A Shadow on the Lens is a historical thriller set in 1904 Wales written by Sam Hurcom.

The main character is a forensic photographer who investigates a gruesome murder. This is an atmospheric, suspenseful and well-researched story and would appeal to fans of Gothic horror, crime fiction and historical mysteries

This historical murder mystery drew me in with its stunning cover and great description. A photographer assisting the police has come to a quaint Welsh village to help the police to uncover a potential murderer.

I had high hopes for this story but found the protagonist, Bexley, intensely dislikeable and the other characters felt one-dimensional. He went around in a state of delirium flinging accusations whilst repeatedly reminding others he wasn't an inspector. The photography aspect of the story was minimalistic too. Given the title, I was expecting more focus on the paranormal and photography side of the mystery, unfortunately, this was glossed over.

In the end, this book didn't feel very gothic and I was not too fond of the writing style which seemed to tell rather than show.

I received an ARC of this book from TBC/net galley in exchange for a review.

The year is 1904 and Thomas Bexley is the world’s first forensic photographer. His expertise is called upon when a young girl, Bestand Tilny, is brutally murdered and her remains are staged in a chilling way. It is up to Bexley to document the grizzly murder and ensure justice can be served.

I was initially excited to get started on this book. The premise of the first CSI was interesting and fascinating. However, as the plot dragged on, mainly concentrating on how ill our poor protagonist feels, I lost utter interest.
The author escapes many of the more technical details by reassuring the reader “he won’t bore us with the detail” and we are back to poor Thomas feeling sick. The book is written in form of a diary, so entirely told from the main character’s perspective.
I honestly I did not manage to find a single likeable character.
I did like the scene settings, the descriptions of the village, the woods and church.
The plot itself is imaginative, with interesting elements of crime, horror and the supernatural but, for me, the tedious description of poor Thomas’s inflictions took away a lot from the overall story.

Thank you Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for this book
This is not my usual type of book but it sounded really interesting and different. From the start I couldn't put it down. It was so different to what I would normally read. The characters were believable and the story was different. If I had one whinge I would have liked more forensic detail (that is why I have given it a 4 stars rather than 5 but that is my opinion only) but it was so interesting anyway.
I would definitely recommend this and my husband is now reading it!

The writing, in the form of Thomas Bexley's memoir and diary, is very reminiscent of newspaper writing styles of the time, the style of 'educated' men, and feels authentic. I find it difficult to read that style as it's often over-wrought, but Sam Hurcom does a fine job of making it readable while remaining authentic to the time.
The atmosphere developed in the diary entries is creepy and the sense of madness, mischief and misdirection palpable. Seriously, even before they got to the dead body photography, I was creeped out. The stench of death was real as I read. It becomes tense within the first couple of days charted in the memoir/diary. I had a constant feeling of 'I want to know what happens next, but I also don't want to look.' I was very worried for Thomas Bexley's safety.
I thought I knew who the murderer was, but I was wrong. It was a masterly piece of misdirection. I devoured the second half of the novel in three hours, the time passed in the blink of an eye. I don't think I moved the whole time other than to turn the page.
Brilliantly atmospheric piece of supernatural/historical crime fiction.

When a forensic photographer is called to investigate the brutal death of a young woman in a small town in turn-of-the-20th-century Wales, he gets far more than he bargained for. No one wants Thomas Bexley there, which is not very surprising. But far more unexpectedly, he falls violently ill as soon as he arrives. He struggles through his sickness to look into what happened to Betsan Tilney and develop his photographs of her body and the crime scene. Do the photos reveal something more sinister than a "simple" murder, or is Thomas just losing his mind?

"A Shadow on the Lens" blends my favorite genres, historical fiction and suspense thriller, quite well. I was fascinated by the idea of a book set in the early days of forensics and forensic photography. This book really delivered on that front. I enjoyed the layers of suspense involved. There is more than just murder in this book; there is corruption. And there is a tinge of paranormal activity, which I don't normally go for. But it was interesting to try and figure out whether Thomas was being haunted by Betsan or was just hallucinating in his delirious state. I won't tell you which, but I will say the story arc and ending were a bit of a surprise.

