The Piper
The night before returning to her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, Olivia James receives a disturbing phone call from her brother Chris—nine weeks after his death. He tells her that he has paid the piper and warns her about the Mister Man. Once in Knoxville, Olivia and her daughter, Teddy, settle into Olivia’s childhood home. However, strange events begin to occur, and Teddy fears being in the house. She claims a ghost named Duncan Lee is threatening her. Olivia doesn’t believe Teddy at first, but when Olivia’s best friend, Amelia, drowns in the bathtub and Teddy disappears, Olivia, forced to accept that a malevolent spirit may be at large, turns to the local medium for help. Fast pacing, a strong and sympathetic main character, and a genuinely frightening supernatural being keep the pages turning in this ghostly thriller. --Sue OBrien