Frankie recommends... We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson

Frankie says... An eerie, quietly menacing portrayal of two sisters in the eye of a gossip maelstrom. A book this short need not be so gripping, but I was reading far into the night about these strange, singular sisters. The perfect starter for anyone who has never read any Shirley Jackson before - this is startling in its ferocity and absolutely perfect for a long cold night. Chilling!

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Eighteen-year-old Merricat may, or may not be, a mass murderer...

Six years ago everyone in the Blackwood family was poisoned by sugar laced with arsenic – everyone, that is, apart from Merricat and her elder sister Constance. They live in peaceful, ordered isolation, away from prying eyes in the nearby village, until one day boorish cousin Charles arrives with designs on their father’s fortune. Whether by practical or magical means, Merricat will do whatever is necessary to protect their home.