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Sugar Hall
Easter 1955. As Lilia Sugar scrapes the ice from the inside of the windows and the rust from the locks in Sugar Hall, she knows there are pasts she cannot erase. On the very edge of the English/Welsh border, the red gardens of Sugar Hall hold a secret, and as Britain prepares for its last hanging, Lilia and her children must confront a history that has been buried but not forgotten. Based on the stories of the Black Boy that surround Littledean Hall in the Forest of Dean, this is a superbly chilling ghost story from Tiffany Murray.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2014
7 people are currently reading
563 people want to read
About the author
Tiffany Murray
11 books28 followersTiffany Murray was born in South West Sussex and grew up in Wales. Her first novel Happy Accidents and her second, Diamond Star Halo were both short-listed for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Award. Tiffany's writing has appeared in The Times, The Telegraph, The Independent and The Guardian. She is Senior Lecturer at The University of Glamorgan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 7, 2020
3 stars--I liked the book.
A solid ghost story with a spooky entity and a crumbling old manor--always something I like. I didn't *love* the book, however, because I found it really sad. (Sometimes I enjoy sad, but not this time.)
A solid ghost story with a spooky entity and a crumbling old manor--always something I like. I didn't *love* the book, however, because I found it really sad. (Sometimes I enjoy sad, but not this time.)
September 17, 2014
Oh, this is lovely. A ghost story told so beautifully, so evocatively, and with such a perfect touch that it is something very special indeed.
“This morning I found a strange boy in the sheds. He frightened me , Cyn, but I want to see him again. You’d tell me not to, you’d tell me he wasn’t right, I know you would, but there’s no one else to play with. He didn’t speak to me, but I know he’s be my friend. Sas and Ma don’t believe in him, but you would. I am making it my mission to find out about him ….”
Dieter was just a boy, but he was that master of Sugar Hall, a grand country house in the Welsh borders that had been home to his ancestors for many, many generations.
His family had never visited that house while his grandfather was alive, but when he died his German-born widowed mother, Lilia, and his elder half-sister, Lilia, to make their home there.
The house was big and grand, but it was terribly dilapidated, dirty and neglected. Lilia tries to put things to rights, with the support of her general factotum, John, and her neighbour, Juniper, but it is not easy to fit a modern family into the long-established pattern of an old house. And she had her own history, her own ghosts that she had to come to terms with.
And so Dieter was left to wander through rooms, to gaze at family portraits, to examine the collections displayed in glass cases, and to be drawn into the thrall of the silent boy who wore a silver collar.
He didn’t know, his mother didn’t know, that they had been caught, pulled into a story that had been playing out at Sugar Hall for years and years.
The arc of the story is simple, but the execution makes it special.
‘Sugar Hall’ illuminates the time when the war was over but the consequences were still being felt, and the post-war world hadn’t quite begun. It explores the consequences of old sins and the reverberations they send into the future. It considers the importance of the home, the consequences of leaving, the importance of having a place in the world.
And it does that with the lightest of touches, so that the stories of lives and the story of the ghost can live and breathe.
There’s room for lovely imagery, there’s room for lovely details, there’s room for letters, pictures, documents, lists …. and still there is space to think, to wonder, to catch your breath.
Tiffany Murray’s prose is gorgeous; evocative, spooky, light as air; and her storytelling is spellbinding.
I suspect that there is much more here than I could take in, but I was captivated by the people, the time, the place and the story.
This is a book that will stay with me for a long, long time. And I suspect that it will pull me back to read again one day.
“This morning I found a strange boy in the sheds. He frightened me , Cyn, but I want to see him again. You’d tell me not to, you’d tell me he wasn’t right, I know you would, but there’s no one else to play with. He didn’t speak to me, but I know he’s be my friend. Sas and Ma don’t believe in him, but you would. I am making it my mission to find out about him ….”
Dieter was just a boy, but he was that master of Sugar Hall, a grand country house in the Welsh borders that had been home to his ancestors for many, many generations.
His family had never visited that house while his grandfather was alive, but when he died his German-born widowed mother, Lilia, and his elder half-sister, Lilia, to make their home there.
The house was big and grand, but it was terribly dilapidated, dirty and neglected. Lilia tries to put things to rights, with the support of her general factotum, John, and her neighbour, Juniper, but it is not easy to fit a modern family into the long-established pattern of an old house. And she had her own history, her own ghosts that she had to come to terms with.
And so Dieter was left to wander through rooms, to gaze at family portraits, to examine the collections displayed in glass cases, and to be drawn into the thrall of the silent boy who wore a silver collar.
He didn’t know, his mother didn’t know, that they had been caught, pulled into a story that had been playing out at Sugar Hall for years and years.
The arc of the story is simple, but the execution makes it special.
‘Sugar Hall’ illuminates the time when the war was over but the consequences were still being felt, and the post-war world hadn’t quite begun. It explores the consequences of old sins and the reverberations they send into the future. It considers the importance of the home, the consequences of leaving, the importance of having a place in the world.
And it does that with the lightest of touches, so that the stories of lives and the story of the ghost can live and breathe.
There’s room for lovely imagery, there’s room for lovely details, there’s room for letters, pictures, documents, lists …. and still there is space to think, to wonder, to catch your breath.
Tiffany Murray’s prose is gorgeous; evocative, spooky, light as air; and her storytelling is spellbinding.
I suspect that there is much more here than I could take in, but I was captivated by the people, the time, the place and the story.
This is a book that will stay with me for a long, long time. And I suspect that it will pull me back to read again one day.
