookstore owner. Asked to compose the biography of the dying famous author, Vida Winters, Margaret travels to the novelist’s Yorkshire home to decide if Miss Winters will give her the truth, having fabricated the facts of her life on many occasions. Margaret is not only swept up in the unraveling story of the author, but must also face her own demons as the account brings up painful memories from her own past.

As Miss Winters tells her story, we learn of the Angelfield family, focusing on the attractive Isabelle and her brother Charlie. As Charlie forms an unnatural obsession with his sister, Isabelle goes away and marries, only to return shortly after the death of her husband with twin babies on the way. Adeline and Emmeline are born, and are strongly bonded by wickedness and their secret twin language. As Isabelle is put away in a mental institution and Charlie shuts himself off from the world, a governess is brought in to run the house and control the twins, especially the willful Emmeline. Margaret is drawn deeper into the tale of these girls as she learns about the experimental separation of the twins, a ghost, more than one attempt at murder, a baby and abandonment, and a tragic fire. In Margaret’s determination to verify Miss Winters’ story, she meet Aurelius, who has a story of his own to tell, which connects him with the Angelfield family. The twist in the end of Miss Winters’ story will make readers gasp, as they find out her place in the devastating tale.

Setterfield's book, a Jane Eyre apparent, is written in Gothic Style, complete with mysterious secrets, ghosts and shocking revelations. Even with the slow beginning, the book soon picks up and becomes a hard to put down story. Readers will want to know the answers to the many mysteries Margaret herself is trying to figure out and understand about Miss Winters' past. As she investigates the facts of Miss Winters' story, Margaret and the readers slowly begin to figure out the missing pieces of the intricate and marvelous story of Vida Winters. Setterfield's tale is richly detailed, enjoyable and suspenseful, as she mesmerized me with her dual story of the Angelfield family and Margaret Lea. I was drawn in by the mystery and rich storytelling of this unique tale. A great read!