The third novel by Melbourne-based author Katya de Becerra is a spine-tingling haunted house story. Sophia Galich and her family once lived in a mansion called Cashore House, which was rumoured to be haunted. When she was 12 years old, her older sister made an amateur horror movie in the house with Sophia starring alongside a titular ghost called Vermillion. Sophia’s sister told her the terrifying scenes featuring the ghost were all special effects and trickery. However, the film became a cult classic, spawning legions of followers completely convinced that the ghosts were real.

Sophia’s sister disappeared one year ago, and nobody knows what happened to her. The only clue Sophia has is a brief sighting of a photo of her entering Cashore House once again. When a filmmaker invites Sophia to be part of a film homage to the original movie, she lies to her parents and goes back to Cashore House to shoot the film and figure out what happened to her sister. But when she is there, she begins to realise that what she thought were special effects in the original movie may have actually been real, and not only is she in terrible danger, but her sister may also be trapped.

This is a sophisticated gothic thriller that gives the reader moments of real terror within an utterly compelling read. It holds a mystery at its heart that will have you racing to the last page to discover the truth about this haunted mansion. For ages 14+.