May 23, 2016
Tiffany Murray's Sugar Hall begins with the recently widowed Lilia Sugar and her two children, Saskia and Dieter, moving from their London flat, a post-war new build, to the ancient country mansion Dieter has inherited from his father's estranged family. The house is in poor repair and German-born Lilia feels horribly unequipped to play lady of the manor, while Dieter and Saskia, Londoners are heart, are lonely and out of place. But is that the only reason they feel so uncomfortable at Sugar Hall? And why is Dieter the only surviving heir?
Sugar Hall is a ghost story that edges from shiver-inducing eeriness into out-and-out horror at times; the ghost in question becomes an increasingly powerful, vengeful force. However, there are other, less literal 'ghosts' in this book. Lilia is haunted by memories of her past in 1930s Germany and the family she left behind, and her daughter Saskia, born when Lilia was a teenage refugee, is a constant reminder of the Nazi stormtroopers' brutalities.
This book is certainly strong on atmosphere, and the period details throughout are perfectly chosen and described, but it's also strong on character. A vivid cast of supporting players lend the story multiple points of view, in addition to those of the Sugar family themselves. Some (such as neighbour Juniper) more sympathetic than others (the local vicar) but all feel three-dimensional and believable. Moreover, Sugar Hall as a house is almost a character in its own right. Built on the proceeds of unimaginable cruelty in the days of the slavery, it's an oppressive and claustrophobic presence throughout the novel, ghosts or no ghosts.
More of a slow build than a rollercoaster ride, this is a genuinely creepy yet sensitively written book. What it doesn't really do is answer every question it raises, so if you're the sort of person who likes every loose end to be neatly tied up and every mystery to be fully explained, you might find the last chapter or two unsatisfactory, but I enjoyed Sugar Hall a great deal and found it to be a fascinating and surprisingly thought-provoking ghost story.
Sugar Hall is a ghost story that edges from shiver-inducing eeriness into out-and-out horror at times; the ghost in question becomes an increasingly powerful, vengeful force. However, there are other, less literal 'ghosts' in this book. Lilia is haunted by memories of her past in 1930s Germany and the family she left behind, and her daughter Saskia, born when Lilia was a teenage refugee, is a constant reminder of the Nazi stormtroopers' brutalities.
This book is certainly strong on atmosphere, and the period details throughout are perfectly chosen and described, but it's also strong on character. A vivid cast of supporting players lend the story multiple points of view, in addition to those of the Sugar family themselves. Some (such as neighbour Juniper) more sympathetic than others (the local vicar) but all feel three-dimensional and believable. Moreover, Sugar Hall as a house is almost a character in its own right. Built on the proceeds of unimaginable cruelty in the days of the slavery, it's an oppressive and claustrophobic presence throughout the novel, ghosts or no ghosts.
More of a slow build than a rollercoaster ride, this is a genuinely creepy yet sensitively written book. What it doesn't really do is answer every question it raises, so if you're the sort of person who likes every loose end to be neatly tied up and every mystery to be fully explained, you might find the last chapter or two unsatisfactory, but I enjoyed Sugar Hall a great deal and found it to be a fascinating and surprisingly thought-provoking ghost story.
May 10, 2015
Easter 1955. As Lilia Sugar scrapes the ice from the inside of the windows and the rust from the locks in Sugar Hall, she knows there are pasts she cannot erase. On the very edge of the English/Welsh border, the red gardens of Sugar Hall hold a secret, and as Britain prepares for its last hanging, Lilia and her children must confront a history that has been buried but not forgotten. Based on the stories of the Black Boy that surround Littledean Hall in the Forest of Dean, this is a superbly chilling ghost story from Tiffany Murray.
Tender but with a tale of cruelty beyond belief at its heart. Highly recommended.
‘A boy was out there,’ he whispered, ‘he did wear a silver collar and you’ll see, I’m going to make him my friend.’Loosely based on the hauntings at Littledean Hall in the Forest of Dean this gentle slow burner classic ghost story set in the 1950s explores the concepts of hauntings and how the sins of the fathers are passed to the younger generations. Beautifully told with the narration moving between characters to tell their own story of Sugar Hall.
Tender but with a tale of cruelty beyond belief at its heart. Highly recommended.
September 17, 2015
*I won this a Goodreads giveaway to review*
This book was a brilliant ghost story, it had all the factors needed. It gave you the creeps, it was weird and scary.
However, I only gave this book three stars and this is because for a good first part of the book I was very confused. I did not know where the story was going and I could not enjoy this book. If that was not the case then this would be a 4 star read.
The characters in this book where very intriguing and mysterious. Dieter who is the main character in this book, I felt you could connect to well and you were always rooting for him. His mother, was a character who I disliked at first but grew to love. Her love for her children is the love I wish to have for mine when I grow older. His sister, I did not take too and found her rather rude as well as Juniper. Alex was a character that I did not like but mainly because I was rooting for John and Lilia. The ghost in this story was one scary ghost!
The writing in this book was amazing and the way things were described was fantastic. My hate for moths has gotten worse, thanks to this book!
And finally, the ending, *sob*
This book was a brilliant ghost story, it had all the factors needed. It gave you the creeps, it was weird and scary.
However, I only gave this book three stars and this is because for a good first part of the book I was very confused. I did not know where the story was going and I could not enjoy this book. If that was not the case then this would be a 4 star read.
The characters in this book where very intriguing and mysterious. Dieter who is the main character in this book, I felt you could connect to well and you were always rooting for him. His mother, was a character who I disliked at first but grew to love. Her love for her children is the love I wish to have for mine when I grow older. His sister, I did not take too and found her rather rude as well as Juniper. Alex was a character that I did not like but mainly because I was rooting for John and Lilia. The ghost in this story was one scary ghost!
