Book Review: The Shadow House

THE SHADOW HOUSE | Anna Downes
04.05.2022 | Minotaur Books
Rating: 3/5 stars

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. 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 that took place in a deserted house on this land years before, Alex realizes that her family may be in danger. 

I love a mystery/thriller book surrounding hidden secrets that tie together the past and present. Downes unfolds her take on this concept through dual narration, with Alex representing the present and a woman named Renee representing the past. The things these women experience are creepy and unsettling, which adds a great foreboding feeling to THE SHADOW HOUSE. I loved the way Downes built up the story, but when it came to an ending I felt that the book would have benefited from being shorter. I respect that Downes wanted to close all of the loose ends in this book, but it left me feeling like the ending was dragged out. There were several times while listening to the audio that I assumed I was on the last chapter, only to find out there were more hours left on the recording. This is my second book from Downes and I’ll continue to check out her work as it releases!

🎧: I did a hybrid approach of reading and listening to the audio with this one. Ultimately I enjoyed the narration so much I chose to stay with that path.

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

A huge thank you to Minotaur Books for my gifted copy!

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.