Each new novel by Mark Edwards just beats the last one. Reading The Retreat earlier this year, I was convinced he will never be able to deliver better story and here we go again. What an amazingly written thriller, with usual creepiness you get from his stories and jet again he makes you believe unbelievable.

Story follows Jessica’s life after life changing and tragic event, losing her sister Isabel in incident at her home. 4 years later, Jessica’s daughter Olivia is going through hard time at school and her behaviour becomes very strange, creepy at times. She seems to know about her aunt Isabel’s life, who she never met, more than she has ever been told by anyone. Is her aunt trying to tell her something from beyond the grave? Pass on the message? Was her death just an accident or was there more behind?

Don’t we all just love guessing and trying to work out what is going on in the book? All the ‘facts’ that make you even question your own beliefs. I’m now again convinced In Her Shadow is the best novel by Mark Edwards to date but deep down I know he will bring even better one again in the future. His books never let me down!

You can always rely on number one bestselling author Mark Edwards to write a hugely thrilling, edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster ride, and this book is no exception. There's no doubt that this is destined to become another top seller. I have been a fan for a long time and have read every one of his published works - they are all incredible! If you appreciate psychological thrillers then put this guy at the top of your list. You will not be disappointed!

This book uses one of the well-worn tropes of the genre as its main premise - the inference that you don't know close family and friends as well as you think you do. It leads to a chilling and memorable read that fizzles with kinetic energy as you speed through it! Well written, as always, and with characters that are interesting - you simply want to know more about each of them. As with all of his books, I was immersed from the first couple of pages, it almost felt as though I was living in the same fictional world as the Jessica et al. A large part of the plot involves the supernatural which I wasn't expecting, but it worked very well actually. Following on from that point, there were a few instances where events were simply not believable, but if you can suspend your disbelief about those, this is a fabulous and well-crafted story. Creepytastic and released just before Halloween is an inspired move as this book definitely gives the requires chills and thrills readers are looking for at this time of the year. I wouldn't expect anything less from Mr Edwards!

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book was more of a ghost story that was just too unbelievable for me . Some of the inconsistencies in this book were the idea of a five year old being duped by a teacher assistant at her school.It was too far fetched and unethical. Also so many women being sexually exploited by this photographer and not one having the nerve to expose him in this time of the MeToo movement. Finally the ability of a young Izzy being able to convince her mother and sister of a spirit called Larry was so unrealistic . With websites, Facebook , iPhones etc being a part of this book the ability of young children being able to deceive and convince intelligent adults of physic encounters was not connecting with me.

Another amazing book by Mark Edwards, resulting in another sleepless night for me. This super creepy and haunting thriller touches on many deep subjects, grief, love, paranormal and many more.

When Jessica’s young daughter Olivia starts becoming obsessed in the death of her late aunt Izzy who died in a mysterious accidental fall before she was born, Jessica starts to question whether her sisters death was truly the accident the coroner declared it to be. Was Olivia’s morbid fascination a normal part of being a child or was she communicating with Izzy.
Five very well deserved stars.

I loved many things about this book. The story is gripping and the characters are well-drawn. I felt that I would recognise the main characters if I met them in real life. The cultural references both in the present day and the parts about Izzy’s childhood were spot on. I particularly liked how he drew his female characters as strong and successful. I’m not usually a fan of ghost stories but I like the way Mark Edwards makes them believable but at the same time explicable. A great book.

In Her Shadow by Mark Edwards is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My Synopsis:
Jessie is starting to wonder about her sanity. Her 4-year old daughter seems to be in contact with Jessie’s older sister Izzy, who died 5 years ago. How can Olivia know the things she does? Why is she suddenly obsessed with death, and why does she insist that Izzy had been pushed off the balcony when it had been ruled an accident?

Jessie’s mind travels back to “Uncle Larry”, who haunted them for a while when she was growing up. The poltergeist activity and telephone calls had them so freaked out that her Mom called in a psychic, and the newspaper stories ended up wreaking havoc on all their lives. Jessie thought all that was behind them, but now she is questioning things again.

So was Izzy really murdered? Jessie is going to find out. As she starts trying to question her daughter, she finds some startling information. As she keeps digging, it becomes evident that there is a lot about Izzy's life that she didn't know, and she ends up putting her own life in danger.

