Secrets of Marsh House

Introduction to Matthew and Harvey

Matthew Stevens, and his long time friend, Harvey Shepherd, are both pupils at Higham House Priory, the local primary school in a pleasant village called Heathfield, in East Sussex.

The Boys' Characters and Friendship

The boys are firm friends – though of quite different character. Matthew is headstrong – often his undoing – while Harvey is of a more cautious, and practical nature. This never deters Matthew for long, however, when he has some daring plan in mind: with an insatiable curiosity, he is as a rule unstoppable, and usually manages to overcome his friend's doubts and fears.

The Haunted Mansion Adventure

One Saturday afternoon, Matthew persuades a reluctant Harvey to agree to cycle to an empty, old mansion on a large estate – said to be haunted according to word passed around their school playground, for what he describes as an 'adventure' - but even the ever-confident Matthew gets more than he bargains for.

The House and Its Unsettling Ways

The boys quickly find that the once stately old house has some unsettling ways to discourage intruders. Hair-raising incidents, and their encounters with near disaster, together make Matt's eagerly planned excursion an eventful and memorable one.

Strange Forces and Shaken Confidence

Matthew, as usual, from the first takes little heed of warnings but, however, soon, some strange force is urging him on into a far-reaching, unexpected chain of events, and even his confidence is for once badly shaken.

Lessons Learned

Though the outcome of their unauthorised 'investigation' proves worthy of his plan, Matt, in particular, is about to learn a sharp lesson on how his impulsive actions can deeply affect others.