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Haunting Shadows
Within days of Emma's arrival in Cornwall after her whirlwind marriage to Alex Crawley, they repeatedly see a woman resembling Louise, his drowned first wife. As Rachel, the unwelcoming nanny/housekeeper, refuses to let her cope with Alex's young son, Emma takes a job as receptionist to Brian Pendower at the harbourside inn, despite Alex's disapproval. Tormented by guilt, Alex tells Emma he was responsible for Louise's death - but is she really dead? Was Brian her lover? In a terrifying ordeal, Emma finally discovers the secret of Louise.
264 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 20, 2025
Not a bad story, but it had some major flaws. While I guessed who the villain was, didn't guess the modus operandi, and I should have, it was staring me in the face! Sometimes I can be a nincompoop!
But so can the both the H and the h in this story! The H asks the h to marry him without telling her he's a widower with a small son, and that his wife died under suspicious circumstances! He's also hired a Mrs. Danvers like woman (as in "Rebecca") to care for his son, a childhood friend of his who is anything but friendly to the h and treats the H's six-year-old son like he's an army recruit and she's a drill sergeant! Anyone with a brain would have tossed her out on her butt, but the H is grateful to her for all her help. What a dumbo! And she's got to be the oddest OW I've ever come across!
He also goes from passionate husband to martyr with a guilt complex when he takes on the blame for his trashy late wife's death. The woman was the classic femme fatale and collected men like some people collect stamps, yet the H - like most men - was so besotted with her for a time he turned a blind eye, until she got naked with his (so-called) friend! But she croaked before he could take legal action.
As for the h, she could be rather brainless at times. She just met the H and is ready to marry him, refuses to listen to her mother when she says to wait a bit, telling herself her mother's forgotten what it's like to be in love. Pretty smug, isn't she? I guess her parents' happy marriage doesn't count???
Then, after suspecting that the owner of the local pub/inn (the sort of OM in the story) was one of the late wife's lovers, and that he obviously a womanizer, she teases the H about how attractive he is just to get him jealous! talk about insensitive! Then she actually goes to work for him as a receptionist! While I can understand her wanting to do something (the OW does all the housework and resents it and interferes when the h gets closer to her new stepson) with too much time on her hands, it's pretty crummy to work for the man who was such a crap friend to the H and who's obviously trying to see if wife #2 is as "friendly" as wife #1! he guy's so handsy, he keeps making excuses to touch her, and she puts up with it! It's like he was asking for a sexual harassment accusation! And she lets him get away with everything, to the point where she has lunch with him at the pub (he insists, of course) and he puts a napkin on her lap and deliberately touches her thigh, and she says nothing!! UNBELIEVVABLE!!!
Even when she learns the whole truth, that he was the H's friend but that didn't stop him from getting naked with his first wife, she still works for him, puts up with his touchy-feely crap, and actually confides in him when things aren't going well with the H!
To make matters (MUCH) worse, at one point, when she's feeling pretty depressed, she lets him ply her with wine, doesn't realize how much she's drinking, and nearly ends up raped! She actually let this predator take her over to the cave on the beach where he used to get naked with the H's first wife! She only came to her senses when he started taking her dress off and fondling her breasts!
Talk about TSTL!!! And all the guy gets is a broken nose from the H! He does apologize for his behavior (big deal) but mostly gets away with all his crap! Talk about ridiculous!
This could have been a good mystery/romance if it hadn't wasted so much time with stupidity. If you skip this one, it's no great loss.
But so can the both the H and the h in this story! The H asks the h to marry him without telling her he's a widower with a small son, and that his wife died under suspicious circumstances! He's also hired a Mrs. Danvers like woman (as in "Rebecca") to care for his son, a childhood friend of his who is anything but friendly to the h and treats the H's six-year-old son like he's an army recruit and she's a drill sergeant! Anyone with a brain would have tossed her out on her butt, but the H is grateful to her for all her help. What a dumbo! And she's got to be the oddest OW I've ever come across!
He also goes from passionate husband to martyr with a guilt complex when he takes on the blame for his trashy late wife's death. The woman was the classic femme fatale and collected men like some people collect stamps, yet the H - like most men - was so besotted with her for a time he turned a blind eye, until she got naked with his (so-called) friend! But she croaked before he could take legal action.
As for the h, she could be rather brainless at times. She just met the H and is ready to marry him, refuses to listen to her mother when she says to wait a bit, telling herself her mother's forgotten what it's like to be in love. Pretty smug, isn't she? I guess her parents' happy marriage doesn't count???
Then, after suspecting that the owner of the local pub/inn (the sort of OM in the story) was one of the late wife's lovers, and that he obviously a womanizer, she teases the H about how attractive he is just to get him jealous! talk about insensitive! Then she actually goes to work for him as a receptionist! While I can understand her wanting to do something (the OW does all the housework and resents it and interferes when the h gets closer to her new stepson) with too much time on her hands, it's pretty crummy to work for the man who was such a crap friend to the H and who's obviously trying to see if wife #2 is as "friendly" as wife #1! he guy's so handsy, he keeps making excuses to touch her, and she puts up with it! It's like he was asking for a sexual harassment accusation! And she lets him get away with everything, to the point where she has lunch with him at the pub (he insists, of course) and he puts a napkin on her lap and deliberately touches her thigh, and she says nothing!! UNBELIEVVABLE!!!
Even when she learns the whole truth, that he was the H's friend but that didn't stop him from getting naked with his first wife, she still works for him, puts up with his touchy-feely crap, and actually confides in him when things aren't going well with the H!
To make matters (MUCH) worse, at one point, when she's feeling pretty depressed, she lets him ply her with wine, doesn't realize how much she's drinking, and nearly ends up raped! She actually let this predator take her over to the cave on the beach where he used to get naked with the H's first wife! She only came to her senses when he started taking her dress off and fondling her breasts!
Talk about TSTL!!! And all the guy gets is a broken nose from the H! He does apologize for his behavior (big deal) but mostly gets away with all his crap! Talk about ridiculous!
This could have been a good mystery/romance if it hadn't wasted so much time with stupidity. If you skip this one, it's no great loss.
February 24, 2020
A good wee mystery romance
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews