Beneath the Shadows

Jun 05, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-mt-bookpile

Despite the blurbage (and references to) Rebecca, this wasn't quite like that - although there are definite Gothic overtones!

There's something so very evocative and creepy about North Yorkshire. I mean, Dracula is set there. Ditto Wuthering Heights. So definite points for setting. Adam's mother lived there until she ran away (to have him), and after her death from cancer he moves in with his grandparents for a summer. After university, he meets Grace and they marry... Millie follows less than a...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Blair rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller-etc, read-on-kindle, via-netgalley, 2012-release, overrated

I've recently signed up to NetGalley and started requesting galleys. This has turned out to be a great way to discover new fiction, especially by debut authors, but with scant information available on the books aside from a cover and plot summary, I often find myself in the dark about what they're actually going to be like until the galley appears on my Kindle (when browsing in bookshops or online, I often base my choices on what critics have said about the books, or where their best reviews hav...more I've recently signed up to NetGalley and started requesting galleys. This has turned out to be a great way to discover new fiction, especially by debut authors, but with scant information available on the books aside from a cover and plot summary, I often find myself in the dark about what they're actually going to be like until the galley appears on my Kindle (when browsing in bookshops or online, I often base my choices on what critics have said about the books, or where their best reviews have come from). Beneath the Shadows is a good illustration of this problem. It's positioned as a gothic mystery in which Grace, a young mother, moves to a remote village on the Yorkshire moors after her husband, Adam, inherits a cottage there. However, shortly after their arrival, Adam disappears without a trace, leaving their baby daughter Millie in her pram on the doorstep. One year later, Grace returns to the cottage, determined to find out what became of her husband.

I made a list of things I didn't like about this book, which I think will serve quite well as my review:
- I really wasn't keen on the narrative style. I'm not really sure how to describe the problem with it, except to say that it reminded me of the stories I used to write when I was a teenager, ie immature/amateurish. There were a lot of infodumps, too many details about the characters' tiniest actions, and I was often confused about what was meant to be going on. Grace also 'bumped into' Ben FAR too often to be plausible - it was literally every time she went out of the house or opened the door. As someone who has grown up and lived most of my life in Yorkshire, the depiction of it in this book made me cringe, especially when the accent was rendered in dialogue. I appreciate that the author was attempting to portray a far more remote area than I am familiar with, but if Roseby was the kind of place tourists would come to rent a holiday cottage, I don't think it would really be as backward as was made out.
- Considering what the plot was meant to be about, Grace really didn't seem all that focused on finding out what happened to Adam. She was constantly deciding to do something or research a particular detail, and then not actually doing it: her 'mission' appeared to be almost half-hearted. The book was more about Grace getting to know Ben, her relationships with her sister Annabel and friend James, and the other villagers' private lives than it was about Adam's disappearance (with the police also seeming oddly disinterested in the case).
- Heavy-handed references to other books, particularly Wuthering Heights and Rebecca. The protagonist's full name is Grace Lockwood (subtle), Ben is actually described as being 'a Heathcliff', Grace finds a copy of Rebecca in the cottage and it's often mentioned that she's reading it. Making allusions to these novels doesn't make the book any more similar to them.
- Mistakes in the language: British people, especially in remote Yorkshire villages, do not say 'gotten' or 'klutz' (and would 'stroller' really be their default word for a baby's pram/buggy? I doubt it, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that). Also, the word 'unaccountably' is used in numerous places when the thing being described has an obvious source and isn't 'unaccountable' at all.*

Then again, I probably shouldn't have expected much from something promoted as being 'in the tradition of Rosamund Lupton and Sophie Hannah' - two authors who might be described as average at best, in my opinion. I don't think that's really a standard anyone should be aspiring to.

Immediately after reading this I gave it a rating of three stars, but having thought more about what I actually made of it and how much the negatives and annoyances outweighed the good things about it, I've had to reduce that to two. The bottom line is, this is a book that can be read in a day, it's reasonably enjoyable and reasonably interesting, and I certainly didn't hate it or anything. But it also has a lot of flaws, and most crucially for me, it isn't the gothic drama it's made out to be - it's more like chick lit with a mystery attached, and if I'd had this impression from the beginning, I doubt I'd have requested it. I liked the ghostly elements and hints of inexplicable events, but these were minor parts of the whole, and there wasn't anywhere near enough suspense.

*I realise the copy I read was a proof and these details may have been changed in the final version. However, they did affect my enjoyment so I think it's fair to mention them. (less)

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May 28, 2012 Christina (Reading Thru The Night) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: suspense, 2012, mystery

The baby shows up
On the porch that afternoon
Husband still missing

So, Grace and Adam are newlyweds when Adam's grandparents die and leave him this small cozy cottage in the middle of nowhere Yorkshire. (1) After some discussion on their future, Grace, Adam, and baby Millie leave the hustle and bustle of London to save up and get some quiet time. Sure, Grace is a wee bit reluctant but she'll suck it up. It makes sense after all.

And things are pretty allright. A week goes by [and maybe ten pages?]...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars

In my mind the best goodreads review of this book is that of Blair who summarized my feelings exactly with her statement that this is "chick-lit with a mystery attached". Not that there's anything wrong with chick-lit; when it's good, it can be very good, but too often, it is predictable and simplistic. Unfortunately, Beneath the Shadows is the latter.

Based on the publisher's description, I thought this was going to be an intelligent mystery thriller in the true sense of the words, but when the...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Majanka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: drama, gothic-horror, thriller, read-2012

If you’re as much of a fan of gothic horror as I am, then the synopsis of Beneath The Shadows probably intrigues you more than you’d like to admit. It was the synopsis that first drew me in for this story, but it definitely didn’t dissapoint. It’s a bit less gothic than I would’ve liked, but it does its best to be a gothic horror with a modern twist, and it succeeds in that department. The only problem? To me, it read more like women’s fiction meets mystery. Or even a cozy mystery of sorts. Ther...more If you’re as much of a fan of gothic horror as I am, then the synopsis of Beneath The Shadows probably intrigues you more than you’d like to admit. It was the synopsis that first drew me in for this story, but it definitely didn’t dissapoint. It’s a bit less gothic than I would’ve liked, but it does its best to be a gothic horror with a modern twist, and it succeeds in that department. The only problem? To me, it read more like women’s fiction meets mystery. Or even a cozy mystery of sorts. There were creepy, ghostly elements, but they were either quickly dismissed or offered little to nothing to the story. This could’ve been handled differently, better even, by living up to its genre and giving the reader true gothic horror.

Grace and Adam and their little daughter Millie return back to the place where Adam grew up in North Yorkshire. They move into a cottage left to them by Adam’s parents. Soon after their arrival in town, Adam takes Millie for a walk. Hours later, Grace finds Millie’s baby carriage at her doorstep, but no sign of Adam. As the police arrive and start to investigate, there’s no trace of Adam. Some people start to believe he just up and left them, but Grace refuses to believe that. Something bad happened to her husband, because he would never leave Millie out in the cold, or leave both of them behind. But the question remains: what? And who’s responsible?

A year later, Grace returns back to the cottage. But contradictory to the homey, comfortable feel she had in it at first, now it makes shivers run down her spine. The village is tiny, claustrophobically so, and we’re introduced to only a handful of the town’s characters. Meredith is Grace’s nextdoor neighbour, although they live a while apart, and she lives in one of the largest houses in town. Although Meredith is friendly enough, there’s something sinister about the woman Grace can’t quite place. Almost accidently, Grace ends up hiring a handyman to help fix the cottage, Ben. He’s nice enough, but he too seems to be hiding a dark secret.

With everyone enveloped in their own secrets, and her husband still missing, Grace has trouble deciding who she can trust…if anyone.

Beneath The Shadows is wrapped up in suspense like a butterfly in a cocoon. Suspense drips from the pages, starting on page one, and continuing until after the end. The characters are superb. Grace is an intriguing protagonist. She isn’t particularly brave or intelligent, but she believes firmly in that her husband wouldn’t just walk out on her, regardless of what others say, and she fiercely wants to protect her daughter Millie. She’s stronger than she appears at first sight, and braver than I gave her credit for as well.

The side characters make interesting additions to this story. Grace’s sister Annabel is fun, Ben is nice, and some of the villagers are creepy or strange. I liked the narrative. Some otehr reviewers mentioned they weren’t fond of it, but I quite enjoyed it.

Another pet peeve of mine was the constant referals to the novel Rebecca. I’ve read Rebecca, and loved it, and trust me, Beneath The Shadows is nothing like Rebecca. It’s a good, enjoyable read as it is, but it comes nowhere near that classic.

All in all, Beneath The Shadows is a great book for around Halloween if you’re not in a mood to get too scared, but you do want some mystery, or during summer when you want to spend a lazy afternoon reading.(less)

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Aug 02, 2012 Nicola rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reason for Reading: The publisher's summary totally gripped me plus my family is from Yorkshire so I gravitate towards books set there.

