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The Long Shadow
Write down something about yourself, as a mother, that worries you.
Psychologist Isabel Harris has come to the outback town of Riley because her husband Dean is assessing the hospital—the hub of the community—with a view to closing it down. Isabel, mostly occupied with her toddler, will run a mother–baby therapy group. But on the first day she gets an anonymous note from one of the
The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon.
Then a series of small harassments begins.
Is it an attempt to warn Dean off? Or could the threat be serious? A child was murdered in Riley once before.
As Isabel discovers more about the mothers in her group, she begins to believe the twenty-five-year-old mystery of a baby’s death may be the key to preventing another tragedy.
Anne Buist is the Chair of Women’s Mental Health at the University of Melbourne. She has thirty years’ experience in perinatal psychiatry, and works with the legal system in cases of abuse, kidnapping, infanticide and murder. Her Natalie Forensic Psychologist series of thrillers is published by Text.
‘The strength of this crime novel by Professor Anne Buist, Chair of Women’s Mental Health at the University of Melbourne, lies in its exploration of the workings of the Family Court and its experts…This book should come with a you may never be able to look at your own children’s drawings in the same way again.’ Sydney Morning Herald on This I would Kill For
‘Buist, chair of mental health at the University of Melbourne, is deeply versed in the institutional, legal and emotional implications of such a case. She has crafted a skilled and multi-layered procedural, one that is more about psychological than criminal matters, although their intersection is inevitable and crucial…Buist has given us a three-dimensional heroine and richly imagined scenes of conflict in public and private. Most of these disputes are managed within legal bounds. Buist’s insights into the enmities and frustrations of bodies bound to help children are sharp.’ Australian on This I would Kill For
‘Full of authenticity and gravitas.’ Daily Telegraph on Dangerous to Know
‘A thrilling read that will have you on the edge of your seat.’ Buzzfeed on Dangerous to Know
‘An intelligent, well-paced thriller.’ Adrian McKinty on Dangerous to Know
'Natalie King is not your average heroine nor is Medea's Curse a predictable by-the-numbers thriller...An intelligent, thought-provoking tale.' Courier Mail on Medea's Curse
'A gripping ride of crime and tension, with a Lisbeth Salander-like lead roaring through danger and intrigue at a million miles an hour.' Adelaide Advertiser on Medea's Curse
'Buist brings her considerable experience as a perinatal psychiatrist to bear in this novel, giving it authenticity and gravitas.
Psychologist Isabel Harris has come to the outback town of Riley because her husband Dean is assessing the hospital—the hub of the community—with a view to closing it down. Isabel, mostly occupied with her toddler, will run a mother–baby therapy group. But on the first day she gets an anonymous note from one of the
The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon.
Then a series of small harassments begins.
Is it an attempt to warn Dean off? Or could the threat be serious? A child was murdered in Riley once before.
As Isabel discovers more about the mothers in her group, she begins to believe the twenty-five-year-old mystery of a baby’s death may be the key to preventing another tragedy.
Anne Buist is the Chair of Women’s Mental Health at the University of Melbourne. She has thirty years’ experience in perinatal psychiatry, and works with the legal system in cases of abuse, kidnapping, infanticide and murder. Her Natalie Forensic Psychologist series of thrillers is published by Text.
‘The strength of this crime novel by Professor Anne Buist, Chair of Women’s Mental Health at the University of Melbourne, lies in its exploration of the workings of the Family Court and its experts…This book should come with a you may never be able to look at your own children’s drawings in the same way again.’ Sydney Morning Herald on This I would Kill For
‘Buist, chair of mental health at the University of Melbourne, is deeply versed in the institutional, legal and emotional implications of such a case. She has crafted a skilled and multi-layered procedural, one that is more about psychological than criminal matters, although their intersection is inevitable and crucial…Buist has given us a three-dimensional heroine and richly imagined scenes of conflict in public and private. Most of these disputes are managed within legal bounds. Buist’s insights into the enmities and frustrations of bodies bound to help children are sharp.’ Australian on This I would Kill For
‘Full of authenticity and gravitas.’ Daily Telegraph on Dangerous to Know
‘A thrilling read that will have you on the edge of your seat.’ Buzzfeed on Dangerous to Know
‘An intelligent, well-paced thriller.’ Adrian McKinty on Dangerous to Know
'Natalie King is not your average heroine nor is Medea's Curse a predictable by-the-numbers thriller...An intelligent, thought-provoking tale.' Courier Mail on Medea's Curse
'A gripping ride of crime and tension, with a Lisbeth Salander-like lead roaring through danger and intrigue at a million miles an hour.' Adelaide Advertiser on Medea's Curse
'Buist brings her considerable experience as a perinatal psychiatrist to bear in this novel, giving it authenticity and gravitas.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2020
19 people are currently reading
289 people want to read
About the author
Anne Buist
13 books159 followersAnne Buist is the Chair of Women’s Mental Health at the University of Melbourne and has over 25 years clinical and research experience in perinatal psychiatry. She works with Protective Services and the legal system in cases of abuse, kidnapping, infanticide and murder. Medea’s Curse is her first mainstream psychological thriller.
Professor Buist is married to novelist Graeme Simsion and has two children.
Professor Buist is married to novelist Graeme Simsion and has two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
January 12, 2021
Close encounter to the simmering tension of small town where the people are truly unhappy with their life choices. The secrets they kept gnawing their stomaches, the bottled up resentment, anger, fear cloud their judgements. They are not pleased some outsiders’ moving to their secluded place and determine the impactful changes of their lives.
Something ominous and threatening already killed the town’s spirit and now the people are afraid of losing their homes and jobs after the sudden move of Dean and Isabel Harris move to town!
Isabel is a psychologist who starts a mother-baby group with five mothers: tense Sophie, Teagan coming from politically powerful family, Roisin who looks confused and her mind is mostly elsewhere, agitated police officer Kate and Zahra who suffers from postpartum anxiety.
They don’t give any trustworthy, genuine vibes. They’re like ticking bombs which can blast at any sudden second. And of course finding a threatening note about baby killer’s striking doesn’t help her ease her worries.
Her husband is the decision maker about the hospital’s near future: running an intense operation for assessing it to make sure it can be saved to run efficiently or it should be closed down.
Of course threats start occur connected with a 25 years old cold case of child’s brutal murder.
Isabel gets more anxious as the hatred and unwelcome attention of town people grow. She is also worried that the killer may aim one of the group moms.
I enjoyed the portraits of struggling small town people and the dark, eerie, tense atmosphere of the story telling. The characters were mostly disturbing and seances of mothers’ group a little flat, slow but the conclusion of the story was breathtaking.
I always keen on reading more Aussie authors’ works and this book gripped my attention with its pessimistic, sad, claustrophobic vibes which earned my solid 4 stars.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for sharing this intriguing ARC with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Something ominous and threatening already killed the town’s spirit and now the people are afraid of losing their homes and jobs after the sudden move of Dean and Isabel Harris move to town!
Isabel is a psychologist who starts a mother-baby group with five mothers: tense Sophie, Teagan coming from politically powerful family, Roisin who looks confused and her mind is mostly elsewhere, agitated police officer Kate and Zahra who suffers from postpartum anxiety.
They don’t give any trustworthy, genuine vibes. They’re like ticking bombs which can blast at any sudden second. And of course finding a threatening note about baby killer’s striking doesn’t help her ease her worries.
Her husband is the decision maker about the hospital’s near future: running an intense operation for assessing it to make sure it can be saved to run efficiently or it should be closed down.