My Opinions:
The author told the story from different points of view, including Jessie, and Izzy. In this manner, we found out a little more about their childhood and things that were going on with Izzy for which Jessie knew nothing.

Although I felt it started out a little slowly, it definitely picked up speed – to the point that it was hard to put down. There were a number of twists, and I thought I knew what had happened, but I was pleasantly wrong.

I only wish I had liked the characters a little more. I didn’t particularly like Jessie or Izzy, or Will, (or Olivia for that matter). I think my problem with Izzy was the drugs and booze, but I’m not sure why I wasn’t a real fan of Jessie. I just felt Will was weak, and Olivia was a little bratty. On the other hand, I really liked a few of the secondary characters. Darpak and Nina were great individuals.

On the whole, and as always, Mark Edwards wrote a great story, with a good plot and a lot of twists...with a little creepiness thrown in.

Definitely recommend it.

I have read all Mark Edwards previous books & thoroughly enjoyed them however I was a little unsure about this one initially. It was the hint of paranormal that made me hesitant.
That aside though I’m glad I completed this book as it all seemed to come together in the end.
Already looking forward to Mark’s next offering.
3.5 stars

Mark Edwards does it again. I’m a big fan of his books and this one is possibly his best yet.
I loved the angle of the book and the twists and turns. I thought I’d worked out what was going on but I was wrong.
The main characters are easy to relate to and likeable.
Found the book gripping and easy and quick to read.
A must read

When Mark Edwards publishes a book, I read it. It’s that simple really. He’s an author whose writing I am happy to return to again and again. To prove my point, here are my reviews of Mark’s previous books; Follow You Home, The Devil’s Work, The Lucky Ones and The Retreat. I’ve also read ‘The Magpies’ which started it all for me a few years back. All wonderful, immersive pieces of fiction and highly recommended.

Making a start on Mark Edwards’s latest book is a strangely nerve-wracking experience for me. I have loved everything I have read by this author so far. Will this be the first book to disappoint? Will I love it as much as the others? Well, the answer to those two questions is that it did NOT disappoint but I maybe didn’t love it as much as his previous releases. Let me explain. Once again, Edwards has penned a highly readable, family focussed psychological thriller. What he does best in my opinion. However, this book has an overarching paranormal element to it, and the inclusion of any kind of paranormal ‘activity’ in a novel tends to leave this reader feeling cold. But that’s me. Your feelings on the matter may be completely different to mine and that, I find, is one of the joys of reading, and books in general. Saying that, the paranormal elements to the story were extremely well done and at points I felt shivers run down my spine – particularly in the first half of the book. Little Olivia really did freak me out.

Edwards really knows how to write a fully formed, living, breathing character. I was drawn to Jessica and her deceased sister, Isabel. In fact, I would go as far as saying Isabel was my favourite character in the book. There are wonderful flashback sections throughout so what I’m saying isn’t completely crazy (read the blurb if you’re not sure what I’m talking about). I loved her feistiness, her boundless self-confidence and her ambition. Also her strong sense of right and wrong. Jessica very much pales in her sister’s shadow. Olivia was also a firm favourite, despite the fact she did send shivers down my spine at points. I couldn’t get over how authentic Edwards made her voice.

Would I recommend this book? I would but why recommend one when you can recommend them all! I felt there was a stronger lean towards the ‘women’s fiction’ genre in In Her Shadow which I have nothing against but it’s really NOT my thing. It’s also a little sexy which again, I could have done without. However, Mark Edwards is a supremely talented writer and if you haven’t read any of his books yet then we need to have serious words. A strong family driven thriller which I enjoyed. Recommended.

Four out of five stars.

I chose to read and review an eARC of In Her Shadow. The above review is my own honest unbiased opinion.

Jessica Gardner lost her sister Isabel (Izzy) five years ago to a bizarre freak accident. Since that time she has immersed herself in motherhood doting on her two children Felix and Olivia. The children don't know much about aunt Izzy as they have been spared the details of her death. Felix was rather young at the time and Olivia was not even born yet.

Suddenly Izzy becomes a daily topic of conversation for four year old Olivia. Jessica is bewildered as to how Olivia seems to know details of Izzy's life. Unsettling details of an aunt that she never knew. The thing is nobody has told Olivia about these things and they are extremely accurate. So you can imagine Jessica's further shock when Olivia implies that aunt Izzy was murdered. Is her daughter actually communicating with her dead sister? How else could she knows these things? If she is and it is true that she was murdered, that means the culprit is still on the loose.

