The Shape of Darkness

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Pub Date 14 Oct 2021 | Archive Date 14 Oct 2021

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Description

Wicked deeds require the cover of darkness...

A struggling silhouette artist in Victorian Bath seeks out a renowned child spirit medium in order to speak to the dead – and to try and identify their killers – in this beguiling new tale from Laura Purcell. 

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...  

Desperately seeking an answer, Agnes approaches Pearl, a child spirit medium lodging in Bath with her older half-sister and her ailing father, hoping that if Pearl can make contact with those who died, they might reveal who killed them. But Agnes and Pearl quickly discover that instead they may have opened the door to something that they can never put back... 

What secrets lie hidden in the darkness?

Wicked deeds require the cover of darkness...

A struggling silhouette artist in Victorian Bath seeks out a renowned child spirit medium in order to speak to the dead – and to try and identify...


Advance Praise

'Laura is a masterful writer, her deliciously gothic stories so skilfully woven that you can’t get them out of your head even if you wanted to' Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars

'Purcell is rapidly making a name for herself as the queen of the superior bone chiller' i

'Purcell has established a claim on Daphne du Maurier’s territory of psychological suspense and Gothic spookiness' Sunday Express

'Laura is a masterful writer, her deliciously gothic stories so skilfully woven that you can’t get them out of your head even if you wanted to' Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars

'Purcell is...


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ISBN 9781526602541
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Featured Reviews

Once again a wonderful book by Laura Purcell. I have read every one of her books and to date I did not think she could better the Silent Companions however this story does just that. The writing conjures up the period setting fantastically and the topics of seances and mesmerising are wonderfully descriptive. I really felt for both Agnes and Pearl but never saw the reveal when it came, the book was that well written it gave nothing away. Thanks to the publisher for this book and I will be sure to sing its praises to everyone I know. A truly fantastic read.

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*A big thank-you to Laura Purcell, Bloomsbury Publishing, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Ms Purcell has become one of my favourite Victorian ghotic authors, and I was delighted to have been offered the lastest of her books to read.
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.
The plot is most engaging and intriguing, and the climax as unpredicatble as may be expected in a novel by Ms Purcell. I especially appreciated the motifs from her three other ghotic books delicately included in The Shape of Darkness,
A sheer feast for the fans of the genre!

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This is a haunting story that will remain with me for some time. The sign of a great book, for me, is a plot that makes you think and sticks with you. The Shape of Darkness definitely does these things.

The characters are richly described, from the complex Agnes to the mysterious and fragile Pearl. Not a single character is there without reason. The interweaving of their lives is the most enjoyable part of this novel.

I loved the depictions of the era, houses, and streets. Laura Purcell has a talent for description, casting a highly visual scene in every chapter. I also learned more about society and particular afflictions.

The meshing of a silhouette artist, mesmerist, medium, ghostly happenings, and tumultuous relationships is inspired. As an author, I'm often ahead in spotting what links characters. It can be disappointing. I didn't detect this at all within this novel. The surprises are brilliant!

This is the first Laura Purcell novel I've read. It certainly won't be the last.

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It's rare for a book to stop me in my tracks, trap me in a chair, away from all else and where I keep saying 'just one more chapter, just one more chapter.' But 'The Shape of Darkness' by Laura Purcell did just that. And now it is over, I am sad, and wondering what could possibly fill the Agnes shaped gap in my life.

Let's get it right up front that I love all the books Laura Purcell has written and so I was thrilled to find myself with an early copy of her latest book, courtesy of the author, Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley.

I'm not sure how many copies of 'The Corset' I have gifted to others and how many people I have recommended her books to. This book will be the same.

This story ticks all my boxes.

- Victorian setting
- Large gothic style houses in Bath
- Agnes, the main character who is Silhouette Artist
- Mesmerism, Seances, and a child medium
- Mysterious deaths and ghostly goings-on
- A dead sister who won't let go
- Dark Shadows
- Oh and let's not forget a pug called Morpheus

I'm not going to share with you what happens, other than to say if you like books with a supernatural element, evocative settings, intriguing characters and with a plot that keeps you turning the pages right until the very end with some twists that make you go ooh - then this is the book for you.

