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Shadow of a Doubt
Twenty-six years ago my brother was murdered in my family home.
I was sent to a psychiatric unit for killing him.
The truth is, I didn't do it.
The whole world believed eight-year-old Cara killed her younger brother on that fateful night. But she blamed it on a paranormal entity she swears was haunting her house.
No one believed her and after two years of treatment in a psychiatric unit for delusional disorder, Cara was shunned by her remaining family and put into foster care.
Now she's being forced to return to the family home for the first time since her brother's death, but what if she's about to re-discover the evil that was lurking inside its walls?
I was sent to a psychiatric unit for killing him.
The truth is, I didn't do it.
The whole world believed eight-year-old Cara killed her younger brother on that fateful night. But she blamed it on a paranormal entity she swears was haunting her house.
No one believed her and after two years of treatment in a psychiatric unit for delusional disorder, Cara was shunned by her remaining family and put into foster care.
Now she's being forced to return to the family home for the first time since her brother's death, but what if she's about to re-discover the evil that was lurking inside its walls?
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2020
27 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Davies
14 books103 followersMichelle Davies was born in Middlesex in 1972, raised in Buckinghamshire and now lives in north London.
Her debut crime novel, Gone Astray, was published in 2016 and features Family Liaison Officer DC Maggie Neville as its central police character. Gone Astray was part of a two-book deal with Pan Macmillan and the follow-up, Wrong Place, also featuring Maggie, is out now. Her third in the series, False Witness, is due out in July next year while a fourth will follow in 2019.
When she's not turning her hand to crime, Michelle writes as a freelance journalist for women's magazines including Marie Claire, YOU and Stylist. Her last staff job before going freelance was as Editor-at-Large at Grazia and she was previously Features Editor at heat. She began her career straight from school at 18, working as a trainee reporter on her home-town newspaper, the Bucks Free Press.
Her debut crime novel, Gone Astray, was published in 2016 and features Family Liaison Officer DC Maggie Neville as its central police character. Gone Astray was part of a two-book deal with Pan Macmillan and the follow-up, Wrong Place, also featuring Maggie, is out now. Her third in the series, False Witness, is due out in July next year while a fourth will follow in 2019.
When she's not turning her hand to crime, Michelle writes as a freelance journalist for women's magazines including Marie Claire, YOU and Stylist. Her last staff job before going freelance was as Editor-at-Large at Grazia and she was previously Features Editor at heat. She began her career straight from school at 18, working as a trainee reporter on her home-town newspaper, the Bucks Free Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
October 6, 2022
Cara Belling was 9 when she was accused of killing her brother Matty in her hometown of Helbean Essex, she was sent to a psychiatric unit called Peachick she swears she didn’t do it said that Slimy Stan did it. She was diagnosed as delusional .
Now 25 years later Cara gets a text from her Aunt Karen saying that Anita is dead, naturally Cara is upset & wants to know the details of the funeral but Karen telos’s her not to come as she is not welcome. Cara comes back for the reading of the will & is gobsmacked that her mother has left her the house, this doesn’t go down well with Karen she wants the house for her self& will do anything to get it.
What lurks in the belling.home while Cara is asleep Slimy Stan appears only at night is he real or just a figment of Cara’s imagination?
The house holds a lot of secrets , lies & creep creepiness in the plot line Cara is also fostered & gets her step mother Anne to help her prove her innocence but will anyone believe her?
This was freaking awesome creepy so a good Halloween read I have nothing negative to say but don’t read this with the lights out the characters were well written & believable they jump right off the page I just loved every minute, the timelines go from 1994 to 2019, this was so damn good can’t praise this author high enough will be reading more of her books
Now 25 years later Cara gets a text from her Aunt Karen saying that Anita is dead, naturally Cara is upset & wants to know the details of the funeral but Karen telos’s her not to come as she is not welcome. Cara comes back for the reading of the will & is gobsmacked that her mother has left her the house, this doesn’t go down well with Karen she wants the house for her self& will do anything to get it.
What lurks in the belling.home while Cara is asleep Slimy Stan appears only at night is he real or just a figment of Cara’s imagination?
The house holds a lot of secrets , lies & creep creepiness in the plot line Cara is also fostered & gets her step mother Anne to help her prove her innocence but will anyone believe her?
This was freaking awesome creepy so a good Halloween read I have nothing negative to say but don’t read this with the lights out the characters were well written & believable they jump right off the page I just loved every minute, the timelines go from 1994 to 2019, this was so damn good can’t praise this author high enough will be reading more of her books
September 13, 2021
A book that you need to read with all the lights on 😏
Gripping. Thrilling. Intense. Suspenseful.
Kept me on the edge of my seat and finished in a few hours (discounting those today I was working!)
I am a massive fan of Michelle Davies and cannot recommend her books enough! X
Gripping. Thrilling. Intense. Suspenseful.
Kept me on the edge of my seat and finished in a few hours (discounting those today I was working!)
I am a massive fan of Michelle Davies and cannot recommend her books enough! X
January 28, 2021
The whole world believed tht nine year old Cara had killed her younger brother. But she blamed it on a paranormal entity she swears was haunting her house. No one believed her and after two years of treatment in a psychiatric unit for delusional disorderly, Cara was shunned by her family and put into foster care.
Cara is now thirty four and she's just found out that her mother has died. She's been living in Morcambe but goes back to Helden, Essex as her mother had stipulated that Cara attends the will reading. Cara has always maintained that a ghost called Limey Stan killed her brother. There's plenty of twists but i found the pace was slow. The story was inspired by a real life haunting. The characters all had a secret to hide. An interesting read with a satisfactory ending.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #OrionPublishingGroup and the author #MichelleDavies for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Cara is now thirty four and she's just found out that her mother has died. She's been living in Morcambe but goes back to Helden, Essex as her mother had stipulated that Cara attends the will reading. Cara has always maintained that a ghost called Limey Stan killed her brother. There's plenty of twists but i found the pace was slow. The story was inspired by a real life haunting. The characters all had a secret to hide. An interesting read with a satisfactory ending.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #OrionPublishingGroup and the author #MichelleDavies for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 21, 2020
Cara Belling was nine years old when she was accused of suffocating and killing her six-year-old brother Matty. She claimed her innocence and said that it was a ghost called Limey Stan who killed her brother and haunted the family home. For her crime as she was too young to be convicted of a crime, she went into a Psychiatric unit for two years for being delusional and then went into foster care thereafter.
Twenty-five years later Cara returns to her hometown of Heldean. She hasn’t been near her family home in all them years. Her mother has died, and she has been asked to attend the reading of the will. She thinks that he will be greeted with open arms. But as she meets the family after all this time. They still blame her for Matty’s death, and they even got more reason to be angry especially Aunt Karen. When Cara is told that her mum left her the house in her will. Cara does not want to return to the family home as she thinks that Limey Stan will return.
Thank you, Orion, and NetGalley for a copy of Shadow of a doubt. I really enjoyed this thriller with its unique storyline and interesting characters. It did think it was slightly far fetched at the end but still well worth the read. 4 stars from me.
Twenty-five years later Cara returns to her hometown of Heldean. She hasn’t been near her family home in all them years. Her mother has died, and she has been asked to attend the reading of the will. She thinks that he will be greeted with open arms. But as she meets the family after all this time. They still blame her for Matty’s death, and they even got more reason to be angry especially Aunt Karen. When Cara is told that her mum left her the house in her will. Cara does not want to return to the family home as she thinks that Limey Stan will return.
Thank you, Orion, and NetGalley for a copy of Shadow of a doubt. I really enjoyed this thriller with its unique storyline and interesting characters. It did think it was slightly far fetched at the end but still well worth the read. 4 stars from me.
August 18, 2021
25 years before, Cara's brother was murdered in her family home. Cara was sent to a psychiatric unit for killing him, though she told everyone who would listen that the ghost who was haunting the house, Limey Stan, did it. Now an adult, Cara is back at the house to prove she didn't murder her brother - that it really was Limey Stan....
This is such a mind-blowing read! It had me hooked from the first page, definitely a book that has to be read with the light on, it gave me goosebumps on the parts with Limey Stan! The twists were incredible and the story ended perfectly, everything fitting together. Incredible book.
This is such a mind-blowing read! It had me hooked from the first page, definitely a book that has to be read with the light on, it gave me goosebumps on the parts with Limey Stan! The twists were incredible and the story ended perfectly, everything fitting together. Incredible book.
February 6, 2021
Shadow of a Doubt is a psychological thriller by Michelle Davies. From the prologue until the very last chapter a fog like heaviness sat on my shoulders, a weight that I couldn’t lift. Throughout the book there were brief moments where I thought the fog was lifting only for it to push down harder, Intensifying the sick like feeling in the pit of my stomach, the nervous tension stayed with me throughout.
At the heart of Shadow of a Doubt is a family whose lives were torn apart after eight year old Cara is torn from the family home accused of killing her younger brother - something that twenty five years later she still vehemently denies - it wasn’t her it was “Limey-Stan” a well known local from the past!
The story is told in three parts centred around Cara’s life as a child and today when the bottom falls out of her world again, summoned from the life she has made for herself back to the family home she hasn’t seen in twenty five years. It is told from from two angles, that of Cara and her mother Anita. Understandably the summons back to her childhood home sends her into turmoil and blind panic, her anxiety levels palpably lift off the pages and hover in the air around me as I read. Her extended family, a family that cut her out of their lives aren’t happy either that Anita, Cara’s mother has insisted she returns and make their feelings on the subject crystal clear.
The layers of Cara’s life are lifted and presented to the reader through various mediums, memories, real life, newspaper articles and medical reports. To say the journey back to Heldean was a difficult one for Cara would be an understatement. The author has created a character in Cara that is difficult to warm to despite everything she had gone through, the rejection by her family, brought up in a foster home albeit with love and kindness, what we know of her life as both a child and an adult. Understandably, her experience made her build walls around her that are difficult to penetrate or has she always been like that? Cara’s character got under my skin, she isn’t a person that I am drawn to, she has spikey edges as an adult that are clear to see, she keeps people at arms length and the insight into her mothers life in Part 2 of the book makes me question is it nature or circumstances that have shaped her character so much - not everything is quite what it seems, her world was spun on its axis
Throughout the telling of her story I felt utter despair, fear and anguish for her, pity even. The lines of reality and imagination constantly blurred and as the story progressed I was compelled to read quicker and quicker, the need to shake the uneasiness and dread I felt, the turmoil inside was at times almost unbearable. The questions going round my head, the second guessing was continuous.
Michelle Davies’ writing style is something else, the story possessed my feelings from start to finish, chilling me to the bone, I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book to everyone, it is one of the best psychological thrillers I have ever read and I’m going to be drumming my fingers waiting for her next. Thank you to Orion for the early read.
At the heart of Shadow of a Doubt is a family whose lives were torn apart after eight year old Cara is torn from the family home accused of killing her younger brother - something that twenty five years later she still vehemently denies - it wasn’t her it was “Limey-Stan” a well known local from the past!
The story is told in three parts centred around Cara’s life as a child and today when the bottom falls out of her world again, summoned from the life she has made for herself back to the family home she hasn’t seen in twenty five years. It is told from from two angles, that of Cara and her mother Anita. Understandably the summons back to her childhood home sends her into turmoil and blind panic, her anxiety levels palpably lift off the pages and hover in the air around me as I read. Her extended family, a family that cut her out of their lives aren’t happy either that Anita, Cara’s mother has insisted she returns and make their feelings on the subject crystal clear.
The layers of Cara’s life are lifted and presented to the reader through various mediums, memories, real life, newspaper articles and medical reports. To say the journey back to Heldean was a difficult one for Cara would be an understatement. The author has created a character in Cara that is difficult to warm to despite everything she had gone through, the rejection by her family, brought up in a foster home albeit with love and kindness, what we know of her life as both a child and an adult. Understandably, her experience made her build walls around her that are difficult to penetrate or has she always been like that? Cara’s character got under my skin, she isn’t a person that I am drawn to, she has spikey edges as an adult that are clear to see, she keeps people at arms length and the insight into her mothers life in Part 2 of the book makes me question is it nature or circumstances that have shaped her character so much - not everything is quite what it seems, her world was spun on its axis
Throughout the telling of her story I felt utter despair, fear and anguish for her, pity even. The lines of reality and imagination constantly blurred and as the story progressed I was compelled to read quicker and quicker, the need to shake the uneasiness and dread I felt, the turmoil inside was at times almost unbearable. The questions going round my head, the second guessing was continuous.
Michelle Davies’ writing style is something else, the story possessed my feelings from start to finish, chilling me to the bone, I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book to everyone, it is one of the best psychological thrillers I have ever read and I’m going to be drumming my fingers waiting for her next. Thank you to Orion for the early read.
September 25, 2023
kept me guessing and thoroughly hooked all the way till the end
despite there being a lot of characters involved in this book, i didn’t get confused at all and had a clear image of who everyone was
would defo recommend
thank u suzi😚
despite there being a lot of characters involved in this book, i didn’t get confused at all and had a clear image of who everyone was
would defo recommend
thank u suzi😚
January 12, 2021
Shadow of a Doubt by Michelle Davies is a creepy psychological thriller opening with a chilling prologue. It gripped me right from the first page. I have previously read Michelle Davies’s DC Maggie Neville series, which I have really enjoyed, so I was intrigued to find out that she was bringing out a standalone. I’m pleased to say that my high expectations for Shadow of a Doubt were met and I loved it.
We meet Cara, who has had a dark cloud hanging over her since she was very small. Now in her thirties, Cara is perturbed when she receives a text from a family member, letting her know that her biological mother has died. Cara hasn’t seen her family since she was a small after they abandoned her. Her family, the police, and the country held her responsible her young brother’s death after he became trapped behind the curtains in their living room and suffocated. But Cara has always remained adamant that she had nothing to do with her brother’s death and it was a ghost, who she nicknamed, Limey Stan, who haunted their house. Even in her adult years, she still believes it. With her return to her hometown, is the truth about Limey Stan about to be revealed?
I really felt sorry for Cara. She has suffered from unimaginable trauma in her life, following the death of her brother. I was fascinated by the story of the ghost, which she still wholeheartedly believes. It made me want to know what really happened that night back in 1994 when her brother died. Was Cara really responsible for his death? Did her imagination create the story of Limey Stan in an attempt to block out the terrible truth?
I could never really be sure what was really going on here. Cara manages to convince a small minority of people that the ghost was responsible, but the majority still can’t believe she is still going on about this. She is determined to get to the bottom of things when she comes back to her hometown, and I was rooting for her to get to the truth. I also wanted to know why her mother had left her house to her in her will. This seemed an extraordinarily generous thing to do for someone who completely cut their daughter out of their life. Was her mother doing this to make Cara come to terms with the truth? I had so many questions which I wanted to know the answers to.
Michelle Davies creates a really creepy atmosphere. I love a good ghost story, and Shadow of a Doubt certainly fits the bill. Michelle Davies ratchets up the tension as the book races towards its conclusion and Michelle Davies expertly plants red herrings, turning your attention away from the real culprit. This is an excellent psychological thriller.
We meet Cara, who has had a dark cloud hanging over her since she was very small. Now in her thirties, Cara is perturbed when she receives a text from a family member, letting her know that her biological mother has died. Cara hasn’t seen her family since she was a small after they abandoned her. Her family, the police, and the country held her responsible her young brother’s death after he became trapped behind the curtains in their living room and suffocated. But Cara has always remained adamant that she had nothing to do with her brother’s death and it was a ghost, who she nicknamed, Limey Stan, who haunted their house. Even in her adult years, she still believes it. With her return to her hometown, is the truth about Limey Stan about to be revealed?
I really felt sorry for Cara. She has suffered from unimaginable trauma in her life, following the death of her brother. I was fascinated by the story of the ghost, which she still wholeheartedly believes. It made me want to know what really happened that night back in 1994 when her brother died. Was Cara really responsible for his death? Did her imagination create the story of Limey Stan in an attempt to block out the terrible truth?
I could never really be sure what was really going on here. Cara manages to convince a small minority of people that the ghost was responsible, but the majority still can’t believe she is still going on about this. She is determined to get to the bottom of things when she comes back to her hometown, and I was rooting for her to get to the truth. I also wanted to know why her mother had left her house to her in her will. This seemed an extraordinarily generous thing to do for someone who completely cut their daughter out of their life. Was her mother doing this to make Cara come to terms with the truth? I had so many questions which I wanted to know the answers to.
Michelle Davies creates a really creepy atmosphere. I love a good ghost story, and Shadow of a Doubt certainly fits the bill. Michelle Davies ratchets up the tension as the book races towards its conclusion and Michelle Davies expertly plants red herrings, turning your attention away from the real culprit. This is an excellent psychological thriller.
March 12, 2021
Cara Belling is returning to her family home after being away for many years. She is now thirty-four and her mum has died so she must go back to Parsons Close, Heldean, Essex to attend the will reading as stipulated by her mother. Her brother, Matty died in the house when Cara was just eight, but everyone believed that Cara killed him, though she insisted that a paranormal entity, a ghost she nicknamed Limey Stan, was haunting the property.
Shadow of a Doubt began with an enticing opening chapter and I was gripped from the first few pages. No one believed Cara's version of events so she spent two years receiving treatment in a psychiatric unit. Shunned by her family she was then put into foster care. Told through the eyes of Cara and her mum, Anita, I found myself constantly questioning just how reliable a narrator Cara was and this, together with the clever writing of Michelle Davies - the creepiness, the tension she created and the suspicion made for an engrossing read. The final scenes in Shadow of a Doubt are fraught, dramatic and full of tension. There is an underlying sense of threat throughout the book, as well as a great deal of emotion and anger. Overall, this is a fabulous novel, and it's inspired by a true story. Not to be missed!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Orion Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
Shadow of a Doubt began with an enticing opening chapter and I was gripped from the first few pages. No one believed Cara's version of events so she spent two years receiving treatment in a psychiatric unit. Shunned by her family she was then put into foster care. Told through the eyes of Cara and her mum, Anita, I found myself constantly questioning just how reliable a narrator Cara was and this, together with the clever writing of Michelle Davies - the creepiness, the tension she created and the suspicion made for an engrossing read. The final scenes in Shadow of a Doubt are fraught, dramatic and full of tension. There is an underlying sense of threat throughout the book, as well as a great deal of emotion and anger. Overall, this is a fabulous novel, and it's inspired by a true story. Not to be missed!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Orion Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
January 28, 2021
I have 6 words and two sentences which will sum up this book.
What A Book
And
It blew me away
I love everything to do with ghosts and so when the email landed in my inbox about this book well I wasn’t going to say no. I mean an unknown entity called Limey Stan, a child murdered and someone else blamed for it.
I was on day 3 of a migraine when I picked this up, I wanted a distraction, yes I know I should be resting but I thought oh one chapter won’t hurt. Well, one chapter turned into 50% of the book and I struggled to put the book down. I really didn't want to.
When Cara comes back to the house, stuff starts to happen again and I strapped myself in for the ride. Now I am not going to lie, I guessed the twist but that is only because of a few keywords put in seemingly innocent sentences. None of this detracted from the story, in fact, it amplified the tension, creepiness and the darkness. However, yes however, I wasn’t as clever as I first thought, Michelle still had more tricks up her sleeve and I loved it!!!! There are a few shocks and when we learn about that night, the ripples that fall after were just so tragic and unnecessary.
The writing flows so easy and I was hooked. I was so engrossed by the story, could Cara be an unreliable narrator or is there something bigger going on. When we see the story told by other perceptions, it definitely casts that doubt out there. Can we ever just take things at face value? Can we always trust what we are shown? I must admit I was thinking I might doubt my own sanity when things start to happen to Cara in the present day. I mean were the toys moving, did the table turn over by itself? Was someone there? Or did we imagine it?
I have not read anything by Michelle before and now I see there a few books to catch up on, plus reading the snippet of her new book The Death of Me has got me a bit giddy!!
God, I cant explain anywhere near as coherently as I want to, to how epic this book was. I didn’t want to put it down, I didn’t want to work I wanted to read and mostly I wanted to know who the heck Limey Stan was. It is definitely one of my top reads so far this year. It had everything I wanted and so much more from a book. Just don’t start it late at night because you will be sucked down that rabbit hole of unrelenting reading, especially with the short and snappy chapters to keep you captivated.
Just read it!
What A Book
And
It blew me away
I love everything to do with ghosts and so when the email landed in my inbox about this book well I wasn’t going to say no. I mean an unknown entity called Limey Stan, a child murdered and someone else blamed for it.
I was on day 3 of a migraine when I picked this up, I wanted a distraction, yes I know I should be resting but I thought oh one chapter won’t hurt. Well, one chapter turned into 50% of the book and I struggled to put the book down. I really didn't want to.
When Cara comes back to the house, stuff starts to happen again and I strapped myself in for the ride. Now I am not going to lie, I guessed the twist but that is only because of a few keywords put in seemingly innocent sentences. None of this detracted from the story, in fact, it amplified the tension, creepiness and the darkness. However, yes however, I wasn’t as clever as I first thought, Michelle still had more tricks up her sleeve and I loved it!!!! There are a few shocks and when we learn about that night, the ripples that fall after were just so tragic and unnecessary.
The writing flows so easy and I was hooked. I was so engrossed by the story, could Cara be an unreliable narrator or is there something bigger going on. When we see the story told by other perceptions, it definitely casts that doubt out there. Can we ever just take things at face value? Can we always trust what we are shown? I must admit I was thinking I might doubt my own sanity when things start to happen to Cara in the present day. I mean were the toys moving, did the table turn over by itself? Was someone there? Or did we imagine it?
I have not read anything by Michelle before and now I see there a few books to catch up on, plus reading the snippet of her new book The Death of Me has got me a bit giddy!!
God, I cant explain anywhere near as coherently as I want to, to how epic this book was. I didn’t want to put it down, I didn’t want to work I wanted to read and mostly I wanted to know who the heck Limey Stan was. It is definitely one of my top reads so far this year. It had everything I wanted and so much more from a book. Just don’t start it late at night because you will be sucked down that rabbit hole of unrelenting reading, especially with the short and snappy chapters to keep you captivated.
Just read it!
February 6, 2021
Okay, this was BRILLIANT.
I was even ready with my laptop out as I was reading the last few pages because I couldn't wait to write up this review!
An intriguing plot, with a fabulous protagonist which both tugged at my heart strings and got my heart racing simultaneously!
There was a lot of characters and usually I would struggle with keeping track, but Davies had me covered throughout.
I honestly suspected things were not as they seemed and every single main character gave me food for thought until the last few pages. This was down to the brilliant plot writing from Davies, and after hitting the 50% mark, I couldn't stop reading until I finished.
Just fantastic.
I was even ready with my laptop out as I was reading the last few pages because I couldn't wait to write up this review!
An intriguing plot, with a fabulous protagonist which both tugged at my heart strings and got my heart racing simultaneously!
There was a lot of characters and usually I would struggle with keeping track, but Davies had me covered throughout.
I honestly suspected things were not as they seemed and every single main character gave me food for thought until the last few pages. This was down to the brilliant plot writing from Davies, and after hitting the 50% mark, I couldn't stop reading until I finished.
Just fantastic.
May 18, 2021
Everyone thought Cara had something to do with what happened to her younger brother Matty. This had a lasting impact on her life. Years later after a death and back in the family home she’s determined to find out what really happened that night. This book sucks the reader in right from the start and doesn’t let go to the very end. A mix of genres which I won’t mention so as not to give any part of the plot away. A great story with some dark twists along the way. Easy to read, shocking, sad and engrossing. Can highly recommend! I was given this ARC by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 5, 2022
25 years after being accused of her brothers murder, Cara is still adamant that she didn't do it. She sets out to prove it....
This story sucked me in from the beginning. It's a very chilling and heartbreaking story.
I liked Cara's character, even when there was a little bit of self doubt starting to creep in, she shook it off and carried on with her mission to prove it wasn't her. Understandably, her family members weren't nice characters to begin with.
There were a lot of red herrings and twists and turns in this. I did guess what had happened, but the parts around it needed filling in as I couldn't work that bit out.
This story sucked me in from the beginning. It's a very chilling and heartbreaking story.
I liked Cara's character, even when there was a little bit of self doubt starting to creep in, she shook it off and carried on with her mission to prove it wasn't her. Understandably, her family members weren't nice characters to begin with.
There were a lot of red herrings and twists and turns in this. I did guess what had happened, but the parts around it needed filling in as I couldn't work that bit out.
August 29, 2022
I had a few breaks reading this so it took me a lot longer than normal, but I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought! The first half was all a bit weird, all the supernatural stuff just didn’t really add up and I was a bit like, surely they aren’t going to pin all of this on a ghost?
The second half however, completely made this book. I was beyond shocked at the ending, I wasn’t expecting that to happen at all! I do wish the author hadn’t rushed it so much though. I want to know what happened in Ians trial, did he end up in jail because of it? Overall though, a good book.
The second half however, completely made this book. I was beyond shocked at the ending, I wasn’t expecting that to happen at all! I do wish the author hadn’t rushed it so much though. I want to know what happened in Ians trial, did he end up in jail because of it? Overall though, a good book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2022
throughly enjoyed this book to the point I couldn't put it down. After a few chapters you will be addicted to the twists and turns by the end, you'll be shocked by what you find out
July 30, 2023
Bitch no wonder someone’s breaking into your house you’re literally giving out spare keys like you’re Oprah?!
June 14, 2022
Great twist
February 4, 2021
This book has a little bit of everything I like in a book - mystery, suspense and chills. From the off you get that sense of threat, os something lurking in the shadows that goes well beyond a young child's imagination, and how right that is. Setting you on edge from that very first chapter, Michelle Davies takes us on a journey full of secrets and suspicion that kept me intrigued right to the last page.|
Talk about your complicated characters though. Cara is someone who it took time to get to like fully. Understandably evasive in terms of her background, she was generally always on edge and quite spiky, which makes her harder to get to know or trust. And yet, there was something in her unwavering belief of what happened when she was a child that drew me to her and had me impatient for the truth to be revealed. The author has pitched her character perfectly leaving you uncertain as to how much of what she believes is the actual truth and how much the result of an active childhood imagination combined with a potential psychological disorder. Whatever the truth, there is no doubting that Cara was dealt a very tough hand and it is hard not to feel some sympathy for her. I never once believed that she was as evil as her family made her out to be, but was she innocent either? It was hard to tell and the author leaves readers guessing for quite some time on that front.
When the reveal does come, and it does long before the end of the book, it left me even more intrigued then. Far from the ending being an anticlimax, the atmosphere that the author manages to imbue in the novel keeps the tension high and it still leaves you wondering just what is happening in Cara's life and in the house which appears to be either haunted or cursed. There is a long held question of what really lurks in the shadows - real or imagined - and with a series of inexplicable events, you have to wonder who or what is out to get Cara. The author works hard to keep readers guessing, offering a number of suspects for consideration, all of whom have opportunity if not necessarily an obvious motive.
Michelle Davies has done a great job in establishing characters in the book, and whilst I didn't particularly like Cara's Aunt, Karen, I could see things from her perspective and the hatred she feels towards Cara. But her anger and determination to oust Cara from her inheritance, did make her an antagonistic character and hard to feel a sympathy for, in spite of the losses she had suffered and the more recent pain of losing her sister, Cara's mother. And then there is Limey Stan. Real or a figment of Cara's imagination? Simple shadow or something far more sinister? I'll be honest, and say that I had a good guess as to what it was that Cara had been hearing all those years before, something that was confirmed in the. second half of the book where the narrative moved from Cara's point of view to that of her mother twenty years earlier. The more I read of her, the less I liked her although there were some redeeming moments by the end of the novel.
The final scenes in this book are fraught and full of tension, the final showdown between Cara and her childhood tormentor quite dramatic. There is an underlying sense of threat throughout the book, a kind of chilling element to the story that always has you wondering without necessarily coming down on the side of Limey Stan being supernatural or otherwise. There is certainly a lot of emotion tied up in the story too, the anger and the sense of loss that is never fully realised in Cara's life, and it makes this a really engrossing read. Recommended.
Talk about your complicated characters though. Cara is someone who it took time to get to like fully. Understandably evasive in terms of her background, she was generally always on edge and quite spiky, which makes her harder to get to know or trust. And yet, there was something in her unwavering belief of what happened when she was a child that drew me to her and had me impatient for the truth to be revealed. The author has pitched her character perfectly leaving you uncertain as to how much of what she believes is the actual truth and how much the result of an active childhood imagination combined with a potential psychological disorder. Whatever the truth, there is no doubting that Cara was dealt a very tough hand and it is hard not to feel some sympathy for her. I never once believed that she was as evil as her family made her out to be, but was she innocent either? It was hard to tell and the author leaves readers guessing for quite some time on that front.
When the reveal does come, and it does long before the end of the book, it left me even more intrigued then. Far from the ending being an anticlimax, the atmosphere that the author manages to imbue in the novel keeps the tension high and it still leaves you wondering just what is happening in Cara's life and in the house which appears to be either haunted or cursed. There is a long held question of what really lurks in the shadows - real or imagined - and with a series of inexplicable events, you have to wonder who or what is out to get Cara. The author works hard to keep readers guessing, offering a number of suspects for consideration, all of whom have opportunity if not necessarily an obvious motive.
Michelle Davies has done a great job in establishing characters in the book, and whilst I didn't particularly like Cara's Aunt, Karen, I could see things from her perspective and the hatred she feels towards Cara. But her anger and determination to oust Cara from her inheritance, did make her an antagonistic character and hard to feel a sympathy for, in spite of the losses she had suffered and the more recent pain of losing her sister, Cara's mother. And then there is Limey Stan. Real or a figment of Cara's imagination? Simple shadow or something far more sinister? I'll be honest, and say that I had a good guess as to what it was that Cara had been hearing all those years before, something that was confirmed in the. second half of the book where the narrative moved from Cara's point of view to that of her mother twenty years earlier. The more I read of her, the less I liked her although there were some redeeming moments by the end of the novel.
The final scenes in this book are fraught and full of tension, the final showdown between Cara and her childhood tormentor quite dramatic. There is an underlying sense of threat throughout the book, a kind of chilling element to the story that always has you wondering without necessarily coming down on the side of Limey Stan being supernatural or otherwise. There is certainly a lot of emotion tied up in the story too, the anger and the sense of loss that is never fully realised in Cara's life, and it makes this a really engrossing read. Recommended.
December 21, 2021
It’s very rare these days to find a novel that sits firmly in the mainstream psychological thriller genre but still manages to tell an original story. Michelle Davies manages it superbly with the tale of Cara, sent to a psychiatric hospital at the age of nine for killing her brother. Rejected by her family, she spends the years following her release from her treatment in foster care. Now in her thirties, she still maintains that her brother’s death was at the hands of the ghost Limey Stan who had been plaguing her nights for months. Although her violent outbursts at school and home before the brother’s death were well-documented in her medical notes, she maintains she acted out of sleep-deprivation caused by the ghost haunting her house.
Cara has no intention of ever visiting the family home or the family who abandoned her ever again. Then her mother dies and leaves her the house. Cara decides to return to catch the ghost and prove her innocence.
The author cleverly captures the heart-pounding sensation of being a child in bed, hearing a creak on the stairs and fearing a ghost. Despite all her anti-psychotic medication, Cara hears it all again when she sleeps at the house as an adult. I came up with several theories and one of them was bang-on, but I was not sure what to believe for a long time. When I worked it out, my blood didn’t so much run cold as boil with rage… Great storytelling.
Cara has no intention of ever visiting the family home or the family who abandoned her ever again. Then her mother dies and leaves her the house. Cara decides to return to catch the ghost and prove her innocence.
The author cleverly captures the heart-pounding sensation of being a child in bed, hearing a creak on the stairs and fearing a ghost. Despite all her anti-psychotic medication, Cara hears it all again when she sleeps at the house as an adult. I came up with several theories and one of them was bang-on, but I was not sure what to believe for a long time. When I worked it out, my blood didn’t so much run cold as boil with rage… Great storytelling.
February 4, 2021
A good 3-star suspense thriller.
Mini-review below:
- I’m unsure why but this really makes me think of The Girl on the Train, even though it’s not similar at all 😂🤷🏼♀️
- this has a really great plot, especially if you dont read many thrillers - it has a spookiness about it as I can totally see why the reviews are all “jaw-dropping” etc. Whilst I did find it unpredictable, I also wasn’t shocked, if that makes sense? Like it slowly creeps up on you and all makes sense and is fairly (worryingly) realistic!
- It’s a slow-burner, so this is more for the fans who appreciate the journey. I particularly enjoyed how the ending wasn’t rushed, which is a big no-no for me.
- There are a couple of plot holes, especially thinking back to earlier in the book, but they’re minor.
- I maybe just expected more “suspense”, as this was the selling point. I really am convinced that this is down to how much of the genre I read, so if this sounds good to you (synopsis in comments), it’s likely you’ll enjoy!
- I did enjoy, but is it memorable? Jury’s out.
- Great characters and definitely one that makes you think everyone’s involved.
355 pages, published by Orion books.
Gifted in exchange for an honest review.
Mini-review below:
- I’m unsure why but this really makes me think of The Girl on the Train, even though it’s not similar at all 😂🤷🏼♀️
- this has a really great plot, especially if you dont read many thrillers - it has a spookiness about it as I can totally see why the reviews are all “jaw-dropping” etc. Whilst I did find it unpredictable, I also wasn’t shocked, if that makes sense? Like it slowly creeps up on you and all makes sense and is fairly (worryingly) realistic!
