White Smoke

by Tiffany D. Jackson · 2021

When Marigold "Mari" Rivera’s mother lands a job with the Sterling Foundation, the family trades their sunny California beach town for a renovated house on Maple Street in the troubled Midwestern city of Cedarville. Sharing the home with her bratty ten‑year‑old stepsister, Piper, Mari hopes for a fresh start, but the picture‑perfect façade quickly unravels. Objects disappear, doors swing open on their own, lights flicker, and a strange odor seeps through the vents—phenomena only Mari seems to notice. As Piper whispers about a friend who wants Mari gone, the house’s unsettling presence forces Mari to confront the ghosts of her past and the darker secrets lurking in Cedarville itself. In this chilling YA psychological thriller, the line between haunting metaphor and real terror blurs, delivering a modern twist on the classic haunted‑house tale.