The Shadow House: A Novel
By Anna Downes
3/5
()
About this ebook
Extraordinarily tense and deliciously mysterious, Anna Downes's The Shadow House follows one woman's desperate journey to protect her children at any cost, in a remote place where not everything is as it seems.
A HOUSE WITH DEADLY SECRETS.
A MOTHER WHO'LL RISK EVERYTHING TO BRING THEM TO LIGHT.
Alex, a single mother-of-two, is determined to make a fresh start for her and her children. In an effort to escape her troubled past, she seeks refuge in a rural community. Pine Ridge is idyllic; the surrounding forests are beautiful and the locals welcoming. Mostly.
But Alex finds that she may have disturbed barely hidden secrets in her new home. As a chain of bizarre events is set off, events eerily familiar to those who have lived there for years, Alex realizes that she and her family might be in greater danger than ever before. And that the only way to protect them all is to confront the shadows lurking in Pine Ridge.
Anna Downes
ANNA DOWNES (she/her) was born and raised in Sheffield, United Kingdom, but now lives just north of Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two children. She worked as an actress before turning her attention to writing. She has degrees from both Manchester University (drama) and RADA (acting). Her previous novels include The Safe Place and The Shadow House.
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Reviews for The Shadow House
24 ratings6 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I was intrigued and anxious to read this one. I was hoping it would be a great supernatural-type story, but it wasn't. It was a good suspense story but not with supernatural aspects like I thought/hoped there might be.
This was about Alex, a single mother with two kids that moves to start over in a new place and get away from her abusive ex. In this new place, there are tales spread around the village about a witch that comes and takes your kids. Weird things happen and Alex finds out about Renee who used to live in an empty farmhouse where her son Gabe disappeared. In the end, the solution makes sense to what's going on in this new place as the timelines and stories converge and are pieced together so if you like real-life solutions that make sense, you'll enjoy that. There is a gruesome killing of a cat and some language but other than that it's a decent mystery read. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Shadow House by Anna Downes is a 2022 Minotaur publication. Alex is starting over once again. She and her two children have left an abusive relationship to live in the rural community of Pine Ridge. Unfortunately, things get off to a bumpy start for Alex. Her teenage son, Oliver, is having trouble adjusting, while baby Kara, is keeping Alex awake around the clock. If that weren’t bad enough, the not always welcoming community also comes with its own legend about a witch that kidnaps children. The secondary POV is centered around Renee, a mother whose husband’s family was one of the original builders of Pine Ridge. She, too, has a troubled teenage son, which points to an eerily troubling connection between Renee and Alex… This book has some super creepy vibes. I wondered just what kind of community Alex had planted herself in!! The people were all a bit standoffish, and some are downright rude, except for Kit- but we aren’t entirely sure what his story is- and he never seems to be in the mood to share. Without knowing who to trust or how Alex’s story is related to Renee’s, the reader is mostly in the dark without any way to gain their footing. I was very invested early on, but the middle portions of the book dragged, losing most of its momentum. Just as I was about to lose patience, though, the story suddenly got very interesting with a few startling revelations I never saw coming. The last quarter of the book more than made up for the sluggishness that preceded it, and I ended up enjoying the story more than I had anticipated. Without giving too much away, this story has an ‘Ann Radcliffe’- Terror vs. Horror- approach- (and yes, there are a few Gothic undertones in this novel, to my great delight)-just in case that information helps those more inclined to one over the other. That said, this would be a good book to read close to Halloween because it has all those great, ‘jumpy’ vibes to it, but will appeal to anyone who likes a good twisty psychological thriller, too. 3.5 stars rounded up
