Lynne's Reviews > The Little One

Another in the Quick Reads series. This sees La Plante attempting the gothic with mixed results. Cliche up on cliche, narrow, undeveloped types rather than empathetic characters, this has sacked journalist, Barbara Hardy trying to wheedle a story about former television actor, star of Downton Abbey soundalike Harwood House, Margaret Reynolds with surprising consequences. Barbara herself is a somewhat pathetic character, dumped, unemployed and homeless, even the two acquaintances who initially offer her a roof swiftly reject her, Barbara finds herself growing closer to the mysterious and unpredictable Margaret alone in her isolated manor house. The house is predominantly closed, electricity is unstable, but every night Barbara hears the sounds of a piano apparently being played by a small child and Margaret is heard talking to empty air.

Thankfully a very quick read, mastered in little over an hour, and, it has to be said, not particularly well written.