The writing in this book was amazing and the way things were described was fantastic. My hate for moths has gotten worse, thanks to this book!
And finally, the ending, *sob*
June 21, 2014
Chilling and tragic. Tiffany Murray has a gift for storytelling. Drawing on local stories, Murray builds a world in which tragedy echoes through generations and is connected to a dark family history. Compelling read.
June 28, 2018
dang this was depressing
October 18, 2015
One of my all-time favourite ghost stories is The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, there have many others since then, and after reading Sugar Hall by Tiffany Murray I would be happy to call this a classic ghost story.
This novel is set in 1955, the war still looms large in the memories of people. Sugar Hall is a country house in the Welsh borders and is based on the haunting stories of Littledean Hall in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.
Sugar Hall is in a very poor state by the time Lilia Sugar and her two children Saskia and Dieter arrive to take up residence, Poor Liliana has to put up with the freezing cold the rusty locks and the ice from the windows. There are strange rooms that are cold and rooms that are dark and forbidding. But it is Dieter that falls under the spell of Sugar Hall the young boy is lonely and spends time exploring the residence and then one day a strange boy appears from nowhere and Dieter is captivated by the boy except the boy appears and disappears as if by magic, the story of Sugar Hall really starts here. Murray really has a fabulous way at captivating her reading audience with a mix of fact and fiction as the story really unfolds.
Lilia moved to England in 1938 at just 15 years old. As with the classic ghost stories Lilia has her own ghosts to deal with and we learn more about Lilia as the story unfolds. Now with her husband Peter now dead she has inherited Sugar Hall. How is she going to cope with little in the way of money. Dieter’s new friend is now becoming more menacing and is slowly taking over. Dieters grandfather (Gerald) was a keen collector of Butterflies and Moth’s and one of the rooms they call the ‘room of death’ is clearly marked by Lilia as a ‘no entry’ room and is kept locked. I am keen on Butterflies and Moth’s and will never look at them the same again after reading Sugar Hall. Why? You will find out after reading this fabulous twisting creepy story.
One aspect of the book I enjoyed is that each new chapter has an illustration that just adds to the qualities of Murray’s writing skill. Some may find the story has a number of layers that leave questions. For me that is just an added quality that Sugar Hall delivers it wants you not just to read but to question and debate.
Some readers will feel some lingering sadness for the boy ghost and his past, what really happened to him and what was the story of his Mother? Why has he suddenly appeared to Dieter? So by now you realise that this is not just a compelling ghost story but also added mystery. I was compelled to try and get to know more about some of the characters in the story, but these are questions that will haunt you after you have finished reading Sugar Hall.
This is classic writing that should be making Sugar Hall an all-time classic story that should be up there with the Woman in White and the Woman in Black. Simply a superb creepy ghost story laden with twists that will keep you guessing.
Thank you to Seren Books for a review copy of Sugar Hall.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
This novel is set in 1955, the war still looms large in the memories of people. Sugar Hall is a country house in the Welsh borders and is based on the haunting stories of Littledean Hall in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.
Sugar Hall is in a very poor state by the time Lilia Sugar and her two children Saskia and Dieter arrive to take up residence, Poor Liliana has to put up with the freezing cold the rusty locks and the ice from the windows. There are strange rooms that are cold and rooms that are dark and forbidding. But it is Dieter that falls under the spell of Sugar Hall the young boy is lonely and spends time exploring the residence and then one day a strange boy appears from nowhere and Dieter is captivated by the boy except the boy appears and disappears as if by magic, the story of Sugar Hall really starts here. Murray really has a fabulous way at captivating her reading audience with a mix of fact and fiction as the story really unfolds.
Lilia moved to England in 1938 at just 15 years old. As with the classic ghost stories Lilia has her own ghosts to deal with and we learn more about Lilia as the story unfolds. Now with her husband Peter now dead she has inherited Sugar Hall. How is she going to cope with little in the way of money. Dieter’s new friend is now becoming more menacing and is slowly taking over. Dieters grandfather (Gerald) was a keen collector of Butterflies and Moth’s and one of the rooms they call the ‘room of death’ is clearly marked by Lilia as a ‘no entry’ room and is kept locked. I am keen on Butterflies and Moth’s and will never look at them the same again after reading Sugar Hall. Why? You will find out after reading this fabulous twisting creepy story.
One aspect of the book I enjoyed is that each new chapter has an illustration that just adds to the qualities of Murray’s writing skill. Some may find the story has a number of layers that leave questions. For me that is just an added quality that Sugar Hall delivers it wants you not just to read but to question and debate.
Some readers will feel some lingering sadness for the boy ghost and his past, what really happened to him and what was the story of his Mother? Why has he suddenly appeared to Dieter? So by now you realise that this is not just a compelling ghost story but also added mystery. I was compelled to try and get to know more about some of the characters in the story, but these are questions that will haunt you after you have finished reading Sugar Hall.
This is classic writing that should be making Sugar Hall an all-time classic story that should be up there with the Woman in White and the Woman in Black. Simply a superb creepy ghost story laden with twists that will keep you guessing.
Thank you to Seren Books for a review copy of Sugar Hall.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
October 18, 2015
One of my all-time favourite ghost stories is The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, there have many others since then, and after reading Sugar Hall by Tiffany Murray I would be happy to call this a classic ghost story.
This novel is set in 1955, the war still looms large in the memories of people. Sugar Hall is a country house in the Welsh borders and is based on the haunting stories of Littledean Hall in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.
Sugar Hall is in a very poor state by the time Lilia Sugar and her two children Saskia and Dieter arrive to take up residence, Poor Liliana has to put up with the freezing cold the rusty locks and the ice from the windows. There are strange rooms that are cold and rooms that are dark and forbidding. But it is Dieter that falls under the spell of Sugar Hall the young boy is lonely and spends time exploring the residence and then one day a strange boy appears from nowhere and Dieter is captivated by the boy except the boy appears and disappears as if by magic, the story of Sugar Hall really starts here. Murray really has a fabulous way at captivating her reading audience with a mix of fact and fiction as the story really unfolds.
Lilia moved to England in 1938 at just 15 years old. As with the classic ghost stories Lilia has her own ghosts to deal with and we learn more about Lilia as the story unfolds. Now with her husband Peter now dead she has inherited Sugar Hall. How is she going to cope with little in the way of money. Dieter’s new friend is now becoming more menacing and is slowly taking over. Dieters grandfather (Gerald) was a keen collector of Butterflies and Moth’s and one of the rooms they call the ‘room of death’ is clearly marked by Lilia as a ‘no entry’ room and is kept locked. I am keen on Butterflies and Moth’s and will never look at them the same again after reading Sugar Hall. Why? You will find out after reading this fabulous twisting creepy story.
One aspect of the book I enjoyed is that each new chapter has an illustration that just adds to the qualities of Murray’s writing skill. Some may find the story has a number of layers that leave questions. For me that is just an added quality that Sugar Hall delivers it wants you not just to read but to question and debate.
Some readers will feel some lingering sadness for the boy ghost and his past, what really happened to him and what was the story of his Mother? Why has he suddenly appeared to Dieter? So by now you realise that this is not just a compelling ghost story but also added mystery. I was compelled to try and get to know more about some of the characters in the story, but these are questions that will haunt you after you have finished reading Sugar Hall.
This is classic writing that should be making Sugar Hall an all-time classic story that should be up there with the Woman in White and the Woman in Black. Simply a superb creepy ghost story laden with twists that will keep you guessing.
Thank you to Seren Books for a review copy of Sugar Hall.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
This novel is set in 1955, the war still looms large in the memories of people. Sugar Hall is a country house in the Welsh borders and is based on the haunting stories of Littledean Hall in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.
Sugar Hall is in a very poor state by the time Lilia Sugar and her two children Saskia and Dieter arrive to take up residence, Poor Liliana has to put up with the freezing cold the rusty locks and the ice from the windows. There are strange rooms that are cold and rooms that are dark and forbidding. But it is Dieter that falls under the spell of Sugar Hall the young boy is lonely and spends time exploring the residence and then one day a strange boy appears from nowhere and Dieter is captivated by the boy except the boy appears and disappears as if by magic, the story of Sugar Hall really starts here. Murray really has a fabulous way at captivating her reading audience with a mix of fact and fiction as the story really unfolds.
Lilia moved to England in 1938 at just 15 years old. As with the classic ghost stories Lilia has her own ghosts to deal with and we learn more about Lilia as the story unfolds. Now with her husband Peter now dead she has inherited Sugar Hall. How is she going to cope with little in the way of money. Dieter’s new friend is now becoming more menacing and is slowly taking over. Dieters grandfather (Gerald) was a keen collector of Butterflies and Moth’s and one of the rooms they call the ‘room of death’ is clearly marked by Lilia as a ‘no entry’ room and is kept locked. I am keen on Butterflies and Moth’s and will never look at them the same again after reading Sugar Hall. Why? You will find out after reading this fabulous twisting creepy story.
One aspect of the book I enjoyed is that each new chapter has an illustration that just adds to the qualities of Murray’s writing skill. Some may find the story has a number of layers that leave questions. For me that is just an added quality that Sugar Hall delivers it wants you not just to read but to question and debate.
Some readers will feel some lingering sadness for the boy ghost and his past, what really happened to him and what was the story of his Mother? Why has he suddenly appeared to Dieter? So by now you realise that this is not just a compelling ghost story but also added mystery. I was compelled to try and get to know more about some of the characters in the story, but these are questions that will haunt you after you have finished reading Sugar Hall.
This is classic writing that should be making Sugar Hall an all-time classic story that should be up there with the Woman in White and the Woman in Black. Simply a superb creepy ghost story laden with twists that will keep you guessing.
Thank you to Seren Books for a review copy of Sugar Hall.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
January 12, 2015
If you like Ghost stories that are the sort of ghost stories which grow increasingly more sinister as the narrative develops, then you'll love this book. In fact, scrap that. If you like ghost stories full stop, then you'll love being led through the labyrinths of Sugar Hall.
But if you don't really consider yourself to be a fan of ghost stories per se, like me - then there's still every chance that you'll love this book, as it's a lot, lot more than just a ghost story.
The story is based in crumbling old Sugar Hall, which is based on the real life Littledean Hall, in the Forest of Dean, in between Gloucester and Monmouth. It is reputedly the most haunted house in Britain, as well as being the oldest inhabited house in the country. Some of the hauntings are based on real life tragedies, one from the English civil war, another when the master reputedly raped one of the maids and was murdered by her brother. The remains of a Roman road have been found in the ground, and human bones dating back to Celtic times under the cellar of the house...... Already, you start to get a feel of why this book is a lot more than just a ghost story.
It is set in 1955, when Britain was waiting for a hanging, which finally happened, on a day in real life , which in turn has great significance to the chronology of this book....
And it invokes all sorts of literature as well... I got at least half a dozen references, I suspect I spotted half a dozen more, so then I wonder how many more have I lost.
