When this little book arrived I promised myself that I would savour it on the very first evening that the fire was lit and the curtains were drawn.
Well the fire was lit alright and it was nicely dark outside but the curtains weren't drawn, because as I went to do it I remembered that back in the summer we'd had a bat living in those very same curtains and we hadn't seen it for a while.We don't draw the curtains from about April to October here, having no neighbours and gorgeous skies it's all a bit unnecessary unless you want to keep the warmth in.Suddenly I decided there was no need whatsoever to add a loose bat to the atmosphere of a ghost story that was already likely to unnerve.
You won't be disappointed with The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill.
Slow and perfect build up of tension as the intrigue surrounding the sinister Venetian painting unfolds against a backdrop of college rooms and crackling fires (and even dear old Devon gets a bit of a mention)as Theo Permitter recounts his story to Oliver.
The power of the painting slowly revealed.
It's a beautifully structured story that kept me enthralled and reading in one sitting, with just a minor interruption from the butler Bookhound with a pot of tea and some chocolate biscuits.
Signed copies in a shop near you or your keyboard any day now I'm sure and a great video trailer from the Manx Wizards, turn your sound up and switch the lights off now.


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