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The Haunting of Old Splinter
Not yet published
Expected 21 Jul 26Innocent wishes turn decidedly sinister in this chilling horror for fans of Katherine Arden and R. L. Stine.
Peter and his half brother, Adrian, live in the shadow of Old Splinter—a formerly lavish estate now in ruins. Rumored to have once housed an eccentric magician, it’s now home to little more than spiderwebs and mold. Tasked with renovating the crumbling mansion on behalf of their wealthy uncle, Peter’s stepdad is at his wits’ end. And the cracks are beginning to show in their once-happy cottage.
A mysterious local legend may be their only hope. The wishing claw, a magical hand that grants your deepest desires, has spell-bound townsfolk for centuries. If it’s real—if he can find it—then Peter might just save his family! But wishes are tricky things and they always come with a price. What starts innocently enough soon unearths much more than Peter bargained for, including a dark secret lurking in the walls of the mansion…and a monstrous hunger that comes knocking at his door.
Peter and his half brother, Adrian, live in the shadow of Old Splinter—a formerly lavish estate now in ruins. Rumored to have once housed an eccentric magician, it’s now home to little more than spiderwebs and mold. Tasked with renovating the crumbling mansion on behalf of their wealthy uncle, Peter’s stepdad is at his wits’ end. And the cracks are beginning to show in their once-happy cottage.
A mysterious local legend may be their only hope. The wishing claw, a magical hand that grants your deepest desires, has spell-bound townsfolk for centuries. If it’s real—if he can find it—then Peter might just save his family! But wishes are tricky things and they always come with a price. What starts innocently enough soon unearths much more than Peter bargained for, including a dark secret lurking in the walls of the mansion…and a monstrous hunger that comes knocking at his door.
272 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 21, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Peter Carney and Adrian Lee are step brothers living in Barghest-on-the-Moor. Adrian’s father, George, is helping his brother, Lawrence, renovate Old Splinter, a creepy old mansion with a disturbing history while Peter’s mother works as a nurse and ethically taxidermies road kill animals in her spare time. The house is in terrible shape, and Lawrence keeps traveling back to Hong Kong to deal with his business there, leaving George to deal with damp, rotted floorboards, and a horrible smell in the house. Peter and Adrian have befriended Alfie, a charming unhoused man who lives in a clothing donation bin and likes to scare people for fun. He tells them that the owner of Old Splinter was a magician named Wolfgand Ravenite who bought a “wishing claw”, a disturbing mummified human hand, and had it grafted onto his body. The lore is that the claw will grant wishes, but they come with a horrible price. The boys are intrigued, and since George is concerned that the family finances are keeping him tied to his brother, they even hunt down the claw, which is in the possession of local bully Jethro and his father. The claw has brought them great wealth, but certainly doesn’t make them happy. They steal the claw, even though they promised Alfie they wouldn’t. They wish for a dog, and get Poe, a black labrador who seems to have come out of a picture. They wish for something embarrassing to happen to Jethro, but what happens is more disturbing than they would have wished. Finally, they wish for enough money to leave Old Splinter, which results in Lawrence’s death. The family gets money, but Peter feels so guilty that he wishes for Lawrence to come back to life. This does not go well, and Lawrence’s zombie-like qualities eventually make it clear that this was not a good choice. Will Peter and Adrian be able to save their family?
Strengths: Creepy tales are always in demand, and the cover of this is great. There are plenty of creepy details about the history of the house, and some macabre discoveries. This really takes off after Lawrence’s death as it becomes clear that a week of being buried didn’t treat him well, and the boys approach solving the problem in a good way, and have some support from both parents and Alfie. I’m not a horror fan myself, so I enjoyed the happy ending. This was an interesting book about the price of wishes.
Weaknesses: This is a British title, but I think my readers will be okay with the haunted setting on the moors. It got off to a bit of a slow start, but definitely became quite scary.
What I really think: Readers who have met Jacob’s 1902 The Monkey’s Paw will enjoy this updated reimagining of the tale, which becomes quite the scary zombie tale. It’s also an instructive look at how badly wishes can go wrong, right up there with White’s Wish Monster or Snyder’s Bigger Than a Breadbox! Fans of Alexander’s The Fear Zone might also like this. I never have enough horror books, so will purchase this one.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
Peter Carney and Adrian Lee are step brothers living in Barghest-on-the-Moor. Adrian’s father, George, is helping his brother, Lawrence, renovate Old Splinter, a creepy old mansion with a disturbing history while Peter’s mother works as a nurse and ethically taxidermies road kill animals in her spare time. The house is in terrible shape, and Lawrence keeps traveling back to Hong Kong to deal with his business there, leaving George to deal with damp, rotted floorboards, and a horrible smell in the house. Peter and Adrian have befriended Alfie, a charming unhoused man who lives in a clothing donation bin and likes to scare people for fun. He tells them that the owner of Old Splinter was a magician named Wolfgand Ravenite who bought a “wishing claw”, a disturbing mummified human hand, and had it grafted onto his body. The lore is that the claw will grant wishes, but they come with a horrible price. The boys are intrigued, and since George is concerned that the family finances are keeping him tied to his brother, they even hunt down the claw, which is in the possession of local bully Jethro and his father. The claw has brought them great wealth, but certainly doesn’t make them happy. They steal the claw, even though they promised Alfie they wouldn’t. They wish for a dog, and get Poe, a black labrador who seems to have come out of a picture. They wish for something embarrassing to happen to Jethro, but what happens is more disturbing than they would have wished. Finally, they wish for enough money to leave Old Splinter, which results in Lawrence’s death. The family gets money, but Peter feels so guilty that he wishes for Lawrence to come back to life. This does not go well, and Lawrence’s zombie-like qualities eventually make it clear that this was not a good choice. Will Peter and Adrian be able to save their family?
Strengths: Creepy tales are always in demand, and the cover of this is great. There are plenty of creepy details about the history of the house, and some macabre discoveries. This really takes off after Lawrence’s death as it becomes clear that a week of being buried didn’t treat him well, and the boys approach solving the problem in a good way, and have some support from both parents and Alfie. I’m not a horror fan myself, so I enjoyed the happy ending. This was an interesting book about the price of wishes.
Weaknesses: This is a British title, but I think my readers will be okay with the haunted setting on the moors. It got off to a bit of a slow start, but definitely became quite scary.
What I really think: Readers who have met Jacob’s 1902 The Monkey’s Paw will enjoy this updated reimagining of the tale, which becomes quite the scary zombie tale. It’s also an instructive look at how badly wishes can go wrong, right up there with White’s Wish Monster or Snyder’s Bigger Than a Breadbox! Fans of Alexander’s The Fear Zone might also like this. I never have enough horror books, so will purchase this one.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
May 24, 2026
The Haunting of Old Splinter was a delightfully creepy read, perfect for tweens who enjoyed Goosebumps but are looking for something a bit more mature without crossing into the YA territory. The story follows two very relatable brothers navigating the challenges of a blended family, a neighborhood bully, and a haunted house. I loved the development of the various characters- especially with the inclusion of the dad’s side being from Hong Kong. The mystery kept me wondering what would happen next to the point I neglected my family to finish. It had some genuinely scary moments. What happens when wishes go awry? Be careful what you wish for is a phrase we have all heard before. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC. I have preordered the physical copy.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I was given an early copy of this book to review. I was looking forward to this one as I enjoyed Gloam as well. I really loved The Haunting of Old Splinter - it was deliciously creepy! I was a big horror fan as a kid (Goosebumps and Point Horror were my jam) and this reminded me of everything I loved about the genre. It was as gripping as a spooky severed hand... I couldn't put it down.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I loved this story. It had way more depth than I was expecting. You got to know Peter and Adrian. You also go to know the family and how they became a blended. You also learn about Adrian’s father’s life in Hong Kong. I do feel the main characters being a blended family is relevant today. Many times, middle grade books don’t have a blended family or there is the concept of the wicked stepparent. This family genuinely came together and loved each other.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews