9. Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
To the unnamed narrator, Manderley is the perfect country estate, with its large iron gates, beautiful garden surroundings, doting domestic staff and of course the fact that the sea can be heard from one side of the house. However, when the second Mrs de Winter moves into her new home with her new husband she begins to sense that all is not right and her fears come to life when she believes that her husband's first wife, Rebecca is haunting the property. It is often thought that older novels lack the ability to be truly frightening, however, Daphne du Maurier's 1938 Gothic mystery novel hits all the right points. From the creepy housekeeper, Mrs Danvers to the numerous mentions of Rebecca's tragic boating accident the novel maintains a sense of doom throughout and leaves the reader feeling unsure about just how much each character knows about the perfect Rebecca's death. What makes Rebecca such a sinister novel is perhaps the fact that the novel itself is named after Mr de Winter's first wife. Although dead, her presence at Manderley is felt in every room and at every moment and the reader is constantly reminded how such a beautiful place can hold such tragic secrets.