In Her Shadow by Mark Edwards

37
Written by Norrie

A heart pounding suspense. Literally. Thanks to my new obsession with my Fitbit, I can tell you, my heartbeat was constantly around a 100 while I was reading In Her Shadow. (My resting heart rate is 63. Just sayin’…)

In Her Shadow by Mark Edwards

Genres: Psychological Thriller, Mystery
Published: 4th October, 2018
Goodreads
Series: N/A
Rating: 5

For four years Jessica has never doubted that her sister Isabel’s death was an accident. But when Jessica’s young daughter seems to know long-forgotten details about her aunt’s past, Jessica can’t shake the feeling that there’s a more sinister truth behind the tragedy.
As Jessica unearths disturbing revelations about her sister, and about the people she loved and trusted most, it becomes clear Isabel’s life was less than perfect and that Jessica’s might also be at risk.
Did someone murder Isabel? Are they now after Jessica and her family? The key seems to lie in the hands of a child. Can Isabel reveal the truth from beyond the grave, or is the answer closer to home?

Back in the summer, I introduced my friend to Mark Edwards’ books, and she was instantly hooked. Obviously. So when we found out about In Her Shadows, we decided to buddy read it. Guys, it was so much fun!

I must say, I usually don’t like child characters, neither in books, nor in movies. Four-year-old Olivia, Jessica’s daughter, was no exception either. She annoyed the crap out of me, and honestly don’t know how Jessica remained so kind and patient with her. Mum skills, for sure. I wouldn’t know. Both my friend and I are non-mums, so we had to assume kids at this age have a special talent to great on one’s nerves. Basically they are the perfect character choice for a suspense novel that is supposed to unnerve you.

Olivia seems to be haunted by Aunt Izzy, and the fact that this was not the first time the family experienced this kind of disturbance, puts everyone on edge. The little girl is of course no help, because everything is a secret, and upon further questioning she instantly falls asleep. She knows a great deal about her dead aunt she’d never met, can sing a very obscure Nirvana song, and the scary changes in her behavior freak the whole family out. I don’t know about you guys, but if my kid started talking in riddles, became obsessed with death and turned violent, I’d be on my way to the child psychologist in a heartbeat. Olivia’s teacher doesn’t seem to be concerned though, so everyone goes along with the theory that the child is either possessed by spirits, or she’s a bit of a weirdo.

I loved the way Mark Edwards kept throwing all those little hints around, always keeping me on my toes. Whenever I thought I figured something out, I was either wrong, or only partially right and that truth had nothing to do with anything. Once you jump into this story, buckle up, because there’s no stopping.

Absolutely chilling.

37 Comments

  1. Not sure why that sentence about Olivia falling asleep has made me laugh like that 😀 But now that you mention it that is exactly how she used to behave when questioned haha. And you are so right about everyone just believing in spirits and not getting the kid some help instead. But glad you both enjoyed this one. Great review!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. ❤
      I loved it! 😀 Haha. I'm scared to think of how many parents would actually believe like this (or ignore the kid's problems) rather than ask for help… :/

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  10. Wow! I can’t believe your heart rate actually went up to 100 while reading this one! Sounds super creepy… I’ll be adding it to my TBR. Thanks for the great review once again, Norrie! ♡

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Oooh, yay 🙂 Enjoy! ❤
      One thing that is a plus for this little girl is that the author didn't make her look super mature, which is another thing i often dislike about child characters.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  14. OMG Norrie You sold another Mark Edwards book to me, pls tell me there is no child abuse in this book before safely adding this to TBR ( also, I don’t like reading child characters as well)

    Liked by 1 person

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  16. buddy reads are the best! 🙂
    That fitbit tidbit (ha!) made me laugh a lot- simply brilliant and fantastic proof of a book being good.. now that makes me want to get a fitbit and try that out myself… 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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