Hester is the daughter of bullying, controlling father, Amos and Ruth her mother who on receipt of a letter informing them of the death of runaway daughter Mercy, asks Hester to go to Southwell Workhouse to find out what happened. Hester has psychic abilities which as a Quaker are hidden. This is a book with an almost ghostly feel, a sense of unease is a constant. The search by Hester for the truth behind the goings on at the workhouse is gripping, emotional, with descriptions of the total vulnerability of poor girls and women, the manipulation and brutality of those in positions of power.I thought I had figured out the ending but was still shocked.

A dark story of a missing sister and her baby. The story uncovers what's happening in Southwell and you'll be surprised who is involved and all the secrets being kept by the different residents of the town. Hester is a gutsy character who really finds her voice as the story unfolds as she unravels the truth about her sister. There are ghosts, there are secrets, there's deception, there's confrontation, foul play and then there's the horrific truth.

Hester, raised in a Quaker family in Bristol, travels to Nottingham determined to find out the circumstances surrounding her sister Mercy’s death in Southwell workhouse. She soon realises that the village of Southwell holds a number of menacing secrets and that the workhouse is at the centre of the deaths and disappearances of impoverished women and their babies. Hester is guided on her quest by her mysterious shadowings; she has had the ability to see spirits since she was a child but has had to conceal it as it went against Quaker beliefs. Rhiannon Ward has written a creepy gothic novel which is full of suspense and menace. Hester is a strong, independent protagonist who meets a range of fully fleshed, interesting supporting characters throughout the story. I found myself reading as fast as I could to get to the end to find out what was going to happen - a real page turner. This was my first book by this author and I bought her previous book before I had finished this one as I was enjoying it so much.

The Shadowing is a brilliant account of Hester's journey to find out more about the death of her sister. The historical element was fantastically written and I found it very intriguing to hear about how Quakers were expected to live and by what rules. Hester's character build progressively through the story and you see her become a more confident and independent person. The ending for me wrapped up everything very well, however, I do feel the romance felt slightly too forced as it felt just a little too quick. Overall, a great atmospheric read.

A Quaker family are shocked to discover that the daughter they thought had run off to be married has died in a workhouse in Nottinghamshire, from an outbreak of cholera which also killed her newborn baby. Wanting to know more about the circumstances of her sister's death, Hester travels north to discover the truth, but finds that everyone is cagey and won't talk to her about what goes on in the workhouse. Suspicions raised, both by what she finds there, and by the spirit of her sister which haunts her, Hester sets out to unearth the truth but finds herself put in danger by her investigations. I quite enjoyed reading this book. I'm not sure the supernatural elements of Hester seeing spirits added a great deal to the plot but it didn't really detract from the story either. The supporting cast in this book are probably the best part of it. I would have liked to have more about the workhouse inmates as those characters were my favourites, and created more depth to the story. More of the creepy parson would have been good too! With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.