Daphne du Maurier has a lot to answer for with the whole second marriage, spooky house trope. This is a good story with a couple of interesting strands as sun-plots, including Rachel’s exploration of her own past. The characters are very under-developed, though, and the appeal lies solely with the plot.

Rachel thought marrying Lucas Price would be the beginning of her happily ever after. Instead, moving into Crestwood, his sprawling seaside estate, feels more like stepping into a nightmare......

I have always enjoyed Theo Baxter's writing and this was no different - it was a bit spooky, a bit suspenseful and a bit dark. The side story of Rachel's past, and her hypnosis to uncover what had happened added an interesting element, and boy did I feel for her. It was well paced, with a few twists to keep it interesting, without heading too far down the unbelievable path. I loved Rachel, and seeing her get braver and braver as the book went on.

My downside was that a couple of things felt rushed - the start, with the wedding and honeymoon, we didn't seem to have mention of Rachel's long lost childhood friend again and the ending with her brother. Nothing that impacted the story, just me as a reader wanting more detail.

Overall, it was a great thriller, I was unable to put it down and read it in less than two days. With great characters and a satisfying ending.

This book had that suspenseful environment that I enjoyed and had that plot development that I was looking for. It had that suspenseful atmosphere that I was looking for and was hooked from the psychological that I was wanting, it was a strong concept and was invested in what was going. The characters were written perfectly for this type of book and how it worked in the genre. I enjoyed getting to read this from Theo Baxter.

Title: In Her Shadow
Author: Theo Baxter
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: September 21, 2025

This is a fairly complex psychological thriller, with the main character, Rachel, going through two separate tragic events/storylines; past and present traumas. Even though I describe the book as "fairly complex," it's an easy read.

Rachel has just gotten married and moved into her husband's mansion near Syracuse, New York. From day one, things in the house and her marriage just seem "off." Hearing strange noises in the night and receiving creepy messages really start to play with Rachel's mind.

To help deal with her thoughts, Rachel talks to her psychiatrist about what she's going through. During those sessions, hypnosis is used, which reveals childhood traumas that she has suppressed all her life.

Ghosts and hypnosis are two topics that I find questionable that are found throughout the book. I don't believe in either, making parts of the book feel a bit ridiculous and unbelievable. The author spends quite a bit of time focusing on Rachel's ruminating thoughts.

This was such a great, easy, quickly paced read. I really appreciated what a strong female Rachel was depicted as. I really wanted everything to work out for her. She deserved a happy ending. Grab this book and read it to find out!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

In Her Shadow is a taut, atmospheric thriller that lingers like sea mist—unsettling, elusive, and quietly devastating. Theo Baxter crafts a haunting tale of grief, isolation, and buried truths, set within the eerie confines of Crestwood, a seaside estate steeped in secrets.

Rachel’s descent into paranoia begins the moment she steps into her new home, shadowed by the tragic death of Lucas’s first wife, Eliza. The house itself becomes a character—moody, watchful, and steeped in ghostly whispers. As Rachel begins to unravel the mystery behind Eliza’s fall, Baxter deftly blurs the line between psychological suspense and gothic horror. Is Rachel haunted by spirits, or by the weight of her own past?

The prose is clean and evocative, with just enough restraint to let the dread build naturally. I especially admired the emotional layering—Rachel’s vulnerability never feels performative, and her unraveling is handled with a quiet, empathetic touch. The pacing is deliberate, the tension simmering, and the final revelations satisfyingly dark.

Perfect for readers who enjoy domestic thrillers with a gothic edge—think Rebecca meets The Silent Patient. A chilling, elegantly told story about the ghosts we carry and the truths we fear to face.

With thanks to Theo Baxter, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

The opening of the book, if you have heard of ‘book anxiety’ that is how I felt when reading the first few pages. The tension already spot on! I personally like books that start this way, rather than a slow start. Because it keeps my attention more easily. As the book progressed, I was thinking ‘where is my popcorn, this is getting VERY interesting aha! Then BAM the twists, Rachel’s character progression was spot on! What bravery overcoming the trauma she went through to become a fierce woman not to be messed with. As the main FC,I was rooting for her from the start. The balance of characters, plot and execution of the book overall was done correctly. A great read full of twists and tension. I loved it! I know some books can be a hit or miss, depending on your own preference, but from my perspective this is a hit!

