The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Hand, Elizabeth. A Haunting on the Hill. Little, Brown and Company, 2023.

Elizabeth Hand's novel is set in present day upstate New York. The novel is written from both the first and third person points of view and toggles between the past and present tenses. For the sake of clarity, the following summary employs the present tense and relies upon a linear mode of explanation.

Shortly after Holly Sherwin receives a grant to work on her new play, she and her girlfriend, Nisa Macari, take a trip upstate to get away from New York City. While in the small Hillsdale township, Holly goes for an impromptu drive and discovers a towering, remote mansion. The house is ancient and sinister. However, Holly feels thrilled just standing in its presence. She decides that it will be the perfect place for her and her artist friends to bring her theatrical production to live.

Holly and Nisa meet with local real estate agent, Ainsley Rowan, about renting the empty mansion. Ainsley reveals that the house is called Hill House, and that she inherited from her late husband. It has been empty for years. She occasionally rents it out, but none of the tenants have lasted. In spite of rumors about the house's dark past, Holly and Nisa insist that they want to pay Ainsley to stay there for two weeks. Ainsley has them sign a contract and Holly uses a portion of her grant to cover the associated expenses.

Holly and Nisa invite their friend and artistic counterpart, Stevie Liddell, to join them at Hill House. Holly also invites her acting acquaintance, Amanda Greer, to come stay upstate, too. Everyone agrees to Holly's plan, as they think the remote countryside setting will give them the space and time to invest in the project.

Over the course of the friends' first hours at the house, they experience a series of inexplicable events. Holly repeatedly sees black hares appearing and either making faces at her or transfiguring themselves in uncanny ways. She and Nisa later hear voices, and feel presences brushing up against them. Amanda and Holly each see ghosts while out walking in the woods. Stevie also has a sense that something is not right at Hill House. They have all heard stories about the terrible things that have allegedly transpired in the setting. However, they dismiss their fears and hide their experiences from each other. They do not want to appear unstable and they do not want to compromise their theatrical project.

The longer the group is at the house, the more unsettled they become. When a storm settles over the region, they lose power. The housekeeper, Melissa Libby, warns them to leave before they get stranded at Hill House, but the friends refuse. Later that night, they start to regret their decision when a shadowy presence intrudes upon their space. They all go into hiding, desperate to evade the presence. Meanwhile, Nisa crouches by the stairs and sees three presences colluding together. She becomes convinced that the figures are in fact Holly, Stevie, and Amanda conspiring against her. She knows they do not approve of her musical contributions to the play, and feels angry with them for trying to rob her of her artistic potential. She stalks upstairs in the dark and barges into Stevie's room. Earlier she noticed that Stevie was inspecting a small secret door therein. She opens the door and presses herself inside. Soon she feels the house's darkness overtaking and claiming her.

The friends discover that Nisa is missing and go in frantic search of her. When they reach Stevie's room, they realize that the house has taken their friend from them. Holly starts to spiral and continues her search for Nisa, convinced she can hear her voice. Realizing they will not survive if they do not leave at once, Stevie and Amanda shepherd Holly to safety.

A year later, Holly, Stevie, and Amanda reconnect after months without talking. The police have declared Nisa missing, certain that she has simply run away. Together, the friends decide to memorialize Nisa in a new play.