Scare B'N'B

Ted and Frankie (born Francesca) are step siblings. Frankie also has an older brother called Luke. Ted and Frankie detest each other initially. Ted is quiet and nerdy and Frankie is a fast runner, dyslexic and loves to play pranks. To their mutual horror, Frankie’s dad inherited an old run-down mansion in Scotland called Tartarus Hall. The adults have decided to renovate the mansion and turn it into a bed and breakfast hotel.

Renovations to old houses are extremely expensive so most of this family’s savings have gone into the work. The hotel must be successful. At the start of the story, it’s two weeks until the grand opening but the hotel has a problem. It has resident ghosts who all have unfinished business on earth. They are led by the vengeful Duke of Snoring. He does not like the interlopers in his house. Who will win? Frankie and Ted or the ghosts?

This is an uproariously funny, spooky but not scary fantasy. The ghosts’ motivations and the reasons they are stuck on earth are slowly revealed. At points, the reader is not certain which side should win. If you ever wondered what you would do if you found your newborn baby in a flower pot or any other bizarre situation, this is the book for you.

If you want irreverent escapism with heart, it’s here.