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Author Anne Downes follows up her debut work, The Safe Place, with another story about a woman looking for a safe place to call home. This time the woman is Alexandra Ives, a thirty-seven-year-old single mother. As the story opens she is just arriving at a temporary new home in the quiet ecovillage of Pine Ridge. She has escaped a bad relationship, the salient details about which Downes gradually reveals in succeeding chapters, with her two children in tow: fourteen-year-old Oliver, who is sullen and unhappy about the move, and Kara, just eight months old. Their residency gets off to a rocky start when, before Alex has even begun unloading their belongings from the car, she finds a box on the porch of their new residence. It contains the remains of a dead bird. Alex begins to panic, questioning her decisions and choices that have led her to the unconventional community where they are scheduled to live for three months on a trial basis designed to reveal whether the ecovillage is a good fit for her and her family, as well as their neighbors. Recognizing that she must hold herself together for the sake of her children, Alex regains her composure, telling herself that everything will work out in this new environment. With that opening scene, Downes deftly tells her readers a great deal about Alex. She is desperate -- only a person with no other viable options would remain in a place that is so inhospitable from the very start. She is determined and resolved, as demonstrated by the way she quietly disposes of the box in a nearby trash receptable, and protective of her children, as evidenced by her relief that she kept Ollie from seeing the parcel. And Alex's fresh start is off to a very rocky beginning. As Alex works to settle into the close-knit Pine Ridge community, she meets the other residents. They are an eclectic group, ranging from other mothers of teenagers with whom she instantly bonds, to an environmental scientist, a botanist, an architect, a physician, and the perpetually grumpy Maggie. One of the first residents of Pine Ridge, Maggie makes her feelings about newcomers known. Jenny, an older woman who lives in the adjacent downstairs unit, is gaunt, thin, but friendly. She seems frail and because she always wears headscarves, Alex wonders if she is undergoing treatment of some sort. Jenny lives alone, and not only offers Ollie an old television, but offers to babysit when needed. Alex leans on her for support, friendship, and childcare. She also finds herself drawn to the community's charismatic founder, Kit. He's a handsome younger man who asks Alex a lot of questions about her background but reveals little about his own.In subsequent chapters, Downes alternates Alex's first-person narrative with a story told from the perspective of Renee, who lived in the abandoned house that remains on the Pine Ridge property. Shortly after arriving in Pine Ridge, Alex is informed that a family lived on the land and operated a flower farm, but their son disappeared years ago and was never found. The missing boy is the subject of a dark legend that is intensified by the foreboding presence of the empty, dilapidated-looking farmhouse that stands in the distance. In fact, Alex catches a glimpse of the old witch who is said to wander the neighborhood, telling the children that they must be good or monsters will arrive and take them away. Through the narrative focused on Renee, Downes reveals how she and her husband, Michael, took differing approaches to dealing with their troubled son, Gabriel. Michael wants the almost sixteen-year-old to help him around the farm in the same ways that Michael worked with his father. But Gabriel grows increasingly withdrawn, secluding himself in his room, playing video games and refusing to even emerge to eat dinner with his family. It is all Renee can do to make him attend school. She is horrified when she discovers the depth and manifestations of Gabriel's emotional struggles. A string of increasingly disturbing and frightening events, beginning with the discovery of the decapitated family cat in a box on the porch, culminated in Gabriel's disappearance six years ago. Now Alex fears that the same fate will befall Ollie, but she is intent on protecting her son, whose behavior at school was one of the reasons for their relocation to Pine Ridge. Alex has moved numerous times, always opting to run when things got tough, but as Ollie makes new friends, especially the lovely Violet, and looks forward to attending the local school, he makes it clear that he is tired of moving and wants to remain in Pine Ridge for the foreseeable future. Despite her desire to make Ollie happy, Alex cannot ignore what she believes are warnings from someone or something that she and her children are in danger. The events are unfolding as the children say the witch describes them, and they always lead to a tragic conclusion: a missing child. But who is behind the effort to frighten Alex and make her believe that her son is in danger? Why is Ollie being targeted? Is there anyone in Pine Ridge that she can trust? Could the events unfolding be connected to Stuart, the abusive man she left who has now gone missing, too?The Shadow House is a cleverly engrossing mystery. Downes hints at supernatural elements and dark forces as Alex undertakes a risky investigation into what is really happening in the communal