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

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The story tries to be somewhat serious or creepy and yes, descriptions of Pearl's father—who's phossy jaw is rotting away—were not pleasant. But the narrative's 'supernatural' undertones and 'murder mystery' storyline were bland and galaxies away from being remotely scary (or even atmospheric). 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. 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.

The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell | Goodreads

I need to catch up on Laura Purcell’s books, I loved The Silent Companions when I read it a few years ago. Great review!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. 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. What I like about Laura Purcell's books is that she doesn't give any final answers about what "really" happened once the story is over. As with The Corset, I wasn't quite as creeped out as with The Silent Companions - or as October might have required. But I adored the atmosphere of this former fashionable "spa" town, now in decline and haunted by bad memories, mediums and ghost hunters. The end was, in parts, heart-breaking, and in other parts maybe one spin and twist too many. 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.

Review | The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell | Art and Soul Review | The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell | Art and Soul

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? Just about every twist here caught me off guard, and every prediction I had turned out to be unfounded. The story was so intrinsically layered, that I couldn't focus on another while immersed in this world. Everything from the differences of social classes, medicinal practices, factory conditions, and horrible deaths that could wipe out an entire family in moments are brought to our attention. This is not a look at the glamour of the Victorian times, but of the lesser fortunate.

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. At this point, Laura Purcell is an auto-buy author for me. The particular sort of Gothic Historical Fiction that she writes is just exactly my sort of fiction, and so this was one of the most anