(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Most people buy old homes, inheriting their ghosts without realizing it.  Not Nate and Helen Wetherell.  They're building a haunted house from scratch ...

Wanting to get out of the rat race in the city, Helen and Nate buy a picturesque property in small-town Vermont with the intention of building their dream house themselves.  Despite having to live in a tiny, dilapidated trailer during construction, they're thrilled about taking on the ultimate DIY project.  Rumors of their land being haunted gives the prospect a quaint, even humorous glow.  But when strange things start happening around the building site, Helen feels more than a little unnerved.  Could there be some truth behind the townspeople's whispers?  Have the Wetherells unintentionally disturbed haunted land?

A former history teacher, Helen's curiosity prompts her to start researching the land upon which she's building.  Turns out, it does have a chilling history, one that seems to be seeping into the present.  The more Helen looks into the subject, the more obsessed she becomes.  In an effort to communicate with the ghost she's sure is haunting her new home, Helen begins collecting relics to build into its structure.  Nate's sure Helen has gone completely mad, but then he's also having strange experiences.  Are they both crazy?  If the spirits are truly reaching out to Helen and Nate, what do they want?  And how far will they go to protect their haunting grounds?

Jennifer McMahon writes creepy books that tend to crawl right under my skin.  Her newest, The Invited, is no exception.  Its unique premise caught my attention right from the beginning and the plot twists and turns kept me reading, even though I saw a lot of them coming from a mile away.  Still, the novel's engrossing, compelling, and creepy—three things I love in a ghost story.  The Invited will make a perfect Halloween read, but why wait?  Pick it up now for a shivery, can't-put-it-down Spring thrill.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other books by Jennifer McMahon as well as those by Carol Goodman)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, violence, disturbing subject matter, and depictions of illegal drug use

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of The Invited from the generous folks at Penguin Random House via those at NetGalley.  Thank you!