ARC Review: The Poisoned House

First and foremost, thank you goes out to NetGalley and Albert Whitman & Company for the opportunity to read The Poisoned House. This, of course, in no way influences my opinion whatsoever.

Title: The Poisoned House
Author: Michael Ford
Genre: YA/ Historical Fiction/ Paranormal
Release Date: August 1



Life can be cruel for a servant girl in 1850s London. Fifteen-year-old Abi is a scullery maid in Greave Hall, an elegant but troubled household. The widowed master of the house is slowly slipping into madness, and the tyrannical housekeeper, Mrs.Cotton, punishes Abi without mercy. But there's something else going on in Greave Hall, too. An otherworldly presence is making itself known, and a deadly secret will reveal itself—-a secret that will shatter everything Abi knows. --Goodreads




The Poisoned House was a beautifully crafted tale of gothic classic horror. It’s been quite some time since I’ve picked up a story that held all the elements of a good gothic classic, and I’m happy to say that this one delivered it all.

We don’t need gore and guts and blood for a haunting tale to grip us. Michael Ford proves that by weaving such an dark, sorrowing story before the reader, grasping the attention through the amazing details and haunting characters within the pages.

I must admit that at first, I didn’t think I would like this very much. I thought it would be too… juvenile… for my usual tastes. But it surprised me beyond my expectations. The author did an outstanding job of making the dreary atmosphere jump from pages with the narration. He provided characters I loved… and characters I loathed by making them three-dimensional and expressive. Absolutely fantastic.

The classic feeling added more depth which only made me enjoy it even more.
It could almost be safe to say that The Poisoned House could be sitting on shelves decades from now as a well-loved gothic mystery tale.

4.5 stars!