Hauntingly beautiful! My favourite of Laura Purcell's books yet. Set in the backdrop 19th century Purcell creates a bleak gothic thriller/horror with flawed and intriguing characters all with fascinating stories of their own. Anyone who enjoys ghost, a spiritualism will love this book!

As a big Laura Purcell fan, I've been so excited to read her latest novel, The Shape of Darkness. Set in Bath in the mid 19th Century, it follows Agnes, a silhouette artist, who, not long after recovering from an illness, discovers that her most recent patrons have been murdered. Seeking help, she visits Pearl, a child spirit medium, hoping that she might be able to provide some answers to why this is happening and why it seems to be targeting her customers. 

Laura Purcell swept me away into 19th century Bath and into Agnes' world. I really enjoyed the split narrative which gave us a look into Pearl's life too. Both such interesting and likeable characters. I devoured The Shape of Darkness in two days and, whilst I saw part of the ending coming, the reality definitely caught me by surprise! 

Gorgeously gothic, Laura Purcell has done it again with her latest novel!

Last year i was extremely disappointed with Purcell's Bone China, and sadly i find myself really let down by her latest as well.

I loved The Silent Companions when it first came out, one of the best horrors ive read. Not only was the story great, but the writing was fantastic.

Thats the one positive i can say about The Shape of Darkness. Purcell is an extremely talented writer. However the story itself was poor. I found the characters very flat, and the story itself was weak and quite transparent.

Id like to read another of her books, but i feel that she needs to move away from Victorian gothic novels, as they cant compare with her debut sadly

A great gothic novel that kept me enthralled till the last page.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and I loved the atmosphere, the well written characters and tightly knitted plot.
Agnes and Pearl are two fleshed out and interesting characters and I loved them.
It's an excellent story that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I’ve decided gothic fiction is not for me. That is no reflection on the book or it’s author. Others will love it.

The Shape of Darkness was well worth the wait! I’ve read two of Laura Purcell’s books on The Pigeonhole, so when this book came up on NetGalley, I knew that I had to read it. This has been one of my half term reads, and well worth the wait! 
Agnes is a silhouette artist in Victorian Bath, and she struggles to support her sickly mother and her nephew - although his father does contribute some money to help feed and clothe him (and help Agnes and her mother too). 
Shortly after one of Agnes’ clients leaves her studio, he is murdered. She then discovers that another client has also been murdered - there is an unnerving pattern forming here, because this is just the start. In order to get some insight, Agnes decides that she should consult a medium. This is where Pearl and her sister Myrtle, a mesmerist-in-training, come in. Pearl is ethereal, a child with albinism, and seems to genuinely possess the gift of communicating with the dead. 
This is an unnerving, chilling and at times, quite a scary book. It’s full of the detail of Victorian life too: poverty, class distinctions, the hustle and bustle of a busy Victorian Bath. I loved the dark, gothic feel, too. It contained loads of details of life, of how technology was changing and affecting the lives of Victorians. And it was just a really excellent mystery that kept me guessing to the very end. If you’re going to read it (and I strongly suggest that you do!), just don’t read it with only the little light on if you’re spooked easily!
Many thanks to Raven Books for providing me with an e-book through NetGalley to read and review.

Laura Purcell's writing is always incredible, and this book is no exception. I love her amazing ability to create immersive, dramatic stories that take place in a world so unlike the modern day. The best escapism with just the right amount of spooky mystery! Highly recommend this brilliant book.

If you've previously read and enjoyed any of Laura Purcell's books, you won't be let down by this one. Eery, atmospheric and spooky - everything you expect from this author. The setting of Victorian Bath works so well for this story, as well as the intriguing macabre cast of characters. Fantastic!

Laura Purcell writes exquisitely detailed and atmospheric Victorian stories that engage you from the first page. She writes with such skill and vibrancy she makes her stories come to life. I really love the worlds she creates, she captures the Victorian era perfectly. In her writing Purcell is very honest and true to the real horrors faced by those living in that time and it gave the story a very authentic feeling. The characters are rich and I loved Agnes especially. Her grief and obsession were conveyed so perfectly in the writing. Pearl was also a highlight as was Myrtle. The way Purcell described Agnes’ work as a silhouette artist was fascinating and the mystery as her clients were killed was excellent. The seances and the chilling atmosphere of those scenes were superbly captured. 

This combined everything I love in a good book; character driven plots, an eerie highly unsettling murder mystery and a story which keeps you hooked from start to finish.

This was my first Laura Purcell book, and I really liked it. 

I wasn't sure initially, but once I got into it I didn't want to stop! I buddy read it with a friend, so it was read in 4 parts, but it was hard to refrain myself from continuing past our agreed stop points! 

Agnes came across quite weak at times, well throughout most of the story,  and I have to wonder if that was deliberately done by the author, to take away from the fact that there was more to Agnes then met the eye. If that was the case,  then it was brilliantly done! 

