Nell Galilee rents a holiday cottage with her husband and troubled stepdaughter Maud. From the outset Nell dislikes the old house and feels uneasy staying there. When a childs shoe is discovered hidden in the wall strange things start to happen, things going missing and relations between the family become very strained. Maud withdraws even more from Nell and becomes obsessed with the shoe and the strange markings on the beams of her attic bedroom.
The slow pace of the book really helps to create the creepy atmosphere of the house and the nosy neighbour who claims to know Nell eventhough she has no memory of the woman. The place feels claustrophobic and dangerous. I found myself willing Nell to just leave the house and go home and trust her instincts. I really enjoyed reading this creepy novel and found myself having to finish it so the story could be resolved.
The slow pace of the book really helps to create the creepy atmosphere of the house and the nosy neighbour who claims to know Nell eventhough she has no memory of the woman. The place feels claustrophobic and dangerous. I found myself willing Nell to just leave the house and go home and trust her instincts. I really enjoyed reading this creepy novel and found myself having to finish it so the story could be resolved.