The Widow's House by Carol Goodman

Finding themselves in financial difficulties Jess and Clare Martin move out of their city apartment and head back to their old college country town where Clare grew up.  They take on the job of caretakers at Riven House which is the home of Monty their old college professor.  Jess is trying to finished his long awaited second book, it has been years since his first book was published.  

Clare had wanted to be a writer but had taken other editing work to support Jess.  Monty returns an old college notebook to Clare and then together they work on a story she had started years before.  Clare does some investigation into her own background and that of other locals who had lived in and around Riven House.  She starts to hear strange noises and sees ghostly figures which may be of the women she is writing about.  

All is not what it seems in the old house which holds a lot of history and sorrow.