Audiobook: The Shadow House
Author: Anna Downes

Summary:
Alex, a single mother-of-two, is determined to make a fresh start for her and her children. In an effort to escape her troubled past, she seeks refuge in a rural community. Pine Ridge is idyllic; the surrounding forests are beautiful and the locals welcoming. Mostly.

But Alex finds that she may have disturbed barely hidden secrets in her new home. As a chain of bizarre events is set off, events eerily familiar to those who have lived there for years, Alex realizes that she and her family might be in greater danger than ever before. And that the only way to protect them all is to confront the shadows lurking in Pine Ridge.

Review:
I enjoyed this audiobook. It was a slow burn, but the pace picked up at the end. I genuinely had no idea what was going to happen at the end, so I love a book that takes me by surprise .

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This turned out to be pretty good, wasn't sure where it was going for a bit but it did end up being pretty creepy, would reread in the future.

The Shadow House was just the creepy and atmospheric read I was hoping it would be! From the cover to the first page, I could feel an unsettling vibe and I was excited to see where things would go.

I both read a physical copy, and listened to the audiobook which was wonderful, narrated by Natasha Beaumont and the author, Anna Downes, which is always a treat!

This was my first book by the author and I’m excited to pick up her last book now too!

*many thanks to Minotaur/Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy and audiobook for review

Reading Between the Wines book review #27/135 for 2022:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: The Shadow House
Author: Anna Downes
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: This was definitely a spooky read, hence the title and book cover. I was a little confused with all the characters and sometimes was completely lost. The further I got the easier it was to follow. This was not a knock you over read but was interesting and the spooky factor made it a little better. I will be interested in reading another Downes book.

Cheers and thank you to @StMartinsPress, @MinotaurBooks and @NetGalley for an advanced copy of @TheShadowHouse.

#TheShadowHouse #AnnaDownes #StMartinPress #MinotaurBooks #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Anna Downes does it again! I absolutely loved this book! I can't wait for more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher and Author for providing an audio copy for me to review.

I hope you’ll forgive me for the odd review but I must start at my favorite part. The end. No I’m not giving anything away I promise. The authors notes. The author explains how the book came to be and it made me understand the characters even more than while I was reading the book.

This book was creepy yet relatable as a mom. The end was a little odd (the actual end not the authors note) I felt like the author wrapped up stuff in an odd way. But maybe that’s just me.

I listened to the audiobook and loved the two narrators (one being the author herself).

Very creepy and full of mystery. I was not able to see where the story was going. Alex’s anxiety over her kids safety resonated with me as a father. Highly recommend for all horror/mystery/thriller fans.

I want to thank Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an audiobook arc.

Fleeing a toxic relationship, Alex, a single-mother of two, moves with her children, teenage-son, Ollie and infant-daughter, Kara, to the remote eco-village of Pine Ridge. Alex dreams of a fresh start for them. Things had gotten pretty bad in their old life, with Ollie even having been expelled from school due to of a bit a scandal involving some classmates.

Determined to make it work, Alex signs on to a 3-month commitment at Pine Ridge. They need this. They have to give it a fair shot. Once arriving, Alex begins meeting current residents of the village, who try to clue her in to the ways of the community. This includes Kit, their charming and charismatic leader.

As much as she wants to fit in, however, there's something about the place that makes Alex feel unsettled. It's not just the rumors of the witch who lives in the woods and steals children, but things start to happen to them as well. Mysterious, ominous packages, strange drawings; it's all a bit overwhelming. Add to this Ollie's temperamental and moody behavior, Alex finds herself close to the end of her rope.

Alex has always had a hard time accepting help, but as one of her neighbors reminds her, sometimes it takes a village. Slowly, she begins to lean into the experience, growing closer to some of the others. It's unclear who she can trust though. Soon people Alex thought were friends are talking behind her back; it seems trying to push her out. Is this whole scheme some sort of sham?

In addition to Alex's perspective, the Reader also gets the historical perspective of a woman named, Renee. Renee once lived in a farmhouse on the grounds of which the eco-village now sits. Years earlier, Renee's teenage-son, Gabriel, went missing. His disappearance was never solved.

As you learn more about Gabriel from Renee, you see that he has a lot of similarities to Alex's son, Ollie. Additionally, strange things about Gabriel's case mirror things currently happening to Alex and Ollie. Could the two cases be related? Is Ollie in danger, as he fears? Is there a witch in the woods snatching children?

Alex begins investigating. She needs to find answers before it's too late, but with no clue who she can trust, the odds seem stacked against her.

The Shadow House is hard to categorize. I wouldn't stick it in a strict Mystery, Thriller or Suspense category. I think if you go into it expecting that, you may be disappointed. It feels Dark General Fiction, or Dark Domestic Drama to me, with a slight Mystery. Regardless, I really enjoy Downes storytelling. I was intrigued by her first book and even more with this one.

I loved learning about the eco-village; how it was run, it's history and the lore surrounding the area. The characters were vibrant and believable. I also really enjoyed the way Downes used the two perspectives to build the story out. It's definitely a slow burn, but I was happy with the conclusion and the length of time it took for all of the pieces to fall into place.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was excellent. I felt like their accent attributed a sense of place to the overall story. It was a great listen!

There was a romance subplot that I personally could have done without, but I get it. I understand why Downes included it. I just may have enjoyed it a bit more if Alex had embraced her time finding herself and growing with her children on her own.

Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this. The atmosphere was fantastic. I loved the build and how it began to feel a bit claustrophobic. I found certain aspects of it to be unsettling and I did start to feel a real sense of desperation towards the end. The whole 'is it supernatural, is it not supernatural'-vibe, I thought it was very well done.
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Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I appreciate it so much. This is the second book that I've thoroughly enjoyed from Downes. I am certainly looking forward to more!

I listened to audiobook of The Shadow House by Anna Downes and found it be just the right amount of creepy and tense. It was pleasingly narrated by Natasha Beaumont. Anna Downes confessed at the end of The Shadow House how difficult and scary an undertaking it was for her to write The Shadow House, her second novel. She need not have worried so much because she was able to capture just the right balance between darkness, mystery, fear, hope and panic in this cleverly plotted book. The chapters alternated between Renee and Alex, two strong, concerned and loving mothers that were fearful for their teenage sons. There were many twists and turns throughout The Shadow House that I did not see coming. The ending was satisfying and answered all the looming questions that were lurking within its pages.

Alexandra (Alex) Ives, a thirty-seven year old single mother with a fourteen year old son, Oliver (Ollie) and an eight month old daughter, Kara, had finally run away from an abusive relationship. She knew she had to leave her current boyfriend when she realized her son was being influenced in negative ways by her abusive and controlling boyfriend. It was one thing for Alex to endure the abuse but she put her foot down when the safety of her children came into question. She woke her sleeping children and vanished in the middle of the night. Alex, Ollie and Kara left Sydney and relocated to an eco village known as Pine Ridge in rural Australia. Ollie was not happy about the move. He didn’t know anyone and there was little to do in this planned community in the middle of nowhere..

Upon Alex’s and her family’s arrival, she discovered a mysterious box on their front porch. Inside the box was the remnants of a dead bird. Who could have left such a box on their porch? That in itself should have sent up red flags for Alex but she was determined to give Pine Ridge a chance so she quickly disposed of the box before Ollie got a chance to view its contents. Alex had agreed to a three month trial in Pine Ridge to see if she and her family liked it and if the villagers liked them. Alex was particularly drawn to the company of an older woman resident, Jenny, who lived nearby. Jenny and Alex forged a friendship and Jenny even took care of her children on occasion. Alex really like Jenny. Then there was Kit, the founder of the eco village. It was obvious from the start that Kit and Alex were drawn to each other. Kit was very secretive about his past though and Alex wasn’t sure she could trust him. Then strange things started to happen. Alex was sure she had viewed a woman who appeared to be a witch on more than one occasion in the woods near her house. There was an incident that occurred many years ago before the eco village had been built. All the locals believed the details of the legend without question. The legend stated that when bones of a dead animal were left outside a house followed by the presence of a doll and lastly blood, a young child would be taken and made to disappear. Alex having received a box that contained the bones of a dead animal started asking questions and tried to figure out what was going on in this quiet village. Could she figure out what was happening and protect her children at the same time?

