In Her Shadow by Mark Edwards

Author : Mark Edwards
Title : In Her Shadow
Pages : 366
Publisher : Thomas & Mercer
Publication date : October 4, 2018

For four years Jessica has never doubted that her sister Isabel’s death was an accident. But when Jessica’s young daughter seems to know long-forgotten details about her aunt’s past, Jessica can’t shake the feeling that there’s a more sinister truth behind the tragedy.

As Jessica unearths disturbing revelations about her sister, and about the people she loved and trusted most, it becomes clear Isabel’s life was less than perfect and that Jessica’s might also be at risk.

Did someone murder Isabel? Are they now after Jessica and her family? The key seems to lie in the hands of a child. Can Isabel reveal the truth from beyond the grave, or is the answer closer to home?

When In Her Shadow first popped up on Netgalley, it didn’t have a cover or a book description. Yet, after just having finished Mark Edwards’ previous book, The Retreat, I jumped at the chance to request it. His psychological thrillers with a slightly paranormal vibe to them are always hugely entertaining.

Four years ago, Jessica’s sister Izzy fell to her death from a balcony at her home. Jessica never questioned that this event was nothing more than an unfortunate accident. Until the day her four year old daughter starts acting a wee bit creepy, seemingly coming up with memories and details about an aunt she’s never known. Was Izzy’s death an accident or was she murdered?

Through a few flashback chapters and Jessica’s search for the truth, the reader discovers that Izzy’s life was, despite appearances, anything but perfect. This is also the point where I got lost a little. There was so much going on, from drugs to infidelity to stalkers, from quite an odd business to the #metoo movement. While it all made sense in the end, there seemed to be quite a lot to try and keep track of.

Even though I was unable to figure out the who or the why, which is always a bonus, In Her Shadow lacked a little something for me. It wasn’t as thrilling as I expected it to be and I felt the chapters dealing with Izzy’s past broke the flow of the story. And while Olivia’s words and actions were a tad creepy, they never quite chilled me to the bone.

Nevertheless, I stayed up way past my bedtime, again, to finish it because that’s just what Mark Edwards does to you. And that’s also why, even though this maybe didn’t quite work for me as well as The Retreat did, I will most definitely be picking up one of his other books in future. Because they are entertaining and enjoyable and they are addictive page-turners. Mark Edwards is a fantastic writer and tells a great story but for me, this thriller needed just that little bit more thrill to it.

My thanks to the publisher for my review copy, which I received via Netgalley.

In Her Shadow will be published on October 4th.

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