The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer (2002, Hardcover)

I LOVE the premise of this book. If you are crazy for haunted house stories chances are that you will love it too. Although I give you fair warning that the book contains many sexual overtones. If this is something that makes you uncomfortable, you will probably not be able to enjoy the storyline.

Set in the early 1900's a young and naive Ellen falls in love with and marries a much older and very powerful oil tycoon, named John. However, soon after thier marriage her feelings of love and admiration for him turn into love/hate, as she discovers numerous marital indiscretions and that he has an unsatiable and depraved sexual appetite. She wants his love and attention, yet it is always just out of her reach. She also begins to feel ashamed by her own feelings of sexuality- feelings that being with John bring out in her... Then strange things begin to happen. It begins when one of John's mistresses disappears in her house (which she has affectionately named, Rose Red). At first she believes that the house is acting as her allay- to punish those who have betrayed her. But later she realizes that the power that lies in the house is much deeper and darker than she could ever have imagined...

If you like this book I highly recommend following it up with Steven King's movie adaptation called Rose Red. Although the main focus of the movie is the house (rather than the life of Ellen) it allows you to look at Ellen's life from a different perspective (without all of the sexual overtones)...
(*NOTE that King also helped create a movie based on this book called, The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer.*)