Out of the Shadows

by Susan Lewis

The compelling new novel from Susan Lewis, set in London and the Peak District, tells the story of a vulnerable teenager whose troubled relationship with her mother is tested further when a man her mother thought she could trust betrays them both in the worst possible way.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Novels, Romance, Chick Lit

488 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.


Susan Lewis is the bestselling author of over forty books across the genres of family drama, thriller, suspense and crime. She is also the author of Just One More Day and One Day at a Time, the moving memoirs of her childhood in Bristol during the 1960s. Following periods of living in Los Angeles and the South of France, she currently lives in Gloucestershire with her husband James, stepsons Michael and Luke, and mischievous dogs Coco and Lulu.

Reviews

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers)]

I need to stop finding random books lying around at home and thinking, 'hey, maybe I should try this', because this is how I ended up reading a story of a 14 year old girl who helps reconnect her mother with her high school ex, only for it to work out and they get together, only for this sicko to then sexually assault the girl.

Terrible all round because I could just imagine both mother and daughter blaming themselves for having brought this man into their lives.

Hated knowing where the story was going and helplessly watching the series of unfortunate events that resulted into the perfect setting for this to happen.

Ending felt a little rushed to me. I get the author wanting Susannah to find a healthy, happy love but I don't quite buy that a mother who just found out her daughter's been getting assaulted by a man she moved in with after a whirlwind resumption of their romance would then turn around and move in almost immediately after with YET another man she barely knows, no matter how helpful he was during the chaos of the first scenario.

Took her daughter along, too.

Biblical levels of trust and faith in the goodness of people. Did not buy it at all.

This man you knew really well before turned out to be a literal nightmare but this one whom you hardly know is your immediate refuge?

Literally immediately after leaving hospital? Oh my God.

Could you just PLEASE stop moving in with random men you hardly know?

Everyone in this story scares me.

Except the child, because she's a child and I understood why she feared to tell anyone what was happening.

Getting bits of the pedophile's POV especially as he was going up to her room scarred me for life.

Honestly, reading the blurb, I thought the man was going to be some sort of weird paranormal scary monster. Still scary. Unfortunately not paranormal.

Even though I hated the mom's long term solution, I can't fault her immediate one after finding out. I wish she'd had a pan in hand, actually.

Anyway. I get now why trigger warnings are mainstream. I never would have picked this up if I'd known.

Seeing allusions to someone having been assaulted in the past is a whole different ball game to reading about it happen in real time, and seeing all the ways everyone was too wrapped up in their own lives to notice.

Not quite sure how to rate this. The writing was okay. The story was like a car crash in the sense that I knew I'd regret looking but couldn't tear my eyes away.

Probably the first physical book I've read in about 5 years, though. Given I'm almost as blind as a bat, I have to say that I appreciate the ability to increase font size for my comfort which comes with ebooks.

Not to mention the miracle that is dark mode and audiobooks.

I was born in the right century.

[Sara Santos · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Christina Rochester · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wan another fairly good Susan Lewis and she created an amazing villain for this book. I really don't want to say too much, but this has been a fantastic read.

Brilliant characters and a brilliant story. Highly recommended.

[Nicola Ankers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughter Neve setting up her mother with an old flame was the greatest thing that she had done for her mother to be happy with all the horrible timing that her mother was going through with money problems etc ex partner in jail. Neve was doing a good deed for her mother, and then the monster in him came out. Making out that neve was lying. Nev and her mother had put their trust in to moving in with this man and all the time he had a horrible back ground which needed him to be seen to by his brother in law. I'm glad that the mother and daughter relationship like neve and susannah have got is an unbreakable bond. And I m so glad that the mother had put her daughter first before this creature of a man. I know it is a book but it actually happens in really life and not many people believe the other person who is saying that it is happening to them. I couldn't put this book down from middle to end I loved it all I would recommend this book to everyone to read. Everyone has here own opinion in life about things and this is my review:)

[Bailey Hills · Rating 2 out of 5]

First book of Susan Lewis's I haven't really enjoyed. The story seemed to drag on and the ending wasn't very satisfactory. I felt as if there was a lot of build up for something to happen, yet when it finally happens it was small and insignificant.

[Ruth Ellis]

Agood in places but dragged on in places

[m d · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow, somewhere I've managed to catch a cold, just a cold, nothing major, not even a minor inconvenience, but it's as good excuse as any to read books like this one and switch off 😉

[Kirstyn-maree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is compelling and entertaining, involving themes such as danger, romance, mystery and a little bit of tragedy. A little heavier than what I usually read but would recommend to any of my friends.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do for love? Be careful how you answer that! Sometimes the cost may be a bit more costly than you bargain for.
One of our main characters, Susannah Cate has now been single for quite some time. Her ex-husband is presently in jail with no hopes of parole. However Susannah is finding it extremely difficult to provide for her teenage daughter, Neve, who is comparing herself to the various other classmates and what they can afford to do!
Neve might be only thirteen, but she recognizes how lonely her Mom has become and how over-worked she is doing to provide for her. So Neve takes it upon herself to find her Mom a man. What about someone she once dated and whom she appeared to have been in love with in her earlier years? Somehow, some-way nobody took into account that we are no longer that same person. That time has perhaps made a totally different individual than who we once knew.
The specter of horror begins there. I ask once again - what would you do for love?

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a long term fan of this author. Not read one of her books for a while and reading this reminded me why I love her. The genre is my usual default, chick-lit, I find her books have a deeper and more thought provoking theme, as with this book. The main characters are loveable and fun which makes it an easy read although beware underlying subject may be uncomfortable for some.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok, however not particularly memorable I feel.

Like Susan Lewis' other books there is a very long build up and the proper action only really starts at the end of the middle.

My favourite bit was the Frank character.

An ok holiday read, but nothing to write home about.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

the teenage daughter very vocal with her views in first half of story mother naive I have only read a couple of this authors books women successful but been scared emotionally physically by men. I need to read more before I conclude this is part of the authors format

[Poorvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. For once the main character was not a drag. I do wish that once the plot was revealed that there were more consequences for the guilty. I found it was rather too easy and brushed over. But I enjoyed this novel. Some very bubbly characters.

[Sandra Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT BOOK must read

[Adeline Kam · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book to read. A page turner even though the story is very lengthy. I enjoyed the storyline and characters.

[Lesley Chambers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t need to be so long

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a little slow at the start, but by the end I was itching to read the last few pages to see what happened. A well written, keep you on the edge of your seat story.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read , enjoyed it even though I was guessing what would happen next -- but I didn't cheat and kept reading

[Bronwyn Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Trigger Warning - Sexual assault on minor
*Dragged a bit
*Slow burn
*It was okay, but I was looking forward for it to be done
*Felt like focusing on Patsy did not move the story along at all

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good writing but a bad gut feeling from the start.

Trigger warning: pedophile

[sheila cassells · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good book

really good story enjoyed all the characters and their stories great how the story came together good story line good ending

[janet jennings]

A very good read,would have liked Alan to have got his comeuppance and never to have told her story and he got what he deserved.

[Annette Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

another fantastic read, couldn't put it down.

[ItsPhydilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moral of the story...never go back to an ex. S/he is now a different person. I loooved this. Exactly what I needed to get out of that slump✨

[Emma Summers · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
I felt this story dragged a bit, there was a long build up to something I knew was coming and I felt uncomfortable, knowing what was going happen. I’m not sure if that means it was well written (hence 3.5 score) but I just didn’t really enjoy the long drawn out story.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an ok read but I found it very irritating, the Mother was so annoying and self absorbed she couldn't see the signs and even when she did she was happy to pass "the probem" on to someone else to sort out, the only redeeming feature is that she actually believed her daughter straight away and reacted the way I think most Mothers would, good on her for that, the ending was a little too good to be true but my main problem with this book is that apart from one or two minor things I guessed what was going to happen with each of the characters, something I don't like. Not one of Susan Lewis's best books.

[Mª João Monteiro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Li este livro ontem, com uma sesta pelo meio. Enfastiou-me e aborreceu-me, quer pelo tema, quer pelo tamanho: é muito maior do que devia ser. Foi o primeiro livro que li desta autora e não fiquei lá muito satisfeita, especialmente porque ando a ler pouco e queria algo mesmo especiala. As personagens são um pouco estereotipadas e via-se logo onde aquilo ia parar, foi como estar a assistir a um acidente. Susannah, antiga atriz, vive sozinha com a filha de 13/14 anos e tem uma série de empregos menores para a poder manter num colégio caro (a educação inglesa no seu melhor...); como apoio tem a tia Lola, que a criou e, por vezes, anda numa cadeira de rodas... Então, num momento especialmente difícil de falta de dinheiro ,aceita servir à mesa em topless e acha que atingiu o seu ponto mais baixo. De repente, a sua melhor amiga regressada Austrália onde tinha um emprego fantástico, e vai instalar-se em Paris, mesmo ali perto, começando imediatamente a ajudá-la. A sorte de Susannah muda radicalmente: vai a uma audição e consegue um papel espetacular, reencontra o seu primeiro namorado através de esforços da filha que os consegue reunir. O ex-marido toxicodependente sai da prisão e agita um pouco as águas (porque continuou casada com ele?? Não faz sentido). O namorado reencontrado, psicólogo estabelecido, mas cujo casamento acabou de forma pouco clara, não podendo ver os enteados, é uma jóia e mudam-se para a sua fantástica casa; ele começa a ser uma espécie de pai substituto para Neve, que começa a apaixonar-se com ele. Entre Neve e a mãe há a maior das confianças e contam tudo uma à outra. No entanto, as coisas começam a acontecer de forma bizarra... O que está mal contado? Mudas-te para casa do namorado após pouquíssimo tempo, dás-lhe todo o tempo e liberdade com a tua filha. Durante mais de uma década não arranjaste trabalho nem namorado e agora vem tudo junto...

[Ceri · Rating 2 out of 5]

What would you sacrifice for love?

Susannah is married to Duncan, who is becoming known as a hot shot producer. Susannah is going to be starring in her first tv programme when she falls pregnant with Neve. Duncan develops a drug habit which spirals out of control and leads to the death of a young man for which Duncan spends 13 years in prison.

Left to bring up 13 year old Neve alone, Susannah is working all hours just too keep their heads above water but she’s sinking fast. Things have gotten so bad the back room at the club where she works doing topless waitressing, she’s totally disgusted with herself and depressed by the situation she’s in.

That is until Neve does some meddling, she gets in contact with Susannah’s old boyfriend Alan Cunningham through a social website, unsure if she’s done right or wrong, she tells her Mums best friend Patsy who thinks it’s a great idea. They tell Susannah what they’ve done and she agrees to meet Alan. Things go really well and their relationship develops, the girls move in with Alan and she’s able to give up her job, especially when she get’s offered the lead role in a brand new soap opera. Life is going really well, isn’t it…..?

As I started this book, for some reason I was drawing comparisons with Martina Cole type stories which was very unfair and not sure why I did in the first place and it’s for this reason I’m undecided about this book. While it wasn’t the best I’ve read, it wasn’t the worst either. There seemed to be no sparkle with this book, it trickled rather than poured. The characters were just as you would accept them to be, nothing outstanding about the main characters. I liked Lola, Susannah’s aunty, the best. They were definately believable but lacked depth.

Told in the third person narrative, the story was typical, there was nothing spectacular there, it seemed to lack emotion even though the story is meant to be emotional.

I feel I’m being unfair to the book as not once did I want to stop reading, I suppose it didn’t just do it for me, unfortunately. I would read another by this author, it hasn’t put me off.

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was from book club and sat on the pile for ages, as it sounded a bit blah, but I needed a couple of books that I wouldn't risk getting engrossed in while away on holiday as I didn't want to be anti-social. It wasn't bad, as it turns out, even if some of the characters were quite annoying.
Susannah is a single mother in her late 30s, whose acting career was derailed by getting pregnant and whose husband ended up in jail for drug offences. She works multiple jobs to keep her bratty teenage daughter Neve at private school and keeping up with her posh friends' shopping trips, and has reached a low point when her daughter finds her ex-boyfriend Alan online and sets them up to meet again. They hurtle back into a relationship which seems to be the answer to all her problems, especially when she lands the lead role in a new TV series. Alan is however not the perfect gentleman he appears to be, and takes advantage of Neve's initial crush on the worst way.
I liked Patsy, the best friend, but thought Susannah was a complete wimp who brought most of her troubles on herself and blithely ignores the warning signs of what's going on because she's busy trying to make everyone like her.
I agree with other reviewers that the front cover is highly misleading, with a picture of a girl of about 8, while Neve is a mature 14, and while that in no way excuses Alan's behaviour, the "horror" referred to in the blurb is not as sinister as is implied.

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fairly entertaining story about a topical subject, but the characters were two-dimensional and the plot predictable. I knew before I was a quarter of the way through the book what was going to happen. All the women are ravishingly beautiful, the men handsome and supportive. The heroine, Susannah, annoyed me intensely, as she was always looking for a man to admire and love her. She was weak and pathetic, and a terrible mother to Neve. Can't believe she would not have picked up on the signals her daughter was giving out; although Neve was a precocious brat due to her negligent upbringing. The picture of the girl on the cover is highly deceptive, as it certainly does not show the girl that is portrayed in the story. In the picture she looks innocent and naive, which she certainly was not.
If you want quick, light reading, for a rainy week-end, this book will fit the bill.