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The Woman in Black
Sir Ashley Carruthers, recently returned from the Boer War, is finding it difficult to settle into the surroundings of the country house bequeathed to him by his father. Irritated that the local 'gentry' are determined that he should be married to one of their own, settle down, and raise a family, he sets off one Sunday to visit an old friend. Finding him absent, Carruthers decides to travel on to visit other friends in a nearby village. A church bell summons him to a small country church where he decides to attend the evening service; it is during the service that he finds himself seated next to the beautiful and mysterious Woman in Black.
The vicar's strange sermon text—'I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves'—puzzles Carruthers; but more puzzling is the reaction of the vicar when his eyes fall on the face of the Woman in Black: the colour drains from his face and he collapses senseless to the floor of the pulpit.
Who is this Woman in Black? Why has she struck fear into the heart of the Reverend Jabez Waldegrave? What is her part in the sudden illness which strikes Carruthers? Why, when she is detained by the police, does she transform from a beautiful woman into an old hag? What part is played by the mysterious ring she considers so important to her?
All is revealed in the course of M. Y. Halidom's 1906 novel, now given a retrospective centenary celebration in this new edition from Ash-Tree Press.
In addition to providing mystery in his fiction, Halidom provided quite a mystery of his own, since his true identity only became known in 2005 when his grandson revealed the history of the author who was both 'M. Y. Halidom' and 'Dryasdust'.
Richard Dalby's introduction to this new edition reveals more of the life and family background of M. Y. Halidom.
The vicar's strange sermon text—'I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves'—puzzles Carruthers; but more puzzling is the reaction of the vicar when his eyes fall on the face of the Woman in Black: the colour drains from his face and he collapses senseless to the floor of the pulpit.
Who is this Woman in Black? Why has she struck fear into the heart of the Reverend Jabez Waldegrave? What is her part in the sudden illness which strikes Carruthers? Why, when she is detained by the police, does she transform from a beautiful woman into an old hag? What part is played by the mysterious ring she considers so important to her?
All is revealed in the course of M. Y. Halidom's 1906 novel, now given a retrospective centenary celebration in this new edition from Ash-Tree Press.
In addition to providing mystery in his fiction, Halidom provided quite a mystery of his own, since his true identity only became known in 2005 when his grandson revealed the history of the author who was both 'M. Y. Halidom' and 'Dryasdust'.
Richard Dalby's introduction to this new edition reveals more of the life and family background of M. Y. Halidom.
164 pages, Hardback
Published January 1, 2007
18 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
M.Y. Halidom
19 books1 followerPseudonym of Alexander Huth. Also wrote as "Dryasdust".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
June 6, 2014
A well-written supernatural horror yarn and exceedingly rare book, "The Woman in Black" excels at creating a macabre Edwardian atmosphere and gruesome set pieces. While not even close to being as famous as Susan Hill's 1983 ghost story of the same title, this short novel by M.Y. Halidom (more on the name later) deserves to be in the same ranks as LeFanu's "Carmilla" or Richard Marsh's "The Beetle."
The British milieu of the novel is immediately set apart to a modern reader; it's set just after the Boer War, several decades after such gaslight favorites as "Dracula" or the Sherlock Holmes series, and thus also precedes more pulpy or modern takes on supernaturalism as well. This interesting setting also aids in the structure of "The Woman in Black"--it borrows, for a time, the deliberate pacing of Stoker's epistolary novel, but just as often the story lends a harrowing 20th-century immediacy to its bloody horrors. The reader is present for every demonic bat attack, and really feels the eyes of the Egyptian gods as they follow the plot's mystical proceedings.
In terms of originality, I have to concede that "The Woman in Black"'s separate elements might be considered to be cribbed from other works. The vampiric nature of the antagonist, although slowly and blood-curdlingly revealed, is quite similar to "Carmilla." The inclusions of magic talismans and spiritual powers owe something to Stoker's "The Jewel of Seven Stars" and "The Lair of the White Worm" respectively, although it easily surpasses those novels both in terms of writing quality and sheer horror. Instead, it is the combination of these elements that surprises the reader and keeps one intrigued--just when we think we're reading a traditional vampire tale, Halidom introduces the Egyptian pantheon, or the notion of psychometry, to further the plot and deepen the novel's themes.