I received an advance digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thomas Bexley is eagerly engaged in a nascent industry. As a forensic photographer, he is asked to attend an isolated village in Wales, Dinas Powys, to look into the disturbing death of young Betsan Tilny.

What sends Bexley to Dinas Powys, and the events that unfold when he arrives, echo the very best of the suspenseful and the macabre. There is something of the horror classic The Wicker Man, as well as the more contemporary League of Gentlemen, in the introverted locals, the claustrophobic town and the seeming presence of ritual sacrifice.

Hurcom adeptly crafts an original story from a melting pot commonly found in the genre- claustrophobia, superstition and tension abound- so masterfully that ‘’A Shadow on the Lens’ reads like the work of a far more experienced writer. It fits in neatly with the new breed of atmospheric fiction from the likes of Laura Purcell , as well as older fiction (if you enjoyed Elizabeth Von Arnim’s ‘Vera,’ for example, you’ll surely enjoy this), but with an exciting, individual voice.

A Shadow on the Lens is a Historical Fiction Mystery AND Horror book. Whilst you may be thinking that could be too much, I found it to fit into all three easily, and the book was really well written to fit each genre.

Thomas Bexley is a forensic photographer back when this field was just starting, and has been given privileges by Scotland Yard to investigate scenes. This is why he’s arrived in the small village of Dinas Powys in rural South Wales – to take investigative photos of a murder. The book starts off slow to explain all this and to set up Thomas’s life.

I loved the little town Hurcom writes about as it feels so real and immersive. After reading up, I found that this is where the author lives, which must be why it’s so well written. But the small village vibes of the close knit community coming together to not talk to the authorities felt very authentic. Everyone knows everyone in these kinds of communities – so why would they ever think it could be anyone but an outside to commit the crime?

Because of the murder mystery in a small town – it also felt very Midsomer Murders (does anyone outside the UK get this reference??) but with a slight supernatural and darker edge to it. It gets to a point in the book where the entire village, people, and situation are eerie and creepy. It starts moving into a more Women in Black-esque horror mood.

Bexley struggles to get through this case as he starts getting visions and hallucinations and gets extremely ill halfway through. But when a Storm means he can’t contact anyone outside the town, he must continue. Bexley being ill could mean he’s an unreliable narrator for part of the story, which can affect what you think at the end of the book. I found Hurcom left this quite open for readers’ interpretation though!

Overall the story itself is creepy and gripping but the pace of the book wasn’t the best. It can be quite slow at times and sometimes you’re not sure if it will start to pick up. This meant for me it took me a while to read it as I often read before bed (so I was falling asleep reading a LOT instead of reading until the early hours…).

The mystery is mainly around the death of Betsan Tilny, however the book explores the circumstances that lead up to her death too. Despite not being an actual character we interact with, we learn about her backstory and life through other people in the book. I really enjoyed that she wasn’t just a victim and her story was very involved despite the focus being on Bexley.

Positives of A Shadow on the Lens
Character depth
Murder mystery
Negatives of A Shadow on the Lens
Can be a bit slow

I thought this was quite an interesting gothic novel, and a good first book for this author.

Thomas Bexley is a forensic photographer who goes into a small village in Wales to photograph the body of a young woman (and crime scene) who was murdered there, at the turn of the last century. What he finds in the village is a lot of superstition and rumours. It is his job to determine who is lying to him and who is just scared, amongst other things. The villagers are a strange lot and there are lots of undercurrents.

I have to admit, I thought that considering this man was a forensic photographer, he was also taking on roles that weren't his, in investigating this crime. The language used throughout this book, however, really set the scene and I felt like I was actually in 1904.

