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Spiral Staircase
Spiral Staircase | Ethel Lina White
4 posts | 7 read | 2 to read
A chilling classic thriller from the 1930s in which a young woman is stalked about an isolated country house by a murderer "Astonishing and diabolical shock. . . Required reading" -- New York Herald Tribune The Summit--a mansion buried deep in the countryside, on the Welsh Borders. Somewhere outside, a murderer lurks in the darkness. Four young women have already been killed, and each murder has been closer to the house than the last. . . Now a storm is coming. Professor Warren decides to batten down the hatches for the night--no one may come in or go out until morning. But what if the killer is already inside? This atmospheric classic brought Ethel Lina White to the attention of the world and went on to be adapted for the screen three times (1946, 1961, 1975). A creepy, gothic thriller, this is another sensational rediscovery of the classic crime genre. The author, Ethel Lina White, was one of the best-known crime writers of the 1930s and 40s, ranking alongside greats of the Golden Age such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. Many of her thrillers were adapted for film, most famously The Lady Vanishes (originally titled The Wheel Spins) which became one of Alfred Hitchcock's greatest triumphs as a director.
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review
deirdrebeecher
Some Must Watch | Ethel Lina White
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Mehso-so

If your looking for a master class in how to build atmosphere and tension you wouldn't go far wrong reading this thriller from 1933. I have no doubt it was a roaring success for its time and White's work is foundational for the thriller and horror genres.

However as a modern reader I found myself picking holes in it. For me the twists and turns are telegraphed a little too loudly. The characters are little too anachronistic.

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Natascia.Brondino
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Pickpick

Another golden age mystery book... sorry I‘m guilty of loving them. Apart for the main character which is the personification of the foolish woman type, the plot maintains the suspence e the final twist is quite unexpected. To read when you are alone at home and there is a storm outside, the atmosphere will be perfect

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Lauralovesbooks
The Spiral Staircase | Ethel Lina White
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Pickpick

This old fashioned mystery kept me up late at night. The heroine is plucky, the storm is raging, and no one can be trusted. What would you do if you were trapped in the house with a possible murderer? I ate it up.

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