There was also some gorgeous writing along the way, some of which I took the time to highlight so I could return to reread these sentences at a later time.

It's out in January 2021. Make sure you save some Christmas money so you can get your hands on it on the release date or pre-order now. The cover looks a beauty too.

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Courtesy of NetGalley, I was grateful for the opportunity to preview Laura Purcell's latest book, The Shape of Darkness. The good news is she's delivered yet another winner. I've been in an historical spooky mystery phase for a while and her books fit right in.

These days authors such as ES Thomson, Laura Shepherd-Robinson and Katherine Stansfield publish stories full of rich detail, accurate portrayals of 18th and 19th century Britain, and fully rounded characters, all of which paint a vivid backdrop to the story. Laura does the same. From cold, dreary houses, to stuffy, Victorian society, it's all drawn beautifully.

This time, we're in Victorian Bath, meeting Agnes, a struggling silhouette maker, with a lovely Dickensian story of penury and family responsibilities. A series of events prompt her to consult a child medium in order to determine if her silhouettes are responsible for a series of deaths. It's all there - séances, dark, claustrophobic rooms, gullible Victorian ladies, real and not so real ghosts, and an intricate plot that gradually unfolds in a series of events that will satisfy readers new and old.

Despite already enjoying the Netgalley ARC, I'll definitely be rushing out to buy my own hardback copy as soon as I can, and I recommend you do the same.

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It's about three years since I read Laura Purcell's first historical supernatural thriller, 'The Silent Companions', and it still sends a shiver down my spine when I think about it. That's a sure sign of a very effective novel. In fact, it was so good I thought it unlikely she would ever write a book quite as good. Her follow-up, 'The Corset' was good but not quite in the same league, and her most recent 'Bone China' was a bit disappointing. So I was worried she might be on a downward trend.

Then I read 'The Shape of Darkness' and realised it was not only possible to write a book as good as 'The Silent Companions', it was actually possible to write one better. This book is set in Victorian Bath. Agnes Darken is a silhouette artist. Her business is failing as people turn to the new art of photography for their portraits, and she needs money to support her widowed mother and young nephew. Then several of her sitters die in mysterious circumstances. Desperate, she turns to child medium Pearl, hoping the ghosts of the dead men will reveal who killed them and why. Pearl has her own problems, including a dying father and controlling sister. Events soon spiral out of control of both women.

This is such a clever thriller, the perfect balance of 'whodunnit' and ghost story. It is extremely gripping. I looked forwards all day to reading on and once I'd picked it up it was very hard to stop and go to sleep. There is such a strong sense of peril and urgency which completely sweeps you along. It's creepy in a subtle way - there is always that bit of doubt sown about how much can be explained rationally and how much is truly supernatural, which adds to the sense of uncertainty and is more psychologically disturbing. Both Pearl and Agnes are interesting and sympathetic characters. As with Purcell's other books (including her non-ghostly historical novels) you feel an acute sense of frustration at how women were dismissed and disempowered in the past. Often the situations the characters find themselves would not occur if women were treated equally to men. Poverty is also shown as a source of inequality and the gruesome descriptions of the grim reality of being poor in the 19th century are believable and well done.

The plot is tight and there were a couple of things that I didn't expect. Purcell combines a well timed and paced plot with an unrivaled ability to create atmosphere, and genuinely likeable characters. It's hugely impressive that she can produce books of this quality as frequently as she does. I look forwards to more excellent spine-tingling gothic thrillers to come!

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The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell

Genre: General Fiction, Mystery and Thrillers

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ)

Publish Date: 28 January 2021

Laura Purcell is a modern giant when it comes to writing a chilling gothic tale! I have no idea in all honesty how to write a review of this book without giving out any spoilers, so I’ll have to give a very watered downed version…

Three women make this story: Agnes, a silhouette artist, Pearl, a child spiritual medium and Miss West, Pearl’s older half-sister. Each woman has her own story and struggles but the way Purcell presents these stories and then mashes them together in a slow burning read is addictive. What brings these three women together, you ask? Why, murder of course.

