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Historic Royal Palaces: Ghosts in the Walls: Spooky stories inspired by real history – perfect for fans of the paranormal
"Unique stories that will thrill readers of all ages [...] alongside stunning black-and-white illustrations from Pam Smy." - Books for Keeps
With a foreword from 'First Lady of the Paranormal' Yvette Fielding
The unusual creak of a floorboard, a flash of light in the dark, the eerie breeze from a closed window … We've all heard tales of phantoms and spooks haunting old buildings – but how many can be traced back to real people, real places and real history?
From a maze that has the power to eat you alive to a haunted painting with a terrifying secret, and ravens with a taste for revenge, these spine-tingling stories of ghosts, ghouls and unexplained events bring history to life in the eeriest way imaginable!
Created in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces, this stunning and spooky collection features eleven gripping stories from bestselling, award-winning and rising-star authors including Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Alexia Casale, Joseph Coelho OBE, Larry Hayes, Jim Helmore, Catherine Johnson, Sophie Kirtley, E.L. Norry, Jasmine Richards, Imogen Russell Williams and Sam Sedgman.
With atmospheric illustrations by award-winning illustrator Pam Smy, a foreword from the 'First Lady of the Paranormal' Yvette Fielding (Ghost Hunters, Blue Peter) and an afterword by Hampton Court Palace's Chief Historian, Tracy Borman OBE, this unique collection is sure to keep readers of all ages up long past their bedtimes ...
With a foreword from 'First Lady of the Paranormal' Yvette Fielding
The unusual creak of a floorboard, a flash of light in the dark, the eerie breeze from a closed window … We've all heard tales of phantoms and spooks haunting old buildings – but how many can be traced back to real people, real places and real history?
From a maze that has the power to eat you alive to a haunted painting with a terrifying secret, and ravens with a taste for revenge, these spine-tingling stories of ghosts, ghouls and unexplained events bring history to life in the eeriest way imaginable!
Created in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces, this stunning and spooky collection features eleven gripping stories from bestselling, award-winning and rising-star authors including Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Alexia Casale, Joseph Coelho OBE, Larry Hayes, Jim Helmore, Catherine Johnson, Sophie Kirtley, E.L. Norry, Jasmine Richards, Imogen Russell Williams and Sam Sedgman.
With atmospheric illustrations by award-winning illustrator Pam Smy, a foreword from the 'First Lady of the Paranormal' Yvette Fielding (Ghost Hunters, Blue Peter) and an afterword by Hampton Court Palace's Chief Historian, Tracy Borman OBE, this unique collection is sure to keep readers of all ages up long past their bedtimes ...
275 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 28, 2025
An interesting little read that is perfect for this time of year. Something different and fun 😊
November 17, 2025
More of a 3.5 but I think that's because I'm not the intended age demographic, but I still greatly enjoyed it.
I would have eaten this up as a child, lots of great ghostly tales with plenty of historic facts sprinkled in. Even as an adult I now have a new list of places I want to visit, as well as new authors work to check out - I’m a big fan of whoever came up with this idea.
I would have eaten this up as a child, lots of great ghostly tales with plenty of historic facts sprinkled in. Even as an adult I now have a new list of places I want to visit, as well as new authors work to check out - I’m a big fan of whoever came up with this idea.
January 8, 2026
***3.75***
This book was for children but still has some really spooky enjoyable stories, the connection to the Royal Palaces makes it even better!
This book was for children but still has some really spooky enjoyable stories, the connection to the Royal Palaces makes it even better!
September 25, 2025
I spotted this book in my local bookshop. It was placed in the children's section. Using a selection of royal palaces as their inspiration, this collection of short ghost stories has history at its heart. And this is what I liked about the collection. As a child, my family couldn't afford holidays abroad, and so we went all over the UK. I have so many memories of visiting different castles, and stately homes, and this is a passion which has lasted into my adulthood. So reading this collection, I had visited many of the places used as the authors' inspiration.
The reason that I have only awarded 3 stars is that the tales are pretty tame. Granted, this is probably why it was in the children's section at my local shop, but personally I would have liked a bit more of a chill up my spine.
There are 11 stories in total. My favourite was "Children of the Maze" and "The Executioner." If you come to this collection, please bear in mind that this is aimed at younger readers. So if, like me, you are getting on a bit, I doubt there'll be anything which will stop you getting a good nights rest.
