This book was so perfect for me to read going into this Fall/spooky season! I loved the gothic vibes and how atmospheric the overall writing was; the author did a great job at detailing scenes so vividly, the setting truly felt like a character all on its own. Our two MCs were also very interesting as individuals, though I did wish they had more chemistry with *each other*, as there were times it did feel a bit forced/flat. I also don't like Miscommunication trope very much, and seeing it happen here so much kinda took me out of the book sometimes. Lastly, I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book but felt like sometimes all the little clues or red herrings were spoon fed to us, when really it would have been more engaging had they not been there. Overall still a solid read, so I'd def recommend checking it out!

Dr. Henry Talbot is offered employment off in a village of Wales, and while he doesn’t relish leaving London, he has zero prospects otherwise. But the village is openly hostile to him, and he has to parse out whether the lady of the house is mad—and if her daughter Linette, who befriends the staff and tenants and wanders around in her father’s clothing, has inherited her condition.

What I loved about this:

-Dual narratives. We went back and forth between Linette and Henry, getting pieces of the story from their vantage point. Neither one seemed to overwhelm or over-balance the other but rather worked well in tandem.

-The author has a very deft hand with language and can skilfully paint a scene to evoke the atmosphere to the point I feel I am there as well. Long paragraphs build to a crescendo punctured by the next paragraph being a single sentence.

-The fact that it deals with the supernatural and it teases that perhaps unexplainable things could and did happen in the story, like with the corpse lights or the smell of sulphur at the end? I LOVE when stories do this.

-The mystery was engaging and twisty, and I had fun reading along and trying to parse it out without getting impatient because I had already solved it or it took to long to deliver.

What I didn’t love about this:

-The author loves Wales, and that’s clearly infused in the text. There are numerous words and even whole phrases that are voiced in Welsh. There is a glossary at the beginning to help with the pronunciation, but nothing else. That doesn’t help with all the Welsh that pops up; it’s understandable that Henry as an outsider would not understand, and it helps to ground that he’s an outsider as the villagers are spitting words at him he doesn’t know, but it’s frustrating as a reader when it happens often, even when in Linette’s perspective. A little thing at the back to consult would have helped tremendously.

-One character really ruffled my feathers, but in the interest of spoilers, I shall not go further into it.

So where does that leave me? Four stars! It was a fun read and I was curious to see how it panned out. This book is PERFECT to pick up for an autumn read (even if it’s set in the summer), possibly around Halloween, especially if you like historical fiction.

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

Super fun gothic read full of twists and turns - had me engaged but at times felt a bit like points of the book were had way too much going on/were dumpy while other parts felt just right.

The author very clearly did research of the culture and area which lead to a beautifully written story that felt like I was actually present and there for.

I would’ve given the book 5 stars but I was majorly disappointed by and did not love the ending.

Still a solid, fun read I’d absolutely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this lovely book for my honest review.

"On an isolated estate in late-eighteenth-century rural Wales, a young English doctor uncovers dangerous secrets that may threaten his own life in this spellbinding Gothic tale from the bestselling author of Pandora.

Dismissed from his post at a prestigious London hospital, Dr. Henry Talbot has little choice but to accept a mysterious offer of employment as a private physician from an inscrutable lord in rural Wales, Lord Julian. Arriving at Plas Helyg, the isolated estate, Henry can't speak the language and finds himself treated with hostile suspicion by superstitious villagers, whose beliefs in myths and magic he's inclined to dismiss. But when he discovers that his predecessor died under peculiar, inexplicable circumstances, his determination to uncover the truth leads him down a path fraught with danger - made all the more perilous by his headstrong, reluctant ally Linette, Lord Julian's cousin.

Linette has lived a lonely life as Plas Helyg's unconventional mistress: Julian treats her with disdain, her father is long dead, and her mother, long plagued by strange spells and believed by everyone around her to be deeply unwell, spends most of her time locked away in her rooms. Fiercely self-reliant, Linette refuses to wear women's clothes, has no interest in marriage, and takes an interest in the welfare of the men working in Lord Julian's mines, against his wishes.

Linette has always suspected something is not quite right in the village, but it is only through Henry's dogged investigations that the dark truth about those closest to her will come to light - a truth that will bind hers and Henry's destinies together forever in ways neither thought possible."

Something's not right down the mine?

In 18th-century Wales, disgraced physician Henry finds himself in a remote village where superstition and mystery abound. He encounters Linette, a strong-willed woman who has long suspected something is amiss. As Henry investigates the death of his predecessor, he uncovers secrets that connect him to Linette and force them to confront the darkness that has plagued their lives.

This gothic novel is deliciously dark and twisty. The story is rich and complex, the mystery unfolding gradually while the suspense remains high throughout. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The Shadow Key is set in the late 1700s and takes us to the village of Penhelyg, where Dr. Henry Talbot finds himself after losing his prestigious job at a London Hospital. Henry quickly finds that he is not welcome by the villagers and uncovers a murder and mysterious going-ons at Plas Helyg, where he is now serving as a personal physician to the Tresilian family.

There were so many things that I loved about The Shadow Key. It has a Gothic mystery setting and a great mix of characters. The mix of belief in superstition/folklore, faith, the supernatural and science was an interesting storyline for the book.

Linette and Henry’s characters were well done. I liked Linette’s refusal to fall into the stereotype of what women were supposed to be during that time period. And Henry was a great opposite to Linette, leaning heavily on his background in science, not able to understand the belief that Linette and the villagers held about superstition and old folklore.

I really loved the twist near the end of the book and the way it played into Julian’s schemes. It was fun to meet a calm, cool and collected Julian at the beginning of the book, and to see how he changes throughout the story.

The Shadow Key is an intriguing read, and combines a Gothic feel with a mix of historical fiction and I would highly recommend it.

When a young doctor gets a new job in a rural family in Wales... things begin to unravel as dark family secrets, secret societies, sacrifices, and a dash of romance all come together in this gothic story. When Dr. Henry Talbot is dismissed from his job at a prestigious London hospital he'll do anything for a job, even take on the job of being a private physician to a lord in rural Wales. When Henry arrives at Plas Helygm the isolated estate there are already obstacles for him, from the language barrier to being treated with hostile suspicion by the villagers. Henry soon discovers that there are strange deaths happening in the family he is working for and that nothing is as it seems as poisoning and secret societies begin to reveal themselves. Can he find out what is happening before it's too late and more lives including his own are claimed? This is the second book by the author that I've read, I absolutely adored the author's first book but this one just wasn't vibing with me. I didn't connect with the characters as much in this one and found the story to be slower and a bit boring compared to the previous book. The whole mystery and gothic vibes were just dragging a bit and I think this book would have benefited from being cut down by at least 100 pages. I wanted to like this but just couldn't connect to it and found myself falling asleep while reading this. I do look forward to the author's next work and will definitely be reading more from this author though. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes a slower gothic mystery with complicated family relationships.

Release Date: September 10,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Perennial for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Susan Stokes-Chapman for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Shadow Key coming out September 10, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I thought the set up and plot was very gothic. I loved the time period and place. Wales invokes dark and stormy seas and grandiose scenery. Unfortunately, this book was a little long for me. I didn’t get into it and connect with the characters as much as I would’ve liked to. The writing was good, but a little dry for me. I would check out other books by this author.

A great gothic tale for the fall!

Having lost his prestigious position at a hospital in London, Henry is forced to take a position in a remote part of Wales. His welcome is far from warm as the villagers keep their distance and soon a series of unfortunate events begin to happen around him.

This book didn’t feel slow per day, but the pacing in the final third is really perfect. Once the dominoes begin to fall, they don’t stop.

There is always the danger in these stories for the main character to be some ultra enlightened modern man in historical times. What I liked about this book was that Henry is not that. He’s a doctor, a man of science, and lifelong Londoner. It is natural then that he would not immediately understand or support the local folklore and superstitions, and that raises a degree of tension between him and the others. I also really enjoyed the contrast between Henry and Linette. Linette runs the estate and shows a great deal of compassion and care for his tenants, much more than most land owners of the time. Where Henry faces this city vs. country conflict, Linette is a conflict of class - a noble born woman spending most of her time and energy with farmers and miners. This idea of contrast weaves through the book.

Overall a really fun gothic read! 4.5 stars our of 5 ⭐️ Thank you Harper Perennial and NetGalley for this ARC!

I could have sworn I already wrote a review about this, but maybe I dreamt it. 🤣 I finished this a couple of weeks ago, and I recommend it, although it gets weird at the climax—super weird. As in, don’t bother trying to guess the ending. However, the setting is gorgeous, and I loved how the author made me feel as if I were actually in Ireland. The main characters are interesting, and I became invested in their journeys.

I very much want to go visit Ireland now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Shadow Key was an interesting read. I wasn't quite sure where the story was going some of the time, but I think it opened itself out in the end. I don't think I would read it again, but I don't regret reading it either.


Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Perennial for the early review copy. All opinions are my own.

4 star. Dark and gothic read. As a mood reader I wish I read it in the fall (let's be real I'll probably reread it during that time of year to "set the scene". I can't say I"m always a historical fiction girly, but I enjoyed reading it. The premise totally drew me in and the characters? Absolutely well done and I enjoyed the complexity of the character design. Honestly love a gothic twisty historical fiction.

Again all I needed was a cozy sweater, some candles and apple cider.

Gothic, atmospheric, creepy! Definitely a different style read for me. I couldn’t put it down! Thank you NetGalley for the generous arc!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial, and Paperbacks for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
This book was a delight to read and had me hooked! I loved the mystery and the way that the story unfolded. I give this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars. I very much look forward to reading more of Susan Stokes-Chapman's works in the future!

Set in the 1700s this was a gothic novel about a doctor who goes to London and gets into some murder mystery going on that actually almost gets him killed.

The story was a bit slow for me and i do not know or could understand the language they were using which I think was welsh. But it picked up in the end and the secrets were revealed, I couldn’t put it down the minute i got it. It was a perfect gothic historical book and it was spooky with magic and superstitions and mystery.

Thank you NetGalley.

The Shadow Key

I struggled through the first half, it felt slow but once the whole done it murder plot started I felt like I had a reason to keep reading.

The fact I know zero welsh didn’t really hinder me as I felt as clueless as Henry. I can see that slowing down some readers or maybe turning some away since there are so many lines in welsh.

The last 20% was quick and I enjoyed how everything wrapped up even if the reveals were a touch predictable.

Henry, once a renowned physician and teacher, is unable to find work in London. In disgrace, he accepts a job in Wales as physician to miners and the family that owns the mine. When he gets there, he is looked at with dislike and in some cases, hatred. As he tries to find a way to provide care to the miners, the niece of the landowner attempts to help him. A bond forms between them but trust issues threaten that bond. Rowena, a pretty healer, is also getting close to Henry. Meanwhile sabotage, murder and HellFire Societies threaten all their lives. Full of suspense, set in the late eighteenth century, the book is suspenseful and atmospheric. Spooky! Gothic! Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the complimentary digital ARC. This opinion is my own.

The Shadow Key by Susan Stokes-Chapman is an entertaining historical fiction that I enjoyed.

This is a nice balance of historical fiction, Welsh history and folklore, and mystery, with a gothic atmosphere and backdrop that was quite entertaining.

This was a collection of complex story lines and characters that weave in and out of the narrative…some wrapping up at the end better than others. It did keep me intrigued, some minutes a bit more engaged than others, and the conclusion did help answer many of my questions.
This was definitely more than just a gothic mystery, and that in itself makes it above the average in its field.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Perennial for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 9/10/24.

#netgalley

Thanks to netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC of The Shadow Key.

This book surprised me with interesting characters, a decent twist at the end, a somewhat unique setting (rural Wales), and the ambiguous genre. I thought this would fall soundly into fantasy-horror, but it was actually much more of a murder mystery. I don't even know that the bits and bobs of fantasy-ish elements are enough to name this as fantasy. But, the tone was engaging, and the plot was different enough to be somewhat refreshing.

What begins as a bit of a murder mystery (in what seems to be the 18th century) becomes a more complex series of mysteries. There is a disgraced doctor, a horrible rich guy, a fanatical group obsessed with the occult, a grimoire written in blood on vellum from an unknown source, a "mad" woman locked away from society, a herbalist, and hints at Welsh folklore. I enjoyed the lack of a central love story, and appreciated the depiction of the main character as a "strong and independent woman." This is done both in the character's dress and person. At times dressing a woman in men's clothes to make her seem radical seems a little cliche or obvious, but it works here for me.

The only thing that was a challenge for me was the pacing. I think this could have, and maybe should have, been a novella. Some pieces of the story dragged, and others seemed a little too convenient. There were also a couple of story lines that seemed like the would go somewhere but didn't. But, overall it worked for an entertaining and satisfying read.

The Shadow Key is a gothic, atmospheric thriller about a doctor in London who uncovers secrets that might just get him killed. Involving superstitions, magic, and other things he doesn't believe in, he has to become a believer quickly in order to survive. He has an unlikely companion in Linette, who lives as a spinster in a house and with a mother long haunted. Together they have to come to terms with each other and their beliefs in order to survive.