And it has metaphor.. Many invoking animals including the moths and butterflies which play such an important role in the canvass of the book.
And all the time we are aware that Britain is still only beginning to get over the dreadful happenings of the previous decade.... And our main protagonists are a German family who've relocated to this almost mystical part of the UK. And if you already know this area, as many people in South Wales will do, then the sense of place one has about the Forest of Dean is positively reinforced at the turn of every page.
Any book which makes you read and think this much around its narrative is by definition good value for money, isn't it?
It's no soft touch mind - this book was frightening to the point of scatological voiding. If you're not quite sure what that means - it was very, very scary.
But as you can see, there is much, much more to this very clever little book than this.
But if you don't really consider yourself to be a fan of ghost stories per se, like me - then there's still every chance that you'll love this book, as it's a lot, lot more than just a ghost story.
The story is based in crumbling old Sugar Hall, which is based on the real life Littledean Hall, in the Forest of Dean, in between Gloucester and Monmouth. It is reputedly the most haunted house in Britain, as well as being the oldest inhabited house in the country. Some of the hauntings are based on real life tragedies, one from the English civil war, another when the master reputedly raped one of the maids and was murdered by her brother. The remains of a Roman road have been found in the ground, and human bones dating back to Celtic times under the cellar of the house...... Already, you start to get a feel of why this book is a lot more than just a ghost story.
It is set in 1955, when Britain was waiting for a hanging, which finally happened, on a day in real life , which in turn has great significance to the chronology of this book....
And it invokes all sorts of literature as well... I got at least half a dozen references, I suspect I spotted half a dozen more, so then I wonder how many more have I lost.
And it has metaphor.. Many invoking animals including the moths and butterflies which play such an important role in the canvass of the book.
And all the time we are aware that Britain is still only beginning to get over the dreadful happenings of the previous decade.... And our main protagonists are a German family who've relocated to this almost mystical part of the UK. And if you already know this area, as many people in South Wales will do, then the sense of place one has about the Forest of Dean is positively reinforced at the turn of every page.
Any book which makes you read and think this much around its narrative is by definition good value for money, isn't it?
It's no soft touch mind - this book was frightening to the point of scatological voiding. If you're not quite sure what that means - it was very, very scary.
But as you can see, there is much, much more to this very clever little book than this.
November 19, 2015
I received this book from Seren in return for an honest review. What follows is my own opinion.
I need to explain from the start that I'm not really one for the horror genre. This is more in relation to films than anything else, as I have a deep appreciation for gothic literature. But, in horror films, I can generally spot the plot, I get bored easily and occasionally fall back on my traditional failsafe of falling asleep 5 minutes in. I was a teenage sleepover nightmare.
The fact that this book passed this test should probably speak for itself. Despite this not being my normal genre, I was attracted to the premise of the book as I do enjoy a good ghost story. I was looking for something Halloween-appropriate and I was not disappointed.
The writing is beautiful and lyrical, straddling the boundary between the actual and the imaginary as we inhabit Dieter's strange wasteland world; whether amongst the bombed out buildings in his childhood London or the spectral ruins of his ancestral home.
I really enjoyed the elements of Lilia's story that we glimpsed and I would have liked to see more of her. She was the character I connected with most aside from Dieter and I felt really sorry for how trapped she was throughout the poem. I enjoyed watching her try to fit into the countryside and to make her own way under the shadow of her husband's family.
I also enjoyed some of the side characters - particularly Dieter's gang back in London. But I found Lilia's love interests less than engaging, John was ok I suppose but Alex was actually quite annoying. Lilia's daughter is also a bit of a brat and I felt sorry for her mother!
Unfortunately, things are quite confusing in some of the beginning sections -particularly in relation to the ghost's first appearance - and they got very loose at the end. I have to admit that I felt quite let down at the end.
But possibly the best thing about this book is Sugar Hall itself. Murray describes the building in incredibly evocative detail, the paintings, the peeling walls and of course - the moths.
I need to explain from the start that I'm not really one for the horror genre. This is more in relation to films than anything else, as I have a deep appreciation for gothic literature. But, in horror films, I can generally spot the plot, I get bored easily and occasionally fall back on my traditional failsafe of falling asleep 5 minutes in. I was a teenage sleepover nightmare.
The fact that this book passed this test should probably speak for itself. Despite this not being my normal genre, I was attracted to the premise of the book as I do enjoy a good ghost story. I was looking for something Halloween-appropriate and I was not disappointed.
The writing is beautiful and lyrical, straddling the boundary between the actual and the imaginary as we inhabit Dieter's strange wasteland world; whether amongst the bombed out buildings in his childhood London or the spectral ruins of his ancestral home.
I really enjoyed the elements of Lilia's story that we glimpsed and I would have liked to see more of her. She was the character I connected with most aside from Dieter and I felt really sorry for how trapped she was throughout the poem. I enjoyed watching her try to fit into the countryside and to make her own way under the shadow of her husband's family.
I also enjoyed some of the side characters - particularly Dieter's gang back in London. But I found Lilia's love interests less than engaging, John was ok I suppose but Alex was actually quite annoying. Lilia's daughter is also a bit of a brat and I felt sorry for her mother!
Unfortunately, things are quite confusing in some of the beginning sections -particularly in relation to the ghost's first appearance - and they got very loose at the end. I have to admit that I felt quite let down at the end.
But possibly the best thing about this book is Sugar Hall itself. Murray describes the building in incredibly evocative detail, the paintings, the peeling walls and of course - the moths.
November 7, 2014
Liliana Sugar and her two children; Saskia and Dieter have moved into Sugar Hall. The hall is old, and crumbling, it's cold and full of strange objects and dark rooms, there are rats and damp. Sugar Hall is a shock for all of them, they are used to their cheery little flat in London, surrounded by friends and noise and bright lights. Liliana is a widow and her children are fatherless, the locals are curious about this German sounding woman and her two very different children. Only Juniper and John really make them welcome.
Dieter meets a small boy in the garden and it is this meeting that will change the life course of each member of this small family. This is not ordinary little boy, this is a boy with a past, with grudges, with anger, with a score to settle.
Tiffany Murray has a unique and intriguing way with words. Sugar Hall is most certainly a ghost story, but it is also a tale of long-gone slavery and sugar plantations, with hints of murder and scandal. At times the complex plot can become overwhelming in its intricacy, yet this does not take away anything from story at all. There is a sense of unease and impending disaster that hangs over each page which only urges the reader to read on, faster and with an urgency until they reach the quite shocking and somewhat unexpected ending.
Sugar Hall is a book that left me with some unanswered questions, yet the more I think about the story, the more I think that I understand. This is one of the beauties of the story; the ability of the author to create a multi-layered mystery that can be both confusing and satisfying, yet never frustrating.
Dieter meets a small boy in the garden and it is this meeting that will change the life course of each member of this small family. This is not ordinary little boy, this is a boy with a past, with grudges, with anger, with a score to settle.
Tiffany Murray has a unique and intriguing way with words. Sugar Hall is most certainly a ghost story, but it is also a tale of long-gone slavery and sugar plantations, with hints of murder and scandal. At times the complex plot can become overwhelming in its intricacy, yet this does not take away anything from story at all. There is a sense of unease and impending disaster that hangs over each page which only urges the reader to read on, faster and with an urgency until they reach the quite shocking and somewhat unexpected ending.
Sugar Hall is a book that left me with some unanswered questions, yet the more I think about the story, the more I think that I understand. This is one of the beauties of the story; the ability of the author to create a multi-layered mystery that can be both confusing and satisfying, yet never frustrating.
September 9, 2015
It's a strange combination, the slave trade, a crumbling mansion in the Welsh Borders in which a family of German heritage live, the kinder transport, and the 1950s but in Ms Murray's hands it works extremely well.
Also it's a multi genre book; a ghost story and a coming of age tale aimed at young adults I guess, but fine for adults also.
There have been a few 'ghost stories' for YAs recently that seek to touch on other issues that perhaps that age group would not choose to read about. The Boy in the Cemetery comes to mind. That was a far less comfortable read, but it does deal with difficult subject matter.
Murray decides that the slavery story is very much in the background here, and there is never any clear explanation of what happened to the ghost boy in his life.
The strongest part of the book is its ending - that always helps earn a book a good review.
Also it's a multi genre book; a ghost story and a coming of age tale aimed at young adults I guess, but fine for adults also.
There have been a few 'ghost stories' for YAs recently that seek to touch on other issues that perhaps that age group would not choose to read about. The Boy in the Cemetery comes to mind. That was a far less comfortable read, but it does deal with difficult subject matter.
Murray decides that the slavery story is very much in the background here, and there is never any clear explanation of what happened to the ghost boy in his life.
The strongest part of the book is its ending - that always helps earn a book a good review.
December 8, 2025
What a book. Deliciously atmospheric, it calls to mind the Haunting of Hill House. Right from the first page, the uneasiness is thick. Right from the first page, the author wants you to know that this is a ghost story. I could not put it down, even though I was so thoroughly spooked by it. Well-written with the plot at the centre of it all, it dares you to look around the corner in the dark, but only if you dare, because you might see something you wish you didn’t.
Also, this novel is based on stories the author grew up with about a house in the Forest of Dean. Call me Courage the cowardly dog because I am OUT OF HERE.
Note: Found it in a charity shop with my parents. The back of the book said “the perfect accompaniment for dark autumn nights” so I waited till it was the first day of autumn. It lived up to the anticipation. Read it with Tim on the phone because I was sked.
Also, this novel is based on stories the author grew up with about a house in the Forest of Dean. Call me Courage the cowardly dog because I am OUT OF HERE.
Note: Found it in a charity shop with my parents. The back of the book said “the perfect accompaniment for dark autumn nights” so I waited till it was the first day of autumn. It lived up to the anticipation. Read it with Tim on the phone because I was sked.
July 25, 2014
I really enjoyed this story. I must say I only picked up this book in the library because of the cover. I was thrilled to see that the area it is about I am familiar with. I am an avid Ghost story fan. whilst this story is chilling and dark in places, the fact that a family are the victims of these events gives it a warmth in an unusual way.
The description of the ghost and how it changes are eerie. The characters all draw you into their individual lives and the way they all relate and use one another reflects real life. The relationship between the siblings is beautiful. funny and heart warming
I actually sat saying "No don't do that!!" in some parts It is a gradual story that builds the intensity and suspense. I didn't see the ending coming.
The description of the ghost and how it changes are eerie. The characters all draw you into their individual lives and the way they all relate and use one another reflects real life. The relationship between the siblings is beautiful. funny and heart warming
I actually sat saying "No don't do that!!" in some parts It is a gradual story that builds the intensity and suspense. I didn't see the ending coming.
June 12, 2014
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
"Sugar Hall" by Tiffany Murray is probably the most gently written ghost story I have ever encountered - and is certainly the most charming.
The ghostly episodes arrive in the narrative with ease, slipped in between normal everyday events in the lives of the Sugar family.
The whole novel seems to be written in a whisper uttered for the ears of the reader only. The skill of Tiffany Murray as a storyteller cannot be denied.
