It’s the 1970’s and Tim and Abi have always been different from their peers. Precociously bright, they spend their evenings in their parents’ attic discussing the macabre and unexplained, zealously rereading books on folklore, hauntings and the supernatural. But when Tim and Abi decide to fake a photo of a ghost to frighten an unpopular school friend, they set in motion a deadly and terrifying chain of events that neither of them could have predicted, and are forced to confront the possibility that what began as a callous prank might well have taken on a malevolent life of its own . I don’t want to review the story too much because I think this is a book to read without knowing much more than the above. Maclean has written an atmospheric and absorbing gothic thriller using typical tropes such as a creepy old house and unexplained phenomena in a way that will keep you wondering what is real and what is simply the imagination whilst his skilled collusions will have you changing your mind as events unfold. The trepidation leaks from the pages and the scenery is richly portrayed throughout the ever-changing story. In addition, there's a fun recall of the early 1970s and a very English awareness which also embraces the class structure and British attitudes to grief. Old weird England stories are my vibe, but I feel there is still plenty for most readers to enjoy and appreciate. It may all be slightly silly but it's also a genuinely unsettling book about twins, chaos, loss, mental health, grief, memory, hysteria, and hauntology (if you’re interested in Hauntology, I can recommend the book by Merlin Coverley)

The more I think about this book the more I adore it.Maclean knows how to reel you into a story and keep you hooked. He writes the most believable characters and believable situations, despite their otherworldliness. I think what works with his writing is that his haunting is grounded in reality. Particularly in Apparition Phase his depiction of grief throughout is wholly believable. It leaves our protagonist exposed and vulnerable. As does his openness to the supernatural, his continual childlike sense of wonder about the unknown. This stunningly written slow burn horror is a sensitive depiction of grief, and how hope can be dangerous when placed into the wrong hands.