Ghost
A chilling story of the supernatural from the author of Witch
Will be published approx. on 10. September 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-1-83793-308-2 (ISBN)
Description
Reviewed in The Observer, Telegraph, Financial Times and Irish Times; 'compelling', 'lyrical', 'superbly chilling', 'elegantly plotted', 'a tale of injustice, magic and redemption.'
What calls across the centuries to three girls drawn together to lay to rest an ancient evil in the woods?
60 AD
A blackbird calls a warning. Aine, a slave girl running away from her Roman masters, pauses to listen as she lifts a totemic, druid carving she's found in the tunnel where she's hiding. The last thing she sees is a tangle of matted fur, a sheaf of claws, a flash of fangs, as she unleashes a hungry animal presence.
1783 AD
Centuries later, white witch Sarah Gibson wanders the woods in search of refuge. She's at ease here with the changing seasons, the plants and animals, until one moonlit night, she senses Aine's terror. The blackbird calls a warning, but Sarah wants to help Aine's restless spirit.
Present day
Marie has dropped out of art college and is staying with her aunt for a while. But the woods nearby are hiding something. Marie can feel it. She hears the local gossip about tragic happenings there. Hopelessly caught by the ghostly voices of the past that echo uneasily in her present, Marie must pit her wits against powerful old magic.
What calls across the centuries to three girls drawn together to lay to rest an ancient evil in the woods?
60 AD
A blackbird calls a warning. Aine, a slave girl running away from her Roman masters, pauses to listen as she lifts a totemic, druid carving she's found in the tunnel where she's hiding. The last thing she sees is a tangle of matted fur, a sheaf of claws, a flash of fangs, as she unleashes a hungry animal presence.
1783 AD
Centuries later, white witch Sarah Gibson wanders the woods in search of refuge. She's at ease here with the changing seasons, the plants and animals, until one moonlit night, she senses Aine's terror. The blackbird calls a warning, but Sarah wants to help Aine's restless spirit.
Present day
Marie has dropped out of art college and is staying with her aunt for a while. But the woods nearby are hiding something. Marie can feel it. She hears the local gossip about tragic happenings there. Hopelessly caught by the ghostly voices of the past that echo uneasily in her present, Marie must pit her wits against powerful old magic.
Reviews / Votes
'Ghost hovers deftly between fantasy and the everyday... a cracking, if slightly terrifying, read' * Telegraph * 'An elegantly plotted, superbly chilling tale of the supernatural; perfect fireside reading for dark winter nights' * Observer * 'A tale of injustice, magic and redemption' * Financial Times, Best Books of 2025 * 'This lyrical novel invites us into a world where ghost tales are real... a compelling read' * Irish Times * 'As enticing as a flickering candle burning in the dark, Ghost is deft, original and terrifying. A book to raise the pulse and haunt the imagination - spectacularly good!' * Jonathan Stroud * 'Unsettling, deeply beautiful, and rich in atmosphere, Ghost is a tremendous page-turner you'll struggle to put down. Memorable, strange, and haunting, I loved every page!' * Liz Hyder * 'A powerful and gripping ghost story as chilling and suspenseful as a walk alone through the woods on a midwinter night... Finbar Hawkins has a gift for making myth and magic thrillingly real, woven into the world around us. Spellbinding storytelling that will haunt the imagination long after the final page.' * Clare Furniss * 'Finbar draws us into his ghostly tale with his own special dark magic! Compelling, intense storytelling' * Julia Green * 'With whispers of mythology yet totally fresh, Ghost is woven with haunting gossamer prose... I was held in the story's exquisite spell from start to finish' * Rachel Delahaye * 'Hawkins's writing is gorgeous and this tense, glittering novel will suit readers of twelve and up, who will have to read it by the fireside.' * Literary Review * 'Ghost is a book that dares the reader to race it to the finish line, and leaves both warmth and a chill behind.' * Children's Books Ireland *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 12 years
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-83793-308-2 (9781837933082)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Finbar Hawkins is a graduate of the Bath Spa MA in Writing for Young People. He grew up in Blackheath, London and now lives in Wiltshire with his family, in a landscape steeped in myth and legend. He is a creative director for film and animation, including Wallace and Gromit among his credits. Finbar's debut novel, Witch, shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award and nominated for the 2022 Carnegie medal, and his second novel, Stone, are also published by Zephyr.
finbarhawkins.com | X/Instagram: @finbar_hawkins
finbarhawkins.com | X/Instagram: @finbar_hawkins