Title: The Shape of Darkness
Author: Laura Purcell
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre: Modern & Contemporary Fiction, General Fiction, Historical
Year of release: 2021
Release date: 2nd February 2021
Rating🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Synopsis
As the age of the photograph dawns in Victorian Bath, silhouette artist Agnes is struggling to keep her business afloat. Still recovering from a serious illness, herself, making enough money to support her elderly mother and her orphaned nephew Cedric has never been easy, but then one of her clients is murdered shortly after sitting for Agnes, and then another, and another… Why is the killer seemingly targeting her business?
Desperately seeking an answer, Agnes approaches Pearl, a child spirit medium lodging in Bath with her older half-sister and her ailing father, hoping that if Pearl can contact those who died, they might reveal who killed them.
But Agnes and Pearl quickly discover that instead they may have opened the door to something that they can never put back…
Review
Bath, England, 1854 Agnes Darken a silhouette artist is struggling to keep the roof over her and the families head in 1852 serious illness almost saw an end to Agnes and her craft. Two years have passed since then, but Agnes still feels the effects on her already aging body from time to time.
Agnes has a few clients come to her parlour at Orange Grove in the hopes she will cut their silhouette for them, Agnes agrees the appointment goes well, until one morning Agnes learns that the man who sat for has been murdered. Although this is unsettling Agnes puts it out of her mind as no good can come from worrying when Agnes has a family to support, he was the first person to sit for her in months.
When two other clients are murdered Agnes must ask herself why would anyone want to target her or her business? Certain once word gets around, she’ll be ruined; rather the end up in the workhouses, Agnes decides she must do something. Although sceptical she seeks the help from a spirit medium who goes by the name The White Sylph who Agnes soon learns real her name is Pearl Meers who has some troubles all of her own. Will Agnes be able to solve the mystery to save her business and perhaps help little Pearl along the way or will the shadows cast a shadow over Orange Grove forever?
The minute I read the synopsis I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. An Historical Fiction with elements of Mystery and Thriller sounded like a great read I couldn’t let pass me by, I’m not often drawn to gothic style reads, but The Shape of Darkness is the perfect blend of Historical and Mystery this book had me guessing right till the closing sentence.
Thanks to Author Laura Purcell’s skilful writing I was able to clearly visualise the three-dimensional characters in my mind, this made the story seem to move at lightning speed at times which I have to say when reading this book, I didn’t really notice, this doesn’t always happen for this reader.
“There is nothing more tragic to Agnes’s mind than the future that never was”
― Laura Purcell, The Shape of Darkness
As for my interest in the characters, I found myself interested in most of the characters and the role they played within the story, even the minor characters managed to hold my interest throughout.
I really enjoyed the relationship Agnus had with her brother-in-law Simon, they made for great lighter elements amongst all the shadow and darkness; even the friends to lovers’ trope didn’t feel as it might have done in other titles keeping in mind it’s 1854. Simon’s dog Morpheus makes for a great sidekick, Cedric was of little interest to me personally, but I think he helps ground Agnus.
Constance and Myrtle make for excellent villains in this tale unlikeable but in an if I blink, I’ll miss it kind of way.
If you were to ask me the characters or elements of the story I connected to most whilst reading this book I’d say the friendship that Agnus forms with Pearl will stay for me and become one of the reasons, I’ll recommend this book to fans of this genre.
Not only has the Author crafted three dimensional characters but they’ve done well to add attention into Bath, England, Orange Grove and Walcot Street were just as much part of the story as the characters were.
Without giving anything away for future readers the ending is still something I find myself thinking about weeks after finishing this read, at first I wanted it be made clearer to the reader but the more I think on it I think I have the answer, it just feels more hidden then most endings which is rather clever as it has definitely influenced me to purchase the Authors other works and what gave The Shape of Darkness it’s five-star rating in my opinion what an excellent twist!
Upon reaching the end of the book I found myself wondering about Agnus and her remaining days, this I will admit had me feeling like I was experiencing her loneliness.
There are some jump scares, things that appear and happen for no logical reason and ghosts that appear and because of those details I recommend this book to a mature audience, if any of those elements are of interest to you, I hope you find time to investigate The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell.
With continued thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for sending this copy to read and review in exchange for my honest opinion.