Absolutely gripping. What a ride! This psychological suspense is a classic Gothic tale set on the Yorkshire moors complete with a mysterious dark handsome man, a manor on the hill and ghostly residents. Starting off with an entirely likable main character, Grace is a woman who is all around feminine, maternal, independent and feisty. Completely believable, she se...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Maxine McLister rated it 3 of 5 stars

Adam and Grace Lockwood moved to a remote cottage located on the moors of North Yorkshire to escape the fast pace of London. Hawthorne Cottage, once owned by Adam's grandparents, seemed the perfect place to raise their infant daughter, Millie.

A few days after moving in, Adam takes Millie for a stroll along the cliffs bordering the moors. Shortly after, Grace finds Millie alone in her stroller outside the cottage and Adam has gone missing. When the police are unable to finding any clues to Adam's...more

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Jun 23, 2012 cupcake rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book.

Mysteries are so much fun to read, IF they are done correctly. If you know whodunit before the hero, or if you are left with no surprises, then the mystery is dull and pointless. But if you are kept guessing, and if the resolution makes sense, then the mystery is beautifully crafted. And that's what Sara Foster has done here.

Grace, her husband, Adam, and their baby daughter Millie return to Adam's grandparents' cottage in North Yorkshire. Adam wants them to escape from the hurl...more I loved this book.

Mysteries are so much fun to read, IF they are done correctly. If you know whodunit before the hero, or if you are left with no surprises, then the mystery is dull and pointless. But if you are kept guessing, and if the resolution makes sense, then the mystery is beautifully crafted. And that's what Sara Foster has done here.

Grace, her husband, Adam, and their baby daughter Millie return to Adam's grandparents' cottage in North Yorkshire. Adam wants them to escape from the hurly burly of London, and since the cottage is paid for, they can downsize and reconnect with simplicity. But shortly after they move, Adam takes Millie for a walk and never returns, although Millie is left in her stroller on the front porch.

A year later, Grace and Millie return to the cottage, after living in France with her parents. Grace wants answers - what happened to Adam? - and she needs some sort of closure. She begins having strange nightmares, and as the locals fill her with tales of ghosts, she becomes increasingly unsettled. Why does the grandfather clock - the "heart" of the cottage, as Adam said his grandfather called it - periodically stop ticking? What are those weird noises she hears? Why do some people stare at her?

And, most importantly, how can she make peace with Adam's absence? She goes through old papers and photographs, desperate to solve the mystery of Adam.

She had to summon all her will power to swallow the emotion that began to rise in her throat. She searched their faces for some clue that their love story was destined to end abruptly, that they weren't as happy as she had imagined - but all she could see was joyful smiles and laughter. That night, as they had gone to sleep in a four-poster bed, Adam had whispered his love in her ear, telling her he'd had the greatest day of his life. And when he'd first held Millie in his arms he'd promised he would do everything possible to protect his family. He'd said it with such gravitas ... Too much gravitas? How would she ever know? Could she really live the rest of her life with all this doubt? But what choice had he left her?

The answers will not come easily to Grace, either because she asks the wrong questions or because those who might help her refuse to do so. As with much of life, Grace comes to understand that figuring out what happened to Adam is just one mystery to solve. There are others, and the thing about secrets is that those who try to keep them do not want you to find them out.

Sara Foster does a fine job of crafting this story. She keeps you guessing from page to page, and the answers do not come easily or conveniently. There is nothing cheap in the resolution to this book, and for that, I doff my wig in gratitude. I admit to a few remaining questions, but not for major plot threads.

This may not be a great beach read, in that you don't want to put it down when you need to roll over and burn your back side, but it's great for a rainy, dreary summer day. In fact, that may be the perfect ambience for this gripping mystery.

Published on cupcake's book cupboard. @VivaAmaRisata
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

Call me crazy, but I am all sorts into moors right now. I’m reading another book, inspired by Jane Eyre and I decided to pick up another book that had been sitting on my ereader, just begging to be read. I won an e-copy of this through a contest. So totally excited!

Sara Fosters debut Beneath the Shadows is a contemporary gothic novel that surprised me quite a bit. I was under the impression that gothic novels were only historical. Boy, was I wrong!

In the beginning, I was hooked. It only took a...more Call me crazy, but I am all sorts into moors right now. I’m reading another book, inspired by Jane Eyre and I decided to pick up another book that had been sitting on my ereader, just begging to be read. I won an e-copy of this through a contest. So totally excited!

Sara Fosters debut Beneath the Shadows is a contemporary gothic novel that surprised me quite a bit. I was under the impression that gothic novels were only historical. Boy, was I wrong!

