Her Little Flowers by Shannon Morgan

Her Little Flowers from Shannon Morgan is a gothic thriller - in modern times. That said, removing a few small details would make this almost a time-less story.

Francine has lived in Thwaite Manor her entire life. As far as she can remember, it was always her, her sister Madeline and their mother. Their father drowned in her youth and they grew up as the town pariah. Her mother was the town "witch" and her sister Madeline was the town...well, she was the town tramp.

Francine has also been a friend to the many ghosts that live in the manor, from the tabby cat that sleeps next to her every night, to the young girl who keeps her company.

When her sister returns to Thwaite Manor after five years, something changes in the atmosphere, and evil enters the house.

Together the sisters, and Francine's lodgers, dig into the family history to discover the awful truth of the Thwaite family.
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When I say that this story is timeless, I mean when it actually takes place. In the first few chapters (because I wasn't paying attention to the date in the intro), this read as turn of the century, late 1800's. It took until the mention of "mobile phones" to make me look into the era bit further. Her resistance to technology and modernization helps set the scene and this entire storyline in motion AND that's why I really enjoyed this. Francine is a woman from another time.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this fabulous debut.