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The Schatten
"The figure stepped out, but the shadows only seemed to move with him. No, they were apart of him. He stood tall in the corner of my room. At no point in his appearance was there a separation in shading, yet I could still clearly see that the man was wearing a 1940’s style Pork Pie Hat and a long floor-length jacket. I couldn’t see his eyes, but I could feel them sizing me up like he wanted to consume me."
The Shadowman, have you seen him?
Lisa Rowher, finds herself traveling back to her childhood home; a place where she never wanted to return- but she has questions that only her deceased Grandmother's study can provide the answers to.
What else has been waiting for her? Could it be a second chance at a better life?
The Shadowman, have you seen him?
Lisa Rowher, finds herself traveling back to her childhood home; a place where she never wanted to return- but she has questions that only her deceased Grandmother's study can provide the answers to.
What else has been waiting for her? Could it be a second chance at a better life?
141 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2019
8 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Greathouse
20 books39 followersI hate writing these things...
Honestly, I'm just a person. A weird one, but you'll have that with writers.
I live in a small town with my husband, son, and our animals. We have cats, and a Kiba dog.
The inspiration for my stories comes from my own insecurities and fears, my demons if you will. I do classify my work under horror, but these stories are more psychological nightmares than blood and gore filled stories.
Honestly, I'm just a person. A weird one, but you'll have that with writers.
I live in a small town with my husband, son, and our animals. We have cats, and a Kiba dog.
The inspiration for my stories comes from my own insecurities and fears, my demons if you will. I do classify my work under horror, but these stories are more psychological nightmares than blood and gore filled stories.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 27, 2020
There were many fine elements in this story: secrets of the past (a demonologist trying to fight the nazis), Walter Schatten (chief of Ahnenerbe), the Nazi Bell everything told in flashbacks and bits and pieces by Lisa. Lisa lost her parents at an early age and grew up with her cold hearted grandparents. In the here and now she drives back to her grandparents house to solve the mystery of the shadow man and why she is cursed. Is Lisa a murderer? What about Bea a relative? The story has great ingredients but overall it was a bit confusing, to many jumps from present to past. Read like a nightmare with many surreal settings. I would have preferred straight line storytelling. But it's an interesting, well made and frightening story. You might risk a glance if you're not easily confused.
May 3, 2020
Spoilers ahead!
A woman, who grows up in a cold, abusive household, returns years later to solve the mystery of the shadowman and to determine if she’s really crazy or not. This was a slow psychological horror that slowly builds to its final climax (which is the sort of story that I love - I read it in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down!).
One of my complaints was that some of the elements were just so... fantastical and came out of nowhere. Towards the end I felt like more and more outlandish things were being thrown at us (the readers) and it was like “wait, what?!” (like when two characters show up long thought dead without any sort of foreshadowing - very jarring). It might have worked better if the story was a bit more cohesive. I found it jumped around a lot and was hard to follow at times.
Also new characters were introduced without a proper introduction. In the beginning Lisa would switch back and forth between “grandmother” and “Grace” without ever mentioning they were the same person (unless I missed it?). I had to re-read those paragraphs a few times to figure out who Gerald, Grace, William, etc was.
I did like the main character and was satisfied with the ending. My heart absolutely broke for Lisa and all she had to endure. The cruelty of those around her in the name of “protection” was sickening. I felt so angry on her behalf! As dark as the ending was I’m actually relieved it wasn’t a standard “happy” ending because that wouldn’t have been believable with such a sad, damaged character.
Overall, I recommend this book!
Edited to add: it’s been 24 hours and I can’t stop thinking about the book (and that ending!) - which is a good thing! I look forward to seeing what else this author puts out.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book as part of Voracious Readers.
A woman, who grows up in a cold, abusive household, returns years later to solve the mystery of the shadowman and to determine if she’s really crazy or not. This was a slow psychological horror that slowly builds to its final climax (which is the sort of story that I love - I read it in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down!).
One of my complaints was that some of the elements were just so... fantastical and came out of nowhere. Towards the end I felt like more and more outlandish things were being thrown at us (the readers) and it was like “wait, what?!” (like when two characters show up long thought dead without any sort of foreshadowing - very jarring). It might have worked better if the story was a bit more cohesive. I found it jumped around a lot and was hard to follow at times.
Also new characters were introduced without a proper introduction. In the beginning Lisa would switch back and forth between “grandmother” and “Grace” without ever mentioning they were the same person (unless I missed it?). I had to re-read those paragraphs a few times to figure out who Gerald, Grace, William, etc was.
