Review--These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall

 

Helen Vaughan doesn't know why she and her mother left their ancestral home at Harrowstone Hall, called Harrow, or why they haven't spoken to their extended family since. So when her grandfather dies, she's shocked to learn that he has left everything—the house, the grounds, and the money—to her. The inheritance comes with one condition: she must stay on the grounds of Harrow for one full year, or she'll be left with nothing.

There is more at stake than money. For as long as she can remember, Harrow has haunted Helen's dreams—and now those dreams have become a waking nightmare. Helen knows that if she is going to survive the year, she needs to uncover the secrets of Harrow. Why is the house built like a labyrinth? What is digging the holes that appear in the woods each night? And why does the house itself seem to be making her sick?

With each twisted revelation, Helen questions what she knows about Harrow, her family, and even herself. She no longer wonders if she wants to leave…but if she can.

 

In the season of author signings, I made a choice to read Kate Alice Marshall's These Fleeting Shadows! It had been in my TBR pile for far too long and I finally picked it up over the weekend! It was creepy and pretty bizarre, making for a delightful read!

I walked into the story expecting a typical haunted house story with some weird family secrets and in some respect that's what I got, but there was so much more going on in this one that it kind of turned me in circles a few times. But in a way, that felt fitting since Helen herself gets turned around a bit and has some confusion amid her new situation.

Helen, her mother, and stepfather attend her mother's father's funeral after not having seen him for around ten years or so. Helen last saw him when she was a small child and after some event, her mom whisked her away and they never returned to Harrowstone Hall, the family manor. When they arrive for the funeral, things are very weird and then when the will is read, it's revealed that Helen's grandfather changed everything at the last second and left the house, a substantial amount of money to her. The only catch is, she has to stay in Harrowstone Hall for a year. If she doesn't then everyone loses everything.

Helen's mother would rather go home, but Helen convinces her what the money could do for them as a family and their future, so she stays. Helen used to visit the house when she was younger, but after some event when she was seven, they left and never returned, not for any kind of visit. It's an eerie and spooky house. Helen begins to question her own sanity as she sees things that aren't there. She begins having terrifying nightmares and wakes to find herself somewhere other than her own bed. It's pretty weird.

As Helen explores the house and grounds, she meets the groundskeeper's daughter, Bryony, and is pretty much head over heels after the first instance. Bryony knows things, strange things and is at ease on the grounds of the strange house and that's because Bryony is a witch. But that doesn't deter Helen from falling further in love with her.

As the months go by, Helen begins to learn there's a dark history attached to the house. One that her family has deep ties to and could be the reason Helen is there entirely. What gets revealed is far beyond anything one could ever imagine!

This book was trippy! I love a good ghost story and there are definitely ghosts in this one! Harrow is definitely one weird house. We do get some roundabout explanations towards the end of what this weirdness is all about, but I'll admit, some of it went over my head. But I got the gist of it and it is definitely one dark history I will tell you that! You will not be prepared for the twists this book has!

I did positively love the spooky elements and the mystery itself! It was a bundle of the bizarre! If you love totally twisted mysteries then this is the book for you! It's spooky on a whole other level too. I feel distant memories of Rules for Vanishing which I also remember being spooky and mysterious with a side of trippy! I love having all those same feels again in this book! While I wouldn't say the book was fast paced, it does evolve at a moderate one. Just the kind of pace you would expect when entering a "haunted house" book. So it was pretty spot on for my tastes!

The ending was wild! After things get revealed, things really amp up in the ending as it all comes together. And just wow! I did read Marshall's author note which goes on to say that this book was inspired by a novella I never heard of...I debated saying which one but since it's one that's "at the end of the book," I feel like leaving that a mystery and you can read it for yourself. While this book isn't a retelling of that story, it's more the sort that spins off from it when you ask what about the other characters?

All in all, I was pretty entertained with this one. Yes, I had a few moments of confusion when things spiraled into some serious weirdness, but some of that was expected. Other confusion came from the "explanation" of things, but again, I got the overall idea of it...just had to wade through some fog! I definitely can't wait to read more of Marshall's books as each one reminds me why I keep coming back for more! If you're looking for a spooky good time, be sure to pick up one of her YA titles!

Overall Rating 3.5/5 stars