Mini Reviews of Susan Hill's Dolly and The Small Hand

As part of my October Horror Month I have been reading scary stories and Susan Hill has made her name in the horror genre with well known stories such as The Woman in Black and The Man in the Picture. I have read two of her horror short stories and here are the reviews.

Book Title: Dolly

Author: Susan Hill

My Rating: 3*

Publisher: Profile Books

Publication Date: 05/10/12

Genre(s): Horror

Pages: 153

Format Read: Paperback

Goodreads: The remoter parts of the English Fens are forlorn, lost and damp even in the height of summer. At Iyot Lock, a large decaying house, two young cousins, Leonora and Edward are parked for the summer with their ageing spinster aunt and her cruel housekeeper. At first the unpleasantness and petty meannesses appear simply spiteful, calculated to destroy Edward's equanimity. But when spoilt Leonora is not given the birthday present of a specific dolly that she wants, affairs inexorably take a much darker turn with terrifying, life destroying, consequences for everyone.

The plot sounded promising and from the opening pages I was pulled in. Edward, the main character of the story, returns to his Aunt's home in Iyot Lock after she has died. The descriptive setting of the house was written brilliantly and I thought it set up the story for a terrifying read. Unfortunately, for me it fell flat. The imagery of the dolls was unsettling and unnerving but that's about it. The story doesn't really go anywhere and the dolls are only mentioned a handful of times. The story is more about the lasting psychological affect the dolls had on Edward’s life. It’s Edward's cousin Leonora who was the real nightmare in this story. The description of her screams as a child when she didn’t get her way felt paranormal and at some points I thought Hill could have made her into the scary focal point because she was such a horrible little child and that would have made it more interesting.

Book Title: The Small Hand

Author: Susan Hill

My Rating: 3*

Publisher: Profile Books

Publication Date: 02/09/10

Genre(s): Horror, Ghost story

Pages: 167

Format Read: Hardcover

Goodreads: Returning home from a visit to a client late one summer's evening, antiquarian bookseller Adam Snow takes a wrong turning and stumbles across the derelict old White House. Compelled by curiosity, he approaches the door, and, standing before the entrance feels the unmistakable sensation of a small hand creeping into his own, 'as if a child had taken hold of it'.

Intrigued by the encounter, he determines to learn more, and discovers that the owner's grandson had drowned tragically many years before. At first unperturbed by the odd experience, Snow begins to be plagued by haunting dreams, panic attacks, and more frequent visits from the small hand which become increasingly threatening and sinister.

Better than 'Dolly', I found this book to be more engaging and the creepiness stays with you longer. The white house is the traditional scary, abandoned house and the description is detailed, giving the reader a vivid picture in their mind. When the small hand first grips Adam, it seems quite peaceful and gentle but with each moment after it gets more forceful and more threatening. There are some beautifully descriptive places such as the monastery he visits in France but the story isn't so much scary as it is creepy. There is a nice little twist at the end which answers the question of what the ghost wanted with Adam but overall an average ghost story.

Have you read any of Susan Hill's horror stories? 

Do you like her stories?

Do you have any other horror recommendations for me to read? Let me know in the comments!