Of course threats start occur connected with a 25 years old cold case of child’s brutal murder.
Isabel gets more anxious as the hatred and unwelcome attention of town people grow. She is also worried that the killer may aim one of the group moms.
I enjoyed the portraits of struggling small town people and the dark, eerie, tense atmosphere of the story telling. The characters were mostly disturbing and seances of mothers’ group a little flat, slow but the conclusion of the story was breathtaking.
I always keen on reading more Aussie authors’ works and this book gripped my attention with its pessimistic, sad, claustrophobic vibes which earned my solid 4 stars.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for sharing this intriguing ARC with me in exchange my honest opinions.
June 17, 2020
When Isabel and Dean Harris move to Riley for Dean's work, Isabel gets the feeling the town doesn't want them there. Dean is investigating the finances of the local hospital, and the viability of keeping it open. With jobs in the balance, the local's livelihoods are being threatened, and they soon let their anger at the situation shine through.
Psychologist Issy, with toddler Noah in tow, starts up a woman's group for new mothers, and soon finds it's not just the hospital situation that's causing a simmering tension in the town. Someone has sent an anonymous letter to the police that a baby killer is going to strike soon. And it's not the first time they have killed...
With intriguing, yet mostly unlikeable characters, and a plot driven with local tensions, I found The Long Shadow to be a mostly absorbing read. I did find it bogged down a bit during the group therapy sessions, but soon picked up as it wound up all the threads in an excellent ending. A worthwhile read for all lovers of psychological dramas and small town secrets.
My thanks to Text Publishing for an uncorrected copy to read and review. The opinions are entirely my own.
Psychologist Issy, with toddler Noah in tow, starts up a woman's group for new mothers, and soon finds it's not just the hospital situation that's causing a simmering tension in the town. Someone has sent an anonymous letter to the police that a baby killer is going to strike soon. And it's not the first time they have killed...
With intriguing, yet mostly unlikeable characters, and a plot driven with local tensions, I found The Long Shadow to be a mostly absorbing read. I did find it bogged down a bit during the group therapy sessions, but soon picked up as it wound up all the threads in an excellent ending. A worthwhile read for all lovers of psychological dramas and small town secrets.
My thanks to Text Publishing for an uncorrected copy to read and review. The opinions are entirely my own.
January 28, 2023
The main character in The Long Shadow is Isabel Harris, a psychologist who appears to follow her husband wherever his career takes him. This time it ends them up in Riley, a small town in outback NSW, where his job is to fix up the local hospital which is not being managed well. The local doctor gives Issy a job helping a group of local women with various emotional issues.
I had a few difficulties at this point keeping track of who was who, as so many people were introduced in a short space of time but eventually I sorted them all out. The meetings where Issy applied her psychology were interesting, and it was apparent that the author knows her stuff in this field. After this Issy's life runs amok when her marriage takes a downturn, she finds herself ostracized by some of the community, her own past causes her to have panic attacks, and finally certain knowledge she gains from her clients makes her turn Detective in a past and possibly present crime.
This is an enjoyable book but a little slow in parts although it does build up towards the end. It did make me think that if I ever need a psychologist I hope I get one who has their own life sorted, and not one like Isabel Harris! Three stars for a pleasant but not outstanding read.
I had a few difficulties at this point keeping track of who was who, as so many people were introduced in a short space of time but eventually I sorted them all out. The meetings where Issy applied her psychology were interesting, and it was apparent that the author knows her stuff in this field. After this Issy's life runs amok when her marriage takes a downturn, she finds herself ostracized by some of the community, her own past causes her to have panic attacks, and finally certain knowledge she gains from her clients makes her turn Detective in a past and possibly present crime.
This is an enjoyable book but a little slow in parts although it does build up towards the end. It did make me think that if I ever need a psychologist I hope I get one who has their own life sorted, and not one like Isabel Harris! Three stars for a pleasant but not outstanding read.
June 23, 2020
Psychologist Isabel Harris, her husband Dean and their two year son Noah have move to the outback town in NSW called Riley. Dean has been assigned to investigate and maybe close down the local hospital. Whilst Dean is busy with the hospital Isabel decides to put her skills to good use and starts up a mother-baby therapy group.
The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon. This is the note Isabel receives on the first day of running the mother-baby therapy group. Isabel is fearing the worst not knowing who the note is aimed at. Could it be to warn her husband off from doing his job at the hospital, a treat toward one of the woman in her group or a threat to Isabels own child.
The Long Shadow by Anne Buist is a cleverly written thriller with town secrets, twist and turns this book makes for a great and very entertaining read. I was hooked from the beginning all the way to the end. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Text publishing for my copy of this book to read and review.
The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon. This is the note Isabel receives on the first day of running the mother-baby therapy group. Isabel is fearing the worst not knowing who the note is aimed at. Could it be to warn her husband off from doing his job at the hospital, a treat toward one of the woman in her group or a threat to Isabels own child.
The Long Shadow by Anne Buist is a cleverly written thriller with town secrets, twist and turns this book makes for a great and very entertaining read. I was hooked from the beginning all the way to the end. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Text publishing for my copy of this book to read and review.
May 26, 2020
Dean Harris has arrived with his wife Isabel and young son Noah in Riley, a small outback town near Dubbo. They won't be there for long, while Dean reviews the operation of the town hospital to determine if it can be made to run efficiently or should be closed down. Psychologist Isabel has been hired to run a mother and baby therapy group for a small group of women. Small town Australia where everyone knows each other can seem friendly and welcoming, but long held secrets can be harbored and resentments can simmer for years ready to bubble to the surface at any time. Not long after arriving Isabel and Dean receive threats linked to the murder of a newborn baby twenty five years ago and Isabel worries that one of her patients may be a target.
Through her background in perinatal psychiatry, Buist highlights the different issues women can experience with the arrival of a new baby. Her group of women felt very real, with a range of backgrounds typical of a country town, each with their own flaws and anxieties. Buist expertly keeps the tension simmering as unrest grows in the town due to the possible closure of the hospital, an upcoming election and rumours about the unsolved murder of the baby. Isabel's fear is fed both by the whispers and claustrophobia of the town and the contrasting isolation of the house they are living in beyond the town. With twists and turns, the plot eventually culminates in a thrilling ending that will have you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommended.
With many thanks to Text Publishing for a copy of the book to read
Through her background in perinatal psychiatry, Buist highlights the different issues women can experience with the arrival of a new baby. Her group of women felt very real, with a range of backgrounds typical of a country town, each with their own flaws and anxieties. Buist expertly keeps the tension simmering as unrest grows in the town due to the possible closure of the hospital, an upcoming election and rumours about the unsolved murder of the baby. Isabel's fear is fed both by the whispers and claustrophobia of the town and the contrasting isolation of the house they are living in beyond the town. With twists and turns, the plot eventually culminates in a thrilling ending that will have you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommended.
With many thanks to Text Publishing for a copy of the book to read
August 8, 2020
Isabel Harris and husband Dean along with their young son Noah have temporarily moved to Riley whilst Dean audits the hospital, with a view to its potential closure. Isabel, a psychologist, is asked to run a mother-baby group. There is some dissension between the mothers in the group and all are harbouring secrets and fears.
A decades old murder rears its head via a threatening message and believing her own child may be in danger, Isabel starts to do some digging of her own.
Isabel was quite an unlikable character for me. her paranoia was out of proportion to her circumstances. She was a psychologist but had so many issues of her own that needed addressing.
