***Review*** The Small Hand by Susan Hill

Goodreads Synopsis:

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 ..

My Review:

I’ve never read a Susan Hill book before.  I have heard of this author, but I must admit I wasn’t sure what to expect.  It was marketed as a ghost story – which is something I would not normally go for.

It wasn’t a bad book; it just didn’t really hit the mark.  It was very well written and the writing style was very descriptive so I couldn’t fault it there.

It was quite haunting and spooky in places, but I could still read this at the dead of night and not freak out.  I really liked the suspense and mystery aspect, I was really keen to find out the story about the ghostly hand of the small child.

The story wasn’t very long; it was 166 pages in total.  But I felt the story was well developed and all my questions were answered, I felt satisfied with the ending and it wasn’t rushed at all.

I liked that the main character was an antique book dealer.  I was very interested to learn about that profession.  It tied in well with the story.

I always ask the same question to myself when I read a book by an author I’ve never tried before, would I read anymore of their work?  I can honestly say that I’m not sure.  I did enjoy the story but I don’t think it really blew me away and I can’t say that I am a big fan of ghost stories.  But hey, never say never..........

Cover Rating – 5/5 top marks from me.  This cover is stunning and so artistic. 

My Rating:  3/5 – I liked this book but I just didn’t love it.