There were a few things that seemed kind of strange, and didn't make a lot of sense but all in all this was a solid book with some genuinely eerie and terrifying bits! The ending was abrupt, I think an epilogue would have been really good.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

The shadow in the lens by Sam Hurcom.
A very good read. I'm not a fan of historical books but I did like this one. My favourite part was the cellar. Creepy. Thomas was my favourite character. Eerie and spooky too. I had tingles all up my arms reading this. And the ending creepy. 5*.

A gothic crime novel with a hint of the supernatural this is a dark and creepy read which had me hooked right from the start. Set in a Dinas Powys, a sleepy Welsh village near Cardiff where the locals all stick together, in 1904 Thomas Bexley one of the first forensic photographers is called to the village following a death. Betsan Tilny a young local girl has been found dead in the woods. Thomas feels uneasy in the village and feels he is being watched and that the villagers are hiding something. Then to add to his unease when he develops his photographs of the body and crime scene he sees a shadowy face in the background, but can it really be Betsan Tilny?
This book has a unique storyline and is a very atmospheric read. It has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and the characters are all intriguing. In a village where everyone seems to have something to hide and with spooky things happening Thomas’s character is intent on uncovering what happened to the young Betsan.
This is an absorbing gothic thriller which I could not put down and I kept thinking about the novel long after I had finished it. I definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more by Sam Hurcom.

A gothic style thriller set in 1904. Forensic photographer Thomas Bexley is called to the small village of Dinas Powys in Wales to investigate the horrific murder of a young girl. There he comes across suspicious minds and silent villagers who are not anything away, plus there appears to be some sort of presence. 👻

This story did take me quite a while to get into the swing of things, but I enjoyed it once I did. It’s a slow burner and the style of writing is very pertinent to the era it’s set in. It’s atmospheric and creepy with a hint of the supernatural. Thomas Bexley is an interesting narrator and I thought he really grew into his character by the end of the tale. I liked him! There’s an intriguing plot with a few twists and turns which kept me turning the pages. It did have me wondering what on earth was going on at times, but it all came together quite nicely by the conclusion of the book.

All in all an absorbing and gripping historical mystery and debut. I look forward to reading further work by Sam Hurcom.

Let me start by saying that the book cover is absolutely beautiful.
I thought the premise was intriguing and I loved the start of the journey and arrival in the village, the old fashioned writing style, the building-up of a bit of atmosphere, slowly introducing the villagers and the murder case - who doesn’t love an old fashioned Victorian whodunnit in a village full of weirdos and strange going-ons?
I felt it lost its stride a bit in the middle part with a major plot point being oh so obvious to everyone apart from the main protagonist, who is after all meant to be an investigator extraordinaire, with sharp observational skills, and a huge amount of experience... Sherlock Holmes he is clearly not.
However, the story gets eventually back on track, revealing the sinister village secrets one by one. It’s conclusion maybe a little predictable, and the last twist a little twee, but I found it atmospheric enough to pick up a second Bexley instalment should there be one.
I also think with its descriptive style it probably makes a wonderful audiobook.

An interesting whodunnit written very much in the style of the early 20th century writer. I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would when I first picked it up. I think it is because the style was such a refreshing change from modern books. Recommended.

It is 1904 & forensic photography is in its infancy. Thomas Bexley has made something of a name for himself by helping Scotland Yard with their inquiries & so is sent to Wales to investigate the gory death of Betsan Tilsley. From the moment he arrives in the village he is struck by how much the inhabitants seem to mistrust him. The Councillor is unhelpful & the village constable incompetent. Struck down with a fever soon after his arrival it seems everything is conspiring against Bexley.

This sounded a really interesting premise for a book. Unfortunately I found it an uninspiring read. I couldn't warm to any of the characters, I found the narrator particularly irritating. I was engaged enough to finish the book but as far as I was concerned, the best bit of this book was it's cover! Thanks to THE Book Club Reviewer's Group, Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book. I would rate it a 2.5- the cover raised it to a 3!