"Sugar Hall" by Tiffany Murray is probably the most gently written ghost story I have ever encountered - and is certainly the most charming.
The ghostly episodes arrive in the narrative with ease, slipped in between normal everyday events in the lives of the Sugar family.
The whole novel seems to be written in a whisper uttered for the ears of the reader only. The skill of Tiffany Murray as a storyteller cannot be denied.
November 22, 2014
I loved this book.It had all the feel of a Victorian ghost story and I had to keep reminding myself it was set in the 1950s. It was creepy and rather scary yet still fixed in the real world where everyday things carry on and the awfulness is pushed to the side, Nobody wants to see the manifestations of the past in spite of family history, yet it should be so glaringly obvious what is going on.
A sad ending - but what else?
A sad ending - but what else?
July 14, 2014
I really enjoyed this! Of course reminded me a bit of The Little Stranger but it entirely has its own identity. A very well-constructed plot with little bits of information slowly released to the reader. Great suspense and mystery, with just the right amount of creepiness. I reviewed it here: http://www.thesiren.co.uk/review-suga...
June 24, 2014
A chilling, gripping, page-turner of a ghost story, the intriguing narrative made more interesting and 'solid' by the author's obvious knowledge and love of its rural setting. Loved it. Thoroughly recommend.
August 7, 2015
Sugar Hall has wonderful prose that draws the reader into the family saga of the Sugar's - Dieter, Sakia and Lilia and their mysterious ancestral home. I especially loved the first paragraph which builds cumulatively running to almost the whole page.
June 30, 2014
Haunting descriptions. Unique and wonderful characters. Tension throughout. Couldn't put this book down. It's going to stay with me for a long time, I feel.
November 11, 2014
This is one of the most wonderful ghost stories I've ever read. Perfectly spooky, I could only read it during daylight hours. The historical setting was perfect. I loved this.
October 29, 2015
This book gave me the creeps in more ways than one. Creepy story, creepy characters and so many creepy crawlies! Bravo.
A wonderfully written ghost story.
A wonderfully written ghost story.
January 17, 2016
Absolutely loved this. Beautiful prose, stunning imagery that stays in your mind, tension throughout and an ending that hits you with a jolt.
February 20, 2025
🏚️ Sugar Hall – A Hauntingly Beautiful Ghost Story with History Lurking in the Shadows 👻✨
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 chilling, gothic stars)
Step inside Sugar Hall…..a decaying English manor dripping with secrets, haunted by history, and steeped in eerie folklore. Besties, If you love ghost stories that are as much about the ghosts of the past as they are about things that go bump in the night like me, then pick this one up now…. This one lingers.
What I found intriguing:
-A Crumbling, Isolated Manor – Sugar Hall is rotting from the inside out, and so are its secrets.
-A Ghostly Presence – A spectral figure lurks in the halls, tied to something deeply unsettling. -A Dark History Resurfacing – Inspired by the real-life legend of the Black Boy of Littledean Hall, this story doesn’t just rely on jump scares—it haunts with its tragic, eerie past. -1950s Britain on the Brink – The last hanging is about to take place, adding an unsettling tension to the air.
Why You Should Read It:
-A Different Kind of Ghost Story – This isn’t just about what haunts a house, but what haunts a country. The weight of colonialism, oppression, and buried history makes this tale as thought-provoking as it is terrifying.
-Gorgeous, Atmospheric Writing – Tiffany Murray paints her ghosts in delicate but chilling detail. Every description feels cinematic—like mist curling through a broken window.
-Slow-Burn Horror Done Right – No cheap scares here. This is the kind of horror that creeps under your skin, growing more unsettling with every page.
What’s a Little Cursed?
❌ A Slow Start – If you’re expecting immediate poltergeist madness, this one takes its time, but it’s worth it once the tension sets in.
❌ More Psychological Than Jump-Scare – If you love fast-paced horror, this is more of a quietly unsettling, dreamlike tale than a full-blown haunted house thriller.
Move Into Sugar Hall or Run for the Hills?
💀 Move in… if you dare. This is a deeply atmospheric, literary ghost story that lingers long after the last page.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 chilling, gothic stars)
Step inside Sugar Hall…..a decaying English manor dripping with secrets, haunted by history, and steeped in eerie folklore. Besties, If you love ghost stories that are as much about the ghosts of the past as they are about things that go bump in the night like me, then pick this one up now…. This one lingers.
What I found intriguing:
-A Crumbling, Isolated Manor – Sugar Hall is rotting from the inside out, and so are its secrets.
-A Ghostly Presence – A spectral figure lurks in the halls, tied to something deeply unsettling. -A Dark History Resurfacing – Inspired by the real-life legend of the Black Boy of Littledean Hall, this story doesn’t just rely on jump scares—it haunts with its tragic, eerie past. -1950s Britain on the Brink – The last hanging is about to take place, adding an unsettling tension to the air.
Why You Should Read It:
-A Different Kind of Ghost Story – This isn’t just about what haunts a house, but what haunts a country. The weight of colonialism, oppression, and buried history makes this tale as thought-provoking as it is terrifying.
-Gorgeous, Atmospheric Writing – Tiffany Murray paints her ghosts in delicate but chilling detail. Every description feels cinematic—like mist curling through a broken window.
-Slow-Burn Horror Done Right – No cheap scares here. This is the kind of horror that creeps under your skin, growing more unsettling with every page.
What’s a Little Cursed?
❌ A Slow Start – If you’re expecting immediate poltergeist madness, this one takes its time, but it’s worth it once the tension sets in.
