The Shape of Darkness: 'A future gothic classic' Martyn Waites

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A great murder mystery, aided by the author’s excellent application of deception, (I never guessed the way it would end!) along with the added intrigue of supernatural events. There are some books that leave a lasting mark upon your heart, and this is one of them. The narrative follows recently bereaved spinster Margaret into Millbank Penitentiary, where she volunteers to visit the prisoners. Margaret finds herself drawn to and increasingly obsessed by Selina Dawes, a medium whose last seance left one woman dead and another deranged. I can always rely on Laura Purcell to give me dark, twisty compelling reads to help me get through the bleak winter nights. I would highly recommend for people who enjoy reading gothic fiction. So here, we see the full extent of Agnes’ mental continuity and health. Physical evidence that her nephew and mother have been dead for 14 years. Now, was she delusional, or in fact, seeing ghosts? The Shape of Darkness is another gothic tale from Laura Purcell and arguably her darkest yet. Agnes make a silhouettes but with the rise of the photography her business is failing and when the people she captures in shadow begin to die she endeavours to find the cause be it earthly or otherwise.

This historical novel is set in Victorian Bath, where Agnes Darken lives with her widowed mother and nephew, Cedric. Agnes is a silhouette artist in a time of change, when most of her customers are more interested in having a photographic portrait taken than having their outline snipped. Before long, we learn that not all is well with Agnes; she suffers frail health from an incident in her past, we discover a tale of tangled romance and financial hardship and her only real help comes from local doctor Simon, who was married to her sister, Constance. Desperate for answers Agnes goes against her doctors recommendation and seeks the help of a child psychic named Pearl. After the death of her parents in India, Alice moves to Windsor to help her Aunt Mercy stage seances with the dead. Their efforts attract the patronage of Queen Victoria herself. But while Mercy is a sham, Alice is developing powers of her own that seem to link both her native and adopted countries. As always, Essie Fox provides a historical novel rich with mystery and period detail. The contrast of damp, eerie seances in Windsor drawing rooms with the heat and colour of India is particularly effective here. We follow Agnes as she starts to notice a disturbing pattern among the people she cuts portraits for… 'She is still faced with the question: why are her sitters dying?'This tactic is a sound one, only adding to the overall suspense and confusion. Is there a killer murdering Agnes’ clientele; or is there a more sinister, supernatural force at work? When another of Agnes’s clients turns up dead, Agnes decides to pay Pearl a visit believing that a séance and being able to talk to the dead clients a legitimate way to solving this vexing, and fearful problem.

This latter point goes for Myrtle as well. Is it possible the death of Commander Hargreaves is merely a coincidence that fits other elements of the plot? Simon confirms the truth, although Agnes is actually the killer, not Simon: “‘Miss West did not kill my clients,’ Agnes announces. ‘No.’ [Simon] She expected at least some denial. “ Danny Torrance is not a typical spirit medium, nor is seeing the dead his only gift – if gift it can be called. But in this sequel to King’s famous horror The Shining, we gain a believable glimpse into the psychological toll such power would take upon its host, driving him to alcohol and drug abuse. Despite dark subject matter and thrilling action, this is ultimately an uplifting read, and the angle of Danny helping palliative care patients to pass more easily to the afterlife is an original one.

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Having read all of Purcell's previous Gothic novels, I was very excited for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of her latest offering via NetGalley.

This is the fourth book from Laura Purcell and it’s everything I wanted it to be. By that I mean it’s a Gothic delight with all Laura’s signature elements: a clever story that slowly unravels itself, a lead character you root for and a satisfying hit of the supernatural.

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Here are a few examples of why I did not like the author's writing: 'But it cannot be, not after all of these years', 'her heart flutters its wings inside her chest', the idea fills her with a sweet glow, 'in her face are those simmering, witchy eyes', 'her slender trunk' (this to describe a woman's figure), 'frightened whispers of her own conscience'. I really liked, “The Silent Companions,” a previous novel by Laura Purcell and, although I hadn’t read anything else by her until now, I was looking forward to this and was sad to find I did not enjoy it more than I did. I found the characters somewhat melodramatic and struggled to get to grips with the mystery element of the novel and the later coincidences. Although the setting was creepy; complete with séances and Pearl’s father, suffering silently off stage, I could not engage with, or feel enough sympathy, with the characters to make this work for me. There was too much faintness – legs giving way, spots in front of eyes, physical weakness. I much preferred the fiery Myrtle, for all her faults. I think this statement that Agnes isn’t afraid of him is an indication that her subconscious may be asserting itself in a way that she unknowingly is aware that Simon isn’t actually the killer. Take a Look at Our Summary of November Highlights, Whether You're Looking for the Latest Releases or Gift Inspiration

I examine the following quotes as clues to determine who or what did the killing and why they occurred. Beautifully eerie. Laura Purcell’s brilliance is in showing you a place and a time you think is familiar, and making every atom of it uncanny – and inThe Shape of Darkness, she does it better than ever.” — Natasha PulleyWell. The writing that I saw … on the note you showed me … That belonged to someone else. Someone we both knew, Miss Darken.’ She knew nothing of this. Simon never told her he had seriously contemplated having Constance committed…The note is dated about a week before Constance’s death” Bath, 1854. The times of increased interest in mesmerism, spiritual seanses and the art of making silhuettes that is becoming less and less popular due to new techniques, namely, daguerreotype and photography. 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?