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The Shadow Hour

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The Shadow Hour

By: Kate Riordan
Narrated by: Andy Secombe, Daniel Weyman, Eve Webster, Helen Fraser, Rachel Bavidge, Roy McMillan, Steven France
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About this listen

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook edition of The Shadow Hour by Kate Riordan, read by Eve Webster, Rachel Bavidge, Andy Secombe, Roy Mcmillan, Helen Fraser, Daniel Weyman and Steven France.

Nineteen twenty-two. Grace has been sent to the stately and crumbling Fenix House to follow in her grandmother's footsteps as a governess. But when she meets the house's inhabitants, people who she had only previously heard of in stories, the cracks in her grandmother's tale begin to show. Secrets appear to live in the house's very walls and everybody is resolutely protecting their own.

Why has she been sent here? Why did her grandmother leave after just one summer? And as the past collides with the present, can Grace unravel these secrets and discover who her grandmother, and who she, really is?

Praise for The Shadow Hour

'I was immediately drawn in by this beautifully written tale. I loved the sense of intrigue and the air of mystery at Fenix House, and was itching for answers as the two narratives unfolded' Dinah Jefferies author of The Tea Planter's Wife

'I'm a sucker for unreliable narrators, crumbling country houses stuffed full of secrets and a story that veers between the present and the past, so it was a delight to curl up with The Shadow Hour over the course of a rainy weekend' Red Online

'It's wonderful - the dark suspense and evocative descriptions are perfect' Liz Fenwick, author of Under a Cornish Sky

'We loved last years The Girl in the Photograph and this latest atmospheric saga is just as thrilling' Essentials

'The parallel stories of Fenix House governess Harriet Jenner and her granddaughter Grace had me absolutely gripped. Intelligent, poignant, unexpected: highly recommended' Louise Candlish, author of The Sudden Departure of the Frasers

'Beautifully written and utterly compelling, I loved this' Katie Fforde

'Gorgeously written - I was instantly drawn in to the mysteries of Fenix House and Kate's evocative storytelling held me rapt until the very end' Lucy Diamond

'Full of dark intrigue, rich description and haunting secrets, this kept me reading and reading! Beautifully written and compelling until the end. I adored it' Ella Harper, author of The Years of Loving You

'What a beautiful and evocative writer she is! I adored the richness of her descriptions, the faint sense of menace just below the surface, and the huge skill with which she wove in clues, questions and little fragments of information. It was a thoroughly absorbing read' Iona Grey

'The language is lyrical and yet accessible, the plot intricate but satisfying. There is romance, period detail, and dark secrets. This book has TV adaptation written all over it! A great book-club read with loads to discuss' The Cheltonian

Gothic Historical Fiction Horror Mystery Women's Fiction Scary Fiction Suspense

Critic Reviews

I was immediately drawn in by this beautifully written tale. I loved the sense of intrigue and the air of mystery at Fenix House, and was itching for answers as the two narratives unfolded
A perfect gothic, big-house mystery that kept me turning the pages. Very well written - I really enjoyed it
It's wonderful - the dark suspense and evocative descriptions are perfect (Liz Fenwick, author of)
The parallel stories of Fenix House governess Harriet Jenner and her granddaughter Grace had me absolutely gripped. Intelligent, poignant, unexpected: highly recommended
Beautifully written and utterly compelling, I loved this
Gorgeously written - I was instantly drawn in to the mysteries of Fenix House and Kate's evocative storytelling held me rapt until the very end.
The parallel stories of Fenix House governess Harriet Jenner and her granddaughter Grace had me absolutely gripped. Intelligent, poignant, unexpected: highly recommended (Louise Candlish, author of)
Full of dark intrigue, rich description and haunting secrets, this kept me reading and reading! Beautifully written and compelling until the end. I adored it (Sasha Wagstaff, author of)
Headily atmospheric Victorian gothic detail brings to life the house which holds secrets and memories in its dim rooms, and conjures up a world of hot house flowers and stifled passions. Certain images stay with you - Riordan richly juxtaposes a measured, scientific world of steam trains, comets and clocks with the wild: flooded quarries, ice storms, and the irresistible desire for love and revenge which defies rationality. It's all in the detail - jewelled Indian daggers, sunlight on red gold hair, claustrophobic mazes and ice houses, and mysterious sounds in the night. From the utterly gripping prologue, The Shadow Hour transports you back in time, and shows how a few minutes here or there can catastrophically change a life (Kate Lord Brown, author of)
Rich and atmospheric, like Rebecca this novel casts an enduring spell
All stars
Most relevant
I'm sorry to say I nearly gave up on this wonderful story very early on because I thought "this is not me, it's more suitable fog my wife!" His wrong I was and how glad I was I did not give up.
The twist and turns and weaved stories within the story were crafted so well.
Is it a "Who done it?" Yes and no - not in the genre of murder mystery. Simply much better.
I highly recommend this book and the 'voices' .

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Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

For fans of the genres it's a decent read with a cast of interesting and enjoyable characters and just enough mystery to keep the reader thinking. But for readers that aren't committed to the drama/mystery genres I would have a harder time recommending The Shadow Hour.

The book drops the reader off the deep end with a mass of characters that you have to meet and get to know, some of which you have to meet twice, once for the current day, and again for the past. That along with the at times sluggish plot progression makes for what could be an intimidating book to more casual readers.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

All of the twists and turns towards the end half of the book were entirely predictable except for the revelation at the very end, which was largely insignificant to the plot overall. Being predictable didn't really detract from the experience, but don't expect to be surprised going into this book.

Despite having the most predictable twists I've seen in a mystery book in quite some time, I do think the book had a solid ending. The ending gave a good pay off for most of the characters, and neatly tied up the loose ends of the book. It was satisfying and gave just enough time to wind down properly before ending, without feeling like it was overstaying it's welcome.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances? How does this one compare?

This was the first time I've listened to these narrators. I think they all did a good job, I very much enjoyed the distinct voices of the two main characters.

Was The Shadow Hour worth the listening time?

It had a lot of dead space, time that felt like it could have been cut and the book would have remained largely the same. When it had purpose it was good, but the book did drag at times.

An enjoyable read for fans of drama

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