❌ More Psychological Than Jump-Scare – If you love fast-paced horror, this is more of a quietly unsettling, dreamlike tale than a full-blown haunted house thriller.
Move Into Sugar Hall or Run for the Hills?
💀 Move in… if you dare. This is a deeply atmospheric, literary ghost story that lingers long after the last page.
January 27, 2019
I really enjoyed ‘Happy Accidents’, also by Tiffany Murray & I wasn’t disappointed that it sent me to this! I bought my copy of ‘Sugar Hall’ from the signed books table at the Hay Festival a few years ago & it feels weighty & satisfying to hold with lovely little prints of letters & lists & moths & butterflies to illustrate aspects of the narrative between the chapters, so it was winning even before I started reading. (My Kindle can’t beat the feel of a printed book in my hand!)
The story unfolds with perfectly timed tension; I was dwelling in scenes & fully appreciating them but then nothing stayed the same for very long; I thought I knew what was happening & then realised things hadn’t been quite as I thought for a few pages already... it all kind of crept up on me & still a lot happens. The realisation of the horror of what (I thought) was happening was excruciating; I felt my allegiances change more than once & nothing quite turned out as I wanted.
There’s something about the writing here which is confident, descriptive, beautifully observed, restrained; I think it doesn’t give too much away to say that my favourite sentence is... “Dust puffed”! It’s ultimately so very sad; there are questions left for us to answer for ourselves but it’s pretty clear what’s been going on in the end. One reading of the book could be that absolutely nothing really works out for anyone...
In another way though everything is resolved in a satisfyingly just & final way, despite the generations of tragic, inherited destruction. There’s brutal violence here alongside dreamlike fantasy passages; I wanted to join the characters at times & run away as far from Sugar Hall as I could at others. I think this would make a stunning film, maybe it’s already been made, I’ll find out!
There’s no question I’ll be reading my copy of ‘Diamond Star Halo’ before too long; if I read enough this year it’ll be added to my 2019 list; if not I suspect it’ll be first on the list for 2020!
The story unfolds with perfectly timed tension; I was dwelling in scenes & fully appreciating them but then nothing stayed the same for very long; I thought I knew what was happening & then realised things hadn’t been quite as I thought for a few pages already... it all kind of crept up on me & still a lot happens. The realisation of the horror of what (I thought) was happening was excruciating; I felt my allegiances change more than once & nothing quite turned out as I wanted.
There’s something about the writing here which is confident, descriptive, beautifully observed, restrained; I think it doesn’t give too much away to say that my favourite sentence is... “Dust puffed”! It’s ultimately so very sad; there are questions left for us to answer for ourselves but it’s pretty clear what’s been going on in the end. One reading of the book could be that absolutely nothing really works out for anyone...
In another way though everything is resolved in a satisfyingly just & final way, despite the generations of tragic, inherited destruction. There’s brutal violence here alongside dreamlike fantasy passages; I wanted to join the characters at times & run away as far from Sugar Hall as I could at others. I think this would make a stunning film, maybe it’s already been made, I’ll find out!
There’s no question I’ll be reading my copy of ‘Diamond Star Halo’ before too long; if I read enough this year it’ll be added to my 2019 list; if not I suspect it’ll be first on the list for 2020!
July 13, 2024
*May contain spoilers*
I'm not sure what to think. I think I need to do some research around what was happening at that time with the hanging in London.
I like the historical nods and acknowledgements of what has happened around the Bristol area and aristocracy and trade and the slave trade and the war and other-ness in more ways than one.
I did like it as a story but I'm not sure I was fully gripped by the ghost-ness of it. It felt haunting in more ways than one as well, but I was maybe looking for something more, spooky? Maybe? I don't know how effective the way in which the haunting and the "draining" happened.
I'm not sure what to think. I think I need to do some research around what was happening at that time with the hanging in London.
I like the historical nods and acknowledgements of what has happened around the Bristol area and aristocracy and trade and the slave trade and the war and other-ness in more ways than one.
I did like it as a story but I'm not sure I was fully gripped by the ghost-ness of it. It felt haunting in more ways than one as well, but I was maybe looking for something more, spooky? Maybe? I don't know how effective the way in which the haunting and the "draining" happened.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2019
I don't know how to describe how I felt about this book! There were parts where I felt like I really don't like this but then I had to continue to find out what happened. Although it is a ghost story it's not your usual things go bump in the night. The characters don't overly impact on you other than the main character Dieter and I think this was only because you feel sorry that he is really alone in life without his friends and what would be deemed a dysfunctional family.
December 8, 2019
It's the 1950s and Lilia Sugar, whose life has already been dogged by tragedy, takes her two children to the huge ramshackle house in the country that her son has inherited. There she flops about unable to move her life on, while young Dieter makes the worst possible choice of friends by palling up with a ghost who is out for revenge on all Sugars.
I loved Dieter, and the ghost was scarily realistic.
I loved Dieter, and the ghost was scarily realistic.
April 10, 2022
One of the best ghost novels I have read. And better than Mexican Gothic. I claim.
I am not giving the plot again but the landscape and house is a protagonist of course. I will say the book is a sensorium novel, extracting sound, smell, touch from the house in a pervasive and subtle way. Also, it has other surprises, like drawings which make it even more resonant. Do you have ghost story fatigue? Pick up this gem.
I am not giving the plot again but the landscape and house is a protagonist of course. I will say the book is a sensorium novel, extracting sound, smell, touch from the house in a pervasive and subtle way. Also, it has other surprises, like drawings which make it even more resonant. Do you have ghost story fatigue? Pick up this gem.
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