This book seems to be polarizing, but I am solidly in the Team Downes camp!

The Shadow House gave me a slightly gothic feel, with bits of potential witchcraft that gave it a creepy vibe, but it wasn't over the top (which is especially good when you find out why it doesn't fully go there). The story is told in two timelines. One is the story of Alex, a newcomer to the village, the other is that of Renee, the previous owner of the farmland the village is built on, whose son disappeared several years earlier.

Alex is running away from a bad relationship, two kids in tow - one an infant, the other a 14 year old boy. She's been lucky enough to stumble upon an experimental "eco-village" whose tagline is "Create the life you want". Rather than portraying the residents as cult-like which would have been a cliché, the author shows how the neighbors go out of their way to welcome Alex and her family...until they don't. The only thing that bothered me a bit was how quickly Alex falls for the village organizer Kit, and how willing she is to allow strangers to babysit baby Kara.

I love how the author weaved in her research on the social media "mystery box" trend. She also captured the angst of teenage boys especially in relation to their parents, both for the story of Gabe who went missing earlier, and for Ollie, Alex's son.

There were some places I had to really suspend disbelief, but the pacing was good, the suspense was maintained, and the writing was almost poetic: "Grief was an astronaut falling at speed while appearing to remain still".

I love that the author includes notes that describe how the book came about. I really enjoyed A Safe Place, so I'm glad this sophomore novel did not disappoint!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review an advance reader's copy.

There’s a promising premise and readable prose here in The Shadow House, but the execution is ultimately too messy and all over the place. The horror elements (mysterious packages, blood on the walls, witches in the woods & a vague nod toward devil possession) don’t arise from what the book seems to be aiming at as its underlying common anxieties - a parent’s fear of screentime, specifically, and the unknown more broadly as her relationship with her maturing child worsens. Maybe a bit my fault for expecting more on the horror front than the thriller side, but the threads still don’t hold together well either way. It’s all just a bit sloppy and doesn’t tap into deep-seated fears in a way that actually translates into the creeps and scares of the story, while the revelations and twists are rife with coincidences and red herrings. It just leaves it all flat and tepid.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. Great twist. Some of the storylines were a little far fetched but overall. I great 2nd novel for Anna Downes. It gave me just enough horror without going overboard. I think I connected so well with the story because I have a little boy myself so putting myself in Alex and Renee's shoes was easy. I can't wait to see what is next for this author. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press!

I received an ARC of this book. A mother tries to escape a bad relationship and make a fresh start for her family. She finds what appears to be a perfect solution. Unfortunately appearances can be deceiving. I really enjoyed this page-turner!

I had high hopes for this book as the first chapter gave me really creepy vibes. I wasn’t sure how the witchy element would play into it but I was excited to find out. It felt to me like the plot was all over the place and there were a lot of unnecessary storylines. I thought I had it figured out but the twist at the end truly got me. The authors note nicely explained where she was coming from while writing this.

Thanks to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for access to this ARC

The Shadow House is my first book from Anna Downes and it won't be my last! Not only does this author have a fabulous name, but she also has a killer (pun intended) talent for thriller writing.

This story is a relatively slow burn, but there are so many creepy moments scattered throughout. I was hooked from the disturbing prologue until the last page. The twists at the end were unexpected and well executed. There are breadcrumbs sprinkled along the way, but I didn't figure anything out ahead of time.

I really enjoyed the deep characterization. Alex was very relatable and felt so real. Reading the author's note at the end made me appreciate these characters even more. I can tell the author put her heart and soul into this book.

There are some cult vibes, but very minimal. This book actually gave me more small-town feels with such a tight-knit community.

Overall, a very solid thriller I definitely recommend. The unique plot and likable characters will keep you guessing until the bitter end.

I honestly had a hard time getting into this book. It was slow to start and kind of lagged until the last few chapters. Each chapter had a little piece to string you along, but ultimately it was anticlimactic.
I did love the idea of the eco village, of the communal living. The village gathering together, working together, and helping each other has always appealed to me. But letting them watch my baby, after living amoung the strangers for only a week or so? Um…. Nope! I had a hard time with Alex leaving her baby in the care of her neighbor. That was the first sign the book was going to aggravate me. The weird love connection with Kit, and then the whole business with her Ex we’re kind of unnecessary.
The story does jump narratives from Alex and Renee. They have similar experiences with their sons while living on the property. This was the only suspenseful hook that got me. All the strange witchy vibes hinted to something really dark happening. I wanted it to go darker, but I never did.
Unfortunately this was a meh read for me. So much potential to be really good and creepy!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for gifting me both a digital of the new book by Anna Downes - 4 creepy stars!

Alex is desperate to run away from her past, so she heads to Pine Ridge, an eco village in a remote section of Australia, with her teenage son and baby daughter. She's hoping that this new start will be just what they all need. However, she soon discovers that her family seems to be targeted in ways that are very similar to happenings that have been the topic of rumor and fear among the inhabitants for years. Are Alex and her children safe or has she led them into an even worse situation?

Told in alternate POVs between Alex and Renee, the former inhabitant of the farmhouse on the property. This book has all the creepy vibes - haunted woods, a creepy deserted house, people with lots of secrets, and mysterious happenings. But it also speaks to just what a parent would do to protect their child and how to let go of fear to trust again. I also loved the honest author's note at the end - don't skip reading that!

So riveting I couldn’t go to sleep until reaching the end! This is a highly atmospheric, very unsettling—domestic/gothic/psychological/mystery, it’s got it all!—thriller, with some horror elements. It follows Alex, a single mother of two, that’s just moved her family to the secluded Australian eco-village of Pine Ridge for a fresh start.

The Shadow House is told in two different time periods.. and in two women’s viewpoints.. Renee Kellerman and Alex, both mothers of teen sons. Renee’s family lived and farmed the property before the existence of Pine Ridge. Alex is living in the new ecovillage. Renee’s farmhouse now stands vacant. Alex finds herself drawn to the old house, and the dark ‘n scary stories surrounding it that circulate among the youth.

Alex is experiencing an almost deja-vu repeat of what happened (six years before) to Renee. Who or what is behind it? Is it supernatural?

Anna Downes deeply-dives into parenting and relationships, with trust being a big issue, and brought the two alternating stories together seamlessly. I loved my OMG!!! moment.. so completely surprised of what REALLY happened, and what was behind Alex’s disturbing troubles. Anna Downes nailed it, and good! 👏🏻

I received an ARC thanks to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warning: animal violence and death

I hate leaving bad reviews, but sometimes it's warranted and I have to do it.

I really liked The Safe Place, so I was excited to read this new book by the author. However, I am disappointed and frustrated. Shortly after this book starts, there is a mutilated dead animal in a box and I started skimming my eyes over that part because I despise reading descriptions about dead animals. I hoped it would be the only one.

Alex is a terrible, unlikable character. On the run with two children to look after and she's barely in the new place and she's already trying to hook up with another guy? Ugh. The "romance" element should have been left out. I think this book had much more potential to be creepy without it.

And then, a cat is murdered and we get HORRIBLE visual descriptions of that. This is unnecessary and really upset me. At this point, I was already hating the book.

Then we get so many pages of screaming children and descriptions of breastfeeding. I mean, it's way too much for the story. Huge turnoff for me.

The epilogue goes on for years and by this point, I very much regretted ever requesting this book.
Overall this book was nothing like I hoped and I didn't find anything redeeming about it. This is one I just can't recommend. Now I don't trust the author and will always be afraid of animal violence in her books.

*Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. #TheShadowHouse

This was so good. Moody and atmospheric a tight community is uprooted when strange things start to happen. The community is supposed to be a safe haven, a place to belong and have neighbor support, it takes a village! When newcomers arrive the existing residents are leary. Alex and her children are welcomed but don't trust anyone yet. They need to find a family or friend to collaborate with in order to stay, but people seem to be turning on them and trying to scare them out, but why? What did they do?

I loved all of the twists and turns in this one. Who could you trust? Alex is a great character, a struggling mom with a baby and teenage son. She is dealing with the two hardest stages at once while navigating this new community. I could picture the village and feel the tension. What a great sophomore novel!

Alex, her teenage son, Ollie, and her baby daughter move to a rural community to start over after leaving an abusive relationship. There was immediate cult/creepy town vibes from the start which kept me interested at the start, yet Alex was hard to like with all of her bad decisions and overly trusting nature.
The mystery had supernatural vibes, which in the end the author easily explained away, which was less than satisfying. I guess I was expecting a little more. I was grateful to receive a digital arc of this book.

