I was so looking forward to reading this book, and I wasn't disappointed. Bell puts me in mind of the Gorthic horror writters and elements of this book made me think of Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw". It's set in an isolated house, where Jemima arrives, to become an assisatant teacher to a group of neglected young girls., criminals really only in word, not in deed. Jemima herself is virtually penniless following the death of her mother and brutal stepfather in a fire, and then a parcel arrives for her - a box of Frozen Charlotte dolls that had belonged to her dead step-sister. And so begin a series of unexplained happenings and accidents that grow increasingly darker more brutal.

This is real horror writing for me - it doesn't rely on blood and gore, but on an increasing sense of unease and the sort of sinister happenings that make you want to check over your shoulder and keep the light on. I loved the nod to the first book "Frozen Charlotte" as Jemima sees another resident of the house through a mirror. Such clever writing.... and defintely not just for the YA audience. One thing is for sure - I'm never having a Frozen Charlotte doll in my house! Definitely recommended for fans of quiet horror. ( )