First published 2007
Eleven-year-old Mark relocates to Brighton when his ailing mother marries a new husband. The boy explores their unfamiliar house and discovers forgotten servants' quarters tucked away from the main rooms. Mark ventures into these abandoned spaces and witnesses something impossible. The servants who once worked in these rooms continue their daily tasks, though they died long ago. He watches them sweep floors, prepare meals, and tend to duties for masters who no longer exist. Mark becomes drawn into their spectral world, observing their routines and trying to understand why they remain bound to their work. The dead servants seem unaware of his presence as they repeat the same actions they performed in life. Mark must navigate this supernatural discovery while adjusting to his new family situation and his mother's declining health. The boy finds himself caught between two worlds, the living household above and the ghostly staff below, as he grapples with questions about duty, memory, and what keeps the dead tethered to the places they once served.
Genres: 20th-century, fantasy, supernatural, ghost-stories, 21st-century, gothic-horror
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family, supernatural-mystery
Setting: Brighton
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
207 pages · Hardcover · Earthling Publications