The Secret of Crickley Hall was published by Macmillan in 2006. The Caleigh family — Gabe, Eve, and their two daughters — move to Crickley Hall, a large, forbidding house in a remote Devon valley, while coping with the disappearance of their young son Cam. The house was used during World War II as an orphanage for evacuee children, and something terrible happened there: children died, and the man responsible — the sadistic warden Augustus Cribben — was never brought to justice. The ghosts of the murdered children haunt the house, and Cribben’s evil persists as a malevolent presence.
The novel was adapted into a BBC television series in 2012 and is regarded as one of Herbert’s finest works — a return to the classic ghost story, powered by genuine emotional stakes.
Herbert’s Late Masterpiece
Crickley Hall is widely regarded as Herbert’s finest later work — a return to classical ghost-story form after the experimentation of Once… and Nobody True. The wartime setting, the abused children, and the family’s contemporary grief create a layered narrative that rewards close reading. Herbert died in 2013, and this novel stands as his most accomplished late-career achievement.
Collecting The Secret of Crickley Hall
First edition (Macmillan, London, 2006): Boards with dust jacket.
Approximate market values:
- Fine in dust jacket: $25–$60
- Very good: $10–$25
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate to strong appreciation. The BBC adaptation and Herbert’s death in 2013 have increased demand for his first editions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was The Secret of Crickley Hall James Herbert’s last novel? Yes. Published in 2006, it was the last novel Herbert completed before his death in 2013 at the age of 69. The BBC adapted it as a three-part serial in 2012, starring Suranne Jones and Tom Ellis.