The Woman in Black

A spine chilling ghost story

I have enjoyed Susan Hill’s psychological horror in the past so when I realized they were adapting The Woman in Black for a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe, I picked this up. What I particularly admire about Susan Hill is her ability to tell a chilling story in a concise form. This book is less than 130 pages total, yet I found I had to pace myself as the suspense ratcheted up in this story. In it a young lawyer is sent to clear up the papers of a recently deceased widow. When he arrives in the small community in Northern England he is welcomed - until the locals realize he means to visit Eel House Manor. No one will explain their reticence but he finds out all too quickly some of the mystery. Fans of Shirley Jackson, Richard Matheson, or even Sarah Waters' The Little Stranger should pick up this modern classic.