Happy new year! On this first episode of The Writer and the Critic for 2024, your hosts Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, begin by with a very brief discussion of recent reads and whether writing a 'young' or an 'old' voice might be more ... ah ... challenging. The books up for dissection this month are The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson [5:10] and A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand [39:20]. If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:02:00 for final remarks - including a surprise anecdote involving Evelyn Waugh! Next episode, the two books on the slab will be: A Helping Hand by Celia Dale Monsters by Emerald Fennell Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!