Anne Buist covers topics such as post natal depression, being accepted into a small close-knit community, Government closing a business that provides employment for many choosing profit over people.
I'm finding it hard to put my thoughts down about this book.
What I didn't like:
Isabel was unlikable, jumping to conclusions and making outlandish accusations
Although a serious condition, I found there was too much talk on postpartum psychosis.
I'm tired of characters with mother issues.
2½ year old Noah felt like a prop, always being pushed in a stroller, or stuck in a playpen, or put to bed. He never felt like a real child.
I guessed the twist early in the story.
I was left with unanswered questions.
What I liked:
Loved the small town politics.
Bringing to light companies putting profit before people.
How the people of Riley stuck together when their livelihood was threatened.
The thing that I loved the most in this story were the evocative and beautifully drawn descriptions of the setting and the ambience of the Australian bush.
*I received my copy from the publisher
A decades old murder rears its head via a threatening message and believing her own child may be in danger, Isabel starts to do some digging of her own.
Isabel was quite an unlikable character for me. her paranoia was out of proportion to her circumstances. She was a psychologist but had so many issues of her own that needed addressing.
Anne Buist covers topics such as post natal depression, being accepted into a small close-knit community, Government closing a business that provides employment for many choosing profit over people.
I'm finding it hard to put my thoughts down about this book.
What I didn't like:
Isabel was unlikable, jumping to conclusions and making outlandish accusations
Although a serious condition, I found there was too much talk on postpartum psychosis.
I'm tired of characters with mother issues.
2½ year old Noah felt like a prop, always being pushed in a stroller, or stuck in a playpen, or put to bed. He never felt like a real child.
I guessed the twist early in the story.
I was left with unanswered questions.
What I liked:
Loved the small town politics.
Bringing to light companies putting profit before people.
How the people of Riley stuck together when their livelihood was threatened.
The thing that I loved the most in this story were the evocative and beautifully drawn descriptions of the setting and the ambience of the Australian bush.
*I received my copy from the publisher
July 28, 2020
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*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**3.5 stars**
The Long Shadow by Anne Buist. (2020).
When Isabel first moves to Riley, it looks like any other small outback town. The town relies on the local hospital which Dean, Issy's husband, has been called in to investigate and perhaps close. Issy is a psychologist with a toddler and decides to run a mother-baby therapy group. On the first day she gets an anonymous note from one of the mums: "The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon". Then a series of small harassments begins. Is it a hoax or an attempt to scare Dean? Or is there a serious threat to their child? After all, a baby was murdered in Riley before...
I quite liked this book. The entire book is set from Issy's perspective as she navigates moving to a small town so her husband can investigate the local hospital. As you can imagine, the townfolk are not really happy with this. Issy starts a mother-baby therapy group with a group of five women. The sessions and conversations with those women are probably the parts of the book I enjoyed the most; I think it highlighted a lot of different anxieties, stresses and experiences that many parents can have. The storyline around the previously murdered baby was interesting and I think the outcome of that was quite unexpected and clever. For me though the last few chapters felt really rushed; I had to go back and re-read parts as certain things didn't quite make sense to me at first.
I think a lot of readers would enjoy this novel.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**3.5 stars**
The Long Shadow by Anne Buist. (2020).
When Isabel first moves to Riley, it looks like any other small outback town. The town relies on the local hospital which Dean, Issy's husband, has been called in to investigate and perhaps close. Issy is a psychologist with a toddler and decides to run a mother-baby therapy group. On the first day she gets an anonymous note from one of the mums: "The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon". Then a series of small harassments begins. Is it a hoax or an attempt to scare Dean? Or is there a serious threat to their child? After all, a baby was murdered in Riley before...
I quite liked this book. The entire book is set from Issy's perspective as she navigates moving to a small town so her husband can investigate the local hospital. As you can imagine, the townfolk are not really happy with this. Issy starts a mother-baby therapy group with a group of five women. The sessions and conversations with those women are probably the parts of the book I enjoyed the most; I think it highlighted a lot of different anxieties, stresses and experiences that many parents can have. The storyline around the previously murdered baby was interesting and I think the outcome of that was quite unexpected and clever. For me though the last few chapters felt really rushed; I had to go back and re-read parts as certain things didn't quite make sense to me at first.
I think a lot of readers would enjoy this novel.
June 2, 2020
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
The Long Shadow is an intense and gripping Australian psychological crime thriller set in a small outback town.
The story centres around a group of women in the town who are participants of a mother-baby therapy group.
Psychologist Isabel Harris and husband Dean have moved to the town of Riley. Isabel’s husband is investigating the community hospital with a view to closing it down and Isabel will be running the mother-baby therapy group there.
On her first day at work Isabel receives a note ‘The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon’. Shortly after she receives threats and the danger grows as she fears for her son’s life.
Can Isabel solve a 25-year-old murder mystery in a town with a culture of corruption?
A well-written story, I especially loved Isabel’s character and the character of Teagan a young indigenous woman with a tortured past.
I wish to thank Text Publishing for a providing me with an advanced copy of the book to read.
The Long Shadow is an intense and gripping Australian psychological crime thriller set in a small outback town.
The story centres around a group of women in the town who are participants of a mother-baby therapy group.
Psychologist Isabel Harris and husband Dean have moved to the town of Riley. Isabel’s husband is investigating the community hospital with a view to closing it down and Isabel will be running the mother-baby therapy group there.
On her first day at work Isabel receives a note ‘The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon’. Shortly after she receives threats and the danger grows as she fears for her son’s life.
Can Isabel solve a 25-year-old murder mystery in a town with a culture of corruption?
A well-written story, I especially loved Isabel’s character and the character of Teagan a young indigenous woman with a tortured past.
I wish to thank Text Publishing for a providing me with an advanced copy of the book to read.
April 19, 2020
The Long Shadow is a stand-alone rural thriller by Australian forensic psychiatrist and author, Anne Buist. Psychologist Isabel Harris is in the NSW outback town of Riley (very much temporarily, she reassures herself) with her two-year-old son Noah and her accomplished corporate trouble-shooter husband, Dean, while he sorts out the administration problems at the local district hospital. This alone ensures that not all the townsfolk will welcome them with open arms.
Barely a week since leaving Melbourne, she is running, with less preparation than ideal, a mother-baby therapy group for five women, some of whom seem to be attending under sufferance. As they work through her usual process, one of the exercises yields a disturbing anonymous note: “The baby-killer is going to strike again. Soon.” No matter how puzzling she finds this, Issy is bound by confidentiality, so any enquiries must be subtly made.
She eventually happens upon some information about a case of the kidnap and death of a newborn baby that caused a sensation in the town some twenty-five years earlier. But could that killer still be around? Did it happen the way everyone seems to believe? Who has written the note? And why? And is Dean saying less that he knows?
Issy is made even more aware of the unpopularity of her husband’s mission by a series of minor harassments, but when it is revealed that the police have received a letter implying a threat to a baby, related to the hospital review process, she wonders if she should fear for her son’s, and her own, safety. She’d like to return to Melbourne, but there’s a very good reason she cannot.
In her therapy group, she has five women from disparate backgrounds with different issues but who are intimately connected to and part of the complex weave of the town, and not yet ready to be completely candid about their lives.
It’s a small community that is a little pressure cooker of emotions and ambitions and resentments, set on the boil by Dean’s review. Issy hears conflicting versions of events: “I tried to make sense of this – but it felt like I had two different jigsaws and the pieces had all been thrown together.”
