Shadow House
Extraordinarily tense and deliciously mysterious, Anna Downes's The Shadow House follows one woman's desperate journey to protect her children at any cost, in a remote place where not everything is as it seems.
A HOUSE WITH DEADLY SECRETS.
A MOTHER WHO'LL RISK EVERYTHING TO BRING THEM TO LIGHT.
Alex, a single mother-of-two, is determined to make a fresh start for her and her children. In an effort to escape her troubled past, she seeks refuge in a rural community. Pine Ridge is idyllic; the surrounding forests are beautiful and the locals welcoming. Mostly.
But Alex finds that she may have disturbed barely hidden secrets in her new home. As a chain of bizarre events is set off, events eerily familiar to those who have lived there for years, Alex realizes that she and her family might be in greater danger than ever before. And that the only way to protect them all is to confront the shadows lurking in Pine Ridge.
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Community Reviews
Author Anne Downes follows up her debut work, The Safe Place, with another story about a woman looking for a safe place to call home.
This time the woman is Alexandra Ives, a thirty-seven-year-old single mother. As the story opens she is just arriving at a temporary new home in the quiet ecovillage of Pine Ridge. She has escaped a bad relationship, the salient details about which Downes gradually reveals in succeeding chapters, with her two children in tow: fourteen-year-old Oliver, who is sullen and unhappy about the move, and Kara, just eight months old. Their residency gets off to a rocky start when, before Alex has even begun unloading their belongings from the car, she finds a box on the porch of their new residence. It contains the remains of a dead bird. Alex begins to panic, questioning her decisions and choices that have led her to the unconventional community where they are scheduled to live for three months on a trial basis designed to reveal whether the ecovillage is a good fit for her and her family, as well as their neighbors. Recognizing that she must hold herself together for the sake of her children, Alex regains her composure, telling herself that everything will work out in this new environment. With that opening scene, Downes deftly tells her readers a great deal about Alex. She is desperate -- only a person with no other viable options would remain in a place that is so inhospitable from the very start. She is determined and resolved, as demonstrated by the way she quietly disposes of the box in a nearby trash receptable, and protective of her children, as evidenced by her relief that she kept Ollie from seeing the parcel. And Alex's fresh start is off to a very rocky beginning.
As Alex works to settle into the close-knit Pine Ridge community, she meets the other residents. They are an eclectic group, ranging from other mothers of teenagers with whom she instantly bonds, to an environmental scientist, a botanist, an architect, a physician, and the perpetually grumpy Maggie. One of the first residents of Pine Ridge, Maggie makes her feelings about newcomers known. Jenny, an older woman who lives in the adjacent downstairs unit, is gaunt, thin, but friendly. She seems frail and because she always wears headscarves, Alex wonders if she is undergoing treatment of some sort. Jenny lives alone, and not only offers Ollie an old television, but offers to babysit when needed. Alex leans on her for support, friendship, and childcare. She also finds herself drawn to the community's charismatic founder, Kit. He's a handsome younger man who asks Alex a lot of questions about her background but reveals little about his own.
In subsequent chapters, Downes alternates Alex's first-person narrative with a story told from the perspective of Renee, who lived in the abandoned house that remains on the Pine Ridge property. Shortly after arriving in Pine Ridge, Alex is informed that a family lived on the land and operated a flower farm, but their son disappeared years ago and was never found. The missing boy is the subject of a dark legend that is intensified by the foreboding presence of the empty, dilapidated-looking farmhouse that stands in the distance. In fact, Alex catches a glimpse of the old witch who is said to wander the neighborhood, telling the children that they must be good or monsters will arrive and take them away. Through the narrative focused on Renee, Downes reveals how she and her husband, Michael, took differing approaches to dealing with their troubled son, Gabriel. Michael wants the almost sixteen-year-old to help him around the farm in the same ways that Michael worked with his father. But Gabriel grows increasingly withdrawn, secluding himself in his room, playing video games and refusing to even emerge to eat dinner with his family. It is all Renee can do to make him attend school. She is horrified when she discovers the depth and manifestations of Gabriel's emotional struggles. A string of increasingly disturbing and frightening events, beginning with the discovery of the decapitated family cat in a box on the porch, culminated in Gabriel's disappearance six years ago.
Now Alex fears that the same fate will befall Ollie, but she is intent on protecting her son, whose behavior at school was one of the reasons for their relocation to Pine Ridge. Alex has moved numerous times, always opting to run when things got tough, but as Ollie makes new friends, especially the lovely Violet, and looks forward to attending the local school, he makes it clear that he is tired of moving and wants to remain in Pine Ridge for the foreseeable future. Despite her desire to make Ollie happy, Alex cannot ignore what she believes are warnings from someone or something that she and her children are in danger. The events are unfolding as the children say the witch describes them, and they always lead to a tragic conclusion: a missing child. But who is behind the effort to frighten Alex and make her believe that her son is in danger? Why is Ollie being targeted? Is there anyone in Pine Ridge that she can trust? Could the events unfolding be connected to Stuart, the abusive man she left who has now gone missing, too?