Even the characters and places of "The Woman in Black" deserve special mention for their uniqueness. Sir Ashleigh Carruthers, the principal protagonist, is partly a stereotypical English gent but also a jaded war veteran, tired of gentile living and doubtful on the subject of love. The police inspector is more than just a bumbling dope; the female love interest is not only prim and useful, but indeed drives much of the plot. And the villain herself, the mysterious Woman in Black, merits several chapters of interesting back-story and lengthy descriptions. From her hypnotic sexuality to her magic ring to her talon-like fingers and corpse-like breath, she exudes a fascinating kind of primal evil that few characters since Dracula himself have managed to inhabit. And while the locales of the novel are mostly typical for the period--bustling London, a sleepy Midlands village, high-stakes Monte Carlo--Halidom uses each setting to further the narrative and themes thoughtfully. The protagonist's hometown, Little Fuddleton (a very Dickensian use of name as characterization), for example, is home to little more than country manors and idle gossip, a place that Carruthers wishes desperately to escape.
M.Y. Halidom was a pseudonym for Alexander Huth (as told in the novel's modern introduction, as this fact was only discovered in 2005!), a wealthy Brit with a noble Spanish background. His other works, written either as Halidom or "Dryasdust" include even rarer and more macabre-sounding novels like "The Wizard's Mantle" or "Zoe's Revenge." His first and most popular work, the supernatural short stories in three volumes of "Tales of the Wonder Club," are readily available in Kindle and print-on-demand formats.
All told, "The Woman in Black" exceeds all expectations of a cozy thriller or mild supernatural tale; its frightening and sometimes shocking content is macabre enough for any modern reader, and its unique combination of Gothic and Victorian story elements in an Edwardian milieu is rife with scary and monstrous situations.
The British milieu of the novel is immediately set apart to a modern reader; it's set just after the Boer War, several decades after such gaslight favorites as "Dracula" or the Sherlock Holmes series, and thus also precedes more pulpy or modern takes on supernaturalism as well. This interesting setting also aids in the structure of "The Woman in Black"--it borrows, for a time, the deliberate pacing of Stoker's epistolary novel, but just as often the story lends a harrowing 20th-century immediacy to its bloody horrors. The reader is present for every demonic bat attack, and really feels the eyes of the Egyptian gods as they follow the plot's mystical proceedings.
In terms of originality, I have to concede that "The Woman in Black"'s separate elements might be considered to be cribbed from other works. The vampiric nature of the antagonist, although slowly and blood-curdlingly revealed, is quite similar to "Carmilla." The inclusions of magic talismans and spiritual powers owe something to Stoker's "The Jewel of Seven Stars" and "The Lair of the White Worm" respectively, although it easily surpasses those novels both in terms of writing quality and sheer horror. Instead, it is the combination of these elements that surprises the reader and keeps one intrigued--just when we think we're reading a traditional vampire tale, Halidom introduces the Egyptian pantheon, or the notion of psychometry, to further the plot and deepen the novel's themes.
Even the characters and places of "The Woman in Black" deserve special mention for their uniqueness. Sir Ashleigh Carruthers, the principal protagonist, is partly a stereotypical English gent but also a jaded war veteran, tired of gentile living and doubtful on the subject of love. The police inspector is more than just a bumbling dope; the female love interest is not only prim and useful, but indeed drives much of the plot. And the villain herself, the mysterious Woman in Black, merits several chapters of interesting back-story and lengthy descriptions. From her hypnotic sexuality to her magic ring to her talon-like fingers and corpse-like breath, she exudes a fascinating kind of primal evil that few characters since Dracula himself have managed to inhabit. And while the locales of the novel are mostly typical for the period--bustling London, a sleepy Midlands village, high-stakes Monte Carlo--Halidom uses each setting to further the narrative and themes thoughtfully. The protagonist's hometown, Little Fuddleton (a very Dickensian use of name as characterization), for example, is home to little more than country manors and idle gossip, a place that Carruthers wishes desperately to escape.
M.Y. Halidom was a pseudonym for Alexander Huth (as told in the novel's modern introduction, as this fact was only discovered in 2005!), a wealthy Brit with a noble Spanish background. His other works, written either as Halidom or "Dryasdust" include even rarer and more macabre-sounding novels like "The Wizard's Mantle" or "Zoe's Revenge." His first and most popular work, the supernatural short stories in three volumes of "Tales of the Wonder Club," are readily available in Kindle and print-on-demand formats.
All told, "The Woman in Black" exceeds all expectations of a cozy thriller or mild supernatural tale; its frightening and sometimes shocking content is macabre enough for any modern reader, and its unique combination of Gothic and Victorian story elements in an Edwardian milieu is rife with scary and monstrous situations.
February 12, 2023
DNF it’s a no from me. Ridiculous amount of misogyny. The main character is a douchebag. Cant even make it past 60 pages and it’s a short book. Please remove this book from my presence. Thank you
March 24, 2023
1.5 stars
read for candidacy, i wanted this to at least be interested, or trash but in a fun way, but it just wasn’t. would be just a two if i wasn’t so disappointed! because i’ll unfortunately have to return to it for the dissertation anyway :/
read for candidacy, i wanted this to at least be interested, or trash but in a fun way, but it just wasn’t. would be just a two if i wasn’t so disappointed! because i’ll unfortunately have to return to it for the dissertation anyway :/
December 14, 2024
This was very cleverly written in 1903.
The slightly antiquated language gave it charm and mystery.
The woman in black was not a regular vampire as we know them. A slightly refreshing twist to the story.
A cozy Gothic mystery, full of dark graveyards, vampire bats and a mysterious ring of Ancient Egypt.
The slightly antiquated language gave it charm and mystery.
The woman in black was not a regular vampire as we know them. A slightly refreshing twist to the story.
A cozy Gothic mystery, full of dark graveyards, vampire bats and a mysterious ring of Ancient Egypt.
February 18, 2025
Rated 3.5⭐️
A very fun, addictive classic. An Edwardian Gothic steeped in atmosphere, gripping from start to finish. A brilliant take on a vampire horror
A very fun, addictive classic. An Edwardian Gothic steeped in atmosphere, gripping from start to finish. A brilliant take on a vampire horror
October 10, 2022
just read carmilla edited by carmen maria machado
editing was poor, misogyny rampant, my hopes and dreams crushed. i hate it here
editing was poor, misogyny rampant, my hopes and dreams crushed. i hate it here
May 25, 2023
Victim of its time.
November 23, 2023
I’m sure there are a bunch of lost gems out there just waiting to be republished…why they chose this one is beyond me….bad
January 5, 2025
As part of the Rediscovered Classics series, Halidom's The Woman in Black is a gothic tale about a mysterious woman who seems to be perpetually youthful. Our central protagonist, and narrator, is Sir Ashleigh Carruthers who has recently returned to the English countryside from the Boer War. He decides to pay a visit to an old friend whereupon he meets the Woman in Black at a local religious service. She enchants Sir Ashleigh but causes the vicar to fall ill upon sight. What could be the cause of such a strange occurrence? Who is the Woman in Black? And, perhaps most importantly when viewed from our modern sensibilities, why does her breath stink so badly?
The story is written with all the careful prose you'd expect from a gothic horror novel centered around a macabre figure. Despite the many asides necessary for character development and backstory, the novel proceeds quickly enough to its resolution. For all her seeming ferocious, vampiric nature, the Woman in Black is quite easily . This diminishes the supernatural nature of the story and makes it more of an atmospheric, wintry read than a scary frightmare. The novel is set several decades after the events of the more popular Dracula but does borrow some of that novel's technique: namely, the use of letters to relate key information between characters.
The setting is the British countryside where the great country houses still function, though their time is limited. Picture a period just before the events of Downton Abbey and a slightly bleaker landscape more akin to the moors of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles: now you have The Woman in Black. The novel is permeated with an air of modernist supernaturalism; one of the characters is well-practiced in the gift of psychometry, the ability to see visions by touching an object of interest. There is also an element of Egyptian mythology woven into the persona of the Woman in Black.
Overall, this is a solid supernatural story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The story is written with all the careful prose you'd expect from a gothic horror novel centered around a macabre figure. Despite the many asides necessary for character development and backstory, the novel proceeds quickly enough to its resolution. For all her seeming ferocious, vampiric nature, the Woman in Black is quite easily . This diminishes the supernatural nature of the story and makes it more of an atmospheric, wintry read than a scary frightmare. The novel is set several decades after the events of the more popular Dracula but does borrow some of that novel's technique: namely, the use of letters to relate key information between characters.
The setting is the British countryside where the great country houses still function, though their time is limited. Picture a period just before the events of Downton Abbey and a slightly bleaker landscape more akin to the moors of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles: now you have The Woman in Black. The novel is permeated with an air of modernist supernaturalism; one of the characters is well-practiced in the gift of psychometry, the ability to see visions by touching an object of interest. There is also an element of Egyptian mythology woven into the persona of the Woman in Black.
