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cathyatratedreads's review against another edition
3.0
Solid 3.5 stars.
In Her Shadow is an entertaining thriller that borrows nicely from Rebecca while standing on its own. I wasn’t sure it was necessary to have four points of view; it just seems a little much, especially including the police detective, who isn’t a main character as are the other three narrators, but it may just be that the author found it the only way for her to get the needed information across.
* I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/in-her-shadow-fiction-book-review/
In Her Shadow is an entertaining thriller that borrows nicely from Rebecca while standing on its own. I wasn’t sure it was necessary to have four points of view; it just seems a little much, especially including the police detective, who isn’t a main character as are the other three narrators, but it may just be that the author found it the only way for her to get the needed information across.
* I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/in-her-shadow-fiction-book-review/
meldav4's review against another edition
3.0
In Her Shadow was expertly written. Though I read the summary, I thought the story was going to be very different than what it was. I loved the idea of a young pregnant woman moving into the home that her fiancee used to share with his first wife - a home that she feels unwelcome in and haunted by. This novel is full of suspense and intrigue, unexpected twists and turns, and sketchy and dark characters that keep it mysterious and unpredictable.
readwithpitties's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 out of 5, i liked this mystery thriller and read it in a few settings. i really had to guess who the murder was, and the end had me shook. reading other reviews it says this is like novel rebecca. i am gonna try to get my hands on that one next .
skylerraee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
danielle__2386's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mommasaystoread's review against another edition
3.0
I was a little leary of In Her Shadow on my first inspection. The chapter titles could go a couple of different ways. My first thought was about whether or not I wanted to read a book where it seems like the ending is already understood. Then, I thought about another way those chapter titles could be taken, and again, it kind of gives the game away. Either of those could depend on an individual's experience with thrillers, and I suppose since my brain did go in a couple of different directions, it goes without saying that I read thrillers pretty regularly. So, with all that in mind, I dove in, but I admit that at least some of my interest was in which way it would go.
Once I started reading, I felt like this could be something to really get invested in, something to keep me turning those pages, reading just one more chapter until the wee hours of the night. The problem is that the more I read, the more convoluted the story became.
First and foremost, this book suffers from too many points of view. I was starting to worry that every single character in the story would get their own point of view, and I've gotta say that had the grumpy chef or catty housekeeper gotten a chapter of their own, I may very well have stopped reading. The detective certainly got his fair share of page time, which I'm still a little confused about. I mean, we get some of the detecting, but this really isn't a procedural. And since it's not a procedural, I'm a little confused as to why we need so much information about the detective's late wife. Once everything comes together, it's clear that the detective is only included so much in order to propel things the way the author wanted them to go. He's kind of a throwaway character other than for that reason, which is one of the worst kind in my opinion.
As far as the characters go, I'm just gonna say it - I didn't like a single one. Not the husband, not the girlfriend, not the neighbors, not the staff, not even the victim. I didn't find a single character in this book who was even remotely likable. The closest it comes is Colleen in the beginning, and she mostly just comes across as desperate and pathetic. And on top of being unlikable, every character who gets their own point of view is practically the very definition of the unreliable narrator. The only exception is the detective, and I've already given my thoughts on him. I won't go into the rest so I don't completely spoil it for anyone, but it would've been nice to like at least one of the players in this game.
Even so, the book isn't all bad. Kristin Miller does an excellent job with the almost Hitchcockian atmosphere. It's kind of Gothic and kind of not, and there are secrets to be discovered. The ending is also a pleasant surprise - sort of. I started to guess how things were going to go about halfway through, but I didn't know the details of it all. Unless I missed it, this is one of those thrillers where there's really no way to figure out the details short of reading the last couple of chapters early, and that's a big no-no for me.
So what I ended up with was a book that fell somewhere in the middle for me. The atmosphere was great, and there are a couple of decent red herrings along the way, but I could've done without so many points of view and so many thoroughly unlikable characters.
Once I started reading, I felt like this could be something to really get invested in, something to keep me turning those pages, reading just one more chapter until the wee hours of the night. The problem is that the more I read, the more convoluted the story became.