Buist expertly depicts the dynamics and the claustrophobic feel of a small outback community where word spreads at lightning speed and everyone knows everyone else’s business, has an opinion on every issue, a conspiracy theory about every event. And where secrets and blackmail fester.
Buist’s expertise in the psychiatric field is apparent on every page, her characters have depth and appeal, and her plot is filled with misdirection and red herrings and enough twists to warrant a warning about whiplash injury as Issy tries to uncover what really happened all those years ago, and how it relates to the present day. A degree of patience with Issy’s guesswork is rewarded with an exciting climax and an absolutely stunning resolution that even the most astute reader will have trouble predicting. A brilliant read!
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Text Publishing
Barely a week since leaving Melbourne, she is running, with less preparation than ideal, a mother-baby therapy group for five women, some of whom seem to be attending under sufferance. As they work through her usual process, one of the exercises yields a disturbing anonymous note: “The baby-killer is going to strike again. Soon.” No matter how puzzling she finds this, Issy is bound by confidentiality, so any enquiries must be subtly made.
She eventually happens upon some information about a case of the kidnap and death of a newborn baby that caused a sensation in the town some twenty-five years earlier. But could that killer still be around? Did it happen the way everyone seems to believe? Who has written the note? And why? And is Dean saying less that he knows?
Issy is made even more aware of the unpopularity of her husband’s mission by a series of minor harassments, but when it is revealed that the police have received a letter implying a threat to a baby, related to the hospital review process, she wonders if she should fear for her son’s, and her own, safety. She’d like to return to Melbourne, but there’s a very good reason she cannot.
In her therapy group, she has five women from disparate backgrounds with different issues but who are intimately connected to and part of the complex weave of the town, and not yet ready to be completely candid about their lives.
It’s a small community that is a little pressure cooker of emotions and ambitions and resentments, set on the boil by Dean’s review. Issy hears conflicting versions of events: “I tried to make sense of this – but it felt like I had two different jigsaws and the pieces had all been thrown together.”
Buist expertly depicts the dynamics and the claustrophobic feel of a small outback community where word spreads at lightning speed and everyone knows everyone else’s business, has an opinion on every issue, a conspiracy theory about every event. And where secrets and blackmail fester.
Buist’s expertise in the psychiatric field is apparent on every page, her characters have depth and appeal, and her plot is filled with misdirection and red herrings and enough twists to warrant a warning about whiplash injury as Issy tries to uncover what really happened all those years ago, and how it relates to the present day. A degree of patience with Issy’s guesswork is rewarded with an exciting climax and an absolutely stunning resolution that even the most astute reader will have trouble predicting. A brilliant read!
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Text Publishing
June 4, 2020
3and a half stars. This was a tense psychological thriller, the ending is especially good.
Set in a small NSW country town, Isabel is an outsider who arrives with her husband who’s basically doing an audit on the local hospital. She is a psychologist and a new mother and asked to run a mother’s group for some local new mothers with their own issues. The story draws a lot from all the natural fears of mothers which are familiar to all of us.
The mysterious death of a baby in the past hangs over the town and casts the “long shadow” on the present. There’s an undercurrent of threat throughout and until the end you’re not really sure where it’s coming from. I really didn’t like Dean and some of the other characters were a bit one dimensional but overall a good read.
Set in a small NSW country town, Isabel is an outsider who arrives with her husband who’s basically doing an audit on the local hospital. She is a psychologist and a new mother and asked to run a mother’s group for some local new mothers with their own issues. The story draws a lot from all the natural fears of mothers which are familiar to all of us.
The mysterious death of a baby in the past hangs over the town and casts the “long shadow” on the present. There’s an undercurrent of threat throughout and until the end you’re not really sure where it’s coming from. I really didn’t like Dean and some of the other characters were a bit one dimensional but overall a good read.
June 28, 2020
Australia is developing a real 'rural noir' genre and this sits with them. Issy (Isabel) Harris is a psychologist who finds herself uprooted from Melbourne while her husband Dean investigates the viability of a small town hospital in regional New South Wales.
When a local GP hears of Issy's qualifications he arranges for her to run a therapy group for some new mothers in the area that he feels could use some psychological support. Issy herself is the mother of a toddler and dealing with her own anxiety problems.
It soon becomes apparent that Issy and Dean are very unwelcome and small threats and disturbances start to cause Issy some alarm. Is it personal against her or her husband who is seen as a threat to the community hospital?
I found this hard to put down. My only beef is around the easy access people seemed to get to medical records (working in this department myself) which I know is not the case.
Thank you Text Publishing for the paperback that I won, I am happy to recommend this as a 'good one'!
When a local GP hears of Issy's qualifications he arranges for her to run a therapy group for some new mothers in the area that he feels could use some psychological support. Issy herself is the mother of a toddler and dealing with her own anxiety problems.
It soon becomes apparent that Issy and Dean are very unwelcome and small threats and disturbances start to cause Issy some alarm. Is it personal against her or her husband who is seen as a threat to the community hospital?
I found this hard to put down. My only beef is around the easy access people seemed to get to medical records (working in this department myself) which I know is not the case.
Thank you Text Publishing for the paperback that I won, I am happy to recommend this as a 'good one'!
October 29, 2020
Three and a half stars.
Isabel moves to the outback town of Riley with her husband Dean. He has been called in to investigate the regional hospital and see if it should be closed down. Issy, a psychologist decides to start a mother and baby therapy group. With her own guilt over a past experience of nearly losing the now two year old Noah, she feels she may be able to help other young mothers with their parenting. On the first day of the group sessions she receives an anonymous note saying.’ The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon.’ On investigations she learns that a baby had been killed twenty five years earlier. Could it happen again? Is there anything she can do to prevent it? And is this and the series of harassments that occur a threat to her and Dean’s child?
The description of the area was so well done I knew exactly which town the writer had based it on. And was pleased to see in the acknowledgments that I was right. The politics and interactions of small country towns are well conveyed, though I have to say I didn’t find Isabel particularly likable. Her group is made up of five very different women from different backgrounds and circumstances and ages. It takes a while for them to even consider opening up too much about their lives and parenting issues. With a number of characters introduced early on it took me a little while to work out who was who, so had to consult the cast of characters and their families in the front.
As far as I was concerned the story tends to drag with the mother and child therapy group. However the tempo really ramps up towards the end. The story takes several twists and turns and a few red herrings , as events come to a head. Not sure I was convinced by the ending. It felt rushed and there were a couple of points where character’s actions throughout the story didn’t ring true. However in many ways, it is an interesting read, and I was glad I read it. Those who like crime fiction set in Aussie country towns should enjoy it. But have to say, after a couple of dark and tense books, it is definitely time for this reader to move onto something lighter.
Isabel moves to the outback town of Riley with her husband Dean. He has been called in to investigate the regional hospital and see if it should be closed down. Issy, a psychologist decides to start a mother and baby therapy group. With her own guilt over a past experience of nearly losing the now two year old Noah, she feels she may be able to help other young mothers with their parenting. On the first day of the group sessions she receives an anonymous note saying.’ The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon.’ On investigations she learns that a baby had been killed twenty five years earlier. Could it happen again? Is there anything she can do to prevent it? And is this and the series of harassments that occur a threat to her and Dean’s child?
The description of the area was so well done I knew exactly which town the writer had based it on. And was pleased to see in the acknowledgments that I was right. The politics and interactions of small country towns are well conveyed, though I have to say I didn’t find Isabel particularly likable. Her group is made up of five very different women from different backgrounds and circumstances and ages. It takes a while for them to even consider opening up too much about their lives and parenting issues. With a number of characters introduced early on it took me a little while to work out who was who, so had to consult the cast of characters and their families in the front.
