The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones

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Walker Books, 2010.
(Ages 14 plus) A complex set of circumstances conspire to ensure an extended dysfunctional (but strangely loving) family end up meeting through the vagaries of a wonderfully eccentric dad.
Mimi, an out of luck, mini-cooper driving New Yorker, attempts to erase an undesirable ex-lover from her mind by heading up to her father's 'undisclosed' holiday retreat in Ontario.
Adventures abound as Mimi discovers Jackson Page, living 'illegally' in the cabin (suggested by her dad as an antedote for recovering from a failed relationship.)
As Mimi and Jackson develop a smouldering friendship and sympathetic understanding of each other's past and future needs, Cramer, a local resident with issues of his own, spies and interferes (with strangely quirky logic) into their lives, eerily taking a fancy to Mimi.
The intricately woven relationships unfold, enabling 25 years of history to link the main three protagonists and solve many unanswered questions.
The creepy nature of some characters and settings ensure this book is an entertaining but engaging read right until the end as does the desire to find out the character connections that permeate the plot!
Deirdre Murphy

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