What Scares You?

A common request this time of year is for a “good scary book”. Of course, different people mean different things by this. Some like the gory tale with a victim-chasing psycho-killer, while for others , a less obvious, psychological terror is what sends chills down their spines. The classic, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is a superb example of this later type of book, as I discovered when it was recommended to my book club several Octobers ago. This October I discovered a new book, The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. Recently published, it shares several of the same traits. Hundreds Hall is the gothic mansion that has been in the Ayres family for two hundred years, and in post World Was II Britain, the family can no longer maintain it. But is there something more than the changing times to cause the decline of the family? What can explain the seemingly paranormal events? This is a great curl-up-on-the-sofa book to spend a chilly evening with.