Shadowhall Academy: The Whispering Walls - Phil Hickes

It's the start of term at Shadowhall Academy and Lilian's first term at the boarding school where her mum was also a student.  She makes friends quickly with her new room mates, Marian, Serena and Angela (who is also new), and, despite rumours of the place being haunted she thinks these are just stories to scare new students.  However, when she awakes one night to find Angela terrified by knocking coming from within the dorm walls, things begin to take a sinister turn.  

I am a huge fan of Phil Hickes' Aveline Jones books and love the creepiness he brings to his books (you can read my reviews here: The Haunting Of Aveline Jones , The Bewitching Of Aveline Jones , The Vanishing Of Avenline Jones) so the thought of a new book sent shivers of excitement down my spine.  The book jumped straight to the top of my reading pile and I curled up with it on Thursday evening, teddy bear handy, and dove in.

The setting is perfect and sets the story up wonderfully: an imposing boarding school in a grade II listed building; dodgy heating and power which means that it's cold and students sometimes require a torch; basements and long corridors with shadowy stairways ... I think you get the picture.  

Lilian is clearly dubious about starting at the school and feels the pressure of her mother's history with the place as well as worrying she won't fit in; however, she and Mariam hit it off quickly.  She is a strong character who is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery; she is a loyal friend and one who can empathise with others.

There are also a host of staff members who help to add to the plot, Mr Bullen in particular.  He is the sort of character I would love to get to know and I love the sound of his office.  But there is something about him that made me curious...

The plot gets to the action quickly and is a wonderfully atmospheric ghost story.  It's a book I couldn't put down but genuinely left me needing a cosy blanket to hide under and I was prepared with my teddy to cuddle too!  Spine-tingling, utterly moreish and deliciously creepy, Shadowhall Academy: The Whispering Walls is everything I hoped it would be and more.  Publishing on the 1st February, it is begging to be pre-ordered and is a perfect read on a dark, winter's night. I can't wait to see what happens next term.