Torchwood: In the Shadows

Torchwood Audio Exclusives #3

by Joseph Lidster

Torchwood receive reports of a strange death: a man in his thirties who died of old age. A series of other strange events leads Torchwood to conclude that someone is sending victims to a dark dimension, to be punished by the thing they fear most. Who is the mysterious taxi driver preying on his passengers? What significance do boxes of matches play in this mystery? And can Jack ever escape from his own personal Hell? A Torchwood audio original short story read by Eve Myles (a.k.a. Gwen Cooper).

Genres: Science Fiction, Audiobook, Doctor Who, Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Media Tie In

Audio CD

First published February 4, 2008

About the author

Joseph Lidster is an English television writer best known for his work on the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

His debut work was the audio play The Rapture for Big Finish Productions in 2002. Numerous further audio plays and prose short stories followed for Big Finish, for their Doctor Who line, spin-offs and other series (Sapphire & Steel and The Tomorrow People).

In 2005, he started working for the BBC, writing tie-in material for the new Doctor Who television series. He made his television writing debut in 2008 on the second series of Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood and subsequently wrote three two-part stories for The Sarah Jane Adventures. He has written the two-part story "Rebel Magic" for the new CBBC series Wizards vs Aliens.

Lidster wrote the content for the tie-in websites relating to the fictional world of the television series, Sherlock. Alongside co-producer James Goss, he has produced Big Finish Productions' dramatic reading range of Dark Shadows audio dramas since 2011.

In 2012, he won the 'Audience Favourite Writer' award for his first play Nice Sally in the Off Cut Theatre Festival.

Reviews

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audiobook had it all! A brilliant plot with all the spirit of Torchwood. Flirtations galore with Jack, some fantastic Janto moments, amazing narration from Eve Myles (Who plays Gwen) and all the gut wrenching feels. Ahh I miss this whole team so much, I loved the days of Captain Jack, Gwen, Ianto, Tosh and Owen, saving the world under the Torchwood name and was so happy that this audiobook had a story containing them all.

This story had me smiling, shocked, happy, sad, nostalgic and just generally hooked. I really enjoyed listening to it and got through it happily in a few sittings and indulged my continued and ongoing love for this franchise !

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE JANTO
THE JANTO
OH THE JANTO



I JUST HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS
LIKE, A LOT OF FEELINGS
AND I JUST
UGH

I had heard that this was the emotional one. That this was almost, if not more, painful than Children of Earth and House of the Dead.

I just... okay, the first half was hilarious and I loved it for being just so brilliant and making me giggle. Just the thought of Ianto whizzing round the Torchwood Hub on a wheelie chair shouting 'wheeeeee' and the description of Jack as being like a 'gay shampoo advert'... It was all wonderful.

But then we got to the second part. In which Jack is in his own personal hell. And I can safely say that, not only was this Jack's personal hell, this was EVERY TORCHWOOD FAN'S PERSONAL HELL. I mean, what?! The feelings!!!!!!! I mean, it was just like someone had taken my heart and danced round it while setting it on fire.

And then the end! As if I wasn't already a heap in the floor, drowning in the horrific Janto feels, the end happened.

Every time I think that I've felt enough feelings, that the Torchwood writing team can surely think of nothing worse to give to me, I am proven wrong. Which would be a problem if I didn't fall for it every time and love it SO MUCH.

[Emilija · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 150 Prompt Doctor Who Reading Challenge - Enemies - 9) Vashta Nerada: Stay In The Light - Pick a dark creepy story, maybe with themes of isolation, shadows or fear.

This is probably one of the creepiest Doctor Who related books that I've read. It is very good and Eve Myles narrates it fantastically, and I love how she's narrating it as if she's talking to Owen and Tosh, I thought that was really cool. I thought the story itself was decent, even though I spent most of it thinking about Sherlock.

[usagi ☆ミ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eve Myles really brought this book to life. I absolutely loved it, and it was the perfect chaser after the sad events of "Children of Earth". It was well-written, as most of the Torchwood exclusive audiobooks or radio plays are and very, very engaging.

But really, Eve Myles was the best part of this audiobook. I haven't heard anyone do horror and terror writing like she has (so far), and it was just...such a refreshing pleasure to listen to.

If you're feeling down after "Children of Earth", go ahead and give this a listen. You won't regret it.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A taxi driver with a bog of matches is sending "sinners" to hell and that is leaving behind accelerated aged corpses. In trying to investigate, Jack is sent to his own personal hell and the Torchwood team needs to get him back. Suspenseful and very interesting character explorations. Not to mention, I loved Eve Myles' narration.

[Trinity · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Shadows is BRILLIANT. There are interweaving narratives and bursts of free indirect discourse. It's humorous, gripping, suspense-building and filled with details about Torchwood's history and its members. There are references to the TV eps (e.g. 'They Keep on Killing Suzie' and 'Cyberwoman'), as well as amusing ways of including Captain John Hart. The interactions between the team, Rhys and Andy, are beyond perfection. The story takes on some parallel narratives half-way through, which although sound confusing, are each explained and eventually resolved.

Myles' reading is entertaining, expressing a real care towards the characters (and giving the 3rd person narrator some human qualities). Although, as in Miracle Day, her American accent is unusually high-pitched and littered with Welsh vowels, it offers great contrast from the other characters, allowing a distinction between the various voices.

Overall, an absolutely fantastic story by Lidster with the most satisfying Janto ending :)

[Elly · Rating 5 out of 5]

finally !!!! this one was amazing !!!! kudos to joseph lidster for creating a brilliant, interesting, original plot, as well as well-written dialogue + characterisation!

eve myles also reads insanely well— i think she’d be incredible at reading audiobooks as a full-time job. it feels as though you could actually be watching the show, just with your eyes closed! some actors, despite being amazing at acting, aren’t always perfect when it comes to doing audio by itself, but i couldn’t fault one single part of myles’ reading.

everybody was in-character, the antagonist was really creative, and the jack/ianto moments felt very real + very sweet. i loved the idea of having gwen frame the narrative, as though she was recalling a past event, and the way she spoke to the deceased owen + tosh was extremely emotional; their afterword was beautiful!

[Leila Anani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eve Myles gives a really lively narration to this Torchwood audio in which a mysterious taxi driver has some alien matches (Lucifers) enabling him to send sinners who ride into his cab into a hell dimension.

Excellent story.

Fantastic character interaction - plenty of Jack/Ianto but all the other characters get their fair share of development and exploration here as well.

Really good narration - when we get the Cabbie singing Ring-a-ring-a-roses is super creepy!

This is why I love Torchwood - In the Shadows is weird, freaky, with totally flawed and interesting characters and embraces its LGBT fan base. Ticks all round on this one. Loved it.

[Taaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending lacked any proper explanation. And that nobody pointed out that if the matchbox says Lucifer's, it probably won't be send from God, but from the other side bugged me a lot. I wouldn't have worked on the guy, I know. But not even mentioning the obvious?!

And I have an absurd hatred for everything that involves religion without blasphemously mocking it just for the fun of it, so not my taste.

I also have to say, that while Eve Myles is certainly a good narrator, she's not a good narrator for characters like Jack and Ianto that have established ways of talking that she just couldn't nail.

[Yvonne Alf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was intense! Definitely the best of the audio books so far. Eve Myles does a wonderful job with telling the story. What an emotional ride! While the first disc is more about a very interesting murder case, disc two turns into a real emotional rollercoaster when Jack is sent to hell. So twisted and dark. Definitely not the last time I listened to this.

[Gabriel Mero · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is leagues better than the other two. Eve Myles does a splendid job narrating (her Jack accent sounds just like Nicola Bryant as Peri). I loved that this one was an homage to Toshiko and Owen and Jack and Ianto's relationship was front and center.

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 4 out of 5]

42 WORD REVIEW:

At last, a credible Torchwood story! Unlike so many writers entrusted with the spin-off media, Lidster can hold a pen, and here retrofits the narrative competence of season two onto the ill-used characters of season one. Result: a real threat, convincingly pursued.

[Bloodstone Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love torchwood ... I loved the story and being a fan of sherlock as well it had shades of study in pink. Though i felt my heart strings get pulled in this story and felt like i got punched in the stomach. But still awesome.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peak audiobook. Beautiful thing. I love the idea that maybe there is an afterlife in the Torchwood universe after all, even if it is Hell in fitting fashion. Lots of Janto, and there is a good exploration of Jack's psyche as he goes through his own version of Hell.

[Moli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep, heavy Janto, great story, nice narration. Worth every penny.

[Rhys Causon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick listen that was interesting to start but then started to drag in pacing near the end.

If you’re a Torchwood fan it’s pretty standard really.

[Seb Hasi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of the darker writing style of Joseph Lidster so I was really glad that we got something suitably horrific for the range. The story had its flaws with some ropey pacing, weird characterisation for Jack and a bit of an inconclusive ending, but on the whole it was a satisfying listen. The little cameos we got while Jack was in hell were lovely and on the whole that aspect of the story was fantastic. It was depicted in such a grotesque and abstract way that it really kept you hooked. The build up with the villain was intriguing too, the little clues dotted around building towards the reveal and the climax of the story was done well, but after his purpose in the plot was done he felt kind of pointless. The rest of the team are obviously working to save Jack but nothing really happens with them and you just cut between the scenes with Jack all horrific and fascinating, and the relatively boring Torchwood team scenes by comparison. The story ends up levelling out as pretty good and definitely not a bad listen at all but really there is just a few issues that detract from the overall enjoyment of the audio.

[Tasha Mahoney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair plot, but it didn't wow me.

[Kevin Brazil · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's one of the better Torchwood books. Quite an interesting setup with a great narrator. A lot of character business, which is great to see for how late it falls into the series.

[osoi · Rating 4 out of 5]

С Ив Майлс мы однажды разошлись, как в море корабли, когда я пыталась впихнуть в себя аудиоверсию Border Princes, которая, по моему разумению, содержала неприличное количество отборной фигни (вроде дополнительного левого перса в команде и внезапно красивой и вовсю боевой Тош). Слава богу, In the Shadows не расстраивает подобными неприятностями.
Ив на деле – типичная валлийка с чудным акцентом. Чудным до такой степени, что я испытывала определенные трудности, пытаясь приноровиться к ней, но подозреваю, что дело в моей ленивой голове, которой подавай субтитры, чтобы не напрягаться. А голос у нее такой родной уже =3

История, в которую Торчвуд вляпался на этот раз, включает в себя простой народ, а это неожиданно и приятно. Парень пытается выяснить, что случилось после того, как он вышел из такси, которое катило их с другом домой, и почему того самого друга нашли мертвым и внезапно состарившимся. У них с Йанто даже происходит разговор по душам, не умилиться нельзя) И ох уж эти таксисты-бритиши! Вечно они какой-то дикостью промышляют.
Каких-либо внезапных поворотов сюжета ждать не стоило, поэтому по логике вещей Джек попадает в свой персональный ад, из которого ему не выбраться без посторонней помощи. Да-да, в кои-то веки он не может ничего сделать, кроме как вариться в котле самоуничижения дальше. Это тоже приятно.

Эта аудиокнижка вполне могла бы стать очередной торчвудской страшилкой, но не стала, по одной простой причине: она охренительно продумана. Всякие мелочи, такие незаметные с первого взгляда, складывают цельную картинку, а повествование захватывает. Пускай сюжетных линий тут не так много, зато главная тема обыгрывается первоклассно, с разных ракурсов. И это страшилка, с музыкой фоном и невольными мурашками в те моменты, когда задумываешься, что пресловутая темнота, которой все так боятся, – это не самое худшее место, куда ты можешь попасть после смерти.

annikeh.net

[Virago · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story! This was creepy as hell! They toyed with the idea of afterlife in the show and their version doesn't sit well with me. Nothingness is one thing, but being alone in darkness is something else entirely. Yikes!

But in this, not only did they mention afterlife, but hell. Clearly it was a man-made hell, but still...Spooky. And very much like I'd imagine hell to be.

The story was great, freightening even. The characters were spot-on; their interactions with one another as well as non-team members reminded me so much of the show.

Jack endured more torture, which I have come to expect from both Torchwood and especially Whoverse. But what made seeing him suffer bearable was the fact that Ianto was suffering right along with him. Suffering enough to risk everything to save him, or die with him. They didn't show enough of this side of their relationship on the show, but I always imagined it would be like this. One falling to pieces after losing the other.[spoilers if you haven't watched the whole show!]

We saw how Jack went to pieces after losing Ianto! He sacrificed his grandson and then left the planet entirely. Some like to say that Jack didn't care for Ianto as much as Ianto cared for him, but that's just not true. Jack loved him, and broke him when Ianto died. But I digress (as usual), this was a great story and Eve Myles read it beautifully.

[Snuffles · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was... intense.

Not so long ago I was of the firm conviction that audio books are not my thing. Then I listened to "The Sin Eaters" and enjoyed it immensely. Then I listened to "In the shadows" and I was floored. Well, not so much floored in the literal sense, because I listened to it in the evening, lying in bed, in the dark... And instead of falling asleep in this comfortable position, I was completely sucked in by the story. While the other Torchwood stories I have read and listened to so far were nice but nothing special and I enjoyed them mainly because it was a chance to spend some time with the characters, this one was really, really good. I mean really good. It completely freaked me out at times. The characters were all spot on. I can't do anything but praise this audio book.

Btw, a mild spoiler warning: despite the cover and the setting of the audio book - which is around the middle of season two - there are spoilers for all of season two! So, beware if you haven't watched all of season two yet. (Then again, if you buy audio books of the show then the chance that you haven't seen all of season 2 is probably rather low. ;))

[Mikael Kuoppala · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly excellent Torchwood tale by Joseph Lidster, "In the Shadow" reaches a perfect noir tone, taking the dark mood of the series to new, dramatic dimensions.

It all begins when the team get involved in a mysterious case; a young man who has died of old age. A series of odd deaths follow the first one, ultimately leading into haunting revelations about dark physical planes of personal purgatories that are inflicted upon random people. Or are they random? Will a pattern eventually emerge?

Lidster utilizes the characters perfectly, and through truly disturbing scenes stemming from intricate subjectivity concocts disturbing nightmares and carries the reader into questions of morality that elude answers. "In the Shadows" is dreamlike but also sharply realistic, beautifully crafted and always intelligent.

The setting here is sometime during season two, but Gwen as the first person narrator is recalling the events from sometime beyond the second season. This brings additional gravity to the tale, considering the dramatics events of the second season finale.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When 24-year-old Steven Ballard is found dead, the police quickly realise that this is no ordinary case - for his body is that of a man in his 70s. They call in Torchwood to investigate, and after another corpse is found, it becomes clear that something terrible is happening. Someone is sending victims to a dark dimension, to be punished by the thing they fear most.
Who is the shadowy taxi driver preying on his passengers? What significance do boxes of matches play in this mystery? And can Jack ever escape from his own personal hell?

Dr Who is big in our house at the moment. The closure of the BBC store has prompted a mammoth flurry of collecting - DVDs, books, audio books, the works. So naturally, my 100 book challenge is going to feature quite a bit of Who related material. And that includes Torchwood.

This is very true to the episodes, and being read by Eve Myles adds to the experience. Not for the faint hearted, as it is quite grim in places - but then so was the series. A must for fans.

[Lizabeth Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this audio book, read by Eve Myles, the Torchwood team investigate the case of a missing man brought to their attention by PC Andy. The man's body was found days later, but his remains were seventy years old. Then another person disappears, a young woman who is later found in a nightclub in such a condition that it is obvious she was years older than when she disappears. The investigation soon has Captain Jack Harkness send to hell by the man suspected of the earlier disappearances and deaths. Creepy, would have made a terrific film. Eve does a good enough job reading the story, lots of emotions, but she's a little slack with Jack's accent. I particularly enjoyed how Ianto manages to save his lover. We also see a Jack who is uncertain how to refer to his relationship with Ianto, but the whole Jack/Gwen fiasco raises its ugly head again. Definitely worth a listen simply for Hero!Ianto.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 3 out of 5]

set mostly during early Season 2 (after Jack's return from the end of the universe but before Gwen's wedding) but told in flashback from between Seasons 2 and 3. (I also started on a Tenth Doctor audiobook, but more on that when I finish it.)

It's rather good: a classic horror story plot (spooky taxi driver who kills people by aging them to death) moored expertly in the Torchwood setting, with nice character moments for each of the team (especially Toshiko and PC Andy) and lots of continuity references to please the fans. Eve Myles has a lovely reading voice and does a decent impression of Jack, and indeed of the others as well. If you liked Torchwood in the old days you'll like this.

[Lamadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far the best Torchwood story so far. Eve Myles narration was amazing, bringing suspense and drama in a wonderful bit of voice acting. The story was downright scary, something that Torchwood often fails to truly accomplish. It was suspenseful and scary and you cared about each and every character. Even though it was the usual short length of a Torchwood audio, it didn't feel short like the others. It was well rounded out and the climax was earned.

[A Rae Crownover · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book, but it wasn't one of my favorites. It starts out with Gwen talking to the deceased Owen and Tosh; telling them a story. The only thing was by the end of the story, I'd forgotten that that was the premise. When Gwen started talking again to the audience, I was lost for a bit till it came back to me.

[ani · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the things i enjoyed most about this story was the way characters' alter egos were portrayed. There was a faithfulness to the characterisation we know from the TV series which then showed us subtly altered people perhaps because in small ways important events had gone slightly differently for them.

[Jenette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a weird one, I can't quite decide if I liked this or not. It was a bit creepy the way the people died but at the same time it messed around with what little we know of huon particles from Doctor Who. The characters were pretty spot on but that didn't exactly make it better. While it was still Torchwood it was post-Children of Earth Miracle Day ordinariness.