House of spines

the long version

Ran McGhie's world has been turned upside down. A young, lonely and frustrated writer suffering from mental-health problems, he discovers that his long-dead mother was related to one of Glasgow's oldest merchant families. Not only that, but Ran has inherited Newton Hall, a vast mansion that belonged to his great-uncle, who had been watching from afar as his estranged great-nephew grew up. Entering his new-found home, it seems Great-Uncle Fitzpatrick has turned it into a temple to the written word -- the perfect place for poet Ran. But everything is not as it seems. As he explores the Hall's endless corridors, Ran's grasp on reality appears to be loosening. Then he comes across an ancient lift. In that lift is a mirror. And in the mirror ... the reflection of a woman.