She captures the atmosphere of each setting, no matter where Arthur is. Susan Hill has crafted a novella that echoes Victorian novels, but reads a bit more smoothly, slightly more modern. Yet, a thick fog rolls in, and Arthur finds himself almost lost in his pursuit of the child, wondering if he’ll be stuck on the small land connection between the house and the town when the tide rolls in, or if he’ll drown in the wet, unstable ground that sucks at his feet and could swallow a man whole. Also, he hears the sound of a carriage crash and child crying incessantly for help. Upon his arrival to Eel Marsh House, which is perfectly timed with when the tide goes out, Arthur sees a woman who looks as though she’s suffering from a wasting disease. The townspeople are friendly until Arthur mentions why he’s there then, they ignore him. A sturdy young man not taken in by the occult, Arthur kisses his fiance goodbye and heads first to the town a few miles from his destination in order to procure transportation. The elderly woman lived in Eel Marsh House, unremarkable save for its location: a boggy island that is only accessible when the tide is out. The premise is simple: Arthur, a young lawyer, is assigned the task of handling the will of the recently deceased Mrs Drablow.
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