The reason that I have only awarded 3 stars is that the tales are pretty tame. Granted, this is probably why it was in the children's section at my local shop, but personally I would have liked a bit more of a chill up my spine.
There are 11 stories in total. My favourite was "Children of the Maze" and "The Executioner." If you come to this collection, please bear in mind that this is aimed at younger readers. So if, like me, you are getting on a bit, I doubt there'll be anything which will stop you getting a good nights rest.
October 27, 2025
Anthologies are difficult to review because there will always be stories you prefer or like a little less. This one got better as I read on. The stories are quite tame for the most part, but I’m glad I persisted. The stories in the second half were more engaging for me, and a couple were very creepy.
‘A braid of seeds’ by Joseph Coelho is a story based at Kew Palace, and is an incredibly moving look into the slave trade. I read this one twice and was brought to tears both times. Sophie Kirtley writes about Hillsborough Castle in Ireland, and I really liked how creepy this story was. ‘Run rabbit run’ by Catherine Johnson was also a favourite because of the way it tells of the last execution at the Tower of London - something I knew about from visiting but hadn’t engaged with in quite this way before. And finally, ‘The Dolls house’ by Jasmine Richards was probably the spookiest for me. Set in Kensington Palace, dolls with fixed smiles edging closer and closer will never not be creepy.
The stories I mentioned were the best for me, not just because they were incredibly well written, but because they were based on real people and events, and because they had emotional impact. Some other stories felt more one-dimensional, however. What might have improved this is by placing the biographies and inspirations after each story, as reading them all together at the end didn’t feel as helpful in terms of context.
The reason I gave the overall book three stars was because of the simplicity of quite a few of the stories, and a general lack of creepiness - a couple reminded me of reading scheme books. If the anthology was only made up of the four stories above, I would have given five stars.
‘A braid of seeds’ by Joseph Coelho is a story based at Kew Palace, and is an incredibly moving look into the slave trade. I read this one twice and was brought to tears both times. Sophie Kirtley writes about Hillsborough Castle in Ireland, and I really liked how creepy this story was. ‘Run rabbit run’ by Catherine Johnson was also a favourite because of the way it tells of the last execution at the Tower of London - something I knew about from visiting but hadn’t engaged with in quite this way before. And finally, ‘The Dolls house’ by Jasmine Richards was probably the spookiest for me. Set in Kensington Palace, dolls with fixed smiles edging closer and closer will never not be creepy.
The stories I mentioned were the best for me, not just because they were incredibly well written, but because they were based on real people and events, and because they had emotional impact. Some other stories felt more one-dimensional, however. What might have improved this is by placing the biographies and inspirations after each story, as reading them all together at the end didn’t feel as helpful in terms of context.
The reason I gave the overall book three stars was because of the simplicity of quite a few of the stories, and a general lack of creepiness - a couple reminded me of reading scheme books. If the anthology was only made up of the four stories above, I would have given five stars.
October 17, 2025
This is a collection of short stories from various authors, all with a supernatural feel and all set in or inspired by Historic places. I love that the feel and the pace of the stories varies from one to the next and it's great to have different voices represented on the page too. Some of the stories are straight up ghost stories, some draw on real history whereas others are much more fantastical. I have a couple of definite favourites and a couple of authors I'd like to keep my eye on too.
This is a really cute book, would be a great gift for a child or young adult with a love of history or spooky stories. It's a really easy, light read for an adult but definitely enough to get the imagination working for a young person - and hopefully to to get them inspired enough to visit the places mentioned and write stories of their own.
- Thanks to NetGalley for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review -
This is a really cute book, would be a great gift for a child or young adult with a love of history or spooky stories. It's a really easy, light read for an adult but definitely enough to get the imagination working for a young person - and hopefully to to get them inspired enough to visit the places mentioned and write stories of their own.
- Thanks to NetGalley for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review -
December 11, 2025
This book would be a hit with kids who love spooky tales, and would also be brilliant to read around a visit to one of the historical palaces mentioned in the book.
Reading as an adult, it wasn't my favourite, as most of the stories felt a bit half-baked, and more focused on the setting than the story. However, given that this is a middle grade read, all of the stories are definitely more spooky than scary, so is well-suited to the age range.
Give that each story is based around a royal palace, a bit more information about each location and its ghosts would have been great - there is a summary of each one at the end, but more detail would have added a lot.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eArc!
Reading as an adult, it wasn't my favourite, as most of the stories felt a bit half-baked, and more focused on the setting than the story. However, given that this is a middle grade read, all of the stories are definitely more spooky than scary, so is well-suited to the age range.
Give that each story is based around a royal palace, a bit more information about each location and its ghosts would have been great - there is a summary of each one at the end, but more detail would have added a lot.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eArc!
September 20, 2025
A pleasant collection of short ghost stories with the added bonus of being set in famous places, namely royal residences. The majority of the settings were familiar to me so I enjoyed this aspect and it gave the stories added depth and interest. I’m not normally the biggest fan of short stories as, although the scene was set quickly and to satisfying depth, the middle and end always seem a bit too brief but these were enjoyable enough and bite size so as you could snack on them with no worry about leaving off and forgetting where the story was at.
I can see these appealing to ghost hunter types but also fans of historical fiction and so quite wide appeal. Recommend.
I can see these appealing to ghost hunter types but also fans of historical fiction and so quite wide appeal. Recommend.
April 5, 2026
I really enjoyed this book! An anthology of short, ghostly stories is a fun read! A few of the stories have stuck with me such as the maze, the banqueting house and the dolls house. Creepy stories from history or imagination.
I like how fast paced the stories are and I've been to some of the places mentioned such as Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London. I can imagine the horror those walls have seen over the years and can see there being ghosts!
There is a supposedly haunted house near me with a clip of a ghost on CCTV but unsure if it was ever confirmed as a ghost or not.
These kind of books really intrigue me and I do feel there are things out there!
I like how fast paced the stories are and I've been to some of the places mentioned such as Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London. I can imagine the horror those walls have seen over the years and can see there being ghosts!
There is a supposedly haunted house near me with a clip of a ghost on CCTV but unsure if it was ever confirmed as a ghost or not.
These kind of books really intrigue me and I do feel there are things out there!
October 8, 2025
I listened to this stories while babying a cold. Great stories! These are short ghost stories happening at Royal Historical Palaces. From the Tower of London to Kensington Palace they were well written with detail, many from supposed apparitions that people claim to experience today. Different renowned authors acrosd the globe took part in the stories. The narration is done between two narrators, Joshua Riley and Olivia Forrest. They added tremendously to spooky atmosphere of these stories.
Haven’t picked out your spooky story to read for October? This is a great read or listen! Enjoy!
Haven’t picked out your spooky story to read for October? This is a great read or listen! Enjoy!
September 30, 2025
Firstly thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC
I really enjoyed reading this book with my children, each story is set in a different historical place, relating to royalty. I loved that each writer brought their story alive and that it brought characters alive too. It's the perfect book to read a short story each night. I definitely recommend this one!
I really enjoyed reading this book with my children, each story is set in a different historical place, relating to royalty. I loved that each writer brought their story alive and that it brought characters alive too. It's the perfect book to read a short story each night. I definitely recommend this one!
January 28, 2026
This book was ok overall.I think some of the stories were spooky but some weren’t .The ones I found good were the prince in the painting,in this still place and the executioner .Those were the real spooky and interesting ones .But Yh I liked this read.So it was a straight 3 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2025
Officially tied in with the Historic Royal Palaces of Britain comes this collection of new horror stories for older primary school children. We start well with a story-within-a-story regarding the ravens at the Tower of London. Less successful, however fresh it proves to be, is a school trip to Hampton Court, where the entire school party vanishes but for two kids – who might be at risk of a different kind of vanishing. There is threat and wise advice alike from the world beyond in the third piece, at Kew Gardens.
The fourth story seems the most educational thus far, as a ghostly Charles I is met when two chalk-and-cheese kids break into London's Banqueting House. Least concerned with education is next – although we do get told how to 'cheat' Hampton Court Maze – as we have a second school trip, and something much closer to a straight horror as opposed to a ghost story. Joseph Coelho gives us a ghost – and further flavours of the past – when he takes us to Kew.
