This is not my usual genre of book at all but once I started reading it I was hooked. This story is about Hester who lives life as part of a Quaker family in Bristol. Hester’s father Amos is very strict and they live a simple life following the Quaker values. Heater has visions and sees ghosts which is totally abhorrent to her father and the Quaker life so she confides in their maid. Hester’s sister Mercy brings shame on the family and runs away. They receive news that Mercy has died in Southwell workhouse. Heater travels to Southwell to find out what happened to Mercy and she is often accompanied by shadows and ghosts that lead her into dangerous and predictable situations. This book was an insight into living life as a Quaker in Victorian times and how life could have been in the workhouse. I will definitely be reading other books by this author.

Hester has been brought up as a strict Quaker and her ability to see spirits is frowned upon by her family. Hester travels north to try to find out what happened to her sister and child when she receives notice that they died in a workhouse. Can Hester find out what the pregnant girls in the workhouse are so scared of and is there more than meets the eye to the Quaker family she stays with and the dashing young doctor. Why is the innkeeper so hostile and does he know what is happening to the babies. An engaging read with beautifully drawn characters I was rooting for Hester as she breaks away from her upbringing and is drawn into sinister goings on at the workhouse.

Oh my word! What a great book, grabs your attention from the start. A real page turner. Hester is a Quaker Friend who after the death of her father travels from Bristol to Nottingham to look for the truth about her sister Mercy's death. Mercy, bequeathed to another, left the family to elope with her beau but ended up alone in a workhouse before her end. Hester is a strong independent young lady for her time with a supernatural ability of shadowing which when added to the historic background makes this a gothic tale of suspense with some sinister characters. Really like the style of Rhiannon Ward's writing and how the likeable main characters continue to grow as the story unfolds.

"The shadowing had returned." The Shadowing is an atmospheric and absorbing historical gothic mystery overflowing with menace. A story laced with secrets, spirits and sinister happenings, I was drawn in from the first pages right and couldn’t put it down. My mind was full of questions that I needed answers to as desperately as the characters did. And I genuinely had no idea what they were going to be. Hester Goodwin lives in Bristol with her wealthy family in a strict Quaker home. Three years ago, her sister Mercy disappeared and none of them have heard from her since, until the day they receive a letter informing them that Mercy has died in Southwell Workhouse in Nottinghamshire. But how did her sister end up in such a place? And how did she die? Searching for answers, Hester travels to Southwell to try and answer their questions, little knowing that she is stepping into a much deeper and darker mystery than she ever imagined. One that involves spectres, missing children and cover ups. I’ve been wanting to read Rhiannon Ward’s books since her debut last year so I jumped at the chance when the opportunity to take part in this blog tour arose. My expectations were high and I’m happy to say that she exceeded them with this magnificent novel. Eloquently and evocatively written, it wrenches you out of your own reality and into the one the author created, making you feel like you can feel a ghostly spirit behind you or that you are walking the dank corridors of the workhouse. As the secrets are slowly revealed and Hester brings the women’s plights to light I got goosebumps from the emotion and tension. Their fear was so palpable that I could feel it's cold claws raking their way down my spine. I was very glad to be reading in the daytime at that point! But, for me, one of the best things about this book is that it genuinely surprised me. I read a lot of mysteries and thrillers, so it isn’t often I’m stumped by an author. But Ward had me at a loss, suspicious of everyone and no real idea who was behind it all, and my jaw hit the floor when it was time for the big reveal. "Don't let the angelmaker take my baby. She wants it for her own end. If I see her, it's already too late. Do you understand?" The characters are all richly drawn and compelling, vividly brought to life by the author in such a way that you feel like they are in the room with you. I found Hester to be especially likeable and easy to root for, her naivete giving her an innocent charm that gave her an extra sweetness alongside her courage and determination. The journey to Southwell is a big deal for a woman of her age and standing, and she is both excited and full of trepidation at her task. Her fears only deepen when she arrives at Southwell Workhouse, a gloomy, bleak and eerie place where frightened women tell her stories of ‘the pale lady’ or ‘the angelmaker’, a ghostly figure who takes women’s babies. Instead of answers about Mercy, she’s left with even more questions about what happened to her beloved sister and vows to keep digging until she uncovers the truth, unaware of just how much danger she’s putting herself in. But the pale lady isn’t the only ghostly part of the story. There are also the shadowings, visions of spirits who appear to Hester that she has experienced since childhood. Her father tried to beat them out of her but they return shortly before she learns of her sister Mercy’s death. She is too terrified of further punishments to mention them, and keenly aware that others, not just her father, will see them as the work of the Devil or Witchcraft. So she keeps them to herself, afraid of the consequences of discovery. Captivating, dark and haunting, The Shadowing is a sensational gothic mystery with an eerie charm that lingers over every page. Perfect for the cold nights heading our way, this is ideal for reading with a cosy blanket and warm drink by the fire.

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!