The Rough Close Murder

This is a true crime from 1886 in Stoke on Trent. John Daniel shot his brother, William dead, after a quarrel, concerning John's wife. William is a nasty drunk, who has lost his business and his home and comes back to live at his father's farm, which John is managing. However, William despises John's wife.

I was given this story by someone who actually lived in the house and noticed paranormal activity.

I developed this story to have a new family moving in. They notice paranormal activity such as furniture being moved and music playing, however they decide to make changes to the house (something not recommended if there are spirits residing). Dave, the husband, gets electrocuted, following which his personality changes. he becomes aggressive, turns to drink, starts speaking in an old Potteries dialect, and finally refuses to recognise his wife, Sue.

Throughout the book i have mingled the history of the murder , the trial and the sentencing, gleaned from archived newspapers at the time.

Dave has been taken over by William and starts to believe the Sue in his sister-in-law, who he he hates and who believes had a hand in his downfall. This hatred is turned towards Sue.

Sue is distraught, but finding that Dave is his normal self at work, realises this is not a mental health problem. She looks up the history of the house and finds out about the murder. She then decides to call in a real life non-religious psychic medium, Julie Angel.

Julie must perform an exorcism. She cleanses the house with herbs, then calls in her spirit guides. What follows is a true enactment of how Julie performs exorcisms.

However, following the traumatic exorcism, will Sue ever be able to trust her husband again?