Those We Fear

Jane Eyre meets The Turn of the Screw with Victoria Griffith’s latest young adult novel, Those We Feara break-neck paced, coming-of-age paranormal suspense ride with a romantic twist. When a dangerous situation forces 18 year old Maria to leave her Boston home, she’s swept away to Scotland as part of a witness protection program. In a strange land, with a new name, Maria hides out as an au pair to the Carlisle family at the storied Harley Estate. Already known as an over-feeler”and paranoid for good reasonMaria is spooked by the mysterious behavior of the Harley residents: from the oddly energetic kids in her care, to the miserly nurse with the sheet-white skin, to the attractive yet broody eldest son, Jonathan. As the days pass, the vanishing portraits, cloaked figures, and mysterious humming in the dead of night could perhaps be explained away, but it’s the discovery of the Harley’s macabre and deadly family history that confirms to Maria that her growing fears and suspicions are more than just over-sensitive nerves; that she may have fallen into something even more horrifying and threatening than what she left behindsomething perhaps not even of this world. Written with lush Scottish imagery, chilling suspense, and an addicting intensity, Griffith brings a vibrant, young contemporary edge to the classic gothic mystery. And make no mistake, skin will crawl.