In the beginning, I was hooked. It only took about 5 pages before I literally could NOT put the book down and ended up reading it in a nearly marathon, nonstop session. The character of Grace is clear. You see her navigate the cautious path of an abandoned woman trying to regain a sense of self as well as carve out a life of her own for her child’s sake. I don’t envy her, she almost seems to calm, until you see her shaken. From the beginning, I kept thinking about motives and who could have been responsible for what. Yes, I thought foul play from the beginning,

I really enjoyed how real all of the characters seemed, despite some of the more fantastical elements the spooky environment would lend to them. I’ve never been to England, but I picture the countryside being spooky and having fantastical elements that would prompt spooky nights and probably bad dreams. From the middle of the book, I was thinking there would be a link to another character, but I was wrong. Which I LOVED! So rare is it that I can read a book and be surprised, that I love when it happens and want to read more and more from the author.

Sara Foster gives the reader a great story, coupled with a really fantastic cast of unforgettable characters. People who read Beneath the Shadows will be drawn in and really excited to see what happens next, even if they aren’t necessarily gothic fans. This is a gothic novel that reads contemporary. While I wouldn’t call it a beach read (only because you won’t get spooked), I would say this is a perfect ‘I want to stay up all night’ book. Because you WILL stay up all night, drawn into the story and the characters and even the ghosts in this book.

Yes, there are ghosts…what ‘gothic’ novel would be without ghosts?

I cannot say enough about how fantastic I found this book to be and you can now go get it—it’s been out for just over a week. So rather than keep you here, I would suggest you go buy it now.

Special thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for making this possible. I was provided an egalley copy as part of winning a contest. Author Sara Foster has a website you can go and look around.

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Jun 09, 2012 Leeswammes rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked the description, I liked the cover, and… I liked the book!

I mean, cottage in a remote village in Yorkshire, creaking floorboards, dark corners, a grandfather clock that stops ticking and then starts again by itself, weird neighbours, old letters, a handsome stranger? It all makes for a great story.

When Grace returns to the cottage a year after her husband goes missing, she finds some clues that suggest he didn’t just run off (not that she’d thought he had, really). But who can she trust...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Lucy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

I had intended to review this book before it was released but after a weekend in London I only managed to finish it on the train yesterday. Still it was released this week so I don't think I am to far behind if I manage to finish this review today!

The main reason I decided to read Beneath The Shadows was because it was described as 'gothic'. I have a bit of a thing about gothic literature, it started with reading Jane Eyre and looking its gothic elements when I was studying for my a-levels, it's...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Tina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Australian Sara Foster's debut novel is a knockout!Set on the wind-swept moors of Yorkshire, the ambiance is one of modern day juxtaposed with ancient ghosts, legends, family feuds, and long-buried secrets. Her main character, a young mother named Grace has returned to her husband Adam's family cottage where they were living at the time of his disappearance almost a year ago. She is determined to find him, or else find out what really happened to Adam. Did he run away, abandoning Grace and his a...more Australian Sara Foster's debut novel is a knockout! Set on the wind-swept moors of Yorkshire, the ambiance is one of modern day juxtaposed with ancient ghosts, legends, family feuds, and long-buried secrets. Her main character, a young mother named Grace has returned to her husband Adam's family cottage where they were living at the time of his disappearance almost a year ago. She is determined to find him, or else find out what really happened to Adam. Did he run away, abandoning Grace and his adored daughter Millie? Did he meet with foul play? Is he alive somewhere? If not, where is his body? Grace is ambivalent about staying in the cottage and begins the onerous task of cleaning it out and packing up, although she has no idea where she'll go. In the meantime, she must trust a local handyman, and deal with extraordinary occurences.

Secrets seem to abound in this sleepy village, and no one there seems willing to help Grace pursue her quest for answers. She searches the cottage's hidden nooks including the dark mysterious basement and the attic, and then begins asking questions about the locals and their relationship to her husband's family. When her sister and another old friend come to stay with her over the holidays, and a snowfall cuts them off from the outside world, her strange dreams and ghostly encounters increase, driving the story toward a inexorable conclusion and putting her and her daughter in deep danger.

Foster draws her characters well, letting us see just enough motivation and history to make all of them suspects, but she also keeps us asking "was there a crime?" She paints the setting in broad colors, invoking strong winds, and deep contrasts of light and dark. Lastly, she gives us a plot that keeps us turning pages. I began this late one night, and found it almost impossible to put it down to go to bed. It's a stunner, and I look forward to more from this very talented author.