The supporting characters are all extremely well developed, the depiction of Victorian Bath is exceptional, the confrontation with Phossy Jaw is shocking and the raw relationship of sisterhood is emotional. The ending, like all of Purcell’s endings, is a twist which I did not see coming and after I closed the book, I needed a cup of tea and a good long think about what just happened. Purcell keeps putting me in this position and I keep coming back for more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Laura Purcell is without a doubt one of the best writers of our time. Her intricately woven stories are instantly gripping and atmospheric, her characters bold and fierce. I have read all of her gothic historical fiction novels so far and have loved each one more than the last. The Shape of Darkness is a triumphant foray into the world of Victorian spiritualism and deception, of women and girls doing what they can to survive. It is dark and captivating and absolutely perfect.

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Victorian gothic spooky mysteries are not my usual thing, and yet I cannot get enough of Laura Purcell's stories! I absolutely devoured The Shape of Darkness, and found myself both surprised and satisfied by the ending. I recommend her other books, particularly The Corset, a LOT, and will be recommending this one, too!

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Agnes Darken is a silhouette artist in 19th century Bath but her business is failing. To make things worse it appears that anyone who sits for her dies in bizarre circumstances. Against her better judgement she finds herself at the home of a child medium, Pearl, her older half-sister and very sick father, looking for answers and possibly the identity of the murderer. Their lives become entwined as they seek answers to their own individual questions and everything inevitably spirals to its conclusion.

I literally didn’t think Purcell could produce anything better than ‘The Silent Companions’ but she has. Once I began reading I had to continue and finished within two days and not much sleep. This ticks so many boxes in terms of ghostly goings-on, sympathetic and not so sympathetic characters, secrets, poverty, deadly Victorian illnesses and a very atmospheric Bath. The plot is very tight and Purcell leaves clues that the reader does not pick up on until the end - at least I didn’t. This is a book that stays with you for so many reasons.

If I could give this more than 5* I would but 5* it is. Once I get my physical copy in 2021 I will definitely be reading it again.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and NetGalley for my ARC

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Agnes Darken is an artist, a creator of silhouettes which is a dying art with people now preferring daguerreotypes. Pearl Meers, ‘The White Sylph’ is an albino spirit guide and her half sister Myrtle West is a mesmerist. These three women connect in the most surprising of ways in this Victorian Gothic Murder Mystery set in Bath.

This is a fantastical read! Laura Purcell’s writing feels so authentically Victorian that it is as if it is a gothic mystery from the era. It has every element required for the genre. It is ghostly, has some supernatural sections, it’s a bit creepy, spine tingling and chilling. There are some very powerful images which create the prefect atmosphere with added deception and more than a dash or two of malevolence. It is a colourful and creative read so it captivates you in the powerful plot. The characters are really good and you have no idea who to trust but then you think you have it all sorted in your head and then another shock and twist comes along. Brilliant!

Overall, this is a compelling and enthralling read of high quality which I recommend to fans of the genre or who just like a really good mystery!

With thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing PLC for the arc in return for an honest review.

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Captivating from page one right up to that spectacular ending. Beautifully written and researched, the writer drew me into her world and kept me there. A book I can heartily recommend.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this review copy of this book. Having read all of Laura Purcell’s previous novels my expectations were high for this book and she did not disappoint. Purcell is a master at creating a gothic atmosphere in her novels and this book dealt with one of the more infamous aspects of the Victorian era- mesmerism and spiritualism. How Purcell’s books have not yet been made into a film/tv series by now is shocking as her stories are compulsive and compelling.

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This is another stunning tale of the sinister other-worldly, where nothing is quite as it seems.

This time Purcell takes us to Victorian Bath where Agnes works as a silhouette artist. It appears that murders are occurring in the city, and the victims all have one thing in common, that they have recently visited Agnes for a sitting. Scared and suspicious, and worried for her business, Agnes turns to a child medium named Pearl for help contacting the dead to try and solve the mystery. Pearl and her sister make their living through mesmerism and holding seances, however nothing is quite as it seems in their household, and secrets emerge as the story moves forward.

This book is everything that you would expect from Laura Purcell, the gothic and shadowy setting in Bath, a chilling plot, unnerving characters with secrets, and a creeping sense of dread. I especially loved the seance scenes, the tension and mystery add to the dark atmosphere.

A big 4 stars. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

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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.

The Shape of Darkness is Purcell's fourth novel, and I will state from the outset that it's the scariest yet! The plot revolves mostly around Agnes Darken: an older spinster, who crafts by hand the art of silhouettes, an art on the cusp of extinction as the more popular daguerreotypes are increasingly preferred. Agnes begins to realise that her patrons (sadly few and far between) are seemingly murdered after sitting for her portraiture. In parallel is Pearl Meers, "The White Sylph": a young albino girl working for her sister as a spirit guide. Pearl's gift is suddenly increasing in its intensity, causing her to experience the same symptoms of the victims of Bath's supposed serial killer.

As their paths cross, the danger intensifies building up the tension and horror to a dramatic and unexpected conclusion which I did not see coming. What an exhilarating read this turned out to be!

With The Shape of Darkness, Laura Purcell has cemented her status as the queen of modern Gothic novels, and I for one, am very much looking forward to reading anything she may choose to publish next!

The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell will be released in the UK on the 28th of January 2021. You can pre-order a copy of this gorgeous hardback from Waterstones or Amazon.

(The review will be posted on my site tomorrow morning at 8am, BST. I will update with the link after it goes live.)

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A pug called Morpheus and a plot that kept me up all night. Laura Purcell proves again that she is the master (or mistress?) of Gothic mysteries. Perfectly paced and thoroughly enjoyable.

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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.
As with all Purcell’s novels there’s a lot going on beneath the surface and the reader is drip fed clues about what has happened in Agnes’ life and what is going to happen. Some of the outcomes I guessed straight away, others I had an idea of but there’s a good twist at the very end that was satisfying.
It was also really refreshing to have some really evil women, I’ve read a lot of books lately that are very up the sisterhood, women can do no wrong which grates because it’s just not true. Women have just as much right to be evil bitches as men do! Who doesn’t love a good villain?! The only down side was that we didn’t meet her until she died but we do get Pearl’s sister as a bonus villain and who absolutely awful.
There’s also a fat pug who is forced to walk in the snow, if that’s not gothic horror I don’t know what is!

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I have read all Laura Purcell’s books and they just keep getting better. They are all so individually different and brilliant. This book definitely ticks all the boxes for me. It is the perfect Victorian gothic thriller. It is brilliantly believable and creepy with so many great twists that you just don’t see coming.

Agnes is struggling to recover from an illness, keep her business going and look after her family. Then one day one of her clients is found brutally murdered, and then another...Desperate to understand what is happening she seeks out the help of Pearl a child medium. But Pearl and Agnes may have unleashed something that they can’t stop!

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I have absolutely adored all of Laura Purcell’s previous novels and this one is no exception. It ticks all of the boxes for me it’s sinister, atmospheric, dark, gothic historical fiction at its best! and I would highly recommend it!

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Love it! It’s up there with The Corset which I think is Laura Purcell’s best. I could read her everyday. It’s gothic, spooky and twisty without silliness. More, more, more please!

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This is a deliciously wicked gothic tale. Set in the late 1800s in Bath, this story follows Agnes Darken, a silhouette artist who finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery that scandalises the city. Everyone who seems to pose for one of Agnes’s pieces starts to meet their untimely demise. Fearful that the murderer is trying to communicate with her, Agnes finds herself seeking answers from her dead relatives and former clients through the help of a medium, a 11 year old albino girl called Pearl.

This book packs a punch. A perfect read to be snuggled up with on the long cold nights of winter. It’s atmospheric and ghostly and I love how the author plays around with big themes like loss and haunting’s and seance’s and the exploration of the afterlife in a gripping and propulsive way. It’s creepy. It’s gnarly. It’s wonderful.

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.

