The Children's Home by Charles Lambert

He lives alone in a huge house that belonged to his family.  He has been disfigured by an "accident" and no longer has contact with people.  When a woman shows up to be his housekeeper, he lets her stay because it's easier than turning her away.  What comes next can't be anticipated...

Scribner and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published January 5th, so you can grab a copy then.

He finds himself attracting children.  It begins with a baby on the doorstep.  They'll walk up to him when he's outside and hug his legs.  He has enough money to afford their care, so he takes them in.  His housekeeper keeps them fed and clothed and the children entertain themselves.  He has several, then it's more than several, but they don't make a lot of noise and sometimes it's like they aren't there at all.  He doesn't think much about it.  At least not until some officials show up and say they have to come to take the children away.  After a couple of visits, they find one and take her with them.  He's going after her and the children are coming with him.  The oldest one has a plot in mind.

This story was odd.  I couldn't decide if the children were real, ghosts, zombies or his mind was coming unhinged.  Their time with him was unsettling.  They knew more than they should, they had a quest he knew nothing about, and they left when they had done what they needed to do.  The story is creepy, his sister's secret is shocking, and you're not sure what's going to happen to the man left behind.  What you do know is that he will never be the same...