Wakenhyrst

This tale of an Edwardian antiqiuarian falling foul of ancient malevolence cannot help but be reminiscent of of MR James, and for the most part it's worthy of a place in that lineage. But one of James' strengths was his economy and his ability to craft a spinetingler in just a few pages, something Paver herself has managed in her previous short ghost novels, but not here. It's just a little bit too long, and feels a tad flabby in parts.

On the plus side, Paver nails the sense of place, both the overgrown lushness of the fen, and the oppressive and claustrophobic family house. She's also very good on the everyday horror of simply being a woman in a repressive and patriarchal environment. There's an atmosphere of creeping unrest thoughout, and an interesting ambiguity - are we witnessing something supernatural, or merely a descent into fatal madness? All in all, not quite Paver at her best, but still a worthwhile read.