Pine Ridge development. Downes expertly employs misdirection, injecting clues that fail to yield revelations and making several characters potential suspects, only to deliver a shocking conclusion that showcases her intricately-constructed plot. Downes explores the challenges of parenting a child with emotional issues in the age of hypnotic video games and other electronic devices, as well as the difficulties inherent in parenting without a partner. Her setting is key to the story's effectiveness, and Downes' prose makes Pine Ridge, along with her characters, come alive. Her cast of supporting characters is fascinating and well-developed, as are the two key female characters. Both Alex and Renee learn that they are stronger than they ever thought they could be, and running away from problems never really solves them. They both are protective mothers, but flawed human beings, who must learn to stand on their own, rather than in the shadow of a man who is no match for their inner strength. And both find the truth. Even though it leaves one of them "broken in ways she'd never imagined possible," it also provides both a path to peace for her and a satisfying conclusion to the story.The Shadow House is an inventive tale of secrets, betrayals, and a shattered family whose tragic history looms over and threatens to destroy Pine Ridge and its new residents. It is a tense but surprisingly touching story, replete with unpredictable twists, and compelling and memorable characters. Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Alex left her abusive husband and settled in a rural, eco-friendly community that was to be peaceful.It wasn’t that peaceful when Alex finds a box with a dead animal in it and other odd things happening as each day went by.Are they really safe from her husband, other people, and things?Then we meet Renee and her family - the same things seem to have happened to them along with a kidnapping of their son.Somehow Renee’s story and Alex’s story were related.THE SHADOW HOUSE was very confusing and very dark with odd, angry characters. I actually couldn’t follow the story line until half way through the book.It also had too much of a sci-fi/paranormal feel for me.I honestly wasn’t a fan and was disappointed because I really liked her first book.I do have to say the last quarter of the book redeemed itself. 3/5This book was given to me by the publisher for an honest review.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I had really enjoyed Anna Downes first book, The Safe Place, but The Shadow House was not as good. I didn't feel much of a connection to the characters or the setting. It had a level of creepiness to it I wasn't expecting. The ending was surprising - I definitely hadn't figured out what had happened to Gabriel. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Review of Uncorrected Digital GalleyFleeing an abusive relationship, Alexandra Ives, leaves Sydney with her son, Oliver, and baby daughter, Kara. They settle in Pine Ridge, a rural ecovillage built on what once was farmland. Peaceful and welcoming [for the most part], Alex tries to settle in, but fourteen-year-old Ollie hadn’t wanted to move and eight-month-old Kara seems to fuss most of the time.However, Alex is on edge because of a series of unsettling events. Soon it becomes apparent that there is danger in Pine Ridge and she must find a way to keep her children safe.Is Stuart behind the upsetting events in Pine Ridge or is there something malevolent in the village?=========Told in two timelines, this dark, unsettling tale focuses on Renee and Michael Kellerman and their son, Gabriel, in the past, Alex, Ollie, and Kara in the present. Both women find themselves in difficult situations; but when Renee’s son, Gabriel, goes missing, her world falls apart. In the present story, Alex fears for Ollie’s safety and she swiftly takes action when the unthinkable occurs. Despite her sleep deprivation [Kara is teething], Alex puts the welfare of the children first and does all she can to make their transition to the [somewhat cultish-feeling] ecovillage as easy as possible, especially for Ollie.With well-drawn characters, a strong sense of place, and an ultra-creepy plot that twists with unexpected revelations, readers will find it difficult to set this one aside before turning the final page. The narrative alternates between the events of the past with Renee and Gabriel that reveal the backstory; in the present, the story focuses on Alex’s family. But the connection between the two women remains elusive until an unexpected reveal late in the compelling story that changes everything readers think they know.There’s an underlying sense of dread that permeates the telling of the tale; the danger is real, the suspense is palpable, and the [slightly disappointing] denouement is sure to be a surprise.Highly recommended.I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley#TheShadowHouse #NetGalley