The House of Creeping Dolls — Hayden Thorne

Excitement over a beloved neighbor's birthday has St. Grimald Priory trembling on its foundation. Then again, that can be because of a number of other things, too.Like, one, a new mystery surrounding old dolls appearing and disappearing at will in a gloomy tower house. Two, the distant rumblings of family drama following Freddy's heartfelt letter to his parents. Three, the sudden appearance of a mysterious ghost who knocks on the front door incessantly. Four, the much-anticipated visit from a garishly dressed smut purveyor. Five, the commissioning of a proper birthday portrait from a talented artist with a reputation for degeneracy and Byronic allure. Or, six, the courgettes.The road to Hell is most certainly paved with good intentions, and Prudence Honeysett is about to test this aphorism yet again as spring draws to a bucolic close, and the promise of a glorious summer beckons. Mysterious ghosts, secret young love, vengeful servants, questionable ghost-guides, and the siren call of the drinks cabinet mark the fifth and final novel of the Ghosts and Tea series. Humorous journal entries and letters recount Prue and Freddy's never-ending, ghost-filled, and questionable fun in the peaceful English countryside.