The Possession of Natalie Glasgow promises a new spin on the possession trope, and it absolutely delivers. Hailey Piper’s story clocks in at just over 100 pages, and is formatted to be devoured in one sitting. In that regard, it has a very cinematic quality.

We’re dropped right into the action on page one; 11 year old Natalie Glasgow is an average kid by day, but by night she sleepwalks, and every step rattles the house to its’ foundations. Not only that, but her destination is typically the refrigerator to see what raw meat is on tap that particular night.

Fed up with doctors who don’t seem all that eager to help, Natalie’s mother, Heather, enlists the help of Margaret Willow to investigate the paranormal rather than the medical. And, man, the things they find.

Piper’s novella could best be described as a supernatural horror mystery. There are some truly terrifying and tense scenes that are immensely well-written. It’s a very self-enclosed tale that answers everything the reader needs to know, the keyword here being “needs”. Could Margaret and/or Natalie’s father have used more backstory? Couldn’t hurt. Would it be cool to have had a wider glimpse at how the big reveal came to be? Yes, that would be cool. However, leaving these things out does not detract from the story as a whole.

Piper sets out to be put a unique spin on possession horror and, harking back to the first sentence, succeeds admirably. Hailey Piper gets 5 stars and a new devotee to pick up whatever she puts out next.