The Shadow House is a cleverly engrossing mystery. Downes hints at supernatural elements and dark forces as Alex undertakes a risky investigation into what is really happening in the communal Pine Ridge development. Downes expertly employs misdirection, injecting clues that fail to yield revelations and making several characters potential suspects, only to deliver a shocking conclusion that showcases her intricately-constructed plot. Downes explores the challenges of parenting a child with emotional issues in the age of hypnotic video games and other electronic devices, as well as the difficulties inherent in parenting without a partner. Her setting is key to the story's effectiveness, and Downes' prose makes Pine Ridge, along with her characters, come alive. Her cast of supporting characters is fascinating and well-developed, as are the two key female characters. Both Alex and Renee learn that they are stronger than they ever thought they could be, and running away from problems never really solves them. They both are protective mothers, but flawed human beings, who must learn to stand on their own, rather than in the shadow of a man who is no match for their inner strength. And both find the truth. Even though it leaves one of them "broken in ways she'd never imagined possible," it also provides both a path to peace for her and a satisfying conclusion to the story.
The Shadow House is an inventive tale of secrets, betrayals, and a shattered family whose tragic history looms over and threatens to destroy Pine Ridge and its new residents. It is a tense but surprisingly touching story, replete with unpredictable twists, and compelling and memorable characters.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
This time the woman is Alexandra Ives, a thirty-seven-year-old single mother. As the story opens she is just arriving at a temporary new home in the quiet ecovillage of Pine Ridge. She has escaped a bad relationship, the salient details about which Downes gradually reveals in succeeding chapters, with her two children in tow: fourteen-year-old Oliver, who is sullen and unhappy about the move, and Kara, just eight months old. Their residency gets off to a rocky start when, before Alex has even begun unloading their belongings from the car, she finds a box on the porch of their new residence. It contains the remains of a dead bird. Alex begins to panic, questioning her decisions and choices that have led her to the unconventional community where they are scheduled to live for three months on a trial basis designed to reveal whether the ecovillage is a good fit for her and her family, as well as their neighbors. Recognizing that she must hold herself together for the sake of her children, Alex regains her composure, telling herself that everything will work out in this new environment. With that opening scene, Downes deftly tells her readers a great deal about Alex. She is desperate -- only a person with no other viable options would remain in a place that is so inhospitable from the very start. She is determined and resolved, as demonstrated by the way she quietly disposes of the box in a nearby trash receptable, and protective of her children, as evidenced by her relief that she kept Ollie from seeing the parcel. And Alex's fresh start is off to a very rocky beginning.
As Alex works to settle into the close-knit Pine Ridge community, she meets the other residents. They are an eclectic group, ranging from other mothers of teenagers with whom she instantly bonds, to an environmental scientist, a botanist, an architect, a physician, and the perpetually grumpy Maggie. One of the first residents of Pine Ridge, Maggie makes her feelings about newcomers known. Jenny, an older woman who lives in the adjacent downstairs unit, is gaunt, thin, but friendly. She seems frail and because she always wears headscarves, Alex wonders if she is undergoing treatment of some sort. Jenny lives alone, and not only offers Ollie an old television, but offers to babysit when needed. Alex leans on her for support, friendship, and childcare. She also finds herself drawn to the community's charismatic founder, Kit. He's a handsome younger man who asks Alex a lot of questions about her background but reveals little about his own.
In subsequent chapters, Downes alternates Alex's first-person narrative with a story told from the perspective of Renee, who lived in the abandoned house that remains on the Pine Ridge property. Shortly after arriving in Pine Ridge, Alex is informed that a family lived on the land and operated a flower farm, but their son disappeared years ago and was never found. The missing boy is the subject of a dark legend that is intensified by the foreboding presence of the empty, dilapidated-looking farmhouse that stands in the distance. In fact, Alex catches a glimpse of the old witch who is said to wander the neighborhood, telling the children that they must be good or monsters will arrive and take them away. Through the narrative focused on Renee, Downes reveals how she and her husband, Michael, took differing approaches to dealing with their troubled son, Gabriel. Michael wants the almost sixteen-year-old to help him around the farm in the same ways that Michael worked with his father. But Gabriel grows increasingly withdrawn, secluding himself in his room, playing video games and refusing to even emerge to eat dinner with his family. It is all Renee can do to make him attend school. She is horrified when she discovers the depth and manifestations of Gabriel's emotional struggles. A string of increasingly disturbing and frightening events, beginning with the discovery of the decapitated family cat in a box on the porch, culminated in Gabriel's disappearance six years ago.