Overall, this is a solid supernatural story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
June 16, 2025
I’d like to start by saying I appreciate that this book, which was written in 1906 if my quick Google search is correct, is available for a modern audience to check out. It’s always neat, regardless if a book is good or bad to be transported back in time and see how they were written back then.
So our main villain is a female vampire, dubbed the Woman in Black. She played her role really well, being equal parts charming, conniving, and vicious. Instead of the book leaning into a woman being a dainty, lovely little doll as these old books tend to do, but here our vampiress is anything but!
The plot itself is a little funky, and kinda all over the place. It’s not awful, just disjointed, and the plot holes are goofy as hell. At one point our vampire friend is captured and one of the jailers goes to taunt her and she inexplicably escapes due to some silliness.
The writing is definitely dated, but not awfully so. Sometimes there are unnecessarily drawn out explanations for simple things but there’s a bit of charm to it as well.
Final Thoughts
The Woman in Black is an alright book. It has enough charms, and the plot for the most part moves along briskly. Some folks might not dig the dated writing and characters, but they aren’t offensive. If you’re interested in finding out what a female vampire is capable of in 1906, give this book a chance!
So our main villain is a female vampire, dubbed the Woman in Black. She played her role really well, being equal parts charming, conniving, and vicious. Instead of the book leaning into a woman being a dainty, lovely little doll as these old books tend to do, but here our vampiress is anything but!
The plot itself is a little funky, and kinda all over the place. It’s not awful, just disjointed, and the plot holes are goofy as hell. At one point our vampire friend is captured and one of the jailers goes to taunt her and she inexplicably escapes due to some silliness.
The writing is definitely dated, but not awfully so. Sometimes there are unnecessarily drawn out explanations for simple things but there’s a bit of charm to it as well.
Final Thoughts
The Woman in Black is an alright book. It has enough charms, and the plot for the most part moves along briskly. Some folks might not dig the dated writing and characters, but they aren’t offensive. If you’re interested in finding out what a female vampire is capable of in 1906, give this book a chance!
December 1, 2024
Nurse Everest is the main character. Nurse Everest is a final girl. Okay, had to get that off my chest. I gave this a four but really it is a three point five, and that is solely due to Nurse Everest. Our antagonist is a misogynistic alpha male that, without a doubt, is a caricature of our author. I understand the period this was written in but good God, if we can get a masterpiece like Carmilla twenty to thirty years prior there's no reason we could not drop the testosterone levels in this, especially when the majority of the male characters, including our protagonist, is an absolute moron. In conclusion, the woman in black slays literally and I just wanted more of her and Nurse Everest duking it out than Carrarthurs. Oh and somehow he's the hero instead of the nurse (despite her killing WIB). I was DROWNING in testosterone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2023
Ashleigh Carruthers is the most eligible bachelor in his small English town. A great inheritor of a fine and well-known estate and decorate soldier, any lady would be lucky to have him. But Sir Carruthers was determined to live the bachelor life. After learning that his dear friend had married, he departed to visit his dear friend and celebrate his nuptials. Along the way, a storm blows in and the young soldier seeks shelter at a nearby chapel where he first encounters love at first sight with none other than - the Woman in Black!
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, from beginning to end. If you want a classic horror story, pick up The Woman in Black. It has all of the elements of a good scare! A beautiful and seductive vampire, a snarky and unlikely hero, and a charming nurse.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, from beginning to end. If you want a classic horror story, pick up The Woman in Black. It has all of the elements of a good scare! A beautiful and seductive vampire, a snarky and unlikely hero, and a charming nurse.
September 10, 2022
A gothic vampire story along the lines of Dracula/Camilla filled with magical talismons, horror, and a very interesting take on a vampire story.The story follows Sir Ashleigh Carruthers, a English gentlemen and war veteran who is also very jaded about love, He finds himself going to visit an old friend but when he goes to a church service he finds that he is sitting next to the beautiful and mysterious woman in black. The Church services goes oddly and then Cuarruthers has questions and begins to investigate the Woman in black, And so begins this cozy read, it definitely is a cozy victorian gothic read that I would recommend for the spooky season!
November 11, 2024
I accidentally picked this one up mistaking it for Susan Hill's ghost story (which I imagine is a much better read.)
