A review by brennanlafaro
In Darkness, Shadows Breathe by Catherine Cavendish

4.0

I won’t pretend to be a Cavendish expert, but I’ve come to expect certain things from her work. Namely atmosphere and English seaside settings. While In Darkness, Shadows Breathe holds on tight to the atmosphere, the setting takes us in a different and entirely unexpected direction.

We follow Carol at first, and though we stay rooted in the character, Cavendish plays with the idea of time as a linear construct to develop a sense of paranoia and unease, the likes of which we strive for in horror. Quality horror is not simply ghosts in your bedroom at night or a monster jumping out from behind a corner. It’s creating an atmosphere that leaves the reader uncomfortable. Unsettled and unsure of what to believe. It lays the foundation beautifully for what’s to come.

Part two comes in and not only are we following a different character, but we’ve switched from third-person to first. Another device dropped in subtly to create a feeling of disconnect. We get to know Vanessa and places and people begin to reoccur. Inevitably, the two stories collide head-on.

While I admit I don’t always read Acknowledgements, these ones are worth reading. Cavendish details a personal struggle that she worked into this book, and it serves to enhance the vibrancy and emotional toil the character in question faced. You can argue the work speaks for itself, and I won’t fight you on it, but knowing the behind-the-scenes account for how a character was fleshed out and brought to life tends to enhance the experience for me.

It’s hard to pick a stronger book between In Darkness, Shadows Breathe and last year’s The Malan Witch, but luckily I don’t have to, and neither do you. The story in this book is really good, but the writing is great. If you like stories that instill a sense of paranoia and mistrust using a variety of storytelling and literary devices, this is for you.

I received a copy from the publisher for review consideration.