The Shadow Year - Hannah Richell

'She just can't seem to shake the feeling that the old place is trying to tell her something.'

In this novel we meet Lila, an unhappy young woman who has suffered a devastating loss. She is struggling to cope with this; she suffers feelings of guilt, and her relationship with her husband Tom is under strain. She receives a mysterious, anonymous inheritance; a remote cottage in the Peak District. Intrigued, and looking for an escape, she decides to renovate the place, which is much in need of it. She finds traces of the previous occupants, and wonders about who they were, and why it seems like they left the cottage quite suddenly. Whilst there, she has a sense that she isn't alone, that someone may be watching her. 

Back in 1980, a group of five graduates spend a warm summer's day heading out to a remote spot in the countryside, where they discover a cottage by a lake in an idyllic spot. The place seems to be abandoned, and the seed of an idea is sown. They could spend a year here, before joining the rest of society, they could escape and live quietly and be as self reliant as possible. It seems like a dream and it starts well. But then as winter sets in and a visitor arrives, the realities become harsher and the strains being to show. 

The narrative switches back and forth between the two strands in alternate chapters, with the tale structured such that the writer has kept the months aligned, so that we read about December 1980 and then December in the present, which maintains the sense of the gradually passing year in each case, the changing seasons playing their part in the sights, smells and surroundings that form a backdrop to the story. 

What happens in the past is slowly revealed, and the repercussions on the present are also gradually shown. This writer gets to the heart of relationships and creates interesting characters representing both likeable and less pleasant aspects of human nature, and she places these creations in challenging situations. There's a strong sense of place and the cottage, lake and surrounds become almost like characters in themselves and it's easy to see how someone might become captivated by such a place.

Hannah Richell has weaved an involving tale that grows into an emotional, evocative read about secrets and about how people can be driven by motives of love, desire and jealousy, to act in a way that they think is for the best for others, whether that is the reality or not, and whatever the real, painful impact might be. I thought the plot was cleverly constructed and although I guessed at some of the mysteries within the story, I was certainly surprised by some as well. Though I would have preferred the story to have been a little shorter at times, overall I enjoyed escaping into this very readable story and discovering what would happen to the characters in this tangle of lives and how the two storylines would meet. 

Published by Orion

Thanks to the publisher for kindly sending a proof copy of this novel.

You can follow the author on twitter @HannahRichell and visit her website here.

The Things We Never Said - Susan Elliot Wright

Debut novelist Susan Elliot Wright has crafted a moving, compelling tale with the narrative divided between two characters. In the present day, Jonathan is a teacher, and soon to be a father, his wife Fiona at last expecting their first child. He is both happy and anxious about the arrival of the baby, not helped by a difficult relationship with his own father who seemed unfeeling and distant towards his son; then his father passes away, destroying any hopes of reconciliation.

In the other strand to the tale, in the 1960s, Maggie wakes up bewildered, not knowing who she is or where she is; slowly she realises she is in a psychiatric hospital. She experiences a gradual coming to terms with her situation and a slow recollection of her past, which is then unveiled to us. The book alternates between the two strands telling the story of Jonathan and Maggie in short but satisfying chapters, building the intrigue for the reader as to how their lives might intersect.

This is a story that felt both compassionate and very real to me as I read; I soon became absorbed in the lives of these two people. The characterisation is strong and convincing and the plot is intriguing and well developed. It is a very enjoyable and moving read about families, relationships, secrets and truth, and the title is very apt. 

Published by Simon and Schuster

Originally reviewed for lovereading.co.uk

See more reviews for this title on the lovereading site here

You can follow the author on twitter @sewelliot

The Girl You Left Behind - Jojo Moyes

‘And always, somewhere underneath, the sense that she is missing something; secrets that float just out of sight.’

This is a dual time frame novel and the new book from the author of the hugely successful ‘Me Before You.’

I really enjoyed curling up and getting lost in this very romantic and engaging story. Most of all I loved the historical storyline, learning about Sophie’s life with Edouard prior to World War I, and her daily life during the war, struggling to keep herself, her sister and her sister’s children safe and well during the German occupation of their town in France, whilst her beloved Edouard is fighting at the Front.

A talented artist, Edouard painted a portrait of Sophie which catches the eye of the new Kommandant of the occupying forces in their town. Once a successful, thriving hotel in the town, Sophie’s home and place of work is now being used to replenish the strength of the enemy soldiers, under the Kommandant’s instructions. As he spends more time there, Sophie begins to wonder if his interest in her may offer her a way to see Edouard again, but she takes an enormous risk.

Liv is a bereaved widow still enduring the heartbreak of losing her talented archictect husband at a young age and after only a few years of marriage. Prior to his death, her husband had given the beautiful portrait of Sophie to Liv as a gift almost a hundred years after the events affecting Sophie occurred. Liv is struggling to make things work and despite a chance encounter that hints at potential new love at last, events involving the portrait may scupper this almost as soon as it has begun.

Both storylines held my attention, but I felt very drawn into the historical element, and would love to see the author return to this sort of period again. The ending was very satisfying and heartwarming. I understand the wide appeal of this author and appreciated her very readable style, and I liked this novel even more than Me Before You. I found this a captivating story, complete with much intrigue, secrets, tension and romance.

Published by Penguin

Reviewed by Lindsay Healy

Reviewed for lovereading.com, netgalley and goodreads first reads.