Thanks to the author, Bloomsbury UK and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Laura Purcell is rapidly growing to be one of my go to authors for quirky, twisty Gothic historical fiction and The Shape of Darkness does not disappoint, it is up there with her other books, including the much praised The Silent Companions and my own firm favourite The Corset.

The main protagonist is Agnes, a middle aged spinster, struggling to make a living as a silhouette artist, living with her is her querulous Mother and her beloved nephew Cedric. Recovering from illness, when two of her recent clients meet sudden violent deaths she fears she is being targetted. Her business in tatters and her mind still grieving for her late domineering sister, she becomes involved with seances and trying to contact the dead through a child medium Pearl and 11 year old albino, who has her own tragic problems.

The whole book sucked me in like quicksand and the clever storyline, fabulous characters and sheer eeriness kept me spellbound throughout. A wonderful gothic tale.

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Oh this is one of those books that I felt I was wrapped up in from the start.

Great characters I cared about, dark gothic rooms, seances, one woman who worked as a silhouette artist, a child with a secret.....and that ending!

Wonderful and I would recommend this to historical fiction fans. I think this is her best one yet but to be fair she has written a few crackers!

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I loved this book! I felt transported to Bath in the Victorian era by the language used. It was spooky gothic spiritualism that kept me up late reading because I just had to find out what happened next!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. #TheShapeOfDarkness #LauraPurcell

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Wonderful! I really do love stories centring around Victorian spiritualism plus this author is very talented. I found the story completely engrossing and the ending left me in awe. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

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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.

Set in Victorian Bath, the first thing that struck me was the intriguing and tantalising way the story unravels itself. We’re given nuggets of info about the past, slowly, slowly.

Agnes Darken is our lead character and has a rather fascinating job – she is a silhouette artist. Expertly cutting people’s profiles into card – a skill that was called on less and less due to the advent of photography. Agnes is, therefore, finding things financially a struggle. She is unmarried and has to look after her mother and nephew too.

She also has an intriguing relationship with Dr. Simon Carfax – the details of which pull the story together and give you lightbulb moments as they are revealed.

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?'

Is there a murderer on the loose in Bath? That is the question Agnes must find the answer to. And she decides to do so in an unorthodox method – through the help of Pearl, The White Sylph. She is an 11-year old spirit medium who speaks to the dead. Under the tutelage of her older half-sister, they make a living from this unique way of working.

Agnes and Pearl’s lives intertwine and they attempt to help each other while trying to track down just who exactly has been killing Agnes’ sitters…

I loved the blend of supernatural ideas with the heady atmosphere of Victorian Bath. Plus, the plot felt restrained and tense, which added to the Gothic tone.

While reading this, it brought Things in Jars by Jess Kidd to mind, which I mean as the highest compliment, Things in Jars being a real favourite of mine. While I’m recommending books – if The Shape of Darkness sounds up your street, then check out Laura Purcell’s previous three novels too as they are equally as fiendish and addictive.

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I have read and enjoyed several other gothic novels by Laura Purcell, so I was excited to get the chance to read her newest work. I am glad to say I was not disappointed.

Agnes is a silhouette-cutter and artist, living in Victorian Bath. She is recovering from an illness that has left her breathless and frail, trying to make ends meet from her profession which is losing out to the new fashion for daguerreotype photography. When some of her clients are killed shortly after she took their silhouettes, Agnes turns to a local spiritualist for help and meets Pearl, an eleven year old albino girl working as a psychic.

Pearl and Agnes each experience weird ghostly phenomena while trying to help the other. How much of what happens is supernatural and how much is caused by a human hand?

