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Quick answer: If you loved The Little Stranger, read Sarah Waters's Fingersmith and The Night Watch, then The Haunting of Hill House, The Woman in Black, Rebecca and The Silent Companions. All are slow, atmospheric ghost stories set in old houses with secrets.
Sarah Waters's 2009 novel follows Dr. Faraday, a country doctor in 1940s Warwickshire, who becomes entangled with the Ayres family and their crumbling mansion, Hundreds Hall, as strange events start to happen. It is quiet, haunting and ambiguous. The books below offer similar gothic atmosphere and houses with a mind of their own.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fingersmith | Sarah Waters | Adult | Waters's twisty masterpiece |
| The Night Watch | Sarah Waters | Adult | wartime London |
| The Paying Guests | Sarah Waters | Adult | 1920s suburban drama |
| The Haunting of Hill House | Shirley Jackson | Adult | classic haunting |
| The Woman in Black | Susan Hill | Adult | ghost story |
| Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | Adult | gothic classic |
| The Turn of the Screw | Henry James | Adult | psychological ghosts |
| We Have Always Lived in the Castle | Shirley Jackson | Adult | gothic oddity |
| The Thirteenth Tale | Diane Setterfield | Adult | gothic secrets |
| Mexican Gothic | Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Adult | haunted house |
| The Silent Companions | Laura Purcell | Adult | haunted wooden figures |
| The Death of Mrs Westaway | Ruth Ware | Adult | inherited secrets |
| The Remains of the Day | Kazuo Ishiguro | Adult | repressed emotion |
| Atonement | Ian McEwan | Adult | guilt and consequence |
| The Quiet Tenant | Clemence Michallon | Adult | quiet suspense |
1. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
A thief and a lady conspire, and their love grows. Twisty, dark and romantic.
Best for: Waters's twisty masterpiece.
2. The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
The story moves backward through the lives of four Londoners. Subtle and emotional.
Best for: wartime London.
3. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
A widow and her lodgers fall into a love affair and a crime. Slow and gripping.
Best for: 1920s suburban drama.
4. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
A woman joins a paranormal experiment in a house that seems to want her. Elegant.
Best for: classic haunting.
5. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
A young solicitor visits an isolated house haunted by a ghost. Short and chilling.
Best for: ghost story.
6. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A young bride is haunted by her husband's first wife. Moody and brilliant.
Best for: gothic classic.
7. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
A governess sees ghosts, or does she? Ambiguous and chilling.
Best for: psychological ghosts.
8. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Two sisters live in isolation after a family tragedy. Sly, eerie and funny.
Best for: gothic oddity.
9. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
A biographer hears an author's secret story. Atmospheric and bookish.
Best for: gothic secrets.
10. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A young woman visits a decaying mansion in the Mexican countryside. Eerie.
Best for: haunted house.
11. The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
A widow finds strange wooden figures in her new home. Creepy and gothic.
Best for: haunted wooden figures.
12. The Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware
A tarot reader attends the funeral of a woman she doesn't know. Gothic and clever.
Best for: inherited secrets.
13. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
A butler looks back on his service and a love he never admitted. Understated.
Best for: repressed emotion.
14. Atonement by Ian McEwan
A child's lie ruins lives, and the story spans decades. Beautifully written.
Best for: guilt and consequence.
15. The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon
A woman locked in a shed has to decide how to survive. Tense and dark.
Best for: quiet suspense.
How to Choose
For more Waters begin with Fingersmith or The Night Watch. For classic hauntings choose Hill House, The Woman in Black or The Turn of the Screw. For gothic houses pick Rebecca, Mexican Gothic or The Silent Companions. For quieter English tragedy read The Remains of the Day or Atonement. The Little Stranger is subtle, so these picks suit readers who like dread to build slowly. The Little Stranger was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and adapted into a 2018 film, but the novel's ambiguity works best on the page. Waters has said she wanted to write a ghost story with social commentary.
Related: 15 Books Like Little Women You’ll Love: Sisters, Families and Classic Stories · 15 Books Like Little Fires Everywhere You’ll Love: Family Secrets and Suburban Drama
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Little Stranger about?
A doctor becomes involved with a declining family and their haunted house in 1940s England.
Who wrote it?
Sarah Waters.
When was it published?
2009.
Is it a ghost story?
It can be read as one, or as a psychological story.
Did it win an award?
It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
Is there a film?
Yes, a 2018 film.
Is it scary?
It is eerie and tense rather than gory.
What should I read next?
Try Fingersmith or The Haunting of Hill House.
Which book here is best for classic haunting?
Try The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, which suits readers looking for classic haunting.
Which book here is best for psychological ghosts?
Try The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, which suits readers looking for psychological ghosts.
Which book here is best for haunted house?
Try Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, which suits readers looking for haunted house.
Which book here is best for repressed emotion?
Try The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, which suits readers looking for repressed emotion.