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WesternSFA


The Haunting Between Us
by Paul Michael Winters
Maelstrom Press, $24.99, 378pp
Published: January 2025

Cameron can't believe the boy of his dreams just moved into the house of his nightmares.

Sixteen-year-old Cameron Walsh dreads the haunted Victorian mansion across the street, where the ghost of the White Lady roams the halls. When he sees her through the bay window, his ghost-hunting friend Abby wants to investigate. But then the new owners pull up, and Cameron is captivated by the brooding, handsome boy moving in. He longs for a boyfriend, but years of bullying have shattered his self-esteem.

Sixteen-year-old Hugo Cruz and his father flip old houses, moving often, fleeing from the grief at the loss of Hugo's mother. They unknowingly move into the most haunted house in Port Townsend, Washington. From day one, Hugo encounters shadows that move by themselves, locked doors without keys, and hidden rooms. He hides the mysteries from his superstitious father, not wanting to uproot their lives.

When the White Lady becomes impossible to ignore, Hugo turns to Cameron to help uncover the house's dark history. They soon form a bond that goes beyond friendship, but as their feelings deepen, the White Lady's wrath intensifies. Entangled in a web of sinister secrets, they risk not only their love but their very existence.

In The Haunting Between Us by Paul Michael Winters, he has created a story that combines the supernatural and the romantic to create a blend that is spooky and riveting. The novel explores friendship and the supernatural in a sweet and believable way, full of intrigue and a creepy blend of ghostly aspects that create a haunting novel.

What I love best is the use of the interspersing points of view to create both tension and add intrigue along with increasing the romantic elements of the story. Each boy has issues that they deal with in realistic and believable ways. Cameron struggles with his father's acceptance of his sexuality and being body conscious. Hugo deals with grief for the loss of his mother and being honest with his father. As the pair come together, they form a bond that goes beyond friendship. That bond is beautiful and sweet. But beyond the romantic elements, the story also is spooky and full of mystery about the nature of The White Lady. As the group of friends navigate the mystery and find the truth of the sinister secrets surrounding The White Lady, the story comes together into a fantastic ending.

If you love ghost stories with romantic subplots, this novel is for you. The relationship between Hugo and Cameron is sweet and loving and the friendship between the group is powerful. The mystery and haunting is well-written, both menacing and creepy, spooky and riveting. The ties between the boys are incredibly well-revealed and the ending will leave a shiver down your spine.

Rating: 5 out of 5 cookies. ~~ Andrea Rittschof

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