Jessica has dealt with the loss of her sister, Isabel, for nearly five years. As the anniversary of loss approaches, questions surrounding the nature of Isabel's death are raised and Jessica's young daughter seems to have some answers....

This was an enjoyable read which kept me guessing until the very end. I kept thinking I had it sorted out and then something popped up telling me otherwise. An intriguing, and even at times spooky, read!

I decided to request an advance reader's copy of this book after finishing The Retreat by Mark Edwards which I found exciting and wanted to analyse his writing in greater depth. He has the ability to combine intense and dramatic moments with hints of paranormal activity in a unique and gripping way and I admire his bravery to incorporate this method in his books as a way of peaking the reader's interest. Unfortunately, I felt that the plot lost focus for me due to the emphasis on the supernatural elements which I think were too excessive here, especially when Jessica's daughter, Olivia, claimed to know the details surrounding Isabel's death without ever having met her. I was impressed with the way Jessica was portrayed as a multilayered character with secrets and regrets but simultaneously I would have liked to explore the other minor characters such as Darpak further.

The other drawback from my perspective was the intense change in pace halfway through the book. It starts off at a relatively slow pace and quickly picks up after one of the many secrets is revealed. I realise that this was perhaps done intentionally to draw the reader's attention back to the main suspects while discarding several others but I also felt that it disrupted the natural flow. Further on this note, I found the ending exhilarating and was kept on the edge of my seat until the last few chapters which I believe was partly due to the fast pace and plot twists disclosed at the very end. Exposing the murderer was a complete surprise and I appreciated the flashbacks leading up to this point to reveal Isabel's killer as a different and fresh writing technique.

Overall, I found this book more difficult to follow and dig into in comparison with The Retreat but liked the fast-paced unexpected ending. If there had been a deeper focus on the characters and less of an emphasis on the paranormal elements from Olivia's perspective I would probably have enjoyed this book more.

Can I just state that I have never really been a fan of paranormal/spiritual novels as I have always found them a bit too farfetched. However, and I cannot believe I am about to say this, 'In Her Shadow' had me leaning more towards the 'ooooooo what if?!' than the 'errrrr how about nah?'. Honestly, I was genuinely surprised by my own reaction to the book! It just goes to show that stepping out of your comfort zone, even if its unintentional, can often be a brilliant experience. This, I am very glad to say, was one of those brilliant experiences. Although I now feel sorry for the author as he has now set the bar incredibly high for himself!!

Jessica is still grieving for her sister, Isabel, who passed away several years prior. According to the paperwork, her death was ruled accidental but Jessica's mother isn't so sure. Is it fair to re-open the case despite the official ruling? Is it fair on the family to bring the devastating event to the surface again? Unfortunately for Jessica and her mother, the day that they lost their beloved sister and daughter comes back to haunt them, and this time it's getting personal....

I need to be very careful with what I say here as I don't want to give anything away - yes, vague, I know! The storyline switches between the past and present, as well as different points of view, one being Isabel's. I was impressed that the different viewpoints on their own didn't complete the puzzle, even though it frustrated me in a good way because I just wanted to find out the truth. 'In Her Shadow' requires you to be patient!

In a roundabout way, I found a few of the situations in the book rather emotional because they involved Jessica's daughter who is very close in age to my own daughter. It was weird as on one hand I was like 'woaahhhhhhhh' to certain things, yet on the other hand I felt my heart-break for the little girl.

For me, the storyline kept getting better and better as it progressed, with the level of suspense going through the roof. I could have sworn I had just eaten a bunch of sawdust - my mouth was that dry from it dropping open!!

I am so, so, SO glad that I was given the chance to read a book out of my comfort zone, one which I may not have picked on my own. Mark Edwards is such a brilliant, gripping author who seems to be in tune with his readers and what it takes to keep them on the edge of their seats. His descriptive, intense, and highly believable writing took me so far out of my comfort zone, it was as though I was in a completely different time-zone - and no, I certainly am NOT complaining!! My only regret where 'In Her Shadow' is concerned, is why I haven't picked up this authors books before now! 

A 'OMG!!!' read which kept my jaw unhinged for a large portion of the book. I am so impressed by what I have read and I absolutely cannot wait to read more from this author, especially now that I have had such a brilliant introduction to his books!!

3.5 stars

This is a frustrating review to write because there’s so much I want to say, but can’t because I don’t want to give anything away.

Jessica has always believed in ghosts, so much so she believed that she was being haunted when she was a child. So when her 4-year-old Olivia daughter starts relaying messages from her deceased Aunt Izzy, Jessica is beyond spooked. Jessica’s sister Isabel died 5 years and her death was ruled an accident. As Olivia continues sharing messages from her dead Auntie, Jessica begins to wonder if her sister’s death was truly an accident. Jessica not only begins to question the cause of her sister’s death, but she also must grapple with whether or not her 4-year-old daughter is psychic. Is Olivia really communicating with her dead Aunt or is someone playing a cruel hoax?

As always, Mark Edwards took me on a journey that I wasn’t quite expecting. I loved the spooky atmosphere of the first half, but the tone changes rather dramatically in the second half of the book. I felt things unraveled in the second half of the book. It didn’t feel as tightly wound as some of his other novels. Edwards usually reels me in, even when the storyline lacks believability, and while I enjoyed In Her Shadow, it was a bit anticlimactic. But I did enjoy the times when Jessica got her revenge and final say.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Mark Edwards for the opportunity to read and review his latest thriller - does not disappoint! 4.5 stars!

As I started reading this book, I thought how appropriate to read a ghost story as we head into the Halloween season. Then this book took twists and turns right out of today's headlines to make it even more relevant.

Jessica and Will are busy raising their two children. Jessica is still mourning the loss of her older sister, Izzy, five years previously. Izzy's death was ruled an accident but the sisters' mom was never convinced of that. Then Olivia, Jessica's 5-year-old daughter, starts channeling Izzy and somehow knows things that only Izzy could know. Is Izzy working through Olivia somehow to avenge her death?

This one was hard to put down and there are so many twists and turns that will have you questioning everyone. A great read!

Another brilliant offering from Mark Edwards, a story that draws you in from the start. The storyline had me very early on, as it touches on a subject that has interested me for a long time. I was keen to find out what was happening next. The characters were interesting and mostly likeable, with a couple of horrid ones thrown in, the type that gives you the creeps. I loved this book and can't wait for Mark's next one. Highly recommended.

A spine tingling addictive psychological thriller. A must read
An amazing thriller. Anyone who loves this genre should read this book

It’s a good day for Mark Edwards fans! Publication day for his latest, eagerly anticipated book, and I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Jessica had always adored her older, glamorous sister Isabel. She preferred to stand back and bask in Izzy’s light until the day Izzy dies in a tragic accident. She inexplicably falls from the balcony at her luxury apartment, leaving her husband, sister and mother heartbroken.

It’s almost 5 years later and as much as Jessica has tried to move on she finds it difficult. She desperately misses her sister, but finds comfort in being a mother to her gorgeous 4-year-old little girl, Olivia, fondly called Livvy. But then Livvy starts behaving a bit strangely, and bizarrely she seems to know things about her Aunty Izzy that she surely couldn’t possibly know.

Jessica is adamant that there must be some rational explanation, but her mother willingly goes along with what she wants to believe: her daughter has returned in the form of her granddaughter. Old family history is dredged up and Jessica is forced to relive so much that she was determined would never resurface.

For those of us who are willing to contemplate the existence of the paranormal and an afterlife, Edwards deals with these topics more than acceptably. I have no doubt that he will also satisfy the sceptics out there, so if you fall into the category of cynics and doubters, don’t disqualify this book too quickly; there’s plenty to suit your appetite here too.

Once again, Edwards has written a book that will keep you awake long into the night – firstly because you won’t be able to put it down until it’s finished, and then once it’s done you’ll be mulling over it for a long time after that. There are certainly many, many questions that will be brought to mind.

4.5 big glittery stars for this one, and as usual, I can’t wait for the next one from one of my favourite authors!

This is a great story.
It leads you one way and when you’re starting to believe the impossible, it’s turned on it’s head.
Jessica is still dealing with the death of her sister, Isabel, so when things start to happen which makes her suspect her death was not an accident, she has to investigate.
The main problem is that it’s her daughter that seems to be receiving clues about her auntie’s death and is becoming more and more troubled by it.
Jessica is soon suspecting those closest to her of terrible things and this leads to a nail biting final few chapters.
This is a great read.
Thanks to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

WOW! I absolutely loved reading this book. It was so well-written and engaging, I was absolutely absorbed in the story from start to finish. I couldn't put it down. Rarely do I rate a book above 3 stars, as it takes a lot to really blow me away. I read a lot, and most of the books touted as "thrillers with a great twist" are pretty anticlimactic and predictable. This book was part ghost story, part murder mystery, and ALL suspenseful and surprising. I had so many doubts about everyone's innocence, and the ending surprised me very much. The imagery was spooky and made me feel paranoid and confused, as intended. I loved Mark Edward's writing and will absolutely be seeking out more of his books! I also loved how the story was told from alternating timelines and points of view, piecing together the puzzle for you as you read. This one is a must-read!

Mark Edwards has a huge fan base and his books inevitably garner hundreds of five star reviews of the “Mark Edwards has done it again!” variety. While I’ve read and mainly enjoyed most of his novels, I think I’m a bit more ambivalent than many, as there were also certain aspects I really didn’t like, to the extent that I’ve on occasion vowed not to read any more. However they’re just so darn readable that I always find myself doing so anyway... so that must tell you something!

In Her Shadow felt like a book of two halves, though it’s hard to expand on that without spoilers. There’s a strong supernatural feel running through it, as Jessica becomes increasingly convinced her sister Isabel, who died in an apparent accident five years earlier, is communicating with her (Jessica’s) four year old daughter Olivia. It certainly seems hard to explain exactly what’s happening to Olivia any other way. Is Isabel really trying to get a message, via Olivia, about what really happened to her? Could Isabel really have been murdered and if so, who is responsible? Literally everybody comes under suspicion....

The plot is far-fetched in the extreme but a very enjoyable read; as I said above, Mark Edwards’ books are always incredibly readable and definitely keep you guessing as to what’s really going on. A good escapist read.

Another winner by Mark Edwards. Immediate one click for this author. Immersive story, every page equally enjoyable.

I had never read a Mark Edwards novel. The name rang the crime bell, of course, but I was afraid the hype would kill the book. You know how seeing someone’s work praised everywhere can create such expectations that despite being good, what you read never entirely fills the shoes it was supposed to.

Still, I took a bet. I mean, look at this cover! And the title? It screams ‘Read me, I’m creepy!’

Creepy. Disturbing. Completely and utterly riveting.

I don’t think I can do In Her Shadow justice. I will try, I will blabber all emotions and thoughts I had while reading, but don’t expect me to make sense. The novel knocked me off my feet. I fell in love, high over heels. I relished the fear. I passionately turned the pages.

Jessica is a mother of two, wife, mother, and sister of deceased Isabel. Yes, this detail is important. If you have already read a few reviews from this blog, you know that I believe that once you’re gone, you’re gone. But… You know the feeling when you are watching X-Files and your brain says ‘no’ but your senses say ‘OMG could it be?’? Well, Mark Edwards reminded me of this beautiful and terrifying truth. We don’t know. I am down-to-earth, so when Jessica’s daughter started saying her dead aunt was around and talking to her, I rolled my eyes.

Once.

I only did it once.

I can’t explain how Mark Edwards managed to rewire my entire system so I could start standing on the fence and rocking back and forth between ‘no way’’ and yes way’!!! The way the author deals with this little fragile girl believing Isabel, someone she has never met, is communicating with her, is freakingly good and had me walk down a path I thought I’d never set foot on.

What if she was telling the truth?

