Blood Harvest by S. J. Bolton

'She's been watching us for a while now.'
   'Go on, Tom.'
   'Sometimes it's like she's always there, behind a pile of stones, in the shadow at the bottom of the tower, under one of the old graves. She's good at hiding.'
    'She must be."
    'Sometimes she gets very close, before you have any idea. You'll be thinking about something else when one of her voices jumps out at you and, for a second, she catches you out. She really makes you think it's your brother, or your mum, hiding around the corner.'

Title: Blood Harvest
Author: S. J. Bolton
ISBN: 9780312600518
Publisher: Bantam Press/2010
Pages: 421

In a small Lancashire village, the Fletchers have just moved into a new house very near to the moor. Their house is built on the ground that used to be part of the abbey, and overlooks the graveyard. The Fletchers have three young children, Tom (10), Joe(6) and Millie (2). Tom is bullied by older boys at his school and has visions of a young girl among the graves and fields. 

One day, due to heavy rains, one of graves collapses and two extra bodies are found in that grave which should have contained only one body of a infant girl. The two bodies found belong to two girls, one of which had gone missing and the other supposedly burnt in a fire. Harry is the new vicar who gets involved in the village activities. He is close to the Fletcher children too. Evie is a psychiatrist treating unstable Gillian, the mother of the child who was supposed to be burnt in the fire. Gillian is always roaming about in the moors trying to find her little girl. 

Tom somehow believes that the mysterious person he sees is involved with the deaths. He knows that his brother Joe too can see that girl but is not willing to share it with Tom. We find Millie too knows the The Girl. Tom is paranoid about saving his sister from being taken away. Harry, the vicar, too hears voices in the church. 

Who is this Girl? How is she connected with the killing of the infant girls? Why is she after Millie? Bolton has woven a wonderful story about paranoia, with the suspense element being intact. Very atmospheric and I totally liked the way the brothers care for their younger sister. For one so young, they know how to protect her and also protect each other. The supernatural element enhances the the novel.