- Format: Kindle Edition
- File Size: 1143 KB
- Print Length: 288 pages
- Publisher: Orion (5 Sept. 2019)
- Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B07PHG9V2D
Synopsis
1904. Thomas Bexley, one of the first forensic photographers, is called to the sleepy and remote Welsh village of Dinas Powys, several miles down the coast from the thriving port of Cardiff. A young girl by the name of Betsan Tilny has been found murdered in the woodland – her body bound and horribly burnt. But the crime scene appears to have been staged, and worse still: the locals are reluctant to help.
As the strange case unfolds, Thomas senses a growing presence watching him, and try as he may, the villagers seem intent on keeping their secret. Then one night, in the grip of a fever, he develops the photographic plates from the crime scene in a makeshift darkroom in the cellar of his lodgings. There, he finds a face dimly visible in the photographs; a face hovering around the body of the dead girl – the face of Betsan Tilny.
Review
The Shadow on the Lens is an atmospheric, gothic, historical crime novel set in Wales. Narrated by the main character Thomas Bexley, a forensic photographer sent to the remote village Dinas Powys to investigate the death of a young woman, Betsan Tilny, who appears to have been brutally murdered. A soon as he arrives he realises that all is not as it first seems, there are secrets kept within the village and old susperstitions hinder his investigation. This is a wonderfully dark tale, with memorable characters and an unreliable narrator, culminating in a shocking conclusion.
Thomas Bexley is a unique, unreliable and incredibly interesting narrator of this dark and chilling murder investigation. In 1904 Forensic Photography is still a fairly new scientific breakthrough, but one that was life changing for the police. Thomas is more than just a photographer though, he is treated by the London Police as an honorary Inspector after his years of experience, which is why he finds himself in Wales on his own. Once there he becomes ill with a fever, but he won’t let it stop his investigation and carries on regardless. This fever makes him have hallucinations, claiming to see the murdered girl in one of his photographic plates, and a paranoia that someone is watching him. This adds to the drama and suspense of the book, and leaves the reader and Thomas questioning what is real and what is not.
The setting of this book, in a small and quiet village, gives a feeling of claustrophobia. The villagers are distrustful of someone new in their midst and not willing to give anything away. They are very superstitious and believe an evil spirit, Calon Fawyr, is responsible for the murder of Betsan Tilny. The stormy weather, secrets, and unreliable narration add to the gothic and uneasy feel of this novel. The darkness only intensifies as the plot progresses and the investigation moves forward, building the tension and suspension that had me on the edge of my seat with my pulse raised.
The Shadow on the Lens is a superb historical crime thriller, with a dark gothic feel and a touch of the supernatural thrown in for good measure. Thomas Bexley is a brilliant narrator, his descent into a madness that comes from the fever adds suspense, apprehension, and uncertainty to the his investigation. This book is full of memorable characters and suspects, a creepy and atmospheric setting and a tense and thrilling plot; a spine tingling read.
Thank you to Orion Books and Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for inviting me to be part of the blog tour for this book.
