A Review By Keith Smith

Proud and solitary, Eel Marsh House surveys the windswept reaches of the salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway. Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor, is summoned to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, the house’s sole inhabitant, unaware of the tragic secrets which lie hidden behind the shuttered windows. It is not until he glimpses a wasted young woman, dressed all in black, at the funeral, that a creeping sense of unease begins to take hold, a feeling deepened by the reluctance of the locals to talk of the woman in black – and her terrible purpose.

Ghost stories aren’t commonly on the menu these days, unlike say in Victorian times  when they were eagerly devoured. But I must say I really got into this one and read it at one sitting. Terrific…it did induce a chill. The main character was well drawn and we completely empathised with him. The location was brought to life (or should we say death). And there was an element of realism, and a plausible story line of sorts, which certainly underpinned everything. It took Susan Hill just 6 weeks to write, but apart from its brevity, that doesn’t show. I enjoyed it.