A pregnant young woman becomes obsessed with the disappearance of her lover’s wife, only to discover that she may be headed for the same fate, in this novel from New York Times bestselling author Kristin Miller When secretary Colleen Roper becomes pregnant by her boss, Michael, he whisks her away to Ravenwood, his opulent estate. Abruptly thrust into a life of luxury she’s never known, Colleen … she’s never known, Colleen finds the immense house suffused with the memory of Michael’s wife, Joanna, who left months ago and haunts her imagination. With rooms she’s prohibited from entering and a staff that greets her with hostility, there is little room for a new mistress of Ravenwood.
It’s not long before bones are unearthed in the grove across the street and Michael falls under the suspicion of detectives. The soon-to-be mother of his child finds herself hurled deeper into her lover’s dark past, a past filled with unfaithfulness and deception. Making a claim to her new life is harder than it seems—especially since she’s walking in the shadow of the hauntingly beautiful Joanna. As Colleen untangles truth from lies, she discovers that nothing is what it seems, and that some people will kill to keep their secrets as quiet as the dead.
Inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, In Her Shadow is the chilling story of one woman’s desperate desire to be loved and the ghosts that threaten to get in her way.
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In Her Shadow aptly describes this suspenseful, psychological thriller. Colleen is the pregnant girlfriend of Michael, her married boss. Michael’s wife, Joanna, abruptly left him six months ago and he has not heard from her since.
The more Colleen emerges herself in Michael’’s life – she is always in Joanna’s shadow. A shadow she is not sure she can overcome. This book is a worthwhile read that includes evil, greed and murder. Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
The comments and review of this book are my honest opinion.
Oh wow, what an intriguing story. It is certainly a page turner! Just when I thought I had it all figured out them BAM a big twist. Then I would have to start trying all over again! That makes for a great read. Thank you Kristin for such a great book!
Great for fans of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. A little inconsistent at the end, but still a good gothic novel.
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.
The story took turns I did not see coming and that makes me so happy. The writing is engaging and I was not willing to put the book down because each chapter introduced new evidence that was very damning for another character.
The characters are all flawed in some way, but that makes them more colorful and in some ways enjoyable. The world building is very vivid which helped create the scenes in the two homes and grove beautifully.
All of the pieces came together in the end in quite the creepy manner, but it was fitting for what we learned about everyone as well. All the characters were well developed and the book showing the multiple views and conversations was helpful in building the “who done it” component of the book. I think my favorite character is Detective Shaw as he does not stop at the surface level, but continues to ask questions, even when it appears to be solved.
Thanks for the chance to read this book and share my opinion!
Colleen Roper is pregnant by her boss Michael and madly in love with him. But when he moves her to Ravenswood, his opulent estate, she feels like a fish out of water. She doesn’t fit in with this society and everything around her, including the coffee the chef fixes for her, reminds her of Joanna, Michael’s wife who disappeared 6 months ago. It is obvious that the staff and the neighbors adored Joanna and don’t appreciate Colleen moving in. Right after she moves in, bones are discovered across the street. Of course they are Joanna’s. That much was expected. But not much else in the rest of the book was expected and the ending flabbergasted me. That is the mark of an excellent psychological thriller. I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley and I loved it! I look forward to reading more of Ms Miller’s many works.
Colleen Roper feels like she’s won the lottery. She became pregnant by her boss, Michael, who has lots of money and takes her away from her humdrum life to his mansion in the country. There’s a cook and a housekeeper … unfortunately they do not particularly like her.
Michael’s wife disappeared months ago, but his wife’s memory lives on. She’s expected to eat the same foods, sleep in her old room, dress the same as his wife, Joanna. There’s a suite of rooms that she’s forbidden to enter.
She’s not exactly happy with the situation, but when human bones are found are found close to her new home … and the detectives names Michael as the prime suspect.
The detectives aren’t the only ones who suspect Michael of murder… and since the police don’t seem to want to consider anyone else, she does what she has to do to claim her new life for herself and her baby-to-be.
As Colleen untangles truth from lies, she discovers that nothing is what it seems, and that some people will kill to keep their secrets as quiet as the dead.
There are more twists and turns than a roller coaster. The suspense starts on the very first page and maintains a steady rise until the very last page with an unexpected terrifying conclusion. Kudos to the author for the fascinating chapter titles that are a countdown to a murder. As a woman who becomes obsessed with her boyfriend’s wife, and the father of her baby, who definitely has secrets, the characters are skillfully drawn.
Many thanks to the author / Random House Publishing – Ballantine / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
This author has the magic to write in any genre with captivating her readers. Ravenwood is one that only the brave should enter if you know better. But it seems Colleen has her own issues and when she goes there she does have many challenges thanks to servants and Michael. Colleen better watch out for her and the one she carries. The intrigue and mystery will chill you as you are driven to turn those pages. The darkness will twist its way into this with secrets. Just when you think you know something bam you are thrown for a loop.
In Her Shadow by Kristin Miller is a nicely written murder mystery. It is difficult to talk too much about it without spoilers. Colleen has moved in with her boyfriend, Michael. Michael had previously been her boss. When his wife left him, there Colleen was and now she is pregnant and living with him in his mansion. The problem is that everywhere she turns there is his ex-. Everyone loved her. Joanna. The place has been wiped clean of any hint of her, but she is everywhere. Then, there are those locked rooms. What is that all about? Then she turns up buried in the woods across from the house. Who killed her? How did she get there? So many suspects. So many reasons. What does it all mean? Was it Michael?
In Her Shadow has a clever plot, thickly laden with miscues and red herrings. Once the mystery is solved, the reader wants a re-read to see if the clues are there. Colleen is a good character, if a little needy. The neighbors are almost caricatures of the young idle rich, although they are not quite idle. The police detective carries a lot of baggage: a dead wife. Your heart will bleed for him. A frightening book. If it is your genre, you will love it. I recommend it.
I received a free ARC of In Her Shadow from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #inhershadow
Chilling, and the murderer is not so who you are expecting. This is hands down a page turner and one you will not want to put down until it ends. Everyone is a suspect even when you think they have been cleared. The author holds the clues tightly and reels the reader in by using clues that seem innocuous and innocent. It is definitely worth reading twice.
A very twisted psychological domestic thriller. .While I felt some parts of it made no sense at all, it kept me interested enough to keep reading and reading some more to the finish only to see just how twisted these characters actually were..
Do you want a good book to take your mind off your troubles? In Her Shadow by Kristin Miller will be the book to make you forget what is going on around you! Oh my goodness, I couldn’t put the book down. If you love Domestic Thrillers, you must read this book. Wow! This book will blow your mind.
I had my nose buried because I literally could not wait to see what was going to happen. Even the chapter titles were intriguing. There were so many characters who had dark sides. I couldn’t tell who I liked and who I didn’t like. They all had a reason to commit murder. I couldn’t figure out the guilty person. My mind is still blown away.
Her writing style is impeccable. She makes you think because there are lots clues and hints along the way. There are several characters in the book but, I was never confused. You are constantly trying to figure out the culprit. I had a love/hate relationship with all of the characters. I’m not sure how she did that! .
I’ll be looking for more books by Kristin Miller.
I received this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review.
From the very first page you get a creepy twisted vibe. It keeps you guessing until the shocking conclusion. This is my first book by this author and it is also her first attempt at this genre. She did a excellent job that will definitely have me coming back for more.
Coleen is pregnant by Michael. He brings her to his huge estate Ravenwood where he lived with his wife until she disappeared. Feeling unwelcome and overshadowed by his missing wife Coleen tries to find out the truth. Infidelity, lies and manipulation is all front and center throughout. Great Who Done It!!
Rebecca with a Twist… This is a modern day rendition of Rebecca with a twist. When Colleen gets pregnant and has been warned to reduce stress, Michael takes her to his home to stay. Colleen is surprised to find such a luxurious home. Instead of a relaxing stay, Colleen feels that the staff and the neighbors are always comparing her to the beautiful Joanna. When a body is discovered across the road, life becomes even more stressful. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. This is a book that kept me riveted. I like that it was told from multiple points of view: Colleen, Michael, a neighbor Rachel, and a detective. I like that even though the story covered only a week in Colleen’s life, the timeline jumped back and forth. I also like that there were flashbacks to the past rather than a character just describing the events. I gave this book five stars because I didn’t want to put it down
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a twisted, disturbing book. The writing was somewhat confusing in places and the characters were shallow. This book was not what I thought it was going to be. I’m sure there are others who will have different views and I hope you will enjoy the book. 🙁
3.5 stars
What a dark and twisted story. You can’t help but dislike many of the characters as they all seem guilty and the characters you feel bad for are actually bad people. The story keeps you engaged and guessing until the end.
In Her Shadow wow what a twisted story, this was a fast paced read and once I got reading I couldn’t put it down. My first book by this author but this is one of my favorite genres and I will definitely be reading more of her books. I so didn’t see the final outcome. I would certainly recommend this book to those that enjoy psychological thriller.
I received an Advanced Readers Copy from NetGalley and the publisher, and this is my fair and honest review.
In Her Shadow is a contemporary mystery/thriller by Kristin Miller. Ms. Miller has provided readers with a well-written book. You may need a road map to follow all the twists and turns of this story. Colleen is engaged to Michael and pregnant when she moves into his house with him. When his wife turns up dead Colleen suspects everyone. This nail-biter kept me on the edge of my seat through the whole book and I have to say, Ms. Miller shocked me at the end. I enjoyed reading In Her Shadow and look forward to reading more from Kristen Miller in the future. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
There is a big twist that I didn’t see coming at the end for sure although much of the story went as I predicted from early on. The characters are interesting enough to keep my attention although the detectives were stereotypes that fell flat. The main one, Shaw, was given some backstory to make him at least human but his partner was a caricature of the cop who only cared about his ambition. It cheapened the story.
I did feel sympathy for the main character whose life has been a tough one but at times it was hard to watch her accept situations that were not healthy in order to strive for happiness. It was a good hook. I also believed her love and trust of the husband enough that I was on her side in fighting for him.
The twist was good but I hated the exposition of it. It was all telling and no showing in the very end. It angered me enough to feel cheated. Considering this book was fairly short, I can’t figure out why we weren’t given the experience of the big twist. The attempt at being clever was a gimmick in this one but overall it was a quick read that held my attention.
Colleen became Michael’s secretary a month after his wife Joanna left him, and Joanna was 5 months pregnant at the time… and that’s where the ghosts and lies begin.
Filled with twists, turns, deceit and one mystery after another, you never know what is going to happen next. Even when you think you have it figured out and are satisfied, another surprise twist pops up.
The characters aren’t lovable, some are barely likable! But you aren’t really supposed to like most of them, you’re supposed to suspect every character of murder from the first sentence on the page… and you do. I love characters like these, you want to have them in some nighttime soap opera or reality show and talk catty garbage about them!
And I’m sitting here trying to write a spoiler free review, ummmm, that is so difficult! How do you do that when the book starts with spoilers, but maybe not quite the ones you think.