Like all genres, Horror runs the spectrum from great writing to less-than-great writing. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill falls squarely in the former category in every possible way.

The novel is narrated by Arthur Kipps, who is recalling a terrifying experience from his past. Many years earlier, while working as a junior solicitor, Kipps was sent to the desolate Eel Marsh House to settle the estate of the late Mrs. Drablow. During his stay, he encounters a series of unexplained noises, chilling events, and appearances by the mysterious Woman in Black. Kipps learns that the Woman in Black is the ghost of Jennet Humfrye, Mrs. Drablow’s sister, who was forced to give her child up for adoption and was later haunted by the child’s tragic death.

The key to The Woman in Black is the Gothic-Tone Hill’s prose creates from the first scene to the last. The house, the desolate location, Arthur’s narration all play into the experience of growing dread. Just what you want from a Horror novel.

If I were to make a list Top 10 of Horror Novels, The Woman in Black would surely be on it. Maybe even in the Top 3.

Here is a link to The Woman in Black on Amazon.

Enjoy!