Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

Okay, I forgot how creepy this book is. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing book, but creepy nonetheless. This is set in 1899 at Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Serafina has lived in Biltmore’s basement her entire life. Her pa keeps her hidden. Serafina is the C.R.C., the Chief Rat Catcher. Every night, she goes hunting, skulking around the basement, catching rats. One night, she sees a man in a black cloak with a young girl. The man keeps saying, “I won’t hurt you, child.” The man’s cloak seems to absorb the girl, for she just…disappears. Then the man starts chasing Serafina. She manages to escape, but just barely. The next day, she goes upstairs to the main part of Biltmore, which her pa told her never to do. She meets Braeden, Mr. Vanderbilt’s nephew. She tells him what she saw, and they start working together to find out who the Man in the Black Cloak is. A chilling story with a strong heroine.