As for poor Pearl, I felt so bad her. Her sister was absolutely horrid and that's no exaggeration! 

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher Raven Books and Laura Purcell for an eARC of this book.

3.5/5

A gothic mystery set in Bath, we follow Agnes - a struggling silhouette artist - whose life is already under financial strain when one of her clients turns up dead. It would be a coincidence - until her next client is also found dead, and the next. We also follow Pearl - a child-medium - whom Agnes seeks help from in the hope of contacting her clients-turned-victims. But with an ailing father, a sister who is determined to monetise Pearl's gift, and the spirit world taking its toll on Pearl - can they get the answers they need?

What I Liked:
- As always, Purcell writes an atmospheric and engaging tale.
- The oppression of women was bodily at the forefront of this story.
- Definitely readable, kept me turning the page.
- Enjoyed, mostly, the dual perspective - especially after the two met.
- A genuinely intriguing mystery.
- Purcell writes an ambiguous conclusion wonderfully.

What I Didn't Love:
- Although I enjoyed the dual perspective - Pearl's voice was not that of a young child. I often found myself thinking she was in her late teens, but if I remember correctly, she was around 12? If that.
- A lot of the supporting characters felt very two-dimensional and underdeveloped.
- The pacing was fine, mostly, but the end felt very crammed together. As if everything was just happening at once.
- A lot of the twists were predictable (to me).
- Finally, this is my third Purcell book and it feels, at this point, like she's recycling ideas.

Overall I'd recommend this. It was engaging throughout and concluded well - Purcell's writing really does plonk you down in the middle of Bath, and I appreciated the women-are-oppressed-and-it-sucks vibe. If you like Purcell's other stuff, you'll probably enjoy this one. Just don't expect anything too new.

Big thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Raven Books for the eARC. This one's available for UK purchase now!

It’s official - Laura Purcell is the queen of modern gothic historical fiction, there is nothing she can do wrong. ‘The Shape of Darkness’ is a riveting tale that has all the hallmarks of this genre - the dark and dirty bleakness of Victorian Britain, a supernatural storyline and characters that pop off the page. It’s prose is claustrophobic but divine, there are enough red herrings and twists to make sure the reader is captivated, and when you read the final page you just want to dive straight back into the world which Laura has created. 

Agnes is a silhouette portrait maker as a means to help support herself, her mother and her orphaned nephew Cedric. However, in the age of Victorian photographer less people are wanting her services. Agnes still gets a few clients but suddenly her clients are being murdered and she has no idea why?! Agnes has heard of mediums and spiritualism and attends a seance where we find Pearl an albino 9 year old who acts as the medium.   

It is the characters in this book that makes it shine, especially those of Agnes and Pearl. They both share the same innocence and naivety. I personally don’t believe in spiritualism, even when my mum did, to me there is always an explanation and so many of the practitioners of this time period were charlatans. But even so this story sucks you in and you want to believe that Pearl actually has the gift, especially with her blackouts and memory loss. You want to believe that she is special and has a gift and not just being exploited by her elder half-sister. The resolution to the story for both these characters made me gasp, I totally wasn’t expecting either of them in all honesty. I thought the story was going in another direction but then that’s what I love. When an author surprises you it’s truly a magical moment and there were many of those moments in this book. 

Truly this book is great - just read it peeps.

Laura Purcell is making gothic fiction cool again. 

I loved the characters, the descriptions of the shadow makers and the end felt unexpected and satisfying. A perfect book for those cold winter nights.

After upgrading my kindle this title was lost from my library and I was unable to re-download it in order to review (I had stupidly put an incorrect email address in my net galley account). For this reason, I won't be reviewing this title.

I have really enjoyed Laura Purcell's previous novels. She is fantastic at writing modern gothic mysteries with a supernatural twist. 
The Shape of Darkness is another gripping mystery that really surprised me right until the end. I often find that I can guess what is going to happen but not with this one.
Being from Bath (where the novel is set) I thought the atmosphere was perfect and the writer had really done her research with the sense of the place and its history.

This is such a brilliantly dark and chilling tale that kept me gripped til the very end. Jealousy and revenge between characters, a mysterious accident and the gloomy, atmospheric setting were perfect for making the hairs on the back of neck rise time and time again whilst reading. Another masterpiece from Laura Purcell.

I can’t rate this as intended due to the fact the PDF copy is completely unreadable on Kindle and I don’t enjoy reading via my phone.

I hope to review this properly in the future as it really does sound right up my street.

Set in Bath in 1854, The Shape of Darkness is a atmospheric historical novel from Leah Purcell.

