
The provided sources focus on Stephen Volk's novella, Leytonstone, which fictionally explores the childhood of famed director Alfred Hitchcock in early 20th-century London. Multiple book reviews praise Leytonstone as a compelling, atmospheric psychological portrait that elevates a famous anecdote—Hitchcock's father having him locked in a police cell—into a dark narrative examining the roots of his future career, making young "Fred" both a victim and a manipulator. Additionally, one source discusses the real-world Leytonstone Underground station mosaics, which commemorate Hitchcock's life and films in the neighborhood where he was born and raised. The consensus among the reviews is that the novella is a worthy successor to Volk's previous work, Whitstable, despite adopting a colder, more psychological tone to portray the future Master of Suspense.