It worked so terribly well for numerous reasons. First of all, Mark Edwards never ever overdoes it. There is just enough information, just enough doubt, like the shadow of something you catch at the corner of your eye. Chilling doesn’t describe it. I couldn’t help but ask for more. I was completely hooked. The narrative skillfully uses the – Oh I hate the word but I’ll use it anyway – ‘supernatural’ side you can meet sometimes in psychological thrillers. It took me by surprise, but I am grateful for it! My heart and mind started to fight, just like our main character, Jessica. She is the second reason why this novel and all its pieces work so well. Jessica hasn’t had the perfect childhood and remains from the past taint today’s events in such a powerful way that you can’t help but be on her side. What kind of mother wouldn’t be worried to see her daughter insisting she is seeing dead people, witness her behavior change, and … predict things that actually happen. I would have been dead cold and might have thought about running far away! But Jessica loves Olivia and believes this is only a four years old’s phase that will pass.

Until unnerving details begin to nag at Jessica and she begins to wonder if her sister’s reappearance means that her death was wrongly deemed accidental. From there, we pull threads of both women’s lives into our hands as the book intensifies and events unfolds with such force that you find yourself looking for answers, wondering, and shivering.

What I loved the most in Mark Edwards’ In Her Shadow is that he never pushes you to believe, he hints, and he stays authentic, real, and his razor-edge brilliant style enhances every feeling, every shadow, every thought so you are fully immersed and completely unable to think of anything else but the truth. Was Isabel killed? Who did it? Why? Is she back? Are Jessica and her daughter in danger? What the hell is going on?

On top of this, you discover the relationship of two sisters (makes me very happy to be an only child!), this of a family torn by lies and secrets, and what it means to be a parent. Remark from Jessica about parenting stayed with me, and her thoughts on how her life turned out and where her freedom has gone made me feel for her more than for anyone else in the book, no matter how well-crafted! Because they all are, and they all sound suspect at one point or the other! I simply loved it.

Did I say I truly enjoyed this novel? Because I did!

I’ll tell you a secret. I usually nibble at something while reading. I did not this time. In Her Shadow was so addictive and filled with secrets tasting like candy that I didn’t need real sugar. I got crime sugar. It is still running in my veins as I am writing this review.

In Her Shadow is one of the best psychological novels I have EVER read. And boy the list of psychological stuff I’ve ingested is long so it tells you something! It combines fears that we can’t control, sprinkles the best kind of chilling suspense on every page, and keeps you guessing until the very last word. I am tremendously happy I jumped into the world of Mark Edwards and I will definitely do it again!

This is another sure winner for Mark Edwards. Jessica's sister Isabel has died in suspicious circumstances. Her four year old daughter, Olivia, appears to be communicating with her aunt from beyond the grave. A chilling psychological thriller which will keep you totally engrossed right from the first page. Not so much a thriller but more of a ghost story, fans will not be disappointed. Thanks to Net Galley for my copy. Reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and Facebook

I love a book that makes me wonder if ghosts, spirits and an after life really do exist and if they do are they stuck here until unfinished business comes to a close? Well it had been four years since Jessica’s older sister Isabel had died in a tragic accident when she fell from the balcony of her home. No-one had seen what had happened, as no-one was there but now Jessica’s daughter is telling a different story about what happened. Aunt Izzy says that a man pushed her!
Oh wow! This felt like a book that was going to play with my mind. Olivia was only just turned four, a spitting image of her dead aunt and one of the youngest in reception class at school, so there was no way that she could know the things she knew about the secrets shared between the two sisters way before she was even born. But she did. Jessica couldn’t let this rest. If someone had killed her sister she wanted to know who and why, she wanted justice but most of all she wanted her little girl back.
The deeper I got into the story the more complicated the dynamics became, things had gone bump in the night a long time ago, when the sisters were young. Their mum was a bit of a believer and a bit of a purvey ghost buster that enters the girls lives leaves a lot to be desired. The story falls back into the past, through quite an array of characters, where the very deceased sister makes some rather surprising mouth dropping moments. After all no-one is just one character, we become different people depending who we are with, mother daughter, lover. Each part of our character is unique to different people we interact with. So we never really fully know a person, even someone really close.
Mark Edwards is one hell of an entertaining story-teller that takes the family next door and bares all. He really made me think about how much we all keep secrets. Jessica becomes quite a super sleuth besides walking on tender egg shells with her daughter. Push too much and little Livvy may retreat just too far inside herself, not enough and she may lose her to Izzy forever. This is a stand alone novel and another riveting read from Mark Edwards.
I wish to thank Midaspr for inviting me to read and review this e-book which I have done honestly.