First and foremost, this book suffers from too many points of view. I was starting to worry that every single character in the story would get their own point of view, and I've gotta say that had the grumpy chef or catty housekeeper gotten a chapter of their own, I may very well have stopped reading. The detective certainly got his fair share of page time, which I'm still a little confused about. I mean, we get some of the detecting, but this really isn't a procedural. And since it's not a procedural, I'm a little confused as to why we need so much information about the detective's late wife. Once everything comes together, it's clear that the detective is only included so much in order to propel things the way the author wanted them to go. He's kind of a throwaway character other than for that reason, which is one of the worst kind in my opinion.
As far as the characters go, I'm just gonna say it - I didn't like a single one. Not the husband, not the girlfriend, not the neighbors, not the staff, not even the victim. I didn't find a single character in this book who was even remotely likable. The closest it comes is Colleen in the beginning, and she mostly just comes across as desperate and pathetic. And on top of being unlikable, every character who gets their own point of view is practically the very definition of the unreliable narrator. The only exception is the detective, and I've already given my thoughts on him. I won't go into the rest so I don't completely spoil it for anyone, but it would've been nice to like at least one of the players in this game.
Even so, the book isn't all bad. Kristin Miller does an excellent job with the almost Hitchcockian atmosphere. It's kind of Gothic and kind of not, and there are secrets to be discovered. The ending is also a pleasant surprise - sort of. I started to guess how things were going to go about halfway through, but I didn't know the details of it all. Unless I missed it, this is one of those thrillers where there's really no way to figure out the details short of reading the last couple of chapters early, and that's a big no-no for me.
So what I ended up with was a book that fell somewhere in the middle for me. The atmosphere was great, and there are a couple of decent red herrings along the way, but I could've done without so many points of view and so many thoroughly unlikable characters.
shelf_inspiration's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Stars
"Desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death."- In Her Shadow.
SYNOPSIS: Once his secretary, Colleen is now pregnant with Michael's baby. When he brings her to his opulent estate, Ravenwood, she is abruptly thrust into a life of luxury she's never known. But Colleen finds the immense house suffused with the memory of Michael's beautiful wife, Joanna, who left months ago and who haunts her imagination. It quickly becomes apparent that there is little room for a new mistress of this house: The staff greets her with hostility, and there are entire wings and corridors from which she is prohibited to enter.
Then bones are unearthed in the grove across the street.
When Michael falls under the suspicion of the detectives investigating the case, the soon-to-be mother of his child finds herself hurled deeper into her boyfriend's dark past--a past that threatens to upend all her dreams. But the terrifying secrets lurking in the shadows of Ravenwood pale in comparison to the drastic measures Colleen will take to stake a claim to her new life. - In Her Shadow
REVIEW: Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, and Kristin Miller for providing me an advanced reader copy of the book in order for an honest review. Overall, I rated this book 3.5 stars but decided to round the rating up to four stars for review purposes. I am such a fan of domestic thrillers and found this book to be right up my alley. I enjoyed reading this book, found it to be thrilling, and it did keep me guessing throughout the entire book, which is something I enjoy. However, I felt that the plot had some holes which affected the ending for me. For example, the detectives in the story don't seem to catch on to some similar findings (keeping this vague so I don't spoil the story). I also think that there was so much that they missed just out of pure convenience for the plot. One of the characters also seemed to conveniently know some knowledge about another character's whereabouts, and I have no idea how they found this out as it was not present in the book.
I did love the ending of the book and felt that the final twist was great. However, I am not sure I like how it was all revealed. There were great lead-ups to the final reveal, but the last part of the book tells the reader what all happened in a couple of pages or so. I would have rather had more hints or seen the development of this more throughout the book. It felt like a lot at once, and I would have rather had the suspense more drawn out. As I mentioned, the book did keep me guessing the entire time and I was not able to figure out what happened on my own, so this was a good ending.
The characters in this book were all unlikeable people in one way or another, but I think that's what makes this book so good. You are trying to figure out the mystery, but are led in so many directions because everyone is hiding secrets or participating in some shady behavior. I think the characters were all unique and I had no problem telling them apart when parts of the story were told from their perspective (I believe there were four perspectives overall). I think that part of the reason why this story was so interesting to me was because of the characters and the situations that they are all in.
Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this book and would recommend it to people who are fans of thriller books, and especially those who are fans of domestic thrillers. From what I understand from other reviews, it seems like this is the first (or one of the first) thrillers that Kristin Miller has written, and I hope that she keeps writing more. I would be excited to see what she comes up with next, and I also plan to check out her previous titles.
RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2020
"Desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death."- In Her Shadow.
SYNOPSIS: Once his secretary, Colleen is now pregnant with Michael's baby. When he brings her to his opulent estate, Ravenwood, she is abruptly thrust into a life of luxury she's never known. But Colleen finds the immense house suffused with the memory of Michael's beautiful wife, Joanna, who left months ago and who haunts her imagination. It quickly becomes apparent that there is little room for a new mistress of this house: The staff greets her with hostility, and there are entire wings and corridors from which she is prohibited to enter.
Then bones are unearthed in the grove across the street.
When Michael falls under the suspicion of the detectives investigating the case, the soon-to-be mother of his child finds herself hurled deeper into her boyfriend's dark past--a past that threatens to upend all her dreams. But the terrifying secrets lurking in the shadows of Ravenwood pale in comparison to the drastic measures Colleen will take to stake a claim to her new life. - In Her Shadow
REVIEW: Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, and Kristin Miller for providing me an advanced reader copy of the book in order for an honest review. Overall, I rated this book 3.5 stars but decided to round the rating up to four stars for review purposes. I am such a fan of domestic thrillers and found this book to be right up my alley. I enjoyed reading this book, found it to be thrilling, and it did keep me guessing throughout the entire book, which is something I enjoy. However, I felt that the plot had some holes which affected the ending for me. For example, the detectives in the story don't seem to catch on to some similar findings (keeping this vague so I don't spoil the story). I also think that there was so much that they missed just out of pure convenience for the plot. One of the characters also seemed to conveniently know some knowledge about another character's whereabouts, and I have no idea how they found this out as it was not present in the book.
I did love the ending of the book and felt that the final twist was great. However, I am not sure I like how it was all revealed. There were great lead-ups to the final reveal, but the last part of the book tells the reader what all happened in a couple of pages or so. I would have rather had more hints or seen the development of this more throughout the book. It felt like a lot at once, and I would have rather had the suspense more drawn out. As I mentioned, the book did keep me guessing the entire time and I was not able to figure out what happened on my own, so this was a good ending.
The characters in this book were all unlikeable people in one way or another, but I think that's what makes this book so good. You are trying to figure out the mystery, but are led in so many directions because everyone is hiding secrets or participating in some shady behavior. I think the characters were all unique and I had no problem telling them apart when parts of the story were told from their perspective (I believe there were four perspectives overall). I think that part of the reason why this story was so interesting to me was because of the characters and the situations that they are all in.
Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this book and would recommend it to people who are fans of thriller books, and especially those who are fans of domestic thrillers. From what I understand from other reviews, it seems like this is the first (or one of the first) thrillers that Kristin Miller has written, and I hope that she keeps writing more. I would be excited to see what she comes up with next, and I also plan to check out her previous titles.
RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2020
aliciasplendeur's review against another edition
5.0
This book sucked me right in! And I found myself reaching for a notebook to keep some notes while I read.
Michael is moving his pregnant girlfriend Colleen into the house he once shared with his wife Joanna, who walked out on him. The grand house is cold and the staff hostile. As Colleen tries to settle in she feels like Joanna's presence looms over her.
Then bones are discovered in the grove across the street. Michael falls under the suspicion of the detectives handling the case and Colleen will do anything to help protect her new life.
How could she move into the house he once shared with his wife?
Why is everyone acting weird? Dean, the chef does nothing to hide his dislike of Colleen. Only cooking meals Joanna liked. The housekeeper Samara, giving her Joanna's bathroom robe to wear. Rachel, the next-door neighbor who takes little jabs at her. Even Michael acts a little weird.
I want Colleen to get the heck outta there! Cause I don't trust anyone.
That twist at the end was so good. I never saw it coming.
I hated every time I had to put this book down because I needed to know what was gonna happen next.
So good! You should definitely give this book a read!
This ARC was provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via NetGalley
Michael is moving his pregnant girlfriend Colleen into the house he once shared with his wife Joanna, who walked out on him. The grand house is cold and the staff hostile. As Colleen tries to settle in she feels like Joanna's presence looms over her.
Then bones are discovered in the grove across the street. Michael falls under the suspicion of the detectives handling the case and Colleen will do anything to help protect her new life.
How could she move into the house he once shared with his wife?
Why is everyone acting weird? Dean, the chef does nothing to hide his dislike of Colleen. Only cooking meals Joanna liked. The housekeeper Samara, giving her Joanna's bathroom robe to wear. Rachel, the next-door neighbor who takes little jabs at her. Even Michael acts a little weird.
I want Colleen to get the heck outta there! Cause I don't trust anyone.
That twist at the end was so good. I never saw it coming.
I hated every time I had to put this book down because I needed to know what was gonna happen next.
So good! You should definitely give this book a read!
This ARC was provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via NetGalley
wildflowerz76's review against another edition
3.0
Colleen is five months pregnant and moving into the palatial house of her boyfriend (and recently former boss), Michael. Michael's wife, Joanna, left him 6 months ago and hasn't been heard from since. Oh, and Joanna? She was 5 months pregnant when she left. Colleen seems determined to rid herself of the figurative ghost of Joanna in the house, but that becomes harder to do when a female body is found in the grove across the street from their house.
A very loose take on the classic Rebecca, In Her Shadow is a twisty tale that will leave you guessing. And everyone is a suspect.
Honestly, this was very readable and I flew through it, but in the end, the solution to who killed her was fairly transparent early on and ultimately disappointing.
A very loose take on the classic Rebecca, In Her Shadow is a twisty tale that will leave you guessing. And everyone is a suspect.
Honestly, this was very readable and I flew through it, but in the end, the solution to who killed her was fairly transparent early on and ultimately disappointing.
i_hype_romance's review against another edition
4.0
A huge thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
In a Manderley world ruled by a secretive Bluebeard, one woman must ensure her survival.
No one will tell the truth about Joanna. And then a body is uncovered in the imposing grove of trees across from Colleen's new home.
When Colleen's boyfriend Michael whisks her away to his palatial estate, she is excited and overhwelmed. Everyone she meets seems hostile - especially the staff. They all adored the enigmatic forner mistress and continue to go through the routines she prescribed. Colleen is made to feel both inferior and inadequate - a poor sbsitite to the perfection of Michael's ex-wife.
The palatial estate is full of locked rooms she is forbidden to enter. The upscale neighborhood is a hotbed of secrets and trysts. The world she is now a part of is rife with deception and subterfuge that Colleen did not expect. She is left floundering - questioning the truth of everything he thought she knew.
I loved this suspense novel with its allusions to DuMaurier's Rebecca, and found many similarities in the self-effacing demenaor of the two heroines. It kept me guessing to the very end,
In a Manderley world ruled by a secretive Bluebeard, one woman must ensure her survival.
No one will tell the truth about Joanna. And then a body is uncovered in the imposing grove of trees across from Colleen's new home.
When Colleen's boyfriend Michael whisks her away to his palatial estate, she is excited and overhwelmed. Everyone she meets seems hostile - especially the staff. They all adored the enigmatic forner mistress and continue to go through the routines she prescribed. Colleen is made to feel both inferior and inadequate - a poor sbsitite to the perfection of Michael's ex-wife.
The palatial estate is full of locked rooms she is forbidden to enter. The upscale neighborhood is a hotbed of secrets and trysts. The world she is now a part of is rife with deception and subterfuge that Colleen did not expect. She is left floundering - questioning the truth of everything he thought she knew.
I loved this suspense novel with its allusions to DuMaurier's Rebecca, and found many similarities in the self-effacing demenaor of the two heroines. It kept me guessing to the very end,