Actual Rating 3.5/5

Spine tingling , gut-twisting , and gripping... every room has its secrets......
Crestwood's halls guard a dark past....
And that secret holds a price to be uncovered..

This story is gripping , it is dark, it is something that will grab your attention and hold it to the end, as most mystery/ thrillers do , and I adore putting on my detective hat to unravel the clues and the small details within.... it gives you that yearning , the desire to keep reading , and the want to discover what exactly is the story beneath Crestwood's stone foundation ... beneath its exquisite halls , lavish rooms... and beautiful grounds...as our main character Rachel attempts to discover what exactly happened to her predecessor .. and why exactly Lucas, and the rest of the staff... are so quiet... and so secretive of the events that happened to Eliza...
And as she comes closer to discovering the dark truths within these halls... she realizes that she not only risks losing everything that she's come to love... the relationships she holds so dear... but also to the risk of losing herself ....
A novel that will keep you guessing at every page turn... At every plot twist...
Unfortunately for me I found the insertion of her old memories , past , and conflicts to be a little bit random... and somewhat confusing and unrelated at times to the other plot points that were ongoing at the time...... the beginning of the book especially I found it to be quite hard to understand as to why it started so quickly and then kind of tapered off like a flame suddenly snuffed out to be rekindled again later on.... not to mention I find the weirdly out-of-place actions of Lucas at time to be .. a little strange? With his behavior and all that... and the way that he seems to act while our curious Rachel just wants to know what happened...
Is it still a good book? Yes. This most definitely scratched the right places in my brain for a mystery / thriller... but not perhaps something I would widely recommend myself, as I struggled to get through this novel and had to take frequent breaks to try to rearrange my thoughts and understand what was happening.

In Her Shadow by Theo Baxter is a chilling and suspenseful thriller that kept me captivated from the first page. The eerie atmosphere, mysterious twists, and Rachel’s journey to uncover the truth made the story impossible to put down. I truly enjoyed this book and rated it five stars.

👰‍♀️ In Her Shadow;

My Review! 👰‍♀️





(Written by Theo Baxter)


Blurb;

Every room has a secret. Every secret has a price.

Rachel thought marrying Lucas Price would be the beginning of her happily ever after. Instead, moving into Crestwood, his sprawling seaside estate, feels more like stepping into a nightmare.

The shadow of his first wife, Eliza—who died in a tragic fall from the cliffs—haunts every corner of their new home. When ghostly apparitions begin appearing and mysterious messages warn Rachel to leave, she questions her own sanity.

Lucas dismisses her fears and refuses to discuss what happened to Eliza, leaving Rachel isolated and paranoid. Desperate to get to the truth, she starts to investigate Eliza’s death.

In a house where nothing is as it seems and everyone has something to hide, Rachel must confront not only the ghosts of the past but the buried trauma of her own dark memories.

And when she finally gets closer to Crestwood’s horrifying secret, she realizes she’s in danger of losing everything she cares about. Including her life.

In Her Shadow - the terrifying psychological thriller by the best-selling author of The Stepfather and Not My Mother.



My Review;

'WOW!' - This book had me utterly GRIPPED from the very beginning, & was SUCH an ADDICTIVE read!👌👌👌

I loved everything about this book, - how it was written in the author's 'eady-read' style, to the characters, the plot, & it really kept me guessing right through!!! I flew through reading this book in just ONE DAY!!!!

Based on a rating of 1-10, where 10 is the highest, I would rate thos book a well deserved 🌟 10 🌟‼️

= Deffo a book I will be adding to my collection, & most DEFFO highly recommended!

= an absolute 'MUST-READ‼️'

I think I held my breath almost constantly for the last ten chapters apart from an occasional frantic gulp of air. Day became night and still I read on. I give this book five stars. Does it really deserve five stars? Is it really that good? Yes, it definitely is!

As this story unfolds the suspense becomes nail-biting it was a great psychological thriller with a great ending!