As far as I was concerned the story tends to drag with the mother and child therapy group. However the tempo really ramps up towards the end. The story takes several twists and turns and a few red herrings , as events come to a head. Not sure I was convinced by the ending. It felt rushed and there were a couple of points where character’s actions throughout the story didn’t ring true. However in many ways, it is an interesting read, and I was glad I read it. Those who like crime fiction set in Aussie country towns should enjoy it. But have to say, after a couple of dark and tense books, it is definitely time for this reader to move onto something lighter.
May 28, 2020
Thanks to Text Publishing for a copy of this great book by Anne Buist to read and review.
This book was a real page turner with many twists and the truth doesn't come out until the very end.
Isabel Harris moves to the small town of Riley, Australia, with her husband, as he is sent here to investigate the workings of the local hospital. She decides to use her skills as a psychologist to set up a mother- baby therapy group.
Upon arriving they are meet with threats to leave or else.
A previous baby kidnapping from the same hospital brings up fears throughout the town as new threats are issued against babies.
Politics, blackmail, and ethics all come into play in this book as well as the lengths people will go to to keep secrets.
I really enjoyed Isabel's character and the role she played in getting to the bottom of the town's mysteries.
Overall a well written book which I enjoyed and hope others do too. I will look to read Anne's books in the future.
This book was a real page turner with many twists and the truth doesn't come out until the very end.
Isabel Harris moves to the small town of Riley, Australia, with her husband, as he is sent here to investigate the workings of the local hospital. She decides to use her skills as a psychologist to set up a mother- baby therapy group.
Upon arriving they are meet with threats to leave or else.
A previous baby kidnapping from the same hospital brings up fears throughout the town as new threats are issued against babies.
Politics, blackmail, and ethics all come into play in this book as well as the lengths people will go to to keep secrets.
I really enjoyed Isabel's character and the role she played in getting to the bottom of the town's mysteries.
Overall a well written book which I enjoyed and hope others do too. I will look to read Anne's books in the future.
October 20, 2022
The Long Shadow is a stand-alone rural thriller by Australian forensic psychiatrist and author, Anne Buist. The audio version is narrated by Gail Knight. Psychologist Isabel Harris is in the NSW outback town of Riley (very much temporarily, she reassures herself) with her two-year-old son Noah and her accomplished corporate trouble-shooter husband, Dean, while he sorts out the administration problems at the local district hospital. This alone ensures that not all the townsfolk will welcome them with open arms.
Barely a week since leaving Melbourne, she is running, with less preparation than ideal, a mother-baby therapy group for five women, some of whom seem to be attending under sufferance. As they work through her usual process, one of the exercises yields a disturbing anonymous note: “The baby-killer is going to strike again. Soon.” No matter how puzzling she finds this, Issy is bound by confidentiality, so any enquiries must be subtly made.
She eventually happens upon some information about a case of the kidnap and death of a newborn baby that caused a sensation in the town some twenty-five years earlier. But could that killer still be around? Did it happen the way everyone seems to believe? Who has written the note? And why? And is Dean saying less that he knows?
Issy is made even more aware of the unpopularity of her husband’s mission by a series of minor harassments, but when it is revealed that the police have received a letter implying a threat to a baby, related to the hospital review process, she wonders if she should fear for her son’s, and her own, safety. She’d like to return to Melbourne, but there’s a very good reason she cannot.
In her therapy group, she has five women from disparate backgrounds with different issues but who are intimately connected to and part of the complex weave of the town, and not yet ready to be completely candid about their lives.
It’s a small community that is a little pressure cooker of emotions and ambitions and resentments, set on the boil by Dean’s review. Issy hears conflicting versions of events: “I tried to make sense of this – but it felt like I had two different jigsaws and the pieces had all been thrown together.”
Buist expertly depicts the dynamics and the claustrophobic feel of a small outback community where word spreads at lightning speed and everyone knows everyone else’s business, has an opinion on every issue, a conspiracy theory about every event. And where secrets and blackmail fester.
Buist’s expertise in the psychiatric field is apparent on every page, her characters have depth and appeal, and her plot is filled with misdirection and red herrings and enough twists to warrant a warning about whiplash injury as Issy tries to uncover what really happened all those years ago, and how it relates to the present day. A degree of patience with Issy’s guesswork is rewarded with an exciting climax and an absolutely stunning resolution that even the most astute reader will have trouble predicting. A brilliant read!
Barely a week since leaving Melbourne, she is running, with less preparation than ideal, a mother-baby therapy group for five women, some of whom seem to be attending under sufferance. As they work through her usual process, one of the exercises yields a disturbing anonymous note: “The baby-killer is going to strike again. Soon.” No matter how puzzling she finds this, Issy is bound by confidentiality, so any enquiries must be subtly made.
She eventually happens upon some information about a case of the kidnap and death of a newborn baby that caused a sensation in the town some twenty-five years earlier. But could that killer still be around? Did it happen the way everyone seems to believe? Who has written the note? And why? And is Dean saying less that he knows?
Issy is made even more aware of the unpopularity of her husband’s mission by a series of minor harassments, but when it is revealed that the police have received a letter implying a threat to a baby, related to the hospital review process, she wonders if she should fear for her son’s, and her own, safety. She’d like to return to Melbourne, but there’s a very good reason she cannot.
In her therapy group, she has five women from disparate backgrounds with different issues but who are intimately connected to and part of the complex weave of the town, and not yet ready to be completely candid about their lives.
It’s a small community that is a little pressure cooker of emotions and ambitions and resentments, set on the boil by Dean’s review. Issy hears conflicting versions of events: “I tried to make sense of this – but it felt like I had two different jigsaws and the pieces had all been thrown together.”
Buist expertly depicts the dynamics and the claustrophobic feel of a small outback community where word spreads at lightning speed and everyone knows everyone else’s business, has an opinion on every issue, a conspiracy theory about every event. And where secrets and blackmail fester.
Buist’s expertise in the psychiatric field is apparent on every page, her characters have depth and appeal, and her plot is filled with misdirection and red herrings and enough twists to warrant a warning about whiplash injury as Issy tries to uncover what really happened all those years ago, and how it relates to the present day. A degree of patience with Issy’s guesswork is rewarded with an exciting climax and an absolutely stunning resolution that even the most astute reader will have trouble predicting. A brilliant read!
May 26, 2020
The Long Shadow is an atmospheric, tense psychological thriller from Australian author Anne Buist.
While her husband, Dean, is contracted to investigate the financial viability of the community hospital in Riley, a small town in NSW’s far west, psychologist Isabel Harris has arranged to run a therapy group for struggling new mothers. At the end of her first session one of the women anonymously submits a note: The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon.
Tensions rise as Isabel attempts to make sense of the warning. She quickly learns the missive refers to the unsolved abduction and murder of a newborn from the community hospital twenty five years earlier, a tragedy that casts a long shadow over the town. But is the note a warning aimed at one of the women in her group, or a threat to the safety of her own toddler son?
As this well crafted mystery slowly unravels, Buist explores a number of themes including family dysfunction, motherhood, racial and class tension, corruption, and addiction. I was easily ensnared by the anxiety and tension the author generated with skilful plotting, interesting characters and a close, evocative atmosphere.