This was an intense and full out read that had some moments that were slow burning in how they dealt with the moment. The main character, Thomas. was written really well and he reminded me of a Dr Watson type figure due to this being a journal of his time investigating a crime. The horror aspect was okay but i would say it was more thrilling than horror as i was never scared but more creeped out. This had some beautiful imagery in this and i would read more from this author.

There was one thing that stood out above all else in Sam Hurcom’s debut novel and that was its atmosphere. From the time his character, Thomas Bexley stepped off the train and arrived in the sleepy Welsh village, Dinas Powys, Hurcom’s narrative was hauntingly bleak and dark as menace lingered, before it rose to the surface,

Bexley was one of those characters who oozed confidence, sure of his skills and abilities in photographing and solving the crimes he investigated, until events and illness eroded his grasp on reality and made him question his actions and reasoning. His spiralling descent into what could only be described as halucinatory madness was superbly described by Hurcom as his narrative ran riot, and your imagination whirled into overdrive.

The village characters he encountered from the stammering local Constable Vaughan and Councillor Cummings to Betsan’s mother and the addled mind of the General, propelled you into a world of mystical beliefs, and a tangled web of lies and deceit.

Who did we belief, whom had things to hide, who was the murderer and would Bexley reign supreme and furnish us with the answers and bring the culprit to justice? Hurcom didn’t make it easy for Bexley or for us, clues were littered throughout, and often led to dead ends, our theories dashed and a quick rethink required before all was revealed in a dramatic and thrilling last few pages.

What I loved most about A Shadow On The Lens was not just the intricate plotting or the interesting characters, but the wonderfully vivid narrative. The scene setting was brilliant and at times, chilling, one particular scene in the crypt of a derelict village church was the stuff of nightmares. It was unhurried, careful and subtle, allowed your own imagination to run wild, the emotions and determination of Bexley always at the forefront. It was a novel that perplexed, that intrigued was hugely enjoyable and am hoping we shall see the return of Mr Thomas Bexley.

https://lynns-books.com/2019/09/12/a-shadow-on-the-lens-by-sam-hurcom/
3.5 of 5 stars
Shadow on the Lens is a period murder mystery set in the Edwardian Era. The turn of the 19th century saw many changes and swept in a new age of discovery. Forensic photography was a very new area of police work and one that was proving invaluable in the solving of crimes. This is still an age of superstition though and science and the supernatural are battling for supremacy – surely though the camera doesn’t lie?

As the story begins we meet Thomas Bexley as he travels to a small town in South Wales to provide assistance in an inquiry into the death of a local woman. Betsan Tilny is the victim, a young woman of apparently questionable virtue although nobody seems to be able to quite say why or pin down exactly what she has done to incur such dislike. The village seems to be in the grip of hysterical superstition and nobody appears overly anxious to have a newcomer poking around and awakening things that are best left undisturbed. As you might imagine this doesn’t exactly make things easy for Bexley, he struggles with the surly innkeeper, the local Councilman – Cummings – who is in charge of showing him around – and also the locals who are incredibly reluctant to be drummed up for questioning. On top of this Bexley comes down with a violent illness that makes his job twice as difficult and becomes so severe that he can barely function.

What I enjoyed about this. The period and attention to detail. I like reading murder mysteries in this historical period where detecting was at its inception and inspectors had to rely more on intellect and gut feelings. I think the author manages to create a really almost claustrophobic atmosphere of small town mentality which makes any detecting that much more difficult as people conspire to obstruct the course of justice. I liked that there were a few red herrings going on along the way and the sense of atmosphere which was overall dark and gloomy, the ominous forest, the dark rooms in the Inn and the positively gothic horror scene at the crypt.