I'm a bit of a sceptic when it comes to things of the paranormal in real life but when it comes to reading it in fiction, I'm more game. So the thought of Jessica and her family being haunted by her late sister gave me the chills but knowing Mark Edwards, there is always an explanation of the human variety but it's matter of working out who and why.
The author has managed to create a sinister feel to the book with Olivia talking to her dead aunt and the unexplained events that take place in Jessica's life. With young Olivia knowing things that she really shouldn't know, I felt for her mum wanting to know how she knew them. It would make me go out of my mind! For me personally, this is a return to form for Mr Edwards. I got the heebie jeebies as I read the story and as I turned over in my head the events I was learning about.
I love how Edwards slips in references to his other books and characters.  It's subtle and brief but for those who have read his books, it brings a little smile to a fan's face.
Edwards has woven a highly topical tale into a story of bereavement and the search for truth. The story shows that nothing is quite what it seems and to trust no-one!!

Another great read from this excellent author. Solid 4*

This is a story of two sisters, Jessica and Izzy and when glamorous Izzy falls from a balcony at her home, it was ruled an accident, but, was it? Then, when Jessica's daughter, Olivia, begins to talk about things only Izzy knew the tension really begins and Jessica wonders if her sister is speaking to her through her niece?

Mark Edwards weaves a complicated thread that points the finger at the husband / widower and more and I thought I'd sussed it early on, but, he keeps you guessing and the added thrill of a young child who either has special powers, or, the question of is she being manipulated really held my attention.

Another excellent read from this accomplished author.

I'm very grateful to NetGalley and publishers Thomas & Mercer as well as Mark Edwards for the opportunity to preview this fabulous read.

Isabel’s life seemed perfect. Successful business, beautiful house, adoring husband. And then she was dead. In Her Shadow is a gripping tale of family secrets, lies and obsession from the two million copy bestselling author Mark Edwards.

Ooh this was a creepy one... I loved it! I read Mark Edwards' book Follow You Home, there's a similar spooky feel that you get when you read In Her Shadow as you do in Follow You Home. I've only read these two but I can't wait to read his other books!

#InHerShadow #NetGalley
Thanks for this ARC in exchange for my honest review and thanks to Mark Edwards for such a creative story!

Pub Date: 04 Oct 2018 (Tomorrow!!)

I received this book "In Her Shadow" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.
This book has the twists and turns and will keep you guessing throughout. I didn't really care for the storyline though. The book seems to be very popular but just wasn't for me.

Creepy, spooky, gripping, thrilling and haunting. Bloody brilliant. Another belter of a book from Mark Edwards! Another well worthy five stars. A must read! Highly recommend.

Books like this that contain a child as a main character tend to creep me out a little more than they should as children are so cute and innocent (Usually). Poor Olivia! I felt so sorry for everything she went through and had to experienced. Also the family as a whole…

At some point during the story everyone was a suspect! Jessica didn’t know who to trust, who was lying and who was telling the truth. She just wanted answers but things start to go too far and the damage has already been done.

This story will keep the reader on their toes and on the edge of their seat… Wondering, waiting and trying to figure out what did actually happen (I failed badly at that one). So unexpected! A jaw dropper of an outcome and cleverly thought out.

I absolutely loved it, enjoyed every minute of it. Would love to see this turned into a film! Brilliantly written. Fast paced! I am already looking forward to his next book! Mark Edwards has a reputation to keep up with these five star reads. A must buy.