I did like the main character and was satisfied with the ending. My heart absolutely broke for Lisa and all she had to endure. The cruelty of those around her in the name of “protection” was sickening. I felt so angry on her behalf! As dark as the ending was I’m actually relieved it wasn’t a standard “happy” ending because that wouldn’t have been believable with such a sad, damaged character.
Overall, I recommend this book!
Edited to add: it’s been 24 hours and I can’t stop thinking about the book (and that ending!) - which is a good thing! I look forward to seeing what else this author puts out.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book as part of Voracious Readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2020
Received a complimentary copy of this novel from the author via voracious readers only in exchange for an honest review.
This is the rather spooky story of poor orphan Lisa, who loses her parents under tragic circumstances and gets sent to live with her cold hearted grandparents. Years later, after struggling to live her life alone she is drawn back to her grandparents house to solve a deeply disturbing family secret.
Although this started as a great novel with all the elements of a really scary mystery the spelling mistakes and the confusing jumps from past to present don’t help the fluidity of the story telling.
This is the rather spooky story of poor orphan Lisa, who loses her parents under tragic circumstances and gets sent to live with her cold hearted grandparents. Years later, after struggling to live her life alone she is drawn back to her grandparents house to solve a deeply disturbing family secret.
Although this started as a great novel with all the elements of a really scary mystery the spelling mistakes and the confusing jumps from past to present don’t help the fluidity of the story telling.
April 27, 2020
Lisa comes to live with her grandparents after her parents both die. She is unloved and treated more like a servant than as a member of the family.At the age of 10 she kills a man, and is thought to have murdered his young son. This begins a lifetime of strong medication under psychiatric care. I received this book from Voracious Readers, and was expecting a scary horror story. Unfortunately, the book was tedious and disconnected, and did not have enough tension and suspense to build to an exciting climax. Fortunately, this is a very short book and a quick read.
April 18, 2020
I received a copy of this book from voracious readers and was actually pleasantly surprised by it. It’s not scary in the typical sense, more of a psychological than really anything else. You find yourself rooting for the main character who’s story unwinds as you continue reading. The only true issue that I had with this novel was it jumped around a lot, I’m not sure if it was just the writing style that I caused me issues or if it was just not a seamless transition between thoughts for the character, that was the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. I will still recommend this book and I still enjoyed it tremendously.
May 1, 2020
What a truly truth shattering book. I was so not ready for what happened. I thought things would end waaaayyyy differently and that to me, is what a good story is about. Pushing at boundaries and going against what might be the “right” thing to do.
July 7, 2020
Eerie and Creepy !!
Well, this story was definitely creepy and it freaked me out. It freaked me out to an extent that I kept looking around the room while reading and at some point, I thought I have seen a black shadow outside the window. This book was unexpectedly good it had Nazi's, supernatural, killing and crazy people ; I mean what else you can want from a story. It stars slow but you have to give it a chance, Ashley does such a good job at building that tension and suspense. It was such a wild ride reading this story. If you are looking to read something different, I definitely recommend this book. Also, maybe don't read it at night if you get easily spooked.
Well, this story was definitely creepy and it freaked me out. It freaked me out to an extent that I kept looking around the room while reading and at some point, I thought I have seen a black shadow outside the window. This book was unexpectedly good it had Nazi's, supernatural, killing and crazy people ; I mean what else you can want from a story. It stars slow but you have to give it a chance, Ashley does such a good job at building that tension and suspense. It was such a wild ride reading this story. If you are looking to read something different, I definitely recommend this book. Also, maybe don't read it at night if you get easily spooked.
April 18, 2020
The schatten by Ashley Greathouse.
Lisa Rowher, finds herself traveling back to her childhood home; a place where she never wanted to return- but she has questions that only her deceased Grandmother's study can provide the answers to.
What else has been waiting for her? Could it be a second chance at a better life?
An absolutely brilliant read. I loved the story. Creepy and eerie. What a twist. I certainly didn't expect that to happen. Now I want to know what happens next. Shocking. 5*.
Lisa Rowher, finds herself traveling back to her childhood home; a place where she never wanted to return- but she has questions that only her deceased Grandmother's study can provide the answers to.
What else has been waiting for her? Could it be a second chance at a better life?
An absolutely brilliant read. I loved the story. Creepy and eerie. What a twist. I certainly didn't expect that to happen. Now I want to know what happens next. Shocking. 5*.
July 12, 2020
*I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only*
A quick, entertaining read. I loved that the ending was different from what you would typically expect!
A quick, entertaining read. I loved that the ending was different from what you would typically expect!
May 5, 2020
Excellent short story. I was surprised with the ending.
January 8, 2020
The Schatten by Ashley Greathouse
4 stars
Let me start out by saying wow! I don’t scare easily but we will get to that later! I really enjoyed this story. The writing and storyline flowed together well. The imagery omg the imagery was fantastic. The Author really puts you into the story. So, to the scary part. I made the mistake of reading this book in the dark in my room before bed. The scene where the MC was in the pantry as a young girl seriously got to me. Talk about CREEPY!! I was laying in bed and I happened to look up and seen this huge shadowy figure in my closet. (I have an open closet, no door.) So yea instant terror! My daughter is literally in a pack n play 3 feet away from the said shadow. I’m like be a good shadow and don’t make me fight you over my kid! So, I turned the flashlight on my phone and looked over there. It was just my wedding dress cover. It’s purple so stood out against the white wall. So, for the rest of the book, I kept looking at that and constantly looking around my room. This story is seriously creepy! I did find a few typos but nothing crazy. I would definitely recommend reading this and checking out this author's other work!
4 stars
Let me start out by saying wow! I don’t scare easily but we will get to that later! I really enjoyed this story. The writing and storyline flowed together well. The imagery omg the imagery was fantastic. The Author really puts you into the story. So, to the scary part. I made the mistake of reading this book in the dark in my room before bed. The scene where the MC was in the pantry as a young girl seriously got to me. Talk about CREEPY!! I was laying in bed and I happened to look up and seen this huge shadowy figure in my closet. (I have an open closet, no door.) So yea instant terror! My daughter is literally in a pack n play 3 feet away from the said shadow. I’m like be a good shadow and don’t make me fight you over my kid! So, I turned the flashlight on my phone and looked over there. It was just my wedding dress cover. It’s purple so stood out against the white wall. So, for the rest of the book, I kept looking at that and constantly looking around my room. This story is seriously creepy! I did find a few typos but nothing crazy. I would definitely recommend reading this and checking out this author's other work!
February 20, 2020
This was a great haunting mystery. This narrator added to the suspense and creepy factor. This story had me guessing from the start and surprised me at the end. I can't suggest this enough to paranormal mystery fans. Lisa hasn't had the easiest life. It actually has been unfair to her. She lost her parents. She was sent to live with grandparents that didn't show her any love. Her experiences led her to think she has mental issues. She returns to the house that tormented her after a family death. As the reader we don't know if she really is experiencing what she thinks she is or if it's in her mind. Then we are hit the truth of the mystery and I guarantee you won't guess it. I loved this book. Kept me involved the whole way through. I definitely will be reading more form this author.
November 6, 2021
The Schatten is a story based around the folk tales of the Shadowman from various other sources, but it doesn’t tread on its own feet too much and transplants it to a specific dysfunctional family. The MC, a socially mistreated girl is seen grown up and remembering the strange way in which her family treated her, and how her own encounters with the shadowy figure are linked.
It’s a long short story/novella which focusses on personal restriction and the MC’s feeling of being the odd one out, but with a building supernatural element in the background. The positives are certainly the clarity of the writing. The MC, despite her coldness, certainly displays personality through her words as well as her actions. The antagonists, who are somewhat partially hidden until the end, also have motives linked to the past that eventually reveals itself well with an addition of a item of gothic horror (no spoilers). The depth the story plunges into her family history and events creates a believable past within the tale. However, this same aspect also creates issues within the tale. The pace stutters as the tale builds too slowly for me with a wealth of speculation and anticipation from the MC. The amount of backstory for a fiction this length can be confusing as well as blending memories from the past into current scenes the MC is presently cast into.
70% in I was feeling a solid 3* rating, but what brings this piece back from dragging too much is the final quarter. Ms Greathouse produces a shock ending not many could predict, and with that an element of character development. From an otherwise fairly mentally stable MC up to a certain point, it makes more sense afterward when concluding the isolation of her childhood and how it may have affected her. Another aspect is the way she successfully covers several bases that most supernatural tales don’t. Usually they don’t explain how the torment of the haunting figures came to be to leave mystery to the void, but this tale explains the origins linked to a wartime period which is a nice touch that doesn’t intrude on the lore and carries a good amount of supernatural ambience to keep you hooked.
I downloaded this story for free after seeing an advert from Ms Greathouse’s strong presence on social media. Despite being the only tale I’ve read, I would certainly recommend this author’s work to others.
It’s a long short story/novella which focusses on personal restriction and the MC’s feeling of being the odd one out, but with a building supernatural element in the background. The positives are certainly the clarity of the writing. The MC, despite her coldness, certainly displays personality through her words as well as her actions. The antagonists, who are somewhat partially hidden until the end, also have motives linked to the past that eventually reveals itself well with an addition of a item of gothic horror (no spoilers). The depth the story plunges into her family history and events creates a believable past within the tale. However, this same aspect also creates issues within the tale. The pace stutters as the tale builds too slowly for me with a wealth of speculation and anticipation from the MC. The amount of backstory for a fiction this length can be confusing as well as blending memories from the past into current scenes the MC is presently cast into.
70% in I was feeling a solid 3* rating, but what brings this piece back from dragging too much is the final quarter. Ms Greathouse produces a shock ending not many could predict, and with that an element of character development. From an otherwise fairly mentally stable MC up to a certain point, it makes more sense afterward when concluding the isolation of her childhood and how it may have affected her. Another aspect is the way she successfully covers several bases that most supernatural tales don’t. Usually they don’t explain how the torment of the haunting figures came to be to leave mystery to the void, but this tale explains the origins linked to a wartime period which is a nice touch that doesn’t intrude on the lore and carries a good amount of supernatural ambience to keep you hooked.
I downloaded this story for free after seeing an advert from Ms Greathouse’s strong presence on social media. Despite being the only tale I’ve read, I would certainly recommend this author’s work to others.
February 27, 2022
Would give no stars.
Completely filled with spelling errors/ grammatical errors. The wrong words and phrases italicized not to mention the use of capitalisation is completely wrong. The majority of the story is "...and then I saw it. Nothing."
Literally, the worst read. Had another book by this author and will NOT be reading.
Completely filled with spelling errors/ grammatical errors. The wrong words and phrases italicized not to mention the use of capitalisation is completely wrong. The majority of the story is "...and then I saw it. Nothing."
Literally, the worst read. Had another book by this author and will NOT be reading.
April 17, 2021
My new thing is to listen to #audiobooks while putting on my makeup. Today I finished "The Schatten" by Ashley Greathouse and narrated by Michelle Sobeski. This was such a great experience! If you like thrillers, give this a listen!
September 9, 2021
Very suspenseful
This is a great horror thriller that keeps you guessing right up until the end and after that you're still wondering what might happen next. I kinda hope there might be a sequel because I still want to know what happens after the final twist.
This is a great horror thriller that keeps you guessing right up until the end and after that you're still wondering what might happen next. I kinda hope there might be a sequel because I still want to know what happens after the final twist.
December 1, 2021
Ashley is a magical psychological thriller author who pulls you in to a dark world in a beautiful way. This story can get confusing, so pay attention closely. The book was written well, you feel for the main character and the horror shes been through. I really enjoyed this book. Highly recommended
September 8, 2022
I listened to the audio version of this book, and it was just the creepy I was looking for. This story is a short, fast read, jam-packed with creepy, spooky, wth just-happened vibes. It's twisty and confusing in the best way possible. This is my first read from this author, and it won't be the la
August 28, 2021
Fantastic
This was a pleasant surprise. A psychological thriller for sure! Great story, plot, twists and fast paced.. I will continue reading this author.
This was a pleasant surprise. A psychological thriller for sure! Great story, plot, twists and fast paced.. I will continue reading this author.
July 6, 2023
I am the narrator for this audiobook
I have several audiobooks I narrated available on Audible, Amazon and iTunes.
Check them out! Just do a search under my name!
I have several audiobooks I narrated available on Audible, Amazon and iTunes.
Check them out! Just do a search under my name!
January 2, 2024
I received this book through voracious readers. Creepy with an unexpected ending. A quick read but really enjoyed it.
March 23, 2024
Its a long book for something with so little plot.
February 15, 2025
Thrilling and chilling with a shocking twist!
Ashley Greathouse hits it out of the park again with The Schatten, a compelling tale of a woman looking for answers to her mysterious past! Who or what is the Shadowman? What secrets are hidden in her grandmother’s old house, and can she handle them when they finally come to life? This novel thrills and scares, and leaves the reader’s mouth wide open with its shocking ending!
Ashley Greathouse hits it out of the park again with The Schatten, a compelling tale of a woman looking for answers to her mysterious past! Who or what is the Shadowman? What secrets are hidden in her grandmother’s old house, and can she handle them when they finally come to life? This novel thrills and scares, and leaves the reader’s mouth wide open with its shocking ending!
May 8, 2023
Great psychological horror from Ashley Greathouse. Reminded me of Dennis Lehane Shutter Island. Excellent writer that I would recommend. I will read another of her books.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews