Rated of 5
by Patricia M. (Davidson, North Carolina)
Outstanding debut novel
This book is beautifully written. The characters are very well developed and believable. An intriguing story of moors, mist and mystery. Keeps you guessing until the very end. For a debut novel is a gem.
Rated of 5
by Barbara H. (Richmond, IN)
Shadows on the Moor
I read far too late three evenings in a row. The book is fascinating. It promises supernatural happenings, familial misbehavior, and murder. The setting itself, the North Yorkshire Moors, is compelling. After all, I know the mysterious moors well from Wuthering Heights. I know they are stark and strangely beautiful, and strange things happen on them. So I am truly fascinated. Plus Rebecca seems to be the book that puts our heroine to sleep each night, suggesting a relationship between Beneath the Shadows and Rebecca. Sure enough there is. An imperious lady of the manor becomes a friend of the heroine Grace. The lady has four daughters and an estranged son, who also proves to be more than a friend to Grace. This is a fun and intriguing read that concludes all at once, and its resolution bring out all sorts of family secrets.
Rated of 5
by Ilene R. (Northfield, Il)
A wonderful escape to the English countryside...
Do not start this book unless you have a lot of time. You won't be able to put it down!! It is set in the Yorkshire moors. The wonderful mystery starts immediately and you will be hooked. A good mystery keeps you on "the edge of your seat" and Beneath the Shadows doesn't disappoint!!
Rated of 5
by Jane A. (Lakeport, CA)
An compelling story
Although I am not an aficionado of mystery stories, I was unable to put "Beneath the Shadows" down until I had finished it. It is very well written, and the story moves forward in a compelling style. The author left me guessing until the final chapter.
Rated of 5
by Bobbie D. (Boca Raton, FL)
The Shadows Only Deepen
Beneath the Shadows got my attention before I even opened the book. All I had to do was look at the cover picture and try to imagine why a baby carriage is alone in the woods in winter! I was not disappointed. Just trying to comprehend a young mother's (Grace) fears when she finds her baby alone in front of her cottage and her husband (Adam) missing is terrible enough. Transporting a city couple and a very young child from London to an isolated cottage on the Yorkshire Moors (formerly owned by Adam's deceased grandparents) is just the beginning. With her husband missing, Grace needs to find answers. At every turn, strange things happen. A grandfathers clock stops and begins again, an old book appears on her bed etc. The architect, Ben, who comes to help her update the cottage so that eventually she can rent or sell it, discovers a locked basement that Grace didn't know about. Why hadn't Adam told her? There is a strange older man, who rarely leaves his home. Grace sees him outside feeding mice to his owls. Then there is Meredith and her daughters. Grace likes Meredith at first but she seems to be holding back information and later upsets Grace when she offers to buy the cottage so Grace can leave. She also tells her about the spirit, Timmy who appears at odd times. The more we learn, the more frightening things become.
The authors characters are very distinctive and create a distinctive atmosphere in this small town. You have to like Grace's sister Anabel. For the most part, she adds some fun to the story, as does Millie, the daughter.
How these people connect IS the story.
This is a journey Grace must take even though she is terrified and doesn't know who she can trust. It really is a "cliff hanger" or should we say a "leap hanger". You are on edge from start to finish.
Sara Foster has well-written a mystery mixed with so many questions and surprised that it is hard to put it down. You don't need to like mysteries to read this book. Will appeal to everyone!
Rated of 5
by Angela G. (Byram, MS)
ONE OF THE NOT-TO-BE-MISSED BOOKS THIS YEAR!
Their move from the bustling city of London to the tiny village on the North Yorkshire moors seemed like a chance for a woman to start a new life focused on her husband and baby. But what begins as an adventure in a run down cottage quickly becomes a nightmare when the husband abruptly disappears, seemingly abandoning their baby. "Beneath the Shadows" is a Gothic tale of mystery and suspense worthy of Daphne DuMaurier! The story pulls the reader into the cottage, out on the moors, and inside a manor house filled with eccentric family members who have secrets of their own. Things go bump in the night, the old grandfather clock stops at odd times, and a trip into the dark basement has deadly potential. Slowly, the mystery is peeled back revealing its dark heart. A touch of G-rated romance helps to offset fear and tragedy. Dialog in "Beneath the Shadows" is a pitch perfect to portray each character, some of whom are not exactly what they seem. Sense of time and place are excellent. You can see the awe inspiring vastness of the moors, and feel the biting cold of the snow and wind. This books has been compared to works by leading Gothic writers. It will leave readers waiting for the next novel by Sara Foster!
Rated of 5
by Melissa P. (Greenville, New York)
Beneath the Shadows
Grace and Adam move to the cottage once owned by his grandparents on the Yorkshire moors. Grace is not really thrilled with the setting but she has no idea what is to come. Adam mysteriously disappears after going on a walk with their infant daughter Millie. Millie is found safe in front of the cottage but there is not a trace of Adam. Grace returns to the cottage months later to finalize things and to see if she can find any answers to the burning question: what happened to Adam?
This book had good twists and turns and I did not really see the ending coming. The characters were interesting and complex. I felt for Grace and wanted her to get some sort of closure about her missing husband. This book was a good mystery and had some hints of romance in it as well. I recommend this book.
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of 5
by Patricia M. (Davidson, North Carolina)