For less than 200 pages, this took me so long to get through. I honestly thought this was going to be satire given how absolutely unlikable and kind of stupid the main character appears to be in the beginning, but then I realized it's not. It's a product of its time so I'm not really bothered by the misogyny many of the reviews I see are bringing up.
It's just boring. None of the characters are likeable and every plot turn of events fits super conveniently to continue the narrative. Kinda ends like a heist movie, tbh.
For less than 200 pages, this took me so long to get through. I honestly thought this was going to be satire given how absolutely unlikable and kind of stupid the main character appears to be in the beginning, but then I realized it's not. It's a product of its time so I'm not really bothered by the misogyny many of the reviews I see are bringing up.
It's just boring. None of the characters are likeable and every plot turn of events fits super conveniently to continue the narrative. Kinda ends like a heist movie, tbh.
February 4, 2024
I never write reviews, but this book was the worst book I’ve ever wasted my precious time on reading. I only finished it because I purchased it instead of renting it from the library. So boring, so hard to read, so predictable. Characters were flat, stereotyped with negative connotations towards women due to the time period. Victorian style dialogue and writing was pure torture. Straight up, I absolutely hated this book from beginning to its very anticlimactic, predictable, and obscenely dull end. Wish I hadn’t finished it.
February 11, 2023
3.75 stars
This book was unexpectedly funny! The author used the 3rd person omniscient perspective and frequently addressed the reader, which made reading the story really delightful. I would've loved it much more if the main male character hadn't been so hateful towards women or if the characters in general were more well-developed.
For fans of vampires, witty old writing, and historical romance, if you willingly overlook the misogyny.
This book was unexpectedly funny! The author used the 3rd person omniscient perspective and frequently addressed the reader, which made reading the story really delightful. I would've loved it much more if the main male character hadn't been so hateful towards women or if the characters in general were more well-developed.
For fans of vampires, witty old writing, and historical romance, if you willingly overlook the misogyny.
August 9, 2023
the main character is abhorrent in this book; from misogyny to just a very strong dislike of his colonialist and anti-marriage behavior, (and his name was Ashleigh), I hated this; the only reason I finished it was because I hoped this Woman in Black (aka vampire with magic powers from Egypt??) killed him.
He didn’t deserve a happy ending and while the gothic scene was intriguing, I’d happily wish their was a shower that could wash my brain from reading this.
He didn’t deserve a happy ending and while the gothic scene was intriguing, I’d happily wish their was a shower that could wash my brain from reading this.
August 28, 2023
A novella in length, this short piece of weird fiction was actually pretty good. Sure it was a bit predictable, but it had a good plot and was plenty creepy and macabre. Apparently 'M.Y. Halidom" was a penname for an English author by the name of Alexander Huth. This novella probably did pretty well back at the beginning of the 20th Century. I'm glad that I read it as I always like me some vampire fiction!
February 28, 2023
After reading the synopsis, I had high expectations for this book. I personally struggled reading it due to the Victorian-style dialogue. The plot itself had many holes and “conveniences “ in order to advance the story
February 2, 2025
I’m aware this book was written in 1913, and the attitudes of women are reflected as such. The book is entertaining, but one has to make an effort to ignore the blatant misogyny written all over this title.
February 17, 2025
I picked it up after watching the new Nosferatum. I mean, a female vampire and those clawlike fingers on the cover promised to be just the vibe, but it fell a bit flat. I wanted more tension. It was an easy read, but not a very engaging one.
September 6, 2025
this book was so fun and prettily worded, and i often found myself rooting for the woman in black. i choose to believe that this is fanfiction about a real egyptian ring the author saw in the british museum.
November 9, 2022
a slay from nurse everest
dnf
November 28, 2022I really wanted this book to be satire but alas, it was just a waste of my time… stopped at 42% finished and it’s such a short book too ☹️
March 29, 2023
Wouldn’t classify this as a horror I honestly wasn’t spooked at all by this. It wasn’t my favorite as there are some unanswered questions I have.
November 11, 2023
3.75 out of 5 stars ⭐️
November 24, 2023
actual: 3.5
December 29, 2023
The misogyny and racism is so wild it's hilarious. Truly abysmal. Would recommend for reading aloud with friends.
October 10, 2024
Honestly, I was rooting for the lady in black to win. The main character didn't do anything but send letters and make his "lady love" do all the work.
November 4, 2024
Good vampire story
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews