My favorite book is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. This book is a thinly veiled rehash of Rebecca with the exception of the main character’s pregnancy.. The estate, the mystery of the beautiful ,perfect wife, the animosity of the housekeeper are all directly from Rebecca. I don’t know if the author was, in her way, paying homage to du Maurier or subliminally following a Rebecca ‘s storyline....but I resented it.

Review#10 IN HER SHADOW by Kristin Miller and reviewing for Netgalley.
Collen finds the perfect man but discovers that she has some major shoes to fill to match up to his former wife. A fantastic who done it with several suspicious characters. I had this one figured out though. 🌟🌟🌟🌟Four stars.

This book seems like concoction of Rebecca meets Dial M for Murder and I Confess with one pump honey and just a little milk (don’t ask me why I added last two things to the recipe, just read and learn)

But unfortunately the author’s Hitchcockian deadly recipe failed at some parts. Especially too many POVED narration (why the hell we need to read detectives’ narration, too. That’s creepy husband and girlfriend story. I was so afraid of meeting with new POVs as I resumed my reading like asshole cook’s or sneaky maid’s or sexy, six packed gardener’s narrations- Sh*t there is no gardener in this story, I just dreamed him, I shouldn’t take naps during my readings-.) disturbed and confused the hell of me.

And of course at the each narration, one of the characters defines the other one differently. So the characters’ images and traits change like chameleon in your head and you ask yourself: WTH and why are these characters so unlikeable and more punch-able or slap-able?

The summary of the plot is a pregnant young woman’s obsession about disappearance of her lover’s wife. But when you read more, you’re gonna understand that is not true.

The story starts Colleen (the young pregnant woman and ex-secretary) and her lover’s (Michael, workaholic, charismatic and secretive, giving us doubtful, unfaithful vibes and we start the hate the guts of him as soon as we see his acts around Colleen and their future child!) house named Ravenwood. Poor Colleen lives in shoebox kind of apartment and there are only four months to go for her due date. So Colleen takes her maternal leave and Michael brings her to the house where his wife and he were living together till she sent a message to live with her sister in California when she was expecting their baby.

Colleen finds herself this mysterious place and the locked doors Michael insists there is nothing in them to pick her interest but he seems so shady and we know there are so many closets filled with skeletons at those rooms (not literally or could it be? No clue!) So he leaves his girlfriend alone with mean stuff members including aggressive cook and irritating maid who truly worship Joanna (the wife who left Michael or did she really leave?) and disturbing neighbor who also knows so much better about her new house and the past of Michael and Joanna.

And we see Colleen gets manipulated by the maid by applying Joanna’s perfume and wearing her robe which irritates Michael (We are sorry for Colleen from the beginning but isn’t she way too much naïve? Cannot she see the maid truly hates her and she may do whatever it takes to get rid of her!)
Then everything changes when they find the corpse of Joanna, wearing a sacred necklace (interesting, because she is not a religious type!) so we start to think could Michael kill his wife and will he do it the same thing to Colleen because we get some clues from the chapter titles, a dark fate awaits Colleen! There are also many other suspects we’re introduced and all of them seem irritably shady, too.

And we also learn more about Joanna and we find out she is femme fatale and despicable character. (Yes, we added another shameless one to our list)
The ending twist was good, but I didn’t like the way of revelation the author presented us. But I have to admit I didn’t foresee it and it is really well played.

I could give easily 4 stars for this reading but I didn’t like to live in so many characters’ brains and those fast changing confusing POVS are unnecessary and exhausting experience. And there was so much irritating, hate-worthy characters really annoyed me during my reading. No, I’m correcting my statement: there was no like-able character of this story so the hate that I give would be the title of my review.

That’s why I’m giving 3.25 stars. That was not a bad reading. Final twist and mysterious pacing, Hitchcock references were still good and enjoyable and I still want to read more books of the author. ( I think she mostly writes romance but as far as I see the most romance writers start to write thrillers and in my opinion they’re achieving great job so I’m still open for this author’s upcoming thriller books.)

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for sharing this riveting ARC in exchange my honest review.

I'm a sucker for these kinds of thrillers and I love when authors tease you with one red herring after another. Kristin Miller does not disappoint in that regard: I convinced myself who the murderer was 4 different times! And I was not right once, of course, which is great. The characters of Colleen, the new girlfriend, and Rachael, the victim's former friend, are wonderful and strong women, even if each appears to be weak at first. Love that!

Definitely recommend for readers of psychological thrillers and those who enjoy a good page-turner! Especially fun to read on a rainy night. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

This is a really good psychological thriller. Collen falls in love with Michael, her boss, and soon becomes pregnant. It is a dream come true for her, but things begin to change when Michael moves her to his opulent home as it still has so.much left behind from his previous missing wife Joanna. Michael seems to harbor many secrets and Colleen is disturbed that she is forbidden to enter certain locked rooms in the house. Dean the chef still remains in the home as does the housekeeper. Both still hold on to the love they had for Joanna and that makes Colleen feel like a stranger in her new home. Michael seems distant and then bones are discovered not far from their home and the detectives are honing in on Michael. Colleen is desperate to clear Michael's name and begins searching for answers herself. What she finds is not what she expected.
I thank the publishers, and author for allowing me an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my, In Her Shadow, is a book you can't put down. There are many twists, aha moments as the plot thickens and thickens. Great thriller! Thank you #NetGalley#BallantineBooks#InHerShadow

A twisted tale that will keep you guessing! I would classify this as a mystery or domestic thriller. Everyone is a suspect and I didn't figure it out until near the end. Colleen is pregnant and is taken by her boyfriend Michael to his home, Ravenwood as a peaceful, no-stress place for her pregnancy. Michael's wife, Joanna, had left him a little before Colleen got a job in Michael's office and they fell in love.

When they arrive at Ravenwood, things are not exactly what Colleen expected. The staff and the neighbors all loved Joanna and reminders of Joanna are constantly showing up. Then a body is found nearby and the mystery and investigation begins.

There were some twists and surprises here which I enjoyed and the plot was well done. There wasn't a lot of character development, so I never felt close to any of the characters.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine through Netgalley for ad advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of the book "Rebecca" but this book is over the top. With the cast of characters it had you guessing till the very end. I always say never judge a book by its cover.

Good book, but not great. I almost stopped reading halfway through, but changed my mind as it got better. Characters were awkward and inconsistent, however. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes nasty. Couldn't get a real hold on anyone.

In Her Shadow by Kristin Miller is one of those books that are difficult to put down. Ms Miller keeps the reader guessing until very near the end of the story. Looking forward to reading more by this author. I want to thank Net Galley and Ballantine Books for an early copy of this book to review.

Interesting read with a unique plot line and wonderful writing.
Highly enjoyable and hard to put down. Must read!

A pregnant Colleen moves into her boyfriend Michael’s mansion on the California coast. Reminiscent of Daphne duMaurier’s Rebecca, this story is told through several perspectives. No spoilers -. the book kept me guessing throughout. This is a very good, suspenseful book, with twists and turns until the end. Recommended!

“ In Her Shadow” is a who done it novel that left me guessing until the last pages. A well written book that had me turning pages and unable to put it down, I finished it in less than 24 hours! Can’t wait for her next book in 2021.

I was interested in learning who the murderer was, but this book was so full of red herrings that I lost interest in it. I felt the story plodded along and there were parts added that simply were not necessary. NetGalley provided me with this eARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I loved the gothic feel of this novel as it's compared to Rebecca! Newly pregnant Colleen moves into her boyfriend's Ravenwood mansion after his wife has left him. Soon it is discovered that his wife, Joanna has been brutally murdered and there appear to be many suspects as husband Michael was often abusive and Joanna may have been unfaithful. I also love a book told from multiple perspectives, flawed characters, secrets. lies, deceptions, and red herrings--all of which occur in this novel. Miller explores the darker aspects of obsession, marriage, relationships, and appearances; and the ending may shock you senseless!

Colleen became Michael’s secretary a month after his wife Joanna left him, and Joanna was 5 months pregnant at the time... and that’s where the ghosts and lies begin.

Filled with twists, turns, deceit and one mystery after another, you never know what is going to happen next. Even when you think you have it figured out and are satisfied, another surprise twist pops up.

The characters aren’t lovable, some are barely likable! But you aren’t really supposed to like most of them, you’re supposed to suspect every character of murder from the first sentence on the page... and you do. I love characters like these, you want to have them in some nighttime soap opera or reality show and talk catty garbage about them!

And I’m sitting here trying to write a spoiler free review, ummmm, that is so difficult! How do you do that when the book starts with spoilers, but maybe not quite the ones you think.

This book had one red herring after another. It kept me guessing to the end-and what an ending. Unusual. The protagonist is not a character one really likes but seems to keep the story moving. Sometimes one distrusts her. Other times, she seems sincere. The author wrote a tangled web that keeps the reader interested.

In Her Shadow
A Novel
by Kristin Miller
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Ballantine Books
Mystery & Thrillers , Women's Fiction

Highly recommend! I didn't know till the last page how the story would end. Great thriller!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishers for my digital ARC.

Colleen Roper is hired as an assistant to Michael Harris. They begin an office affair, and she quits following becoming pregnant.

Michael Harris is a wealthy businessman, whose pregnant wife, Joanna, left him. Michael lives in a huge, beautiful home, Ravenwood, in an affluent neighborhood, and has kept the home almost as a shrine to Joanna.

When Michael brings Colleen to Ravenwood to live, Colleen after given a grand tour is told to keep out of one wing where all the doors are locked, except one. The chef and housekeeper treat Colleen with disdain, all the while reminding Colleen about Joanna at every turn.

When a neighbor is out walking her dogs, and one escapes its leash, it digs up a bone--a human femur bone. Digging out a small grave where Joanna's humanly remains are unearthed. Now Michael is the main suspect, and the locked doors will be opened, along with buried secrets kept by a growing list of suspects.

When I got to the end of this book, I asked myself--What did I miss? I started reading this, thinking it was going to be centered around another outcome, but didn't see the end coming. That was what made this an amazing read! This was a twisted, haunting thriller!

I received an ARC from NetGalley via Random House and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.

I received an ARC of this book. Wow! Kept me guessing until the very end. Great suspense with so many twists. A real page turner. Highly recommend if you're looking for a book you can't put down!