Agnes Darken supports her ailing mother and orphaned nephew with her work as a silhouette artist, but with the growing popularity of the daguerreotypes, she’s finding it harder to attract clients. She is shocked when the local Sergeant calls on her to ask questions about a recent sitter who was brutally murdered shortly after their appointment, and worried that notoriety might attach to her business. Her physician and brother in law, Simon, is quick to assure her that all is fine, but when a second and then third client dies, Agnes fears she may somehow be connected to their deaths. Desperate for answers to both the current circumstances and a past tragedy, Agnes reaches out to a mesmerist Myrtle West and her young half sister, Pearl, known as ‘The White Sylph’ who is said to communicate with the dead.

The Shape of Darkness embraces all the elements of a Victorian gothic tale - a physically and emotionally frail heroine, high emotion, a bleak, wintry setting, murder, and the supernatural. Purcell deftly builds suspense and dread as she develops the plot, revealing dark secrets and making good use of misdirect to ensure the final twist is a surprise.

Fragile and high strung, Agnes has an nervous energy that plays into the narrative. Her suspicions about the connection between the dead and her silhouettes seems fanciful, but her panic is almost contagious as she becomes more certain she, and her family are in danger from an unknown foe. With hints of a tragic background, involving a doomed romance, and a grievous accident, she is exactly what you’d expect as a gothic heroine, except for perhaps her age.

Pearl is a desperately sympathetic character, used terribly by her her half sister, Myrtle. Blamed for her mother’s death during her birth, her father now lays dying gruesomely, a victim of phosphorus poisoning. An albino, eleven year old Pearl is easily envisioned as a medium, but there is an ambiguity to her ability that Purcell exploits, so that you’re never quite sure where the line between this world and the next lies.

Though overall I found it a touch melodramatic for my taste, The Shape of Darkness is evocative, haunting and enthralling.

'The whole affair was about power, manipulation, ownership'.

Agnes lives in mid-Victorian Bath with her mother and young nephew, Cedric. Times are hard and she struggles to make ends meet, earning a precarious living by cutting silhouettes. But that craft is increasingly being crowded out by the new craze for photography. Perhaps Agnes will be forced to accept help from her brother in law, Simon Carfax?

I loved the characters of this book. The self-reliant but dreamy Agnes. The reserved Simon - doing all he can to help, but yet... and the two sisters, Pearl ("the White Sylph") and older Myrtle, who make their living from seances and consultations. Pearl and Myrtle seem to have secrets - who are they and what are they about? 

And I loved the setting. This isn't the elegant city of Jane Austen, rather a Bath that's had fifty years of coal smoke bled into it, and fifty years of decay for the fancy buildings. It's a town of soot, railways, rot and mould, seen in the depths of a gloomy English winter. Agnes' house is shabby and unkempt: Pearl and Myrtle's lodgings damp and draughty. The reader senses just how tenuous are the lives of these women in a patriarchal society. The point is brought home when, through ghastly coincidence, Agnes has to report a strange death to the police and her home and business become of interest to the unpleasant (and suspicious) Sergeant Redmayne.

But that's only the beginning. It seems there's a killer loose in Bath, a killer who seems to be threatening Agnes and her family. Unable to trust the police, Agnes turns to Pearl, the young medium, for the help she needs. As the two investigate - observed closely by the jealous and restful Myrtle - we gradually learn more about the tragedy in Agnes' now family, and the mysterious (and missing) naval officer, Montague, who seems to be at the heart of it all.

In Purcell's latest Gothic romp, the supernatural - if that's what it is - isn't confined to remote dwelling but is intertwined with the bustling street life and grimy streets of a provincial town. Just as the fashionable Spritualism in which Agnes seeks answers is located in comfortable parlours and fashionable salons. Contrasts are everything here - between the past and the present; science (represented by the medicine and rational outlook of Dr Carfax) and the supernatural; men and women. It's a churning, teeming world that Agnes, infirm after a recent bout of pneumonia, has to negotiate. Her sister Charlotte, Cedric's mother, may have been dead twelve years, but her shadow still looms over the Agnes's haunted life.

The Shape of Darkness is the perfect Gothic novel, a book that combines an elusive but growing sense of dread with an uneasy atmosphere of confinement - despite the proximity of the sprawling streets and parks of Bath, it mostly takes place in shut-up rooms, and more, there is a palpable sense of limitedness, of confinement by and obedience to the rules of society, of choices made and sealed years before. And it's confinement with - or very near to - a monster, whose form, motives and methods are as shifting as all that fog. In asking pearl for her help, Agnes is leaning on someone who is still a young girl and who is also ill (nearly everybody in this book is ill!)

Purcell is the absolute master of this sort of thing, playing detective story like tricks with red herrings, subplots and dead ends, until the reader is - well I was! - totally muddled, wound up with tension and fearful for everyone in the book. Then, the hammer falls...

If you enjoyed this author's previous books, you'll love The Shape of Darkness. If you didn't, that must mean you haven't read them, so you have a treat in store and The Shape of Darkness would be a good place to begin.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
A dark and gothic story with atmospheric and intense writing. 
A good read.