The writing was good to be honest but I’m not totally sure that it worked for me. The tale is told by Bexley in the form of his notes, which he obviously tries to keep in the style of a police report. I don’t know whether it was the style in which Bexley reported things or whether it was Bexley himself. I can’t quite decide. He’s not always the easiest to like character, it’s not that he particularly does anything wrong as such but it felt like he started his investigation on the wrong footing, he was expecting it to be too easy, that he’d simply walk in, solve the case and everyone would be astounded. On top of that, for me, there was at least one aspect of this that immediately occurred to me and once it had got inside my head I couldn’t shake it loose, I won’t say why because it would be a spoiler but in some ways I felt a little disappointed that I’d second guessed things. Which isn’t to say I didn’t jump around a little, I wasn’t completely sold on my noton and I followed the red herrings just like Bexley, plus I had no real notions of the whys and wherefores just a wild theory more than anything else

I enjoyed that the investigation was hampered by superstition. I thought the scenes in the forest really added to the overall creep factor that really came to a head when Bexley finally went to examine the body in the crypt.

In terms of criticisms. I didn’t totally like Bexley, which isn’t to say I wouldn’t like to read more, but at this time I’m not completely bowled over by him. And, I thought the ending felt a little rushed – although I did really like the final chapters. On top of this it felt like the story was held back a little by Bexley’s illness, it felt like it overwhelmed the story a little bit too much.

Overall, an entertaining murder mystery with a hint of the supernatural.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

A Shadow On The Lens by Sam Hurcom is a deliciously dark and creepy gothic style novel that gets under your skin from the very first page. There is an underlying sense of menace running throughout the book that sends shivers up and down your spine. It put me very much in mind of classic novels such as The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, as the author skilfully takes you on a terrifying journey of discovery that will both shock and horrify you.

It’s the story of Thomas Bexley, one of the first forensic photographers, who is called to the sleepy and remote village of Dinas Powys to investigate the murder of sixteen year old Betsan Tilny, whose body has been found bound and horribly burnt. But it quickly becomes apparent that all is not as it seems and the murder scene has been staged. As the strange case unfolds, Thomas is struck down by a mysterious illness and, in his fevered state, becomes increasingly aware of a presence watching him. With the villagers reluctant to help, all Thomas has to go on are his own gut instinct and the photographic plates of both the crime scene and Betsan’s mutilated body that he develops in the cellar of his lodgings at the local Inn. There, to his shock and horror, he sees a face hovering around the body of the dead girl – the face of the victim herself, Betsan Tilny.

The remote Welsh village of Dinas Powys is brought vividly to life, with the strange and secretive villagers all adding to the sense of fear and foreboding as Thomas tries to uncover the truth behind Betsan’s murder. From the moment he sets foot in the village and meets Councillor Robert Cummings, Thomas is filled with a sense of unease. As he becomes gripped by fever this feeling increases and he begins to see and hear things he knows cannot possibly be true. Is it his illness distorting the truth? Or is the ghost of Betsan Tilney really there watching him as he tries to solve her murder?

A Shadow On The Lens is a fabulously compelling, dark and atmospheric tale that’s full of mystery and suspense, with a spooky supernatural element that will get your heart racing and send icy cold shivers down your spine. The use of forensic photography, still in its infancy at the time this book was set, is a subject I find fascinating and I loved the parts of the book that dealt with this important advance in technology.

The creepiness of the dark cellar as Thomas developed the photographic plates is a part of the book that will stay with me. Heartstoppingly terrifying and the stuff nightmares are made of. Chilling!

Sam Hurcom has written an impressive historical fiction debut that once started I could not put down. The perfect book to read on a cold, dark winters night, especially as we edge ever closer to Halloween. A dark and scary read that I would highly recommend.

Set in 1904 this novel looks at the beginnings of forensic photography. Thomas Bexley has been sent to a small village in Wales to take photographs of a murder scene and to photograph the victim's remains. The victim is a young woman, Bestan Tilny, Thomas finds himself peeling away the layers of secrecy surrounding the death and dealing with superstitions held by many in the village.

This dark, atmospheric crime novel, features an investigator who is an unreliable narrator, a cast of characters who are wary about opening up to an outsider. A great historical crime novel.