An unwelcome guest

Grieving Laura is haunted by a ghost from the past

- Nicky Pellegrino

Spooky stories usually take place in cold, dark places. This one is set in hot, sunny Brisbane but still manages to be chilling. It’s a fairly short novel and also one that simmers along, creating lashings of atmosphere.

Laura is an author who has returned to Australia following the mysterious deaths of her elderly parents. She has no idea what made them disappear into the Queensland outback where they met their end. But now she has to uproot her own family and travel back to the home she left years ago to bury her parents and settle their affairs.

Struggling with grief, as well as feeling guilty for having more or less abandoned her parents in recent years, Laura is having a tough time. Meanwhile, her husband Andrew is more concerned with tidying up the house and making money selling it. And teenage daughter Tilly is getting to grips with a new school and friendships.