The Shadow House is Anna Downes’ anticipated second novel, following hot on the heels of her debut, The Safe Place.
Meet Alex, a single mum of two who is intent on starting over somewhere new. When Alex discovers Pine Ridge, an eco-village set on the picturesque Central Coast just north of Sydney, it seems like the perfect fit. The people are (mostly) welcoming, the ethos of the community is refreshing, and the timing is crucial. Everything seems perfect—until it isn’t.
It starts with a bone, a doll, and blood. As gruesome parcels begin arriving on Alex’s doorstep, and the rumour’s of a witch and an unsolved disappearance resurface, it just might be that Alex has run into something even more dangerous than she left behind.
The main selling point for this novel is its ability to keep the reader in a constant state of suspense, which the author achieves through an expert use of tone. Simply put, The Shadow House oozes eeriness. With a combination of masterfully crafted suspenseful moments, red herrings, and a dose of local urban legend, the author promises a thrilling ride from start to finish. This, along with the use of a dual narrative, creates a foreboding atmosphere. As the story begins to unfold and we see alternate chapters from Alex and Renee, the delicate dance between these two characters and their all too similar paths helps to maintain the drawn-out suspense.
The role of the flawed narrator is another tool utilised by the author. Much like Emily in Downes’ debut, The Safe Place, Alex in The Shadow House is continually humanised through her flaws. Portrayed as a woman intent on making her own path, alongside being a single parent wanting to connect with her children, Alex is set to tackle multiple hurdles from the start. Add to this the disturbing parcels being delivered to her doorstep, and the circumstances that led her to the idyllic setting of Pine Ridge in the first place, and we’ve got all the ingredients for a character wanting to do better but also running from her past.
At times, Alex’s reactions to certain situations are infuriating, and yet, still very believable—she reacts like any desperate person could or would in her circumstances. This is something that the author pulls off incredibly well, as the reader is left wanting to shake the main character while also silently rooting for her.
It is also fascinating to witness Renee’s story unfold alongside Alex’s. At its heart, The Shadow House is about what a mother will do to protect their child. In Renee’s chapters, we see a family slowly coming apart as their central axis—their son—begins to withdraw. It’s this showing of vulnerability that feels most authentic as we witness Renee begin down a road seemingly without end. Her struggle to reconnect with an increasingly distant teenager is all too familiar. Similarly, as tantalisingly creepy events begin to unfurl in Alex’s chapters, and her own son Ollie becomes more withdrawn, the limits of Alex’s mettle as a parent are tested. At this stage, the comparison between our two main characters cannot be ignored, as chapters begin to switch between the two faster and faster.
“Some things, she realised as the brightness consumed her, would never end. But perhaps others – cautiously, tentatively, would begin.” – The Shadow House, p. 355.
The idea of the ‘perfect’ place is an interesting one to explore, especially in relation to the setting of a thriller novel. When first glimpsed through Alex’s eyes, the eco-village seems to be the answer to the typical 9-5 burn out—who wouldn’t want to be a part of something bigger and more sustainable? But soon Downes begins to reveal the cracks beneath the perfect setting, and every resident transforms into a potential suspect.
Unravelling Pine Ridge and its residents is as satisfying as it is destructive—we know that we will find out things better left buried, but still, we feel the urge to pick up the shovel and start digging.
Overall, The Shadow House successfully executes an extremely eerie and intriguing plot while maintaining the reader’s expectations. The exploration of Alex and Renee as both mothers and individuals richly adds to the story, and the straight-forward, honest prose keeps the narrative grounded. Recommended for readers who are looking to branch out into the thriller genre!
The Shadow House is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Extraordinarily tense and deliciously mysterious, Anna Downes’s The Shadow House follows one woman’s desperate journey to protect her children at any cost, in a remote place where not everything is as it seems.
A HOUSE WITH DEADLY SECRETS.
A MOTHER WHO’LL RISK EVERYTHING TO BRING THEM TO LIGHT.
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.