The novel is populated with an array of complex characters, the most notable being Isabel and the diverse group of five women in her care, which includes the sister of the murdered infant, a police officer, an immigrant recovering from postnatal psychosis, the daughter of the local union organiser, and the wife of the town’s wealthiest family, all of whom reflect the tension that simmers within the small community. Isabel hopes that by developing an understanding of the group dynamic, she will be able to prevent another tragedy.
The rural setting of The Long Shadow, several hours from the nearest regional city, gives rise to feelings of claustrophobia. Riley is not a town that welcomes outsiders, and there are locals who resent Dean’s investigation who are not above using petty harassment and veiled threats as intimidation tactics. The sense of isolation is particularly heightened for Isabel who needs to be mindful of professional distance and is unable to seek solace in her strained marriage.
With a timely twist few would be able to guess, the story concludes with a burst of heart stopping violence and a deadly secret revealed. The Long Shadow is a gripping, entertaining and smart thriller.
While her husband, Dean, is contracted to investigate the financial viability of the community hospital in Riley, a small town in NSW’s far west, psychologist Isabel Harris has arranged to run a therapy group for struggling new mothers. At the end of her first session one of the women anonymously submits a note: The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon.
Tensions rise as Isabel attempts to make sense of the warning. She quickly learns the missive refers to the unsolved abduction and murder of a newborn from the community hospital twenty five years earlier, a tragedy that casts a long shadow over the town. But is the note a warning aimed at one of the women in her group, or a threat to the safety of her own toddler son?
As this well crafted mystery slowly unravels, Buist explores a number of themes including family dysfunction, motherhood, racial and class tension, corruption, and addiction. I was easily ensnared by the anxiety and tension the author generated with skilful plotting, interesting characters and a close, evocative atmosphere.
The novel is populated with an array of complex characters, the most notable being Isabel and the diverse group of five women in her care, which includes the sister of the murdered infant, a police officer, an immigrant recovering from postnatal psychosis, the daughter of the local union organiser, and the wife of the town’s wealthiest family, all of whom reflect the tension that simmers within the small community. Isabel hopes that by developing an understanding of the group dynamic, she will be able to prevent another tragedy.
The rural setting of The Long Shadow, several hours from the nearest regional city, gives rise to feelings of claustrophobia. Riley is not a town that welcomes outsiders, and there are locals who resent Dean’s investigation who are not above using petty harassment and veiled threats as intimidation tactics. The sense of isolation is particularly heightened for Isabel who needs to be mindful of professional distance and is unable to seek solace in her strained marriage.
With a timely twist few would be able to guess, the story concludes with a burst of heart stopping violence and a deadly secret revealed. The Long Shadow is a gripping, entertaining and smart thriller.
May 10, 2020
3 3/4 rounded up. For this genre, quite long, but very well done, up to the ending...I feel a series coming on!
June 9, 2020
I was torn between 3★ and 4★ for this novel, but in the end decided on 3★ as the first part of the book dig drag for me, and I was slightly over whelmed by all of the phycho-analysis.
However the story did develop, and turned into a page turning thriller, with a twist at the end which I had only partially suspected. If only more of the book had been like this.
There wasn't really that much character development, but do you always need that, no you don't. One thing I was mystified by though was the lack of care/interest that the lead character, Isabel, had for her husband while he was in hospital, this didn't ring quite true to me.
A good solid book, and I look forward to reading another thriller by Anne Buist.
I was given a copy of this novel by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
However the story did develop, and turned into a page turning thriller, with a twist at the end which I had only partially suspected. If only more of the book had been like this.
There wasn't really that much character development, but do you always need that, no you don't. One thing I was mystified by though was the lack of care/interest that the lead character, Isabel, had for her husband while he was in hospital, this didn't ring quite true to me.
A good solid book, and I look forward to reading another thriller by Anne Buist.
I was given a copy of this novel by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2020
An absolute edge-of-the-seat read. I've loved every one of Anne Buist's novels and this one didn't disappoint. I finished it in the one sitting and promptly went back to page one to work out how she managed to build the tension with what seemed like effortless ease.
The setting is as much a character in this pressure-cooker small-town Australian thriller. Buist's ability to convey character and emotion through an economical turn of phrase shines here as she starts us off with a cracker of an opening and then introduces us to a cast of characters that felt so real they could have walked right off the page.
The way rural Australia is represented here through the fictional Riley feels incredibly authentic, and it could have easily been any of the towns I've lived in over the years. I was particularly impressed with how the book features the various class, social and racial divides as a part of the plot without a hint of romanticisation.
This one will be a re-reader for me. An absolute masterclass in Australian crime writing.
The setting is as much a character in this pressure-cooker small-town Australian thriller. Buist's ability to convey character and emotion through an economical turn of phrase shines here as she starts us off with a cracker of an opening and then introduces us to a cast of characters that felt so real they could have walked right off the page.
The way rural Australia is represented here through the fictional Riley feels incredibly authentic, and it could have easily been any of the towns I've lived in over the years. I was particularly impressed with how the book features the various class, social and racial divides as a part of the plot without a hint of romanticisation.
This one will be a re-reader for me. An absolute masterclass in Australian crime writing.
August 25, 2020
Small town murder mystery from long ago. Bit interesting, bit convoluted. So many characters. I liked the parenting group sessions.
March 13, 2021
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Past crimes bubble to the surface in the latest psychological fiction tale from Australian author Anne Buist. The Long Shadow is a dark and agonising story of the internal conflicts present in a rural community in New South Wales.
The Long Shadow closely follows the life of psychologist Isabel Harris, a newcomer to the small Australian outback town of Riley. Isabel, her husband and family have recently moved to the regional base of Riley, where Isabel has gained employment as a psychologist. One of the roles Isabel finds she is responsible for is a new mother and baby group. Meanwhile, Isabel’s husband Dean is charged with the task of investigating the possible closure of the local hospital. This couple face an uphill battle in assimilating into the tight knit community of Riley. Things become even harder for the newcomers when Isabel’s first day in her new job sees her encounter a shocking baby killer threat. Unfortunately, this is just the start of a number of conflicts this family unit faces as they try to settle into Riley. While the motivation for this threat is unclear, Isabel and Dean know they must watch their backs.
Anne Buist is an established Australian author of three novels featuring Forensic Psychiatrist, Natalie King. Buist has also co-authored Two Steps Forward, a novel penned in collaboration with her husband Graeme Simsion. The Long Shadow is her latest stand alone crime release.
Buist’s representation of the small NSW regional community of Riley is a positive feature of this book. Buist opens the ‘acknowledgements’ section of her novel by stating that Riley is a fictional composition, but it is based on a town named Nyngan, in the Dubbo area. This was an interesting fact to discover, as I felt the whole way through this novel that Riley was brushed with plenty of realism. Buist managed to capture the small-town mentality that often defines these outback locales. I felt that everyone in Riley knew each other’s business, they were a pretty judgmental bunch, but they also pulled together when needed. The focus family in question are clearly outcasts to begin with, but we observe their gradual assimilation, which was presented well.
The Harris family are our guides for the bulk of the novel. Isabel Harris was a protagonist who often had me at odds and I’m still not sure if I agreed or warmed to her character. The Long Shadow features a variety of other characters to contend with, who provide a good dose of conjecture to the unfolding tale. Plenty of page time is devoted to the women of lead protagonist Isabel’s therapy group, allowing the author to draw on her past experiences in the field of psychiatry. I did feel this area of the novel was very authentic and insightful. The core mystery around the past death of baby over two decades earlier is presented in a slow burn approach. However, I did find I struggled with the pacing of The Long Shadow.
