The Knocking - (The Knocking Books) by Laura Lee Bahr (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In a house this haunted, both the living and the dead pose dangers to a female journalist in nineteenth-century New York in a chilling historical gothic by the author of Who Is the Liar.

It's 1850 when intrepid journalist and women's-rights advocate Edith Ann, "E. A.," Howe arrives at the home of iconic newspaper founder Horace Greeley. Her assignment is to chronicle the uncanny gifts of Cathie Fox, an eleven-year-old medium in Horace's charge. Mysterious knocking sounds follow Cathie as she channels the restless spirit of the Greeleys' deceased son, Pickie--a ghostly consolation to Horace's profoundly unwell and grieving wife. As her condition worsens, E. A. suspects foul play.

Something is very wrong in this house. Sharp-tongued housekeepers warn her to steer clear of the attic. Pickie's alleged messages from beyond are more disturbing than comforting. And the seemingly guileless Cathie claims that the house is eating her alive. All the while Cathie's beautiful English governess is awakening something restless in E. A.

As she wrestles with her own childhood terrors, E. A. must investigate the story of the spirit-knockings and reveal whether the greatest threats are coming from the living or the dead.

(c) 2026 by Laura Lee Bahr, all rights reserved.

Review Quotes

"Bahr exploits gothic tropes and her historical setting for maximum atmosphere, gradually ratcheting up the suspense to a fever pitch. It's a memorable ghost story." --Publishers Weekly

"The Knocking expertly weaves historical figures and real-life events into a deliciously spine-chilling narrative. Laura Lee Bahr takes you from the farms of Ohio to the Gothic-like orchards and estates of a newspaper magnate, and the smoggy, crime-ridden streets of New York. A breathless page-turner with insight into the life and times of spirit readers and mediums--this is a hauntingly immersive feast of a book that will keep you glued to its pages." --Harini Nagendra, author of The Bangalore Detective Club series