The Shadowing by Rhiannon Ward

Synopsis
When well-to-do Hester learns of her sister Mercy’s death at a Nottinghamshire workhouse, she travels to Southwell to find out how her sister ended up at such a place.

Haunted by her sister’s ghost, Hester sets out to uncover the truth, when the official story reported by the workhouse master proves to be untrue. Mercy was pregnant – both her and the baby are said to be dead of cholera, but the workhouse hasn’t had an outbreak for years.

Hester discovers a strange trend in the workhouse of children going missing. One woman tells her about the Pale Lady, a ghostly figure that steals babies in the night. Is this lady a myth or is something more sinister afoot at the Southwell poorhouse?

As Hester investigates, she uncovers a conspiracy, one that someone is determined to keep a secret, no matter the cost…

Review
I was lucky enough to read The Shadowing as a readalong on the wonderful Facebook Group The Book Club (TBC), so I would like to thank Trapeze publishing and Tracy Fenton for this opportunity to share my review as part of the blog tour. The Shadowing is a gothic thriller with a touch of the supernatural and a sinister undertone. Hester has been brought up in a strict Quaker household, so is shocked when her sister elopes with their younger brothers tutor. When a letter arrives to say her sister, Mercy, has died in a workhouse with her baby, her mother sends her to the Southwell to find out what happened. In Southwell, Hester must decide who she can trust, and who she can’t, as things are not what they first seem and her sister is just one of many deaths, and children seem to be going missing.

The Shadowing book title refers to Hester and the ghosts she has seen since childhood, something she can’t talk about as it angers her father, going against his religion. I found Hester a fascinating character, and was drawn to her story as she took charge of her own life and grew throughout the book. Hester has been bought up in a strict Quaker household where there are no books, only a couple of servants, no social life as she is expected to visit the sick and poor and has to wear only grey and muted colours. I found it interesting that her only friend is Susanna the maid, who is the only person who knows she still sees ghosts and spirits, especailly that her sister. For a sheltered young woman it is a huge undertaking to travel from Bristol to Southwell in Nottinghamshire on her own and stay with a family she doesn’t know. In Southwell she found herself between two very different worlds, the sparseness and disturbing workhouse and the frippery and sophistication of her host family, the Francombe’s, who are also Quaker but a lot more lax. Her self belief did not waver in either situation, never succumbing to the influence of the Francombe’s or the criticism of her religion in the workhouse. She is a determined young woman, will stop at nothing to get to the truth and help others in doing so. As for the other characters I was never quite sure who to trust, all seem to have an agenda, where Hester is concerened.

Rhiannon Ward creates an atmosphere of unease, fear and menace that underpins this book from start to finish. Hester is led by the ghost of her sister in her investigations and sometimes she doesn’t know if she is seeing spirits or real people, and at the workhouse there is talk of the ‘Pale Lady’who appears at night. The historical element is well researched and Rhiannon Ward captures the atmosphere of the workhouse, the division of those who are ‘worthy’ and those ‘unworthy’, and the very different treatment of the two. This also opens up the question of corruption by those who run the workhouses, and how easy it is for women to find themselves, by no fault of their own, in a situation where they have to enter the workhouse. Rhiannon Ward doesn’t over dramatise the events in this book, like the Hester’s ‘Shadowings’, which adds to the authenticity and understated style of the book. Pace wise, it is fairly fast paced especially the last third of the book, making it a hard book to put down.

The Shadowing is a fabulously dark, compelling and sinister read. Hester is a wonderful heroine, whose strength, intelligence and determination shine through in her actions and invesigations. Rhiannon Ward’s writing is brilliantly understated keeping focus on the story and the characters, keeping the reader gripped from start to finish. A spine-tinglingly gothic read!