The Long Shadow is a book that considers the weight of secrets and lies. With themes of acceptance, identity, belonging and compliance the latest release from crime thriller specialist Anne Buist is worth investigating.
*I wish to thank Text Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Long Shadow is book #17 of the 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge
Past crimes bubble to the surface in the latest psychological fiction tale from Australian author Anne Buist. The Long Shadow is a dark and agonising story of the internal conflicts present in a rural community in New South Wales.
The Long Shadow closely follows the life of psychologist Isabel Harris, a newcomer to the small Australian outback town of Riley. Isabel, her husband and family have recently moved to the regional base of Riley, where Isabel has gained employment as a psychologist. One of the roles Isabel finds she is responsible for is a new mother and baby group. Meanwhile, Isabel’s husband Dean is charged with the task of investigating the possible closure of the local hospital. This couple face an uphill battle in assimilating into the tight knit community of Riley. Things become even harder for the newcomers when Isabel’s first day in her new job sees her encounter a shocking baby killer threat. Unfortunately, this is just the start of a number of conflicts this family unit faces as they try to settle into Riley. While the motivation for this threat is unclear, Isabel and Dean know they must watch their backs.
Anne Buist is an established Australian author of three novels featuring Forensic Psychiatrist, Natalie King. Buist has also co-authored Two Steps Forward, a novel penned in collaboration with her husband Graeme Simsion. The Long Shadow is her latest stand alone crime release.
Buist’s representation of the small NSW regional community of Riley is a positive feature of this book. Buist opens the ‘acknowledgements’ section of her novel by stating that Riley is a fictional composition, but it is based on a town named Nyngan, in the Dubbo area. This was an interesting fact to discover, as I felt the whole way through this novel that Riley was brushed with plenty of realism. Buist managed to capture the small-town mentality that often defines these outback locales. I felt that everyone in Riley knew each other’s business, they were a pretty judgmental bunch, but they also pulled together when needed. The focus family in question are clearly outcasts to begin with, but we observe their gradual assimilation, which was presented well.
The Harris family are our guides for the bulk of the novel. Isabel Harris was a protagonist who often had me at odds and I’m still not sure if I agreed or warmed to her character. The Long Shadow features a variety of other characters to contend with, who provide a good dose of conjecture to the unfolding tale. Plenty of page time is devoted to the women of lead protagonist Isabel’s therapy group, allowing the author to draw on her past experiences in the field of psychiatry. I did feel this area of the novel was very authentic and insightful. The core mystery around the past death of baby over two decades earlier is presented in a slow burn approach. However, I did find I struggled with the pacing of The Long Shadow.
The Long Shadow is a book that considers the weight of secrets and lies. With themes of acceptance, identity, belonging and compliance the latest release from crime thriller specialist Anne Buist is worth investigating.
*I wish to thank Text Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Long Shadow is book #17 of the 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge
October 13, 2020
Set in a small rural town in Australia, The Long Shadow by Anne Buist is an intriguing mystery.
Psychologist Isabelle Harris, her husband Dean and toddler Noah are temporarily living in a town on the verge of dying out. Dean is examining the small hospital amid rumors he plans to shut it down. While he works long hours, Isabelle is in charge of a mother's group with five women from the local community who are struggling a bit with motherhood. Sophie Barclay is married to the son of a prominent family and she is a little high strung. Róisín Reardon is the oldest person in the group and she dearly loves her daughter but she leaves most of the childcare duties to her husband. Zahra Souri is still struggling in the aftermath of her hospital stay for postpartum psychosis. Kate McCormack loves her daughter but she is an emotionally distant mum. Teagan Moretti is still pregnant and wants nothing more than to be a good parent to her unborn child. From different walks of life and socio-economic backgrounds, there are tensions and resentments between the women that Isabelle works hard to push aside during their weekly meetings. The first gathering is off to an inauspicious start due to the worrying note that a baby's life might be in danger. With a still unsolved murder of a baby from twenty-five years ago, Isabelle takes the warning seriously.
Isabelle is used to uprooting her life as she follows Dean from city to city. However, this latest move is the first time they have been sent to such an isolated town. Isabelle has her own difficulties as a parent and she still experiences anxiety over Noah's safety. Their temporary home is isolated and she is a little jumpy since Dean works late into the evening. The stress she is experiencing highlights the problems in their marriage and Isabelle is hoping they will work through their issues.
Isabelle reports the note to the local police but she is a little dissatisfied with their response. She quietly begins researching the town and the earlier kidnapping and death of the baby. Despite her growing unease after some worrisome events, Isabelle refuses to stop trying to find answers as she becomes concerned that someone in her group might be a target. When her worst fears are realized, she frantically tries to unearth the truth.
The Long Shadow is a clever mystery with a very atmospheric setting. The characters are well-drawn and the small town vividly springs to life. The community's struggle to survive and the residents' worries about the fate of the hospital result in fraught confrontations. Isabelle and the women in the group each make considerable progress over the course of their sessions. Although the storyline is interesting, the pacing is a little uneven. Despite a few unanswered questions, Anne Buist brings this engaging mystery to a twist-filled, mostly satisfying conclusion. Fans of the genre will enjoy this well-written mystery.
Psychologist Isabelle Harris, her husband Dean and toddler Noah are temporarily living in a town on the verge of dying out. Dean is examining the small hospital amid rumors he plans to shut it down. While he works long hours, Isabelle is in charge of a mother's group with five women from the local community who are struggling a bit with motherhood. Sophie Barclay is married to the son of a prominent family and she is a little high strung. Róisín Reardon is the oldest person in the group and she dearly loves her daughter but she leaves most of the childcare duties to her husband. Zahra Souri is still struggling in the aftermath of her hospital stay for postpartum psychosis. Kate McCormack loves her daughter but she is an emotionally distant mum. Teagan Moretti is still pregnant and wants nothing more than to be a good parent to her unborn child. From different walks of life and socio-economic backgrounds, there are tensions and resentments between the women that Isabelle works hard to push aside during their weekly meetings. The first gathering is off to an inauspicious start due to the worrying note that a baby's life might be in danger. With a still unsolved murder of a baby from twenty-five years ago, Isabelle takes the warning seriously.
Isabelle is used to uprooting her life as she follows Dean from city to city. However, this latest move is the first time they have been sent to such an isolated town. Isabelle has her own difficulties as a parent and she still experiences anxiety over Noah's safety. Their temporary home is isolated and she is a little jumpy since Dean works late into the evening. The stress she is experiencing highlights the problems in their marriage and Isabelle is hoping they will work through their issues.
Isabelle reports the note to the local police but she is a little dissatisfied with their response. She quietly begins researching the town and the earlier kidnapping and death of the baby. Despite her growing unease after some worrisome events, Isabelle refuses to stop trying to find answers as she becomes concerned that someone in her group might be a target. When her worst fears are realized, she frantically tries to unearth the truth.
The Long Shadow is a clever mystery with a very atmospheric setting. The characters are well-drawn and the small town vividly springs to life. The community's struggle to survive and the residents' worries about the fate of the hospital result in fraught confrontations. Isabelle and the women in the group each make considerable progress over the course of their sessions. Although the storyline is interesting, the pacing is a little uneven. Despite a few unanswered questions, Anne Buist brings this engaging mystery to a twist-filled, mostly satisfying conclusion. Fans of the genre will enjoy this well-written mystery.
May 31, 2020
I was very lucky to receive a copy of “The Long Shadow” from Text Publishing by the renowned perinatal psychiatrist, Anne Buist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Isabel is a psychologist with a history of her own, moving to the small fictional town in rural NSW with her husband, Dean, sent to review the local hospital. Isabel’s own story is filled wit twists and turns, and sadness that she is still working through. Yet she tries to put this aside to support a local mother-baby group in the town of Riley. Isabel is patient and knows how to massage each of the mothers to open up, which adds to the mix of town politics, aggression towards newcomers, local histories, and the death of a baby 25 years earlier. The detail of the expertise the author has in this area is evident in her writing and the development of the novel and characters, especially so in the creation of Isabel.
The book didn’t follow the usual trail of following breadcrumbs with a final twist. There were several dead ends in this labyrinth that made Isabel and the reader question everything and everyone. Isabel, Dean and Noah’s backstory was intricately woven into the novel as well, and without that glimpse into her own character, the development of her own back story as a psychologist wold have seemed cliched. The by-line on the cover “old crimes cast long shadows” is perfectly fitting for this story: the actions of the past created so may long-term unintended consequences that were not to be underestimated. This town and its residents tried so hard to neatly cover up any possible negative effects that could have resulted from their detrimental actions, from the hospital mismanagement (and Jeannie’s coffee at the hospital café!), to the Moretti tragedy.
I am very grateful to have received this novel to read, it was wonderful and I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for Australian fiction to dive into.
The book didn’t follow the usual trail of following breadcrumbs with a final twist. There were several dead ends in this labyrinth that made Isabel and the reader question everything and everyone. Isabel, Dean and Noah’s backstory was intricately woven into the novel as well, and without that glimpse into her own character, the development of her own back story as a psychologist wold have seemed cliched. The by-line on the cover “old crimes cast long shadows” is perfectly fitting for this story: the actions of the past created so may long-term unintended consequences that were not to be underestimated. This town and its residents tried so hard to neatly cover up any possible negative effects that could have resulted from their detrimental actions, from the hospital mismanagement (and Jeannie’s coffee at the hospital café!), to the Moretti tragedy.
I am very grateful to have received this novel to read, it was wonderful and I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for Australian fiction to dive into.
July 23, 2022
This read brought to the fore that my incapacity to abandon books is problematic. It was, regrettably, one of the worst books I have read in years.
The plot is tenuous at best. There are too many, mostly superficial characters with confusing motivations. The protagonist, a psychologist, shifts between empathy and offensiveness at a whiplash-causing rate. In one paragraph, she speaks to the utility of doctor-patient confidentiality - the following paragraph, she interferes with a baby to take a DNA swab without consent. Her interest and role in the town happenings that purport to tie the narrative together are barely plausible. Entire scenes shift and characters appear with little to no transition. The author (a psychiatrist) drops in clinical evidence and medical terminology in a way that is not organic.
These problems are only made worse by the fact that the book attempts to tackle serious themes including postpartum depression and psychosis, infant death and injury, childhood trauma, incest, alcoholism and indigenous issues.
The plot is tenuous at best. There are too many, mostly superficial characters with confusing motivations. The protagonist, a psychologist, shifts between empathy and offensiveness at a whiplash-causing rate. In one paragraph, she speaks to the utility of doctor-patient confidentiality - the following paragraph, she interferes with a baby to take a DNA swab without consent. Her interest and role in the town happenings that purport to tie the narrative together are barely plausible. Entire scenes shift and characters appear with little to no transition. The author (a psychiatrist) drops in clinical evidence and medical terminology in a way that is not organic.
These problems are only made worse by the fact that the book attempts to tackle serious themes including postpartum depression and psychosis, infant death and injury, childhood trauma, incest, alcoholism and indigenous issues.
May 7, 2020
The Long Shadow is a gripping thriller by one of my favourite Australian authors, Anne Buist.
In this page turner thriller, Anne once again draws brilliantly on her expertise in mother-baby psychiatry to explore character flaws and a myriad of complex relationships.
The women in her therapy group are part of the small town community where word spreads like wildfire, everyone has an opinion and gossip and secrets are rife. Anxiety, resentment and fear are ever present - just below the surface. The drama twists and turns with every page. My favourite part is a suspense filled chase in the dark - but there are no spoilers here - read it for yourself.
Anne's clever use of misdirection and suspense makes this a thriller not to be missed - a great read!
In this page turner thriller, Anne once again draws brilliantly on her expertise in mother-baby psychiatry to explore character flaws and a myriad of complex relationships.
The women in her therapy group are part of the small town community where word spreads like wildfire, everyone has an opinion and gossip and secrets are rife. Anxiety, resentment and fear are ever present - just below the surface. The drama twists and turns with every page. My favourite part is a suspense filled chase in the dark - but there are no spoilers here - read it for yourself.
Anne's clever use of misdirection and suspense makes this a thriller not to be missed - a great read!
December 15, 2020
Set in a once lively now tarnished, small town in the Australian outback, which was fun to read with the slow pace of the town setting the scene for a supposed quick business stay for Isobel and Dean. Dean is assessing whether to close the hospital when Isobel is thrown into a decades old mystery that has haunted the town. Despite her mother’s group counseling groups which she runs very few will open up about what really happened all those years ago. At first undecided, Isobel can’t look away and the tension and twists build to a dramatic, unexpected ending that kept me reading as I JUST HAD TO KNOW!
July 30, 2020
Been looking forward to reading this novel but it just wasn’t for me. I found the mother’s sessions a bit long winded and just too many character’s to get to know at the beginning would have been better if they unfolded a bit slower instead of all at once. A very slow burning book. I prefer something that moves along a bit faster. The ending was nicely done!
May 11, 2020
I highly recommend this book, it was so gripping I couldn’t put it down.
Have read all four of Anne Buist’s crime novels and they just keep on getting better & better. Looking forward to the next one.
Have read all four of Anne Buist’s crime novels and they just keep on getting better & better. Looking forward to the next one.
May 7, 2020
An interesting Australian crime novel, set in a small country town. Lots of twists and turns to keep you on your toes. I enjoyed following this story to find out who the original baby killer was and who wanted Teagan out of the way. Isobel, the main character, is a complex person with her own issues, which adds to the whole build up of tension. I also liked the satisfying ending that wrapped up all the loose threads.
May 19, 2020
Enjoyed this
June 8, 2020
The Long Shadow is an Aussie thriller set in the small country town of Riley. We follow a physiologist Isabel, a recent transplant to Riley who runs a mother’s group for new mums. Each mother has their own story and family that make up part of this mystery. When a letter is sent about a baby being murdered much like what happened in Riley years before that things start to unravel.
I gave this one three stars, whilst I really enjoyed the country setting of this book and the small town characters I felt the pacing a little slow and the ending definitely left me feeling like it wasn’t really resolved.
However I absolutely loved Tegan and thought her character was a bit of a bright spark in this book. I really enjoyed the way Anne Bruist brought together a community of different backgrounds and gave them all a part in this mystery. Whilst it’s not a new holy grail book for me I think it was still engaging and I definitely wanted to know how it all panned out.
Thanks so much again to Text Publishing for the copy of this book
I gave this one three stars, whilst I really enjoyed the country setting of this book and the small town characters I felt the pacing a little slow and the ending definitely left me feeling like it wasn’t really resolved.
However I absolutely loved Tegan and thought her character was a bit of a bright spark in this book. I really enjoyed the way Anne Bruist brought together a community of different backgrounds and gave them all a part in this mystery. Whilst it’s not a new holy grail book for me I think it was still engaging and I definitely wanted to know how it all panned out.
Thanks so much again to Text Publishing for the copy of this book
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