Now Alex fears that the same fate will befall Ollie, but she is intent on protecting her son, whose behavior at school was one of the reasons for their relocation to Pine Ridge. Alex has moved numerous times, always opting to run when things got tough, but as Ollie makes new friends, especially the lovely Violet, and looks forward to attending the local school, he makes it clear that he is tired of moving and wants to remain in Pine Ridge for the foreseeable future. Despite her desire to make Ollie happy, Alex cannot ignore what she believes are warnings from someone or something that she and her children are in danger. The events are unfolding as the children say the witch describes them, and they always lead to a tragic conclusion: a missing child. But who is behind the effort to frighten Alex and make her believe that her son is in danger? Why is Ollie being targeted? Is there anyone in Pine Ridge that she can trust? Could the events unfolding be connected to Stuart, the abusive man she left who has now gone missing, too?
The Shadow House is a cleverly engrossing mystery. Downes hints at supernatural elements and dark forces as Alex undertakes a risky investigation into what is really happening in the communal Pine Ridge development. Downes expertly employs misdirection, injecting clues that fail to yield revelations and making several characters potential suspects, only to deliver a shocking conclusion that showcases her intricately-constructed plot. Downes explores the challenges of parenting a child with emotional issues in the age of hypnotic video games and other electronic devices, as well as the difficulties inherent in parenting without a partner. Her setting is key to the story's effectiveness, and Downes' prose makes Pine Ridge, along with her characters, come alive. Her cast of supporting characters is fascinating and well-developed, as are the two key female characters. Both Alex and Renee learn that they are stronger than they ever thought they could be, and running away from problems never really solves them. They both are protective mothers, but flawed human beings, who must learn to stand on their own, rather than in the shadow of a man who is no match for their inner strength. And both find the truth. Even though it leaves one of them "broken in ways she'd never imagined possible," it also provides both a path to peace for her and a satisfying conclusion to the story.
The Shadow House is an inventive tale of secrets, betrayals, and a shattered family whose tragic history looms over and threatens to destroy Pine Ridge and its new residents. It is a tense but surprisingly touching story, replete with unpredictable twists, and compelling and memorable characters.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
Honestly this book was pretty terrible, and is not horror despite the synopsis talking about a house haunted by a dark past and a witch in the woods. I’d say this is more domestic thriller maybe mystery but nothing was scary or fitting of the horror genre.
The story switches between two women, Alex in the present day, who is honestly a very selfish, immature, and annoying mother that’s moved her teenage son and infant daughter to an eco-village to escape her abusive ex that she took way too long to leave. And the other perspective is Renee in the past, who is the wife of the flower farmer who owns the land where the future eco village will go. Renee and her husband also have a teenage son with social issues that goes missing “mysteriously”. It honestly was not mysterious at all and pretty easy to figure out.
As Alex begins to settle into the village she has some mishaps with the locals, and begins getting strange “gifts” much like Renee did prior to her son’s disappearance.
First of all this book was way too long and had plot points that were just left to fizzle out into nothingness. For example Alex’s abusive ex has a huge part in the first half of the novel, texting her, calling her, and eventually she sees him in town and we get a whole paragraph of Alex being so paralyzed by seeing him. She even flies home and starts packing but then we never hear about him again! Poof! He completely disappears from the narrative! Oh that guy? Forget about it, we have this mystery to solve now. There may or may not be a witch in the woods ok?
Along with the messy and boring plot were the characters which were unlikeable and not well written. The reader is supposed to feel bad for Alex who struggles to relate to her teenage son and care for her infant daughter alone but honestly she’s just insufferable. Everything she does is selfish and for her own gain or comfort but she claims it’s all “for my kids”. Ok sure Alex. She’s also a woman hater, talking about the “fit moms” that she couldn’t stand in Sydney because they were focused on fitness and health and she’s just fat and old. Like ok?? It’s not relatable to put other women down, it’s not a good look, it’s giving self hating misogyny. Alex annoyed me so much I looked forward to the chapters from Renee’s perspective even though she was also unlikeable because she did NOTHING and coddled her mentally I’ll son to the point of him being a shell of a human being but it’s ok because she gets him a Go Pro.
So we have a bad plot, bad pacing, unlikeable characters, what else? A stupid pointless romance that makes no sense and adds nothing to the narrative of course! For no real reason the rich owner of the eco village is enthralled with Alex and must have her, despite her constantly talking about how she’s “let herself go” and she’s just “too old” and she’s just one of a dozen middle aged women on the village lusting for the handsome Kit, yes his name is Kit. It was just stupid, really nothing else to say. You ruined your kid’s life by dating some random guy that ended up being abusive so you leave your whole life and start over in an eco village just to do the exact same thing??? Nice. And as previously stated, Alex is horrible she is not interesting she is not unique and she’s not even a good person so why Kit is enthralled with her? No idea. Only reasoning we get is “he thinks he knows her from somewhere” and Alex says similar thing about much like the Ex this possible plot point is left to dissolve into nothingness and has no point.
The only thing that was ok was the writing. The writing is fine, it’s not bad but it’s not noteworthy either, it’s just fine.
Should you read this? No. I have no idea why this book has the ratings it does, because it is not good.
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