The Shadow House

A Novel

By: Anna Downes

Narrated by: Anna Downes, Natasha Beaumont

Extraordinarily tense and deliciously mysterious, Anna Downes' 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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

©2022 Anna Downes (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Downes is . . . sowing the seeds of psychological terror, rooted in everyday traumas from sleeplessness to coping with teens, and branching out to create a nightmare world. A hair-raising mood piece you'll be glad to awaken from."—Kirkus Reviews

"This gripped me from the first tense and beautifully written page and didn’t let go. The intriguing, eerie premise of The Shadow House delivered in every sense—I won’t be moving to an ecovillage anytime soon! Anna’s writing is visceral and compelling and the main characters are so well-drawn. I couldn’t trust anyone . . .The tension in this novel slowly ratchets as twist after twist are revealed, climaxing in an edge of the seat finale that had me furiously turning the pages. A must read!"—Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium

"In her riveting and haunting novel, Anna Downes leads us deep into the dark tangled fear and self-doubt of a young mother struggling to distinguish between real and imaginary threats to her child. Downes captures the abject terror that can accompany motherhood. The Shadow House will keep you turning pages into the night."—Mary Dixie Carter, author of The Photographer

The Shadow House

I enjoyed this “spooky” story and getting to know the characters. It was an easy three-day listen for me. That second narrator almost got me though, but I got used to her. Author’s note at the end was inspiring. I always appreciate learning where and how authors come up with their ideas. I think I’ll check out her debut novel, too.

Light and interesting

Loved this audible book. Easy listening and interesting characters that are relatable and believable. Plot was easy to follow and finished in a day.

Too long

I was liking it, but dragged on, I listen to books as I work and this one was different.

Unfulfilled Potential

There were no likable characters in this book. It was impossible to sympathize with whiny mums who allowed their child to live life on their computers 24/7. No good parent would allow the snotty behavior that came from these boys.
There were a few glimpses of a good plot that might take hold, but it was not to be.
The end was too long and kinda sappy.
Disappointing…

Loved it!!

Tons of twists and turns. I often found myself getting ansy when I was busy and couldn't listen . Heading to download her first book now.

Annoying Teenager Ruined It

I kept thinking, without much hope, how much better the book would be if someone killed the obnoxious teenaged son. The only thing more irritating was the mother's continuous coddling of behavior that should have had him, at very least, slapped.

Good One

Solid story, good narration. I definitely look forward to more by this author. Give this book a try.

A Page Turner!

Great narrator and entertaining story that kept me listening to find out what happened next. A lovely message at the end, don’t miss the author’s note.

no one to root for

this was well read, and the writing was good. the story, however, I didn't enjoy. the main protagonist was not likeable or sympathetic. she was selfish and unaware. I sped up the playback to get to the end, which I didn't find satisfying. I'm glad it was a realistic explanation instead of supernatural, but it packed anything to make me really care.

Gently intriguing with realistic characters

Overall, the story is well put together, and the characters are very easy to imagine existing somewhere. It wasn’t the kind of story that leaves you breathless, or on the edge of your seat, but it was enjoyable and entertaining, and I was able to follow it and looked forward to each listening session