Many thanks to Minotaur publishers for making the review copy available.(less)

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May 25, 2012 Vicki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Set in the Yorkshire moors as winter approaches, this book has all the elements of a gothic suspense story in today's modern world. Grace Lochwood has returned to the cabin that belonged to her husband's grandparents, a cabin which he had inherited and talked her in to moving to from their flat in London. He persuaded her to move with their infant daughter Millie to make a life in the country.

As she is warming to the new surroundings, Adam disappears without a trace, leaving only the stroller w...more Set in the Yorkshire moors as winter approaches, this book has all the elements of a gothic suspense story in today's modern world. Grace Lochwood has returned to the cabin that belonged to her husband's grandparents, a cabin which he had inherited and talked her in to moving to from their flat in London. He persuaded her to move with their infant daughter Millie to make a life in the country.

As she is warming to the new surroundings, Adam disappears without a trace, leaving only the stroller with their infant daughter on the front porch of the cottage to be discovered by Grace. The story begins a year later. There has been no new information and Grace returns to the cottage from a sabbatical year spent with her parents in France, hoping to find some clues to help her discover what happened to her husband.

The cottage still holds the belongings they had moved in with, as well as a lifetime of memories and keepsakes which had belonged to the grandparents. Grace meets neighbors whose behavior is friendly...odd, but friendly. There is talk of ghosts which becomes more real to Grace as she hears unexplained noises both inside and outside her cottage. Grace's sister Anabel comes to stay with her, ostensibly to help her deal with all the paraphernalia in the cottage, but her journalistic tendencies are whetted by the possibility of a feature story dealing with the ghosts who frequent this area, or at least frequent the conversations of the locals which they meet. Anabel is a true city girl and wants Grace to move back to London, but she also is interested in Ben, the neighbor who has offered to update the cottage for Grace to make it more attractive as a summer rental property. Ben is a loner who does not reveal much at all about his background or what brings him to this small village, but he does admit to being an architect on leave from a firm in Australia and is definitely capable of doing the update on the old cottage.

Grace continues to seek out clues that might explain Adam's sudden departure, picking up scattered clues along the way from conversations with the neighbors and some of the keepsakes and clippings that are stored in the house. It causes her so much pain to thing that Adam might have left on purpose, though this is certainly what the police seem to think. She is shaken by the noises she hears in the cottage at night. but she is terrified when she is accidentally (?) trapped in the cold dark cellar of the cottage, especially when she realizes Adam had never told her this room existed. He had told her it was a locked cupboard which had a missing key. Just as she is beginning to think that solving the disappearance is hopeless, the clues seem to fall together and Grace finds out far more than she ever wanted to know about her husband's family and the lives of those who live in the small village. If her suspicions are correct, the grave danger Adam faced may remain just as real and vivid for Grace and Millie today.

This is a compelling page turner of a mystery. The characters are well drawn, either likeable or mysterious, or both. Grace is a strong protagonist in spite of her self doubts and wavering as to just what her next steps should be. Who wouldn't be emotional, given her situation and responsibility for her infant daughter? I'm guessing this will be a movie hit before long...so read the book first, people!(less)

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May 24, 2012 Linda Baker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster is the story of Grace Lockwood who moved with her husband, Adam, and baby daughter to a small village in Northern Yorkshire. The cottage was bequeathed to Adam by his maternal grandparents and the couple welcomed the chance to get away from the London rat race for at least a little while. One week into their residence, Adam disappeared without a trace, leaving baby Millie in her pram on the front doorstep. The local police seem to feel that Adam was simply over...more

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May 22, 2012 Kristin rated it 3 of 5 stars

When Grace and her husband, Adam, move to the moors of North Yorkshire, England, they are expecting to establish a new life with their infant daughter, Millie, and escape the hustle and bustle of London. Within a few short weeks, however, Grace finds her world turned upside down when Adam doesn’t return from a walk and the baby carriage with Millie in it shows up abandoned on their front porch. Alone in a community with a frozen landscape and cold neighbors, Grace vows to solve the mystery of he...more When Grace and her husband, Adam, move to the moors of North Yorkshire, England, they are expecting to establish a new life with their infant daughter, Millie, and escape the hustle and bustle of London. Within a few short weeks, however, Grace finds her world turned upside down when Adam doesn’t return from a walk and the baby carriage with Millie in it shows up abandoned on their front porch. Alone in a community with a frozen landscape and cold neighbors, Grace vows to solve the mystery of her husband’s disappearance.

In this delightful thriller, Sara Foster crafts the story of a woman desperate for answers as she attempts to make sense after her husband vanishes. Although the novel starts off slow and has some decidedly British phrases, Beneath the Shadows emphasizes the isolation and disconnected state that can arise after a traumatic event. After one year away, Grace decides to return to the village from which Adam disappeared in order to clean out the cottage and perhaps get some answers. While trying to come to terms with her new life, Grace becomes connected with some of the residents of the village, including the local matriarch, Meredith, and her daughters, and Ben, an attractive architect. What Grace quickly learns, however, is that these individuals have deep secrets and share ghostly histories. Between trying to plan for an uncertain future and discovering the past of a missing husband, Grace gains insight into her strengths and resolves to move on for her sake, and the sake of Millie.

Grace is likeable, but seems to get lost in her thoughts easily. The book does start off a bit slow, but the intensity and excitement builds as the novel nears its end. Foster is able to craft a clever and engaging story which is not fully resolved until the final page when all of the loose ends come together. This doesn’t have the excitement and adventure of a typical mystery novel, but Beneath the Shadows was enough to spook me a bit if I read it just before bed. The story is original with unexpected twists and turns and is certainly worth it, even if there were moments that were a bit slow. (Review from Shelfishness.blog.com)(less)

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May 15, 2012 Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes added it

Recommended to Mallory Anne-Marie by: Great Minds Think Aloud

Shelves: may-2012-reads

A captivating British country mystery, “Beneath the Shadows” commences one week after young couple Grace and Adam, and their small infant Millie, have taken possession of the isolated rural cottage Adam’s inherited from his late grandparents. Their new situation could not be more divergent from their “regular” life in a London flat, with their two careers-but Adam begs Grace to give it just a try, just six months while she extends her maternity leave. One week into their new living situation, th...more

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May 15, 2012 Patricia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Adam, Grace and baby Millie leave the hustle and bustle of London to settle in a cottage in North Yorkshire that Adam inherited from his grandparents. The area is beautiful but isolated. The cottage seems to have its own personality and is filled with the possessions of Adam's grandparents. Grace is confident the family can adjust and be happy there.

One day, Adam leaves a note for Grace that he has something to discuss with her when he returns from walking Millie. Grace is curious, but as the ol...more Adam, Grace and baby Millie leave the hustle and bustle of London to settle in a cottage in North Yorkshire that Adam inherited from his grandparents. The area is beautiful but isolated. The cottage seems to have its own personality and is filled with the possessions of Adam's grandparents. Grace is confident the family can adjust and be happy there.

One day, Adam leaves a note for Grace that he has something to discuss with her when he returns from walking Millie. Grace is curious, but as the old grandfather clock ticks away the minutes she begins to get nervous. It seems that Adam has been gone a long time for a little walk. When Grace hears a noise at the door, she opens it to find her daughter, Millie, in her carriage but Adam is nowhere near. Grace calls the police and a search is immediately conducted but with no success. It appears that Adam has disappeared without a trace.

Grace's parents take her away from the cottage because they feel that it is not a healthy environment for their daughter or their grandchild. A year goes by with no news of Adam and Grace cannot let go of her memories, or the hope that he will come in the door at any time. Grace decides to return to Yorkshire with Millie. She hopes that living in the cottage and sorting through all the many boxes stored in the attic and the basement will help her come to terms with her situation and help her decide what to do with the cottage.

Grace’s neighbor, Meredith Blakeney, invites Grace to visit her. Annabel, Grace's sister, comes from London to visit and help Grace sort things out. She also meets Ben, a man staying in the area to housesit, and he agrees to come to the cottage and do some renovations.

Grace spends the nights alone letting her thoughts wander to the many tales of ghosts and demons that locals tell about the area. She is also worried about the grandfather clock that seems to have a mind of its own, slowing down and starting up again without warning.

As Grace unpacks boxes she finds letters written by Adam's deceased mother as well as other items that make Grace feel more and more that Adam did not just leave, but met with a tragic ending.

"Beneath the Shadows" is a gripping story that keeps the reader interested every step of the way. Grace has many bad moments and times when she wanted to just run away but in spite of her fears she is able to stay in Yorkshire and eventually solve the mystery of Adam. The conclusion comes as a surprise but was a brilliant ending.
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May 09, 2012 Beadyjan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: psychological-chillers

A gripping and tense story set in winter in the wilds of the North Yorkshire moors, an area very close to my heart.
Between the pages we meet Grace and her young daughter Millie and very briefly her husband Adam - until he mysteriously disappears, shortly after the young family move into an isolated cottage he has inherited, from his grandparents.
A year after he leaves, and doesn't return we see Grace return to the tiny Hamlet on the moors, as far removed from her usual life in bustling London a...more

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Apr 30, 2012 SheilaRaeO rated it 2 of 5 stars

While not without it’s flaws, this novel kept me engaged enough to stick with it to the end. When they receive an inheritance of a small cottage, a young couple, Grace and Adam, come with their baby daughter, Millie, to a small village where Adam had spent some time as a youth. Not long after arriving, Adam goes missing while out on a walk with Millie. Finding a note from Adam, explaining that he wants to have a talk with her and not to leave, Grace is waiting for them to return from their walk,...more While not without it’s flaws, this novel kept me engaged enough to stick with it to the end. When they receive an inheritance of a small cottage, a young couple, Grace and Adam, come with their baby daughter, Millie, to a small village where Adam had spent some time as a youth. Not long after arriving, Adam goes missing while out on a walk with Millie. Finding a note from Adam, explaining that he wants to have a talk with her and not to leave, Grace is waiting for them to return from their walk, getting progressively more worried as time stretches on, when she sees a dark shape on the front steps. She goes to investigate and finds the baby in her pram but Adam nowhere in site. The case quickly goes cold and Grace leaves the village with Millie, retreating into the loving, protective arms of her family. After a year, Grace decides to head back to the cottage to try to find answers about her husband’s disappearance. With local ghost stories and legends read about in a book she found in the cottage filling her mind, strange things begin to happen. And so we begin. While the story has an interesting premise of a young woman who believes her missing husband could not possibly have just walked out on her, (as seems to be the prevailing attitude of authorities, friends and family), and is determined to find answers, it felt more like reading a mediocre high school play than a well conceived novel. Many of the situations were cliche for the genre: the creaking cellar door that mysteriously swings shut on its own (with no inside handle) trapping the heroine, the grandfather clock that creepily stops then randomly starts up again on its own showing the correct time, even a scratching sound in the wardrobe, etc. My biggest complaint was the cellar door issue. If you are going to put something like that into the story - it has to be consistent. When Grace first entered the cellar, it specifically mentions that she let the door swing shut behind her. This doesn’t seem to be a particular problem except to scare her a bit since she is down there with a handyman that she doesn’t know. There is no mention of any difficulty in getting out of the cellar then, yet the next time it is mentioned that she needs to prop the cellar door open, since there is no inside handle, potentially leaving her trapped if it accidentally swung shut on her again. Um- how did they get out last time? Anyway, that is the last time we hear about the problem of the cellar door even though there are many trips in and out of the cellar. It seems the author just forgot about that detail. The random discrepancies in minor details such as this left me irritated and less than enamored.(less)

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Apr 24, 2012 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery

Beneath the Shadows is a modern gothic mystery. Set on the moors of Yorkshire, it wants to follow in the footsteps of Rebecca and the Woman in White, and it succeeds in many ways.

Grace, married and the mother of a very young child, is waiting for her husband in the isolated cottage formerly owned by her husband’s dead grandparents. The couple have moved to Yorkshire to take a break from the rat race in London. Her sister calls, and Grace tells her sister that her husband and infant should have r...more Beneath the Shadows is a modern gothic mystery. Set on the moors of Yorkshire, it wants to follow in the footsteps of Rebecca and the Woman in White, and it succeeds in many ways.

Grace, married and the mother of a very young child, is waiting for her husband in the isolated cottage formerly owned by her husband’s dead grandparents. The couple have moved to Yorkshire to take a break from the rat race in London. Her sister calls, and Grace tells her sister that her husband and infant should have returned to the cottage from a walk in the dusky garden. As she talks and glances out the window, she sees a dark shape on the doorstep. She opens the door to find her daughter, fast asleep in her pram. But there is no sign of her husband.

Chapter 2 resumes the story 12 months later, as Grace returns to the cottage to deal with her unresolved feelings about her missing husband – did he leave voluntarily? – as well as the cottage itself. She meets a large cast of village residents. Her sister and the male best friend who has always been in love with her make appearances in person and otherwise. She hears ghost stories, and strange things happen in the cottage. A mysterious and handsome architect offers to help her with some alterations in the cottage. She is spooked by appearances of black dogs. And when she wants to get away from it all, she picks up her copy of Rebecca.

The reliance on Rebecca as a plot device is tired and overdone, but the narrative is well written, and the author drops little interesting hints to stir up our curiosity. There is a long stretch where I did wonder if anything else was ever going to happen, but about halfway through the book the suspense picks up and the plot moves ahead more quickly.

