From ghost story master Mary Downing Hahn, an assortment of eerie short stories to thrill and chill young readers

The author of wildly popular ghost stories, Mary Downing Hahn has created a group of tales for fans of her "scary but not too scary" books. Even the stories without actual ghosts are spooky. Each tale turns something ordinary—a pigeon, a white dress, a stranger on the bus, a puppet—into a sinister link to the supernatural. For the human characters, secrets from the past or careless behavior in the present can lead to serious trouble. All the stories have a young person as the central character, so all will resonate with young readers who enjoy the eerie, the creepy, and the otherworldly. In a concluding note, the author talks about how she came to write ghost stories.

A group of tales with something ordinary-a pigeon, a white dress, a stranger on the bus, a puppet--turned into a sinister link to the supernatural. Stories that are eerie, creepy, and otherworldly.

Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their seven-year-old stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she's made Molly and Michael's life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard. If that's not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can't get any worse. But they do—when Helen comes.

From master of middle grade horror Mary Downing Hahn, a new thriller about bravery, unexpected friendship, and sinister cats that will captivate readers with its chilling mix of mystery and magic. Zoey loves spending the summer with her Aunt Alice, and her aunt's new house is the perfect place to cozy up with a good book. But she's unnerved by the overgrown forest next door, which is creepy even in the daytime and full of eerie sounds at night. Worse, there are rumors in town of a dark force in those woods. And Zoey can't deny that the wild black cats who live there seem to be watching her. When she encounters a mean old woman who claims to be their owner, Zoey realizes there's more to the cats than meets the eye. But little does she know that the closer she comes to discovering their secret, the more danger she's in . . .

The acclaimed and award-winning author of "Hear the Wind Blow" pens a chilling ghost story in the tradition of her most successful spine-tingling novels. The intriguing characters, frightening secrets, and plot twists make this one of Hahns spookiest ghost stories.

The fifth DI Jack Brady investigation, a gritty serial killer thriller for fans of Peter James and Tania Carver. How do you catch a killer when no one knows he's out there? How can you be saved when no one knows you're lost? No one knew about the Puppet Maker... until DI Brady found what remained of his victims. The murderer never meant them to be found. They are his private collection: each body identical, each... altered. Brady knows that now his secret is out, the killer will destroy the evidence - including his latest captive. He must find a man who has hidden the worst of crimes for over twenty years. And whose nameless victims were never even missed...