House of Shadows

Description

When Kate Vavasour wakes in hospital, she can remember nothing about the family gathered around her bed, or of her life before the accident. The doctors diagnose post-traumatic amnesia and say the memories should start returning. Which they do . . . but these memories are not her own. They belong to Isabel Vavasour, who lived and died at Askerby Hall over four hundred years earlier . . . Returning to Askerby Hall to recuperate, Kate finds herself in a house full of shadows and suspicions. Unable to recognise her family, her friends or even her small son, she struggles to piece together the events that led to her terrible fall. Life at Askerby, it seems, is not as illustrious as the Vavasours would have the public believe. But before she can uncover the mysteries of the present, she must first discover the truth about the past ... Was Isabel's madness real, or was her mistake trusting the one person she thought would never betray her?

House of Shadows is Pamela Hartshorne's fourth novel to explore the haunting relationship between the past and the present. An historian as well as a freelance writer and project editor, Pamela lives in York and continues to draw inspiration from her PhD research to write about the 16th century, in fact and in fiction.

An irresistible combination of psychological tension and acutely observed emotion. Beautifully written, atmospheric and utterly compelling. -- Iona Grey Vertigo meets Rebecca in a twisty Tudor time slip. Addictive, atmospheric and completely enjoyable. -- Julie Cohen A superb Gothic timeslip. It gripped me from the very first with its skillful combination of tension and atmosphere, its beautiful writing and elegantly-realised historical detail. It is absorbing and evocative, reminding me of that master storyteller Daphne Du Maurier. Fascinating, immersive and powerful. -- Nicola Cornick Powerful and thrilling read ... You won't be able to rest until the end. Sun A gripping psychological thriller inside a beautifully written historical novel. A real page turner. -- Donna Douglas I really enjoyed Pamela's novel. Proper timeslip novels are rare beasts these days and this reminded me of Barbara Erskine's classic, Lady of Hay. A compelling, satisfying story to curl up with in front of the fire, I found myself particularly absorbed in the Tudor strand of the story, which was authentic, vivid and gripping. -- Kate Riordan Loved it. So clever and paced really well. [A] fantastic read. -- Joanna Courtney Pamela Hartshorne is an intriguing writer. Undoubtedly House of Shadows will leave you hungry for more. Reader's Digest