Alternating with Alex’s story, Renee slowly revealed her story. Renee and her husband and teenage son had once lived in the abandoned farmhouse that remained standing on the land of Pine Ridge. A long time before Pine Ridge was built, Renee’s family also experienced the discovery of a box of animal bones, the presence of a doll left on their son’s bed and the presence of blood seeping through and coating the walls of their sitting room. Then the unimaginable happened. Their son disappeared and was never found. Could the two incidents be connected? Did they warrant merit? The past and the presence were on the verge of colliding and truths would soon be revealed.

I enjoyed listening to The Shadow House by Anna Downes and recommend it highly. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A absolute riveting story! Anna Downs knows how to keep you wanting to find out what’s happening, what’s going on, who did it. The narrative was fantastic, and kept me interested throughout. Normally I only listen during my walk, but I had to finish it. I needed to know what happened to Gabriel, the son of a local farmer who disappeared six years ago, After Gabriel disappearance and the police stating he was most likely a runaway, the farmer sold his farm and it is now owned by a eco development. The story is surrounding the mystery of Gabriel disappearance and the similarities to the evil ongoing six years later. The story switches back and forward between Renee, Gabriel mother and the present Alex and her son Ollie. Alex is on the run from a abusive relationship and starts anew in the village, she hopes there she and her children will be safe. Having a 14 year old teenager and a 8 month old baby is a challenge. Her and Ollie get into many battles, typical of a teenager, but then she finds things her son posted on the dark web and stories of witches and strange happening in the village has Alex on high alert.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheShadowHouse #MacmillanAudio

Alex has left her abusive husband to move, along with her children to Pine Ridge, a seeming long welcoming community. But the area doesn’t stay idlic for long when creepy things begin to happen .

The story has all the elements of a creepy story … a creepy doll ( I gotta tell you I find dolls super creepy ) Bones and blood all over, but the creepiness didn’t seem to hold up for me. Despite the feel of the book, there is nothing supernatural going on- which was fine with me as I am not a huge fan of that genre, I find somethings that humans do are much more creepy.

The book is told from two point of views, Alex is course, is the main voice of the story. But there is also Renee, who is married to the son of the builder of Pine Ridge. The same creepy things that happen to Alex also happen to Renee, cumulating into the kidnapping of Renee’s son Gabriel. So what is the connection between these two women? I can’t tell you, but it does play I to the mystery.

The ending of the book wraps up quite well. There are surprises and a few twist along the way, some you will see coming and others … well those are the surprises. For me, the story was very much a slow burn.

I listened to the audio book and enjoyed the reader’s Australian accent, which seemed to Bering the location alive for me. It was neither jarring or hard to understand.

My biggest complaint… there was an gruesome cat killing that I found totally unnecessary . I think this played into my factor of not giving it a higher star rating .

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was a creepy read in an enjoyable way. Slow build but good suspense. The narrator did a great job as well.

Alex is a single mother of her teenage son and baby girl running away from a bad relationship and she decides that a rural community called Pine Ridge is the perfect place to start over. Things seem to start off on a great foot as she is introduced to the community members and sees how beautiful the surrounding landscape is but then odd things start to happen. She starts receiving boxes with terrifying gifts in the form of dead animals and creepy dolls and then she hears the stories about the witch nearby that steals children. She learns that the farmhouse she saw when she first got there was where a family lived until their son disappeared and it's now thought to be haunted. After a few public shows of her freaking out she needs to prove to herself, her family and the community that she isn't crazy and the only way to do that is to discover the truth about the farmhouse and the family who lived there.

I really loved the creepy atmosphere that the author created when Alex was walking through the forest and farmhouse. I think she did a great job creating that menacing atmosphere whenever Alex was near the community members who all of a sudden didn't trust Alex as a neighbor or mother. The crazy plot twists that the author dropped had my jaw on the ground because I had a sliver of an idea of what happened and what was going to happen but I was so far off. I love the suspense and tension I could feel through out the book when Alex found herself getting closer to the truth and I was so afraid of her stumbling on something that could hurt her or her children. It did drag a little bit in parts but for the most part the story was full throttle. I read and listened to this story and I loved the narrators' Australian accents that kept reminding me of the amazing setting. I also felt it as super helpful to have the author and the other narrator as two different characters so that I could be certain of which character was talking.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio copy of this book with me in exchange for an honest review.

The Shadow House by Anna Downes is a creepy listen with vibrant imagery. I was pulled into the story and could visualize so many details. The twists and turns were very well done. The mysterious gifts became too much for me when animal cruelty was involved and in my opinion not necessary for the book. The narrator, Natasha Beaumont, did a good job performing the book. She added the right emotions to her voice. Thank you #NetGalley and #Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this book I requested.

3.5 stars!
Alex is fleeing her abusive partner and decides her family needs a fresh start. She chooses Pine Ridge, a commune, as their new home. They are focused on being eco-friendly and creating a sense of community in their compound. As Alex starts to settle in, she realises the people of Pine Ridge have dark secrets as well.

A special thanks to @macmillan.audio, @netgalley, @stmartinspress and @minotaurbooks for my audiobook/ebook of this new release! I found this read to be just okay. I found the characters irking me at times - especially Alex - as I couldn’t believe how thick they were being. I wanted them to make more self-aware choices. While Alex’s story fell flat, I did really enjoy Renee’s backstory. I found the tension building in her chapters to be great and very eerie. Downes connected both POVs in an intense scene, although it was a bit unbelievable. I also found Pine Ridge to be very “cult-ish” and I’m not sure if that’s what Downes was going for or not.

-Disclaimer: I won this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.-

Drawn-out, didn't flow and wasn't as advertised.

From what I can make of this, it is about random bloodstains, dead animals/cats, a doll, a witch, weird noises, bratty kids, a bad mom, and breastfeeding. The Shadow House isn't the main focus (it is more of a romance/thriller). I hated the shifting between different POVs, first-person to third-person. It was all very confusing and disconnected.

Pages 12-13,

"Right on cue, I heard my daughter stir, her soft kitten noises floating through the open car window. My breasts tingled as my milk came down in response - nearly time for another feed..."

Why is this book like this?

Also, I struggled to understand the accent/phrases of the narrator/author. It is the UK mixed with Australia. All-in-all, I couldn't care about this in the slightest.

This is a eerie but slow paced story. I loved the concept and looked forward to what would happen. The narrators did a good job and I like that two different people were used for the alternating point of view.

I highly recommend this book for any reader that enjoys an absorbing thrill/suspense story. This story rotates between two female perspective who used to live in the farmhouse that is now abandoned. both woman have teenage sons who seem to be targeted by someone or something strange and ominous. It's a tension filled race to the end and [pretty creepy as well.

The Shadow House is a delightfully tense and suspenseful read. Alex has moved her baby daughter and teenage son to a new community development and upon first impression is charmed by the place. By when she learns of the old farmhouse’s dark history and the legend of the surrounding woods, she soon becomes fearful for the safety of her family, especially her teenage son. As mysterious things begin to happen, Alex is forced to lean on her new neighbors for help without really knowing who she can trust.

This mystery was an entertaining read that wrapped up nicely. I did not see the entirety of the twist, and felt very satisfied with the ending. There were a few spots the story felt rushed to me, but overall is a book I would recommend.

Thank you to the author, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. #TheShadowHouse #NetGalley