- It’s a slow-burner, so this is more for the fans who appreciate the journey. I particularly enjoyed how the ending wasn’t rushed, which is a big no-no for me.
- There are a couple of plot holes, especially thinking back to earlier in the book, but they’re minor.
- I maybe just expected more “suspense”, as this was the selling point. I really am convinced that this is down to how much of the genre I read, so if this sounds good to you (synopsis in comments), it’s likely you’ll enjoy!
- I did enjoy, but is it memorable? Jury’s out.
- Great characters and definitely one that makes you think everyone’s involved.
355 pages, published by Orion books.
Gifted in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2022
Suspenseful
February 2, 2021
I honestly thought I was reading a horror novel, from the gripping and frightening opener to the very last page, Limey Stan became something that haunts not just Cara, but also the reader.
After being found responsible for the death of her 6 year old brother, Cara was first sent to a psychiatric unit, and then foster care when her mother refused to have her back in the family home.
Re-inventing herself and carving a career under another name, she is stepping into her own adult identity, and then her mother's death brings everything crashing down around her.
The terms of a bizarrely twisted will not only reignite the anger of her aunt and cousins, but leave Cara with no choice but to move home. The scene of the Heldean Haunting is framed, for those of us who, ahem, are old enough to remember it, by the real life television event, 'Ghostwatch', conceived and written by horror author Stephen Volk
(For those who enjoy horror, I thoroughly recommend checking out his works, he is on Twitter and a lovely chap to boot!)
The narrative is told from Cara's perspective and honestly, your heart breaks for her as she faces up to the malign influences which have broken her childhood to pieces, robbed her of a brother and left her doubting her own sanity.
Variously called a 'hoax', an impossible event for which the only solution is a sleep deprived, mentally ill young girl, Cara has a massive uphill battle ahead of her in trying to piece together her past, in order to try and make a future free from the child haunting spectre of Limey Stan.
This is who she has adamantly blamed for the death of Matty, her 6 year old brother, the one who disturbed her sleep to the point of violent and aggressive behaviour. But if no one listened to her back then, will anyone listen to her now?
Especially when she moves back into the family home and the tapping noises start again?
A brilliantly conceived story of inherited memory, social perceptions of mental illness, and the lengths people go to to hide dark secrets, this is a thriller unlike any I have read for quite some time. Haunting and scary in the best ways, I really , really enjoyed it.
After being found responsible for the death of her 6 year old brother, Cara was first sent to a psychiatric unit, and then foster care when her mother refused to have her back in the family home.
Re-inventing herself and carving a career under another name, she is stepping into her own adult identity, and then her mother's death brings everything crashing down around her.
The terms of a bizarrely twisted will not only reignite the anger of her aunt and cousins, but leave Cara with no choice but to move home. The scene of the Heldean Haunting is framed, for those of us who, ahem, are old enough to remember it, by the real life television event, 'Ghostwatch', conceived and written by horror author Stephen Volk
(For those who enjoy horror, I thoroughly recommend checking out his works, he is on Twitter and a lovely chap to boot!)
The narrative is told from Cara's perspective and honestly, your heart breaks for her as she faces up to the malign influences which have broken her childhood to pieces, robbed her of a brother and left her doubting her own sanity.
Variously called a 'hoax', an impossible event for which the only solution is a sleep deprived, mentally ill young girl, Cara has a massive uphill battle ahead of her in trying to piece together her past, in order to try and make a future free from the child haunting spectre of Limey Stan.
This is who she has adamantly blamed for the death of Matty, her 6 year old brother, the one who disturbed her sleep to the point of violent and aggressive behaviour. But if no one listened to her back then, will anyone listen to her now?
Especially when she moves back into the family home and the tapping noises start again?
A brilliantly conceived story of inherited memory, social perceptions of mental illness, and the lengths people go to to hide dark secrets, this is a thriller unlike any I have read for quite some time. Haunting and scary in the best ways, I really , really enjoyed it.
November 19, 2020
The whole world believed nine-year-old Cara killed her younger brother on that fateful night. But she blamed it on a paranormal entity she swears was haunting her house. No one believed her and after two years of treatment in a psychiatric unit for delusional disorder, Cara was shunned by her remaining family and put into foster care. Now she's being forced to return to the family home for the first time since her brother's death, but what if she's about to re-discover the evil that was lurking inside its walls?
What a read this is! I absolutely loved reading this and it is the first book in a long time that I have felt really excited about reviewing. From the plot description and the beginning of the read it is clear there is more going on than first appears but I was not expecting the exhilarating twists and jaw dropping shocks that Davies throws at the reader. This read is full of shocks and red herrings and it was so exciting to read.
As well as being an adrenaline fuelled read, Davies masterfully builds tension throughout the read until it reaches its devastating, shocking climax. Honestly, words cannot express how much I loved reading this and I highly recommend it. This has everything you would want in a thriller and then some.
So this book is incredibly gripping and exciting to read but Davies features some hard hitting subjects as well. Cara is a character who has been through a lot and her story is a difficult yet highly interesting read. The characters are all realistic and although you may not like all of them, they do all behave in a very believable way. It soon becomes apparent that they are all hiding secrets in one way or another and I was gripped as Davies reveals the devastating truth.
'Shadow of A Doubt' is an intense, electrifying thriller and I loved reading it. I have not been this excited by a thriller in a long time and I highly recommend this shocking read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for an advance copy.
What a read this is! I absolutely loved reading this and it is the first book in a long time that I have felt really excited about reviewing. From the plot description and the beginning of the read it is clear there is more going on than first appears but I was not expecting the exhilarating twists and jaw dropping shocks that Davies throws at the reader. This read is full of shocks and red herrings and it was so exciting to read.
As well as being an adrenaline fuelled read, Davies masterfully builds tension throughout the read until it reaches its devastating, shocking climax. Honestly, words cannot express how much I loved reading this and I highly recommend it. This has everything you would want in a thriller and then some.
So this book is incredibly gripping and exciting to read but Davies features some hard hitting subjects as well. Cara is a character who has been through a lot and her story is a difficult yet highly interesting read. The characters are all realistic and although you may not like all of them, they do all behave in a very believable way. It soon becomes apparent that they are all hiding secrets in one way or another and I was gripped as Davies reveals the devastating truth.
'Shadow of A Doubt' is an intense, electrifying thriller and I loved reading it. I have not been this excited by a thriller in a long time and I highly recommend this shocking read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for an advance copy.
February 9, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley, Orion Publishing Group and Michelle Davies for the advance review copy of Shadow of a Doubt.
As a 9 year old girl, Cara Belling was sent to a psychiatric ward and began a life in foster care, accused of murdering her younger brother Matty, who was suffocated by a curtain in th living room of their family home, To this day, Cara protests her innocence; stating that Matty was actually killed by a ghost called Limey Stan who had been haunting their house for years.
26 years later, Cara receives a text from her Aunt to say her biological Mother has died. With no contact all this time, she is shocked to discover that whilst she is not welcome at the funeral, her Mother has requested her presence at the will reading. When her Mum surprises everyone by leaving Cara the family home in her will, Cara is determined to find out why, returning to Heldean for the first time since that day.
Stepping back into the four walls of where she grew up brings back a lot of memories regarding the lead up to her brothers death and soon the strange encounters start again. Is Cara still delusional, or is Limey Stan back to finish what he started?
I LOVED this book - fast paced with lots of tension and suspense, I felt willed to carry on reading and discover the truth about Limey Stan and what really happened to Matty that night. The story, whilst in parts a little far fetched, really held my attention and left me constantly guessing people's behaviours and motives. There were a fair few twists and turns along the way some of which I predicted, but even when I thought I had it all figured out, another unexpected turn led me down a very different path!
Shadow of a Doubt was my first experience of a book by Michelle Davies, but definitely won't be my last!
As a 9 year old girl, Cara Belling was sent to a psychiatric ward and began a life in foster care, accused of murdering her younger brother Matty, who was suffocated by a curtain in th living room of their family home, To this day, Cara protests her innocence; stating that Matty was actually killed by a ghost called Limey Stan who had been haunting their house for years.
26 years later, Cara receives a text from her Aunt to say her biological Mother has died. With no contact all this time, she is shocked to discover that whilst she is not welcome at the funeral, her Mother has requested her presence at the will reading. When her Mum surprises everyone by leaving Cara the family home in her will, Cara is determined to find out why, returning to Heldean for the first time since that day.
Stepping back into the four walls of where she grew up brings back a lot of memories regarding the lead up to her brothers death and soon the strange encounters start again. Is Cara still delusional, or is Limey Stan back to finish what he started?
I LOVED this book - fast paced with lots of tension and suspense, I felt willed to carry on reading and discover the truth about Limey Stan and what really happened to Matty that night. The story, whilst in parts a little far fetched, really held my attention and left me constantly guessing people's behaviours and motives. There were a fair few twists and turns along the way some of which I predicted, but even when I thought I had it all figured out, another unexpected turn led me down a very different path!
Shadow of a Doubt was my first experience of a book by Michelle Davies, but definitely won't be my last!
February 4, 2021
Ooh now that's a book that is going to be hard to forget!! Might even have to sleep with the lights on for a while longer after the presence of 'Limey Stan' has entered my subconscious!!! I'm listening out for every little noise now wondering if he's here visiting.....
This book starts with the chilling opening of what happened that night when little Matty, the brother of Cara, got murdered in their home. Cara was blamed for the crime and sent away to hospital for 2 years to help her recover from her insistence that it wasn't her that killed him, but Limey Stan. The ghost that has haunted her at night time and who she heard call her name...
When her mother dies, Cara is left the house in the will and that means she has to go back and face those demons that she left behind. What you as a reader get to experience is her meeting up with old neighbours who still blame her, and those who were on her side, and see how Cara deals with all the nightmares that still plague her mind. She's tried her best to move on but some things you just can't forget....
There's a really good pace to this story! Along with flashbacks from 'that' night, we get to see how the media reported the story and are still interested in the fallout and when the spooky goings on start to begin again in the house it really raises the chill factor!! There's also the brilliant part of the book that sheds light on to the story from the viewpoint of the mother which added some nice twists and a whole new angle to the storyline.
I enjoyed this thrilling and absorbing story - it felt mysterious and sinister and that mix worked so well for me!
This book starts with the chilling opening of what happened that night when little Matty, the brother of Cara, got murdered in their home. Cara was blamed for the crime and sent away to hospital for 2 years to help her recover from her insistence that it wasn't her that killed him, but Limey Stan. The ghost that has haunted her at night time and who she heard call her name...
When her mother dies, Cara is left the house in the will and that means she has to go back and face those demons that she left behind. What you as a reader get to experience is her meeting up with old neighbours who still blame her, and those who were on her side, and see how Cara deals with all the nightmares that still plague her mind. She's tried her best to move on but some things you just can't forget....
There's a really good pace to this story! Along with flashbacks from 'that' night, we get to see how the media reported the story and are still interested in the fallout and when the spooky goings on start to begin again in the house it really raises the chill factor!! There's also the brilliant part of the book that sheds light on to the story from the viewpoint of the mother which added some nice twists and a whole new angle to the storyline.
I enjoyed this thrilling and absorbing story - it felt mysterious and sinister and that mix worked so well for me!
January 25, 2021
Shadow Of A Doubt is a gripping thriller with an intriguing plot that will keep you racing through, desperate to find out the truth.
With a brooding mystery that drives the story forward, it’s an immensely shocking story full of secrets and suspicions. Even before you find anything out, the concept itself is quite upsetting as it deals with the death of a young boy and the distraught family left behind. And whether Cara is lying and mentally suffering or she’s telling the truth, wrongly accused and abandoned, there’s a lot of sympathy to be shared around. I was constantly verging on the edge of feeling sorry for her and starting to question if she was playing the same old tricks. But I was not expecting the truth that comes out.
However, I was hoping for more a ghost story. With the details of Limey Stan tormenting Cara so vividly, I wanted to feel his presence and her fear. But I didn’t feel scared of someone lurking in the shadows. Instead, I felt her anger which is what drove my eagerness to figure things out.
Although I was hoping for a darker atmosphere and it didn’t get my heart racing as I thought it would, Shadow Of A Doubt is still an engaging and exhilarating story. With an impacting revelation that feels like a punch in the gut, it’s sure to keep your attention, and it has certainly left me intrigued to read Michelle Davies‘ DC Maggie Neville books after this.
With a brooding mystery that drives the story forward, it’s an immensely shocking story full of secrets and suspicions. Even before you find anything out, the concept itself is quite upsetting as it deals with the death of a young boy and the distraught family left behind. And whether Cara is lying and mentally suffering or she’s telling the truth, wrongly accused and abandoned, there’s a lot of sympathy to be shared around. I was constantly verging on the edge of feeling sorry for her and starting to question if she was playing the same old tricks. But I was not expecting the truth that comes out.
However, I was hoping for more a ghost story. With the details of Limey Stan tormenting Cara so vividly, I wanted to feel his presence and her fear. But I didn’t feel scared of someone lurking in the shadows. Instead, I felt her anger which is what drove my eagerness to figure things out.
Although I was hoping for a darker atmosphere and it didn’t get my heart racing as I thought it would, Shadow Of A Doubt is still an engaging and exhilarating story. With an impacting revelation that feels like a punch in the gut, it’s sure to keep your attention, and it has certainly left me intrigued to read Michelle Davies‘ DC Maggie Neville books after this.
January 30, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
The story centres around Cara, who is now in her thirties. But when she was nine she killed her six year old brother, Matty. She claimed innocence, and kept reiterating a ghost called Limey Stan had actually killed her brother. She was sent to a psychiatric unit for two years, as she was too young to be convicted of the crime. After her two years in psychiatric care for being delusional, she was cared for by foster carers, as no one in her family could forgive her for what she had done.
Cara then receives a message that her mother has passed and she is required to attend a will hearing. She hopes she’ll receive a warm welcome from her estranged family, but that isn’t the case, they still firmly lay the blame at her door. Cara is left her mothers house in the will, and Cara really doesn’t want to return there. When she does return weird things start happening again, and Cara is fearful that Limey Stan has returned.
Overall, I found this book creepy, with lots of intrigue. It contained mystery, and suspense. There were lots of red herring along the way, which turned your attention to who you think was the real culprit. Extremely gripping, and the writing flowed well. The only downside was I didn’t really connect with Cara as a character.
The story centres around Cara, who is now in her thirties. But when she was nine she killed her six year old brother, Matty. She claimed innocence, and kept reiterating a ghost called Limey Stan had actually killed her brother. She was sent to a psychiatric unit for two years, as she was too young to be convicted of the crime. After her two years in psychiatric care for being delusional, she was cared for by foster carers, as no one in her family could forgive her for what she had done.
Cara then receives a message that her mother has passed and she is required to attend a will hearing. She hopes she’ll receive a warm welcome from her estranged family, but that isn’t the case, they still firmly lay the blame at her door. Cara is left her mothers house in the will, and Cara really doesn’t want to return there. When she does return weird things start happening again, and Cara is fearful that Limey Stan has returned.
Overall, I found this book creepy, with lots of intrigue. It contained mystery, and suspense. There were lots of red herring along the way, which turned your attention to who you think was the real culprit. Extremely gripping, and the writing flowed well. The only downside was I didn’t really connect with Cara as a character.
February 10, 2021
Twenty-five years ago, Cara was sent to a secure psychiatric unit after her younger brother, Matty, was smothered to death. Even though Cara maintained her innocence and said that a ghost called Limey Stan who has been haunting the family home was guilty, Cara spent the rest of her childhood and teenage years in foster care. Now, her mother has died (her father died earlier in a car accident) and Cara returns to her hometown for the will reading where she is shocked to find that her mother has left the family home to her. Cara is determined to sell the house and move on, but when she moves in temporarily to sort things out, it seems that Limey Stan may still be there, waiting.
This is an enthralling read which starts off in the present and returns to the past to the weeks leading up to Matty's death. It's a great premise and the author keeps the reader in suspense as to whether the paranormal element exists or not. One moment I felt great sympathy for Cara and the next I wasn't sure whether she was to blame after all. Absolutely recommended to anyone who likes psychological thrillers.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Orion Publishing Group, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
This is an enthralling read which starts off in the present and returns to the past to the weeks leading up to Matty's death. It's a great premise and the author keeps the reader in suspense as to whether the paranormal element exists or not. One moment I felt great sympathy for Cara and the next I wasn't sure whether she was to blame after all. Absolutely recommended to anyone who likes psychological thrillers.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Orion Publishing Group, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
February 20, 2021
Shadow Of A Doubt is a real twisty read and to think it is inspired by a true story is quite awful to think a young girl suffered like this.
Cara is nine years old and believes their house is being haunted by a ghost called Limey Stan. She hatched a plan with her younger brother, Matty, to catch the ghost in action. But that night a tragic event occurs and Matty is strangled by the curtains in the living room. Cara says it is Limey Stan but she is thought to be the murderer. Because of her age she cannot be sentenced for this and instead is kept in a psychiatric unit for two years. After she is fostered to a lovely couple and tries to get on with her life but she still maintains she didn’t kill her brother. Twenty five years later and her mum has died and she returns to the house as she has been left it by her mum. She is determined to find out if the ghost was real or not.
This was a great read, I liked how for the start it was in present time then went back to when they were children and then back to present day so you got a real in-depth view of what life was like for Cara before and after the event.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.
Cara is nine years old and believes their house is being haunted by a ghost called Limey Stan. She hatched a plan with her younger brother, Matty, to catch the ghost in action. But that night a tragic event occurs and Matty is strangled by the curtains in the living room. Cara says it is Limey Stan but she is thought to be the murderer. Because of her age she cannot be sentenced for this and instead is kept in a psychiatric unit for two years. After she is fostered to a lovely couple and tries to get on with her life but she still maintains she didn’t kill her brother. Twenty five years later and her mum has died and she returns to the house as she has been left it by her mum. She is determined to find out if the ghost was real or not.
This was a great read, I liked how for the start it was in present time then went back to when they were children and then back to present day so you got a real in-depth view of what life was like for Cara before and after the event.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.
May 30, 2021
This thriller was fantastic. The author’s words laden with suspense caused me to be brim with curiosity about what really happened 25 years ago.
The storyline was new, absolutely different. Cara was back home after 25 years of being charged with the murder of her brother’s death. But she claimed her innocence and swore it was the ghost Limey Stan who killed her brother. What was the young mind trying to tell me – that was the puzzle that stayed with me throughout my reading.
My second book by this author, this was a pure thriller that kept me on my toes. The atmosphere was creepy as nobody wanted a child murderer in the neighborhood, including her aunt Karen. Strange things started happening that added to the chilling vibe.
I couldn’t help but sympathize with Cara; she felt to be innocent in the machinations that were surreal. I loved how the author kept me just at the edge. Believe me, I was just a hair’s breath away from reading the book from its last chapter. I wanted to know the truth. Who was Limey Stan and what or who had killed the brother.
Shadow of a Doubt had both the play of light and shadows in a situation where doubt prevailed primarily. A book that kept my interest shockingly high.
The storyline was new, absolutely different. Cara was back home after 25 years of being charged with the murder of her brother’s death. But she claimed her innocence and swore it was the ghost Limey Stan who killed her brother. What was the young mind trying to tell me – that was the puzzle that stayed with me throughout my reading.
My second book by this author, this was a pure thriller that kept me on my toes. The atmosphere was creepy as nobody wanted a child murderer in the neighborhood, including her aunt Karen. Strange things started happening that added to the chilling vibe.
I couldn’t help but sympathize with Cara; she felt to be innocent in the machinations that were surreal. I loved how the author kept me just at the edge. Believe me, I was just a hair’s breath away from reading the book from its last chapter. I wanted to know the truth. Who was Limey Stan and what or who had killed the brother.
Shadow of a Doubt had both the play of light and shadows in a situation where doubt prevailed primarily. A book that kept my interest shockingly high.
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