Jessica finds herself searching for the truth about her sister and what is going on with her daughter. She begins to question the motives of everyone in her inner circle. Trying to unravel the details of that fateful night her sister lost her life.

I have been hearing so much about Mark Edwards and how fantastic his books are. A truly suspenseful read that kept me wondering what the heck happened to Izzy. I began to wonder if Olivia really did have the power to talk to her aunt. I found myself on edge wondering what Olivia was going to reveal to us next. Would she lead us to the killer? Or was this simply a case of a child repeating things they have heard. Hmmm I going to say no on that. See what you think!

Thank you so much to Mark Edwards, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC.

Jessica's sister, Isabel, “Izzy" died four years ago and Jessica has never doubted the coroner's finding that her sister's death was an accident. But when her four-year-old daughter, Olivia, begins mentioning things, things that only Jessica and her sister knew, Jessica becomes concerned. Is her daughter interested in death because of her age and she is beginning to understand what that means? Is she curious about the Aunt she never knew? As the tension mounts, Jessica begins to wonder if her sister's death was really an accident? How does her daughter know so much about her dead aunt? Is her daughter getting messages from beyond the grave? What was going on in his sister's life leading up to her death?

Mark Edwards has created a creepy psychological thriller that does not disappoint. I questioned what was real and what was not real while reading this book. This book has a feel of dread and apprehension. Are ghosts real? Is Olivia talking to a ghost? How does she know everything she knows? As Jessica becomes more concerned about her daughter, I did as well. As Jessica becomes obsessed with learning the truth, it is easy to feel her emotions, her anxiety, her suspicion, her fears, her concern for her family and her need to know the truth. I came up with several theories and guesses while reading. Edwards does a good job at throwing out some possibilities but keeps the truth just out of the reader's grasp.

I read this book in one day as I was fully invested in learning the truth. There are twists and turns which I did not see coming. There is an interesting, yet plausible reveal at the end. Edwards has created interesting and fully developed characters who are dealing with a lot of issues in this book. The story-line touches on several things such as sex, love, loss, infidelity, grief, the #MeToo movement, trust, guilt, family secrets, lies, relationships, drug use and obsession. There is a paranormal element which I thought he worked flawlessly into the story.

Another solid book by Edwards.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas Mercer and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com

Jessica’s sister, Isabelle, died years ago in what was deemed an unfortunate accident. But was it? Now, years later, Jessica’s young daughter, who never knew her Aunt Isabelle, suddenly knows things about her Aunt that she should have no way of knowing. Things that imply that her death might not have been as accidental as it originally seemed.

This book was a very engaging mix of psychological thriller and paranormal mystery. It kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going on, and if anything was really as it seemed. The is-it-or-isn’t-it paranormal aspect was a pleasant and unexpected surprise.

The book itself alternated between Jessica’s point-of-view in present day, and a couple of other character’s points-of-view from the past to help flesh out what was really going on and full in the missing pieces for the reader.

I must say the book was just a tad predictable at times, but not entirely. Although I was able to put some of the puzzle pieces together before the ultimate reveal, some things still came as a surprise.

Finally, the last quarter of the book did seem to drag on a bit. Once one of the main reveals was done, the last chunk, which I think was meant to be the final unexpected twist, just felt a little anti-climatic and long-winded.

Overall, despite a couple of minor issues, this was a very entertaining and thrilling book. I would recommend to anyone who likes a fast paced thriller with a side of the paranormal!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a free advance review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review appears on GoodReads and my Facebook page, and will be posted to retail sites once published.*

When In Her Shadow first popped up on Netgalley, it didn’t have a cover or a book description. Yet, after just having finished Mark Edwards’ previous book, The Retreat, I jumped at the chance to request it. His psychological thrillers with a slightly paranormal vibe to them are always hugely entertaining.

Four years ago, Jessica’s sister Izzy fell to her death from a balcony at her home. Jessica never questioned that this event was nothing more than an unfortunate accident. Until the day her four year old daughter starts acting a wee bit creepy, seemingly coming up with memories and details about an aunt she’s never known. Was Izzy’s death an accident or was she murdered?

Through a few flashback chapters and Jessica’s search for the truth, the reader discovers that Izzy’s life was, despite appearances, anything but perfect. This is also the point where I got lost a little. There was so much going on, from drugs to infidelity to stalkers, from quite an odd business to the #metoo movement. While it all made sense in the end, there seemed to be quite a lot to try and keep track of.

Even though I was unable to figure out the who or the why, which is always a bonus, In Her Shadow lacked a little something for me. It wasn’t as thrilling as I expected it to be and I felt the chapters dealing with Izzy’s past broke the flow of the story. And while Olivia’s words and actions were a tad creepy, they never quite chilled me to the bone.

Nevertheless, I stayed up way past my bedtime, again, to finish it because that’s just what Mark Edwards does to you. And that’s also why, even though this maybe didn’t quite work for me as well as The Retreat did, I will most definitely be picking up one of his other books in future. Because they are entertaining and enjoyable and they are addictive page-turners. Mark Edwards is a fantastic writer and tells a great story but for me, this thriller needed just that little bit more thrill to it.

This is my least favourite book of Mark Edwards. It's more of a ghost story than a thriller. I prefer the more psychological thriller rather than books about children in touch with ghosts!

Jessica’s sister Isabel had it all, she had a successful business, a stunning house and a husband who adored her. But the. She was dead. Jessica accepted that her sisters death was an accident. It when Jessica’s four year old daughter suddenly seems to know long forgotten details about her aunt and it seems Isabel is trying to tell her that it wasn’t an accident after all.
Did someone murder her sister? Are Jessica and her family in danger? Everything seems to be in the hands of Jessica’s daughter Olivia and now Jessica needs to find out what happened that day.

A very good story with Isabel still being involved by flashback chapters. All of the characters were well developed and every time I thought I’d worked something out I was thrown off again by something else happening. I really enjoyed this creepy psychological thriller and highly recommend it to others.
Many thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy for my honest review.

i’m finding it hard to review this latest offering from mark edwards. ive read his previous books and loved them however, this one i neither loved nor hated. the first half was slow but the second halfway does take a more gripping turn however i didn’t feel it matched his previous books.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another whirlwind of a book by Mark Edwards! It sees Jessica's 4yo daughter Olivia start to mention things that her Aunt Izzy has told her, things that only Izzy and Jessica would know, except Izzy died before Olivia was born, in what police ruled as an accident. As Olivia comes out with more and more bombshells, now about the day that Izzy died, Jessica starts to think that there was more to her sister's death than meets the eye. She starts to re-examine everything from the time of Izzy's death, trying to find out what everyone has missed. Then Olivia starts to make predictions about people and places around her, predictions that start to come true...
And the truth? It's even creepier than you'd imagine...
This is a chilling, gripping suspense novel, as I've come to expect from Mark Edwards. It races out of the blocks and the pace doesn't slacken until the last page. I was, as usual, oblivious to everything going on around me until I'd come to the final conclusion. I recommend this book to all lovers of psychological fiction and domestic suspense.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book very much, thanks for giving me the opportunity to read it.
A sister that died, why did she die. Was she killed, who killed her. Did she jump,from the balcony, why , was she drunk.
Her sister that thinks she has come back as a spirit, and her daughter that talks to her.
Is it true, or is there another reason, Do spirits really come and talk to you, maybe not.
Will not say any more do not want to spoil the book for you.

Isabel's life seemed perfect. A successful business, a beautiful house, an adoring husband.

Isabel and Jessic were sisters. Jessica has two children, Felix and Olivia. Isabel died in a tragic accident. She fell from a balcony at her home before Olivia was born. When Olivia starts misbehaving at school, she tells her teachers that it's her friend Izzy that is making her do these bad things. Jessica is shocked when she learns this, but it seems that Olivia is able to communicate with her dead aunt. Olivia knows things that only Isabel and Jessica knew. So just how is Olivia getting her information? Can she really communicate with the dead? Jessica set out to find out the truth.

The story is told mostly by Jessica's perspective but we also get flashbacks from Isabel. I was totally captivated by this story. With the usual suspects st the top of my list, I still had no idea whether I was right or wrong. The twists just kept coming and it now seems the vital ones I had ignored or did not recognised them as clues. All my thought processes were wrong. I admit, I never saw that end coming. Mark Edwards, you have a wonderful talent in writing. I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author Mark Edwards for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. I only managed to get 27% in before giving up. It was quite slow and I didn't feel very invested in the story.