Recommended for those of us who like our murder mysteries to be historical and spooky.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

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What a treat this book was! Laura Purcell just gets better and better with every book.
Agnes is a struggling silhouette maker in 1840s Bath. Haunted by a lost love and the shade of her vengeful sister, Constance, she lives with her Mother and Nephew in a tiny, unkempt house, where magpies caw and cackle on the roof. Then some of her clients are murdered in hideous ways and she tries to establish a connection via The White Sylph, a young girl called Pearl who is dominated by her older sister, Myrtle West.
Myrtle has an iron grasp on her money-generating sister and in a back room Pearl’s father slowly fades, expiring in horrific degrees from ‘phossy jaw’ from his time in a match factory.
Once again, Purcell centres the quiet desperation of the lives of poor women in that era and she excels at drawing the reader in to their narratives. There are male characters but they seem largely ineffectual. Men of science against an onslaught of female spirits who simply will not let go.
The final twists were genuinely shocking without being far fetched. I shall look forward to buying a physical copy of this book to enjoy it again on publication.

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The Shape Of Darkness is brilliantly chilling. I only had 15% left so thought I'd read it in bed, what an error. The story centres on Agnes, a silhouette artist in Bath whose customers are dying following appointments with her. She seeks the help of Pearl, a child medium, in order to try to get to the bottom of these mysterious deaths, but in doing so they risk encountering unknown dark spirits.

The writing creates such a vivid picture that it had me wanting to hide behind a cushion, while being completely unable to put the book down. Beyond the drama of the spirit world is a beautifully crafted tale, with richly created characters. If you like your historical fiction with a healthy dose of eerie gothic darkness then Laura Purcell is the writer for you.

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I'm a huge fan of Laura Purcell's novels, and The Shape If Darkness is no exception. Once again, Laura has penned an outstanding mystery to keep you on the edge of your seat. Set in the Victorian era, with strong female roles and dark, gothic scenes, The Shape Of Darkness is sure to please.

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Anyone who knows me, will know that Laura is one of my favourite writers, so I was so so happy to receive a copy of this book.

Laura writes about the Victorian era which again is one of my favourite era’s, and centres on Agnes, a silhouette artist who, now that photographs are coming out, is struggling to make ends meet to support herself, her nephew, and her mother.

After a couple of her clients are murdered, she ends up consulting a medium to see if her ex-clients can tell her who has killed them and why she is being targeted.

I would say that this is the darkest book that Laura has written - she always keeps me on the edge of my seat and unable to put her books down anyway, but this one truly surpassed the others in how sinister it was, I was utterly blown away, and had to re-read the final few pages again just to make sure I’d got it right.

Utterly phenomenal.

My thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review

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Laura Purcell has yet to write a bad book. Each one she writes is marvellous in it's own special way about it's own special subject and this one was utterly gripping from the very beginning. It will suck you in, keep you guessing, leave you scratching your head, trip you up, give you thrills and chills and have you reaching for anything else the author has written. Taking place in the atmospheric setting of Victorian Bath we are introduced to the impoverished world of Agnes Darken, silhouette artist, and watch as she is drawn in to the world of mesmerism and spiritualism whilst attempting to uncover a mystery. However, all is not quite what it seems and discovering the truth will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, turning pages as fast as you can. A triumph of a novel and an author that I would recommend to anyone!

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<p>Wow oh wow!! What a book!! How can my review do this masterpiece any justice at all?</p>
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<p>Laura Purcell is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. This book has definitely given me authentic Victorian feels. I have found this is darker than the other books by Purcell that I have read, but with that said- I loved it!</p>
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<p>I was so excited to get stuck into this one, I immediately made sure I had time where I wouldn't be disturbed. I devoured this gorgeous book from cover to cover in just hours. I have been both unable and unwilling to put this one down. Purcell is a master story teller and queen of this genre. </p>
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<p>The Shape of Darkness is a creepy and spine tingling novel which has elements of ghostly and supernatural selections. I absolutely love that Purcell has created a murder mystery/ ghost story combined. I have found this full of atmosphere, it is written in a way you experience the chills as you read. I have found this a completely compelling and enthralling read. This will definitely stick with you. I have been thinking about this one for hours after finishing it. </p>
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<p>I had very high expectations of this book after reading Purcell's previous books. I can safely say that this well-crafted masterpiece has not disappointed. Purcell is a hugely talented queen of storytelling and this is a book which is highly deserving of all the stars. I will absolutely be recommending this book. </p>
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<p>I cannot wait for more from this author. </p>
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