Rating: ⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Mystery Thriller

A single mother (Alex) of two children is running away from an abusive boyfriend. Pine Ridge which is a quiet rural community seems to be the ideal place to live with her children safely. Her teenage son, Oliver is not happy at all with this place. Between her unsatisfied son, her teething little daughter, the new place, and incidents that keep happening Alex finds herself exhausted and has to deal with so many things at once. Was this place the right place after all?

The story is told from two mothers' perspectives. Alex’s story is narrated in first-person narration while Renee’s story is from a third-person perspective. The book has a good start. Moving to a new unknown place is one of my favorite tropes. The story is titled The Shadow House, so it has all the ingredients needed for me to love it. That’s what I thought initially getting into this book and to some extent, in the first few chapters it did fulfill that part but soon it completely swayed away from this narrative. After reading the story I feel the title is misleading. It is not about the shadow house at all. It has nothing to do with this trope. I feel that must be the catchiest title that has been chosen for the book.

Disregarding the (lack of) trope, I still continued reading with an open mind to see where things would go and that I might enjoy the story eventually. Unfortunately, the story kept dipping as I progressed. The flip-flopping between the two main characters' perspectives was tedious. Yes, one element that I felt was surprising was the true identity of one of the residents. I think that was a nice addition to the plot. The ending especially Renee’s part was too melodramatic and over the top for my taste. I felt the author did not have a clear focused plot here. The story felt all over the place. Sadly, the negatives outweigh the positives for me. This ended up being the wrong book for me.

Many thanks to the publisher Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book.

If you are looking for a creepy thriller that has an angsty teenager that drives you crazy, mommy drama, romance and decapitated animals, this book will be perfect for you.

I loved the premise of this book and the set up, but then it lost me. The initial vibes felt like the book was going to go the route of a cult/Manson compound plot with some M. Night Shyamalan twists, but it decided to go the route of a single mom raising a baby and a bratty teenager who struggles in the new ecovillage. I guess I didn't see that coming.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really liked this creepy thriller. I love a dual timeline! This was a definite page turner. It kept me up way too late and gave me creepy vibes. I highly recommend it.

A fantastic thriller that pulls you right in. Ms Downes does has a fabulous writing style and develops an engrossing story that is easy to get immersed in. Trigger warning: physical and emotional abuse are hinted at in this story. Hopping back and forth between storylines felt natural (even though several times it was like a cliffhanger willing you to keep reading more). A great beach read. Though, don't say I didn't warn you about not being able to put this book down!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review! I really loved The Safe Place by Anna Downes so I knew I had to read The Shadow House! The creepy house was terrifying and I loved it! The plot was extremely clever and I had a great time! Well done!

Alex is a single mother escaping an abusive relationship and decides to take refuge in the seemingly idyllic ecovillage of Pine Ridge. But upon arriving at her new home, she finds a disturbing gift on the porch. Along with her sullen teenage son and cranky teething baby, they settle in to the welcoming community. But as time goes on, some of the villagers aren't so friendly and someone seems to be threatening her and her son. Along with rumors of the past and the witch in the woods, Alex becomes more unsettled and determined to find out the truth behind the threats. Could history be repeating itself?
Alternating between the previous flower farm owner, Renee, and Alex, the chapters uncover the truth behind the original disappearance of Renee's son Gabriel and the present threats against Ollie. The spooky woods and the abandoned farmhouse overlooking the village provide the perfect ominous backdrop for this creepy story. I didn't see that ending coming! I thought I had it all figured out but I was left guessing until the very end.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

This is my first book by the author and I really enjoyed it!I This one is dark, spine tingling, twisted, haunting, creepy, heart pounding, and one that kept me up waaayyy past my bedtime!

If you are looking for a haunting read, with a creepy isolated setting, and that you will want to devour in one sitting I highly recommend you read this one!

I really loved the eerily creepy vibes and the detail the author used to create the sense of suspense. The writing was superb! I will definitely be reading the author’s first book, The Safe Place, and looking forward to her future work as well!

Anna Downes has done it again! Like her debut novel, The Shadow House had me flipping pages so fast desperate to know what was on the next one! I loved that I couldn’t even theorize because nothing is what it seems! I loved the alternating chapters told from Renee’s and Alex’s POV. And of course I always love nonlinear timelines! I really felt Alex’s anxiety and Renee’s anguish. This is definitely a book you need to read this year!!!