Beneath the Shadows kept me entertained, and the ending surprised me (although I’m not generally very good at predicting how mysteries will end). It’s not a great book, but it is a good book. If you like modern mysteries, especially those set in England, you may enjoy Beneath the Shadows.
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Apr 08, 2012 Kerry Hennigan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Australian author Sara Foster has set her second novel, Beneath the Shadows, in an insular community on the edge of the Yorkshire moors. Here Grace and her husband Adam have moved with their baby daughter Millie to live in Hawthorn Cottage where Adam grew up.

Then, without warning, Adam disappears without a trace, and Grace is left not knowing whether he has escaped from their relationship for some unknown reason, or met with foul play.

Beneath the Shadows has an atmosphere that is almost gothic i...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Terri Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery-suspense-thrillers

I have absolutely no idea why reviewers insist on calling this book gothic because there is nothing gothic about it. The fact that the heroine is reading a gothic novel -Rebecca- on and off does not make this book gothic. In fact, it is set in the present day. Please, reviewers, read some classic gothic fiction and note the differences.

This is also not a ghost story nor are there any ghosts here.

Adam and Grace lived in London until their baby daughter Millie was 10 weeks old then moved to a ver...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Erica rated it 4 of 5 stars

A captivating, first-time novel by Sara Foster, Beneath the Shadows will speak to those readers who have a love-affair with Bronte-esque novels and mysteries which truly keep their secrets (like the moors on which it's set) until the end.

Things I loved about this novel: the setting, the tone, the characters and the clues along the way.

Things I think could have been done better: the wrap-up of the "whodunnit" at the end was not bad, but not great - it could have been finessed a bit more to make i...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery

Grace and Adam leave London behind after Adam inherits Hawthorne Cottage in North Yorkshire from his grandparents. It is a small place and needs some work, but they are willing to give it a try away from all the hustle and bustle.

A week later Adam disappears. He had taken his baby daughter, Millie, out for a walk in her stroller. The baby and stroller were found on the cottage doorstep and Adam was nowhere in sight.
Everyone, even the police, were convinced that Adam left Grace. But Grace wasn't...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Michele rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery, thriller

This book was (overly) compared to Daphne Du Maurier's classic novel, Rebecca. While it's clear that Foster took inspiration in the novel (it's even got a cameo appearance in Beneath the Shadows), don't pick up this novel expecting Rebecca. That said, Foster's work stands up very well on its own! A solid mystery set in the desolate moors of England (present day), Beneath the Shadows is the story of a woman coping with the sudden disappearance of her husband one year prior. Grace has returned to...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Alyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I haven't been to the area in which this book is set (North Yorkshire), but I have been on the moors, and the atmosphere that Sara Foster creates is perfect for what I remember of driving across the moors towards Whitby.

Part of my enjoyment of this book was its setting, the small cottage in Roseby, snug and cluttered, the sort of place where I'd like to live someday. The other was the mystery that kept me turning the pages. Why would Grace's husband leave? and why would their baby daughter be o...more

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May 28, 2012 Patty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Beneath The Shadows
By
Sara Foster

My "in a nutshell" summary...

Adam and Grace and new baby Millie return to Adam's grandparents home in a remote teeny village outside of London. Events occur that are unexplainable!

My thoughts about this book...

Grace and Millie are left alone to return to the cottage to try to put their lives back together. Grace feels both welcomed and unwelcomed by residents of this strange little town. She begins to sort through the detritus of Adam's family home to try to sort...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Jo at Jaffareadstoo rated it 5 of 5 stars

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur for a pre-publication digital copy of this book to read and review.

How do you begin to move on, if the past won’t let you go?

Grace, Adam and their tiny daughter Millie, move from the hustle and bustle of London to an isolated cottage on the Yorkshire moors. Hawthorn Cottage, once belonged to Adam’s now deceased grandparents, and offers the young family, a refuge and a haven, but when Adam goes missing after just one week, and with no clues...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Julia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysterious

I won this little read through the fantastic Good Reads First Reads Giveaways and I must say it was pretty much exactly what I expected. I hear the phrase a lot in my English classes, "Show, don't tell" and I felt that this book fell short on this point. When I'm being told that Grace did this and then she said this and felt this way and then this happened and she reacted accordingly, I begin to lose interest because it sounds really rehearsed; there's no emotion. I read recently that how can yo...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Charlotte rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: advanced-readers-copy, nook

http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot....

I think my favorite thing about Beneath the Shadows was the cottage. Possibly haunted, positively ancient, and most definitely Gothic, the authors descriptions of the cottage set the tone for me. The rest of the story was a little more lacking for me. I wanted to like Grace but I felt the author did not give her the same kind of depth and development as she did the cottage. The book has been called a "thrilling Gothic suspense" - but I did not find it thri...more

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