This book is sinister and comforting at once, a combination I did not think was possible. Through details, and carefully chosen words, Shirley Jackson injects creepiness into the everyday, and coziness into the darkness. I grew to love the murderer, and will forever be scared of New England's small villages. I must admit that I read this book on a great holiday after a few, long months of hard work. So, the perfect situation to fall in love with a book. That said, I thought it was a little masterpiece.