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Beneath the Shadows
by
In this thrilling gothic suspense debut by Sara Foster in the tradition of Rosamund Lupton and Sophie Hannah, a young mother searches Yorkshire's windswept moors for the truth behind her husband's mysterious disappearance.
THE ANSWERS ARE HIDING BENEATH THE SHADOWS
When Grace's husband, Adam, inherits an isolated North Yorkshire cottage, they leave the bustle of London behin ...more
THE ANSWERS ARE HIDING BENEATH THE SHADOWS
When Grace's husband, Adam, inherits an isolated North Yorkshire cottage, they leave the bustle of London behin ...more
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Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
June 5th 2012
by Minotaur Books
(first published 2011)
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This would not be a good book to read if you were alone at night. Especially if you were alone with a baby in an old cottage on the Yorkshire Moors as was the main character in this story. Just the Grandfather clock stopping and starting again in the middle of the night would have had me high tailing back to the city immediately.
Fortunately Grace is made of stronger stuff than me, plus she has the added incentive of trying to discover what actually happened to her husband, Adam, who disappeared ...more
Fortunately Grace is made of stronger stuff than me, plus she has the added incentive of trying to discover what actually happened to her husband, Adam, who disappeared ...more
Should I be allowed to rate my own books?!! Then again, if I can't send Beneath the Shadows on its way with a farewell hug and one five-star rating then that seems a bit of a shame! I have given it five stars because I am so proud of it and love my heroine Grace, her feisty sister Annabel, and even some of the more suspicious characters you'll come across while reading about Grace's search for her missing husband. I hope that its readers thoroughly enjoy the ride.
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When Adam's grandmother dies leaving him a cottage an isolated North Yorkshire village Adam and Grace decide to leave behind the hustle and bustle of London to try a quieter new life in which to raise their new baby girl, Millie.
They've only been living there for one week when Grace returns from an afternoon of shopping to find that Adam and Millie aren't there. Grace begins to worry when Adam and Millie have been gone much longer than expected. Then, to Grace's relief, Millie is found safe in ...more
They've only been living there for one week when Grace returns from an afternoon of shopping to find that Adam and Millie aren't there. Grace begins to worry when Adam and Millie have been gone much longer than expected. Then, to Grace's relief, Millie is found safe in ...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 hav
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Grace Lockwood and her husband Adam leave London and move into Hawthorn Cottage on the North Yorkshire moors. The cottage has been left to Adam by his grandparents. Grace is not convinced that she will enjoy the change of pace but Adam is keen. So she agrees to try it for six months. And then things change. A week later Grace finds their baby daughter Millie in the pram on the doorstep but no sign of Adam. Where can he be? Why has he left their child alone? Despite police searches no trace of Ad
...more
'There was something beautiful about this place, she thought - in daylight, the raw, untouched vista had the power to stop your mind for a moment. Here, you didn't have to look up to see the sky, it came right down and met you, ever present beyond the ceaseless shifting of color, clouds, and light.'
I was intrigued by the gothic feel to the summary and loved the writing itself...'The answers are hiding beneath the shadows.' I was sold; however, despite the fact that the idea and concept was there ...more
I was intrigued by the gothic feel to the summary and loved the writing itself...'The answers are hiding beneath the shadows.' I was sold; however, despite the fact that the idea and concept was there ...more
The north Yorkshire moors provide a stellar setting for a brooding gothic mystery, and in truth, the descriptions of the moors, the tiny villages, and the winter weather were the best part of this book.
The premise had potential - a woman's husband suddenly disappears from the house the couple has inherited in a remote, sparsely populated region, and their infant daughter is left in her stroller on the doorstep. When no explanation can be found, the wife retreats to the support of her family, onl ...more
The premise had potential - a woman's husband suddenly disappears from the house the couple has inherited in a remote, sparsely populated region, and their infant daughter is left in her stroller on the doorstep. When no explanation can be found, the wife retreats to the support of her family, onl ...more
Grace Lockwood and her husband Adam and their new baby daughter Millie have moved into a cottage in North Yorkshire left to Adam by his grandparents. However, while they are still settling in Grace returns from shopping to find Adam missing and baby Millie left on her pram on the doorstep. Despite a frantic search organized by the village and local police Adam is never found. Twelve months later after spending the year with her parents in France, Grace returns to the village just before Christma
...more
This was an easy read and I enjoyed this Gothic-style mystery set in England’s far north, but I was never completely engrossed. The ending was mostly satisfying, although there were some loose ends that I felt should have been either tied up, or not introduced in the first place as they fizzled away into nothingness with no further explanation.
Perhaps unfortunately, I read this not too long after reading another (fantastic) Gothic-style novel so it may be that this one suffered in comparison. It ...more
Perhaps unfortunately, I read this not too long after reading another (fantastic) Gothic-style novel so it may be that this one suffered in comparison. It ...more
Meh. I did finish the book, so I can't say it was terrible. It was just annoying at times and dragged too much for me to give it a higher rating. I hope the author learns from this book and gets the hang of showing instead of telling, and leaves the internal questions/navel-gazing on the cutting room floor next time. She could be a good writer, but not until shit like that is fixed.
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3.5 Richly atmospheric, gothic undertones, the setting of the desolation of Yorkshire moors all set the tone for this mystery by Foster. When I first started reading it I didn't know if I was reading a ghost story or a regular mystery that needed solving. There are plenty of ghosts and haunting mentioned for sure and really either of the scenarios would have played out and been very believable. Secrets from the past, the slow unveiling of clues, and very interesting and well rounded characters k
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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
This book had quite an impact on me. I was hooked right from the beginning. There was something eerie and compelling about this story. It was a slow, tension building journey to a riveting ending. There were many elements here typical of the gothic novel; mystery and suspense, supernatural and inexplicable events, gloominess and the setting...the moors created the perfect background for this story to unfold. We know right at the very beginning of the book that Grace's husband Adam has mysterious
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Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was one of those that I found very hard to put down!
Grace, with her little daughter Millie, return to where they were a year previously, when her husband Adam vanished without trace, and no amount of searching by the police, and everyone else, could turn up any clues. They all believed he 'ran away', but Grace was positive this wasn't the case. Heart wrenching, sad, secretive, thrilling....until the very last page you will be captivated by Sara Foster's novel! ...more
Grace, with her little daughter Millie, return to where they were a year previously, when her husband Adam vanished without trace, and no amount of searching by the police, and everyone else, could turn up any clues. They all believed he 'ran away', but Grace was positive this wasn't the case. Heart wrenching, sad, secretive, thrilling....until the very last page you will be captivated by Sara Foster's novel! ...more
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
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
"Are you alright Grace?" is the question repeated throughout this far too many times. Yes, Grace is alright. If this book were a car, I'd say it's stalled. There is a tangled web that reveals itself but not till the last two chapters if you can make it that far. The characters are blah, the dialogue repetitive, and uninteresting. My recommendation on this one, is don't bother. I'm sorry I did, truly a waste of my time.
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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
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
This was an enjoyable, cozy little mystery. A good “in between” book. Not too stale and not to outrageous. Just right.
Beneath the Shadows is a gothic suspense novel by Sara Foster. When Grace's husband Adam inherits a cottage in an isolated North Yorkshire Moors they through that, it would be an excellent opportunity to make a new life away from London. However, the happy and enjoyable outcome Grace and Adam through did not happen. Adam disappears a week after they arrive at the cottage. The readers of Beneath the Shadows will continue to follow Grace to see what happens.
Beneath the Shadows is the first book, I ...more
Beneath the Shadows is the first book, I ...more
A young family moves to a remote town. Shortly after, a father and husband disappears without a trace. A mistery indeed. The wife, ofcourse tries to fugure out what happened to her husband, refuses to believe that her husband could have left her and the baby. This all sounds intruiging, but for me, there was lack of action while the protagonist was trying to figure out what happened. Did I expect the outcome that the book suggested? No, I did not. Was I on my toes to get to the end of the book t
...more
AUTHOR Foster, Sara
TITLE Beneath the Shadows
DATE READ 09/23/20
RATING 3.5./C+
FIRST SENTENCE
GENRE/ PUB DATE/PUBLISHER / # OF Gothic Suspense/2019/hoopla audio/ 9 hr 40 min
SERIES/STAND-ALONE SA
CHALLENGE Good Reads 2020 Reading Goal 167/120;
GROUP READ GR Mystery
TIME/PLACE 2018/England
CHARACTERS Grace and Adam
COMMENTS I do enjoy gothic suspense and was looking forward to this one but found it very disappointing. Just went on & on w/o satisfying payoff.
TITLE Beneath the Shadows
DATE READ 09/23/20
RATING 3.5./C+
FIRST SENTENCE
GENRE/ PUB DATE/PUBLISHER / # OF Gothic Suspense/2019/hoopla audio/ 9 hr 40 min
SERIES/STAND-ALONE SA
CHALLENGE Good Reads 2020 Reading Goal 167/120;
GROUP READ GR Mystery
TIME/PLACE 2018/England
CHARACTERS Grace and Adam
COMMENTS I do enjoy gothic suspense and was looking forward to this one but found it very disappointing. Just went on & on w/o satisfying payoff.
It’s more of a 2.5 rating . It’s a simple, easy read. The author’s repetitive use of the word Cottage drove me crazy.
I liked it and it kept me engaged, but I doubt I’ll remember much about it beyond next week. I will say the reader did an exceptional job of distinguishing between Irish and Australian accents.
For an innocuous thriller, this book provoked a lot of emotion in me, and gave me much to chew over in terms of my expectations of a book, a heroine, and a story. The premise of this book is simple: Grace, new mom, has moved to rural Yorkshire with her husband and their three-month old daughter. One wintry evening, she comes home to a note from her husband, saying he has something to tell her. She waits, and waits, and later finds her daughter in the pram outside of their cottage, husband gone.
...more
Adam and Grace Lockwood and their infant daughter, Millie, relocate to the tiny village of Roseby, located in the wild moors of North Yorkshire. Hawthorn Cottage, once owned by Adam’s grandparents, seems like the perfect place to start a new, peaceful life away from the hectic pace of London. Just days after arriving, the unthinkable happens – Adam goes missing while out walking Millie, and Grace finds Millie by their front door in her stroller all alone. Grace is confused and distraught. They w
...more
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
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
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
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
Dec 31, 2011
Michelle
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
aussie-fiction,
2012
If you love a good ghost mystery, you'll love this book. Generally I don't enjoy reading about ghosts, so that storyline didn't grab my attention. But I was intrigued by mystery behind the story.
Sara has a fabulous page turning story telling style and by 2/3 through the wonder of where the twists and turns were about to take the characters grabbed my attention.
I'm so glad stuck with it to the end, the light was shone on all darkness as all the threads came together for a very satisfying end.
...more
Sara has a fabulous page turning story telling style and by 2/3 through the wonder of where the twists and turns were about to take the characters grabbed my attention.
I'm so glad stuck with it to the end, the light was shone on all darkness as all the threads came together for a very satisfying end.
...more
Rounded up from 2.5 stars. Our heroine is blah & bland and the book definitely does NOT have a gothic feel. At all.
Finally a good book after a bad spell of reading mediocre books. Such an engrossing page-turner. Thank you Sara Foster for reminding me why I love reading. I truly could not predict the ending. There is never a dull moment in this book with the plot consistently moving forward and getting juicier. I think a major reason for my love of this book is the setting. I've always loved the English countryside and cottages. More specifically and a bit strangely, I love stories taking place in winter with
...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime, Mysteries ...: GENERAL: Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster - September 2020 | 16 | 85 | Sep 19, 2020 07:04PM |
Readers also enjoyed
Sara Foster is the bestselling author of six psychological suspense novels: YOU DON'T KNOW ME, THE HIDDEN HOURS, ALL THAT IS LOST BETWEEN US, SHALLOW BREATH, BENEATH THE SHADOWS, and COME BACK TO ME.
Born and raised in the UK, Sara worked for a time in the HarperCollins fiction department in London, before turning her hand to freelance editing, and writing in her spare time.
It wasn't until 2007 th ...more
Born and raised in the UK, Sara worked for a time in the HarperCollins fiction department in London, before turning her hand to freelance editing, and writing in her spare time.
It wasn't until 2007 th ...more
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