Next is my favourite here, from Sophie Kirtley – not just because it leaves London behind, not just because it's written in a diary format, which always wins with me, but because it is a fresh and interesting telling of a routine gothic trope. And because these are all pitched young, this won't be routine at all to the more inexperienced reader – I reckon they'd all find it much newer than it actually is, and enjoy it for its historical charms.
Mind, Catherine Johnson is almost as good, with her visit to the Tower – this, set in early '60s East End London is fine in forcing WW2 into the mind of the young hero, with a lesson to be used in peacetime just as in war. We close with a possessed royal dolls' house, and two ghosts – or is it three, or are they fake anyway? – back in Hampton Court.
We don't leave these pages without the authors talking about their inspirations, along with a potted biography – tho these deserved to be alongside the stories each time and not added on last. But we also leave with a lot of satisfaction – even if some works veered towards the mediocre they were always readable and perfectly valid responses to the prompt. These authors have given us a flavour of the Royal estate and certainly suggested how ghosts there, whether they be the stone tapes of the introduction or others, might be encountered. Ultimately I'd have no problem recommending this as a purchase from the gift shop – or indeed before the visit. It's a four and a half star compilation, strongly taking us to the spookier remnants of our history.
The fourth story seems the most educational thus far, as a ghostly Charles I is met when two chalk-and-cheese kids break into London's Banqueting House. Least concerned with education is next – although we do get told how to 'cheat' Hampton Court Maze – as we have a second school trip, and something much closer to a straight horror as opposed to a ghost story. Joseph Coelho gives us a ghost – and further flavours of the past – when he takes us to Kew.
Next is my favourite here, from Sophie Kirtley – not just because it leaves London behind, not just because it's written in a diary format, which always wins with me, but because it is a fresh and interesting telling of a routine gothic trope. And because these are all pitched young, this won't be routine at all to the more inexperienced reader – I reckon they'd all find it much newer than it actually is, and enjoy it for its historical charms.
Mind, Catherine Johnson is almost as good, with her visit to the Tower – this, set in early '60s East End London is fine in forcing WW2 into the mind of the young hero, with a lesson to be used in peacetime just as in war. We close with a possessed royal dolls' house, and two ghosts – or is it three, or are they fake anyway? – back in Hampton Court.
We don't leave these pages without the authors talking about their inspirations, along with a potted biography – tho these deserved to be alongside the stories each time and not added on last. But we also leave with a lot of satisfaction – even if some works veered towards the mediocre they were always readable and perfectly valid responses to the prompt. These authors have given us a flavour of the Royal estate and certainly suggested how ghosts there, whether they be the stone tapes of the introduction or others, might be encountered. Ultimately I'd have no problem recommending this as a purchase from the gift shop – or indeed before the visit. It's a four and a half star compilation, strongly taking us to the spookier remnants of our history.
December 8, 2025
I absolutely loved this compilation of short stories - it has been my favourite book of 2025!
The stories are all different and I loved the variety. They were all really well written but as with any compilation, there were a few that I enjoyed more than others but from the 11 stories in the book, I thought it was a brilliant set and I genuinely enjoyed picking the book up and reading the next story.
The stories were based on the locations that come under the Historic Royal Palaces and cover sites such as the Banqueting House, Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London - I think I did enjoy the stories more as I have visited the locations and know the history so could really visualise the locations too which helped bring the stories to life for me.
The book is pitched perfect for the age range, a few twists and a bit of peril - as an adult, and parent I really enjoyed the stories, nothing too scary for my age but intriguing to see how the reports of the hauntings at the sites were turned in to different stories - they were very well done!
It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended and not one story I didn't enjoy!
The stories are all different and I loved the variety. They were all really well written but as with any compilation, there were a few that I enjoyed more than others but from the 11 stories in the book, I thought it was a brilliant set and I genuinely enjoyed picking the book up and reading the next story.
The stories were based on the locations that come under the Historic Royal Palaces and cover sites such as the Banqueting House, Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London - I think I did enjoy the stories more as I have visited the locations and know the history so could really visualise the locations too which helped bring the stories to life for me.
The book is pitched perfect for the age range, a few twists and a bit of peril - as an adult, and parent I really enjoyed the stories, nothing too scary for my age but intriguing to see how the reports of the hauntings at the sites were turned in to different stories - they were very well done!
It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended and not one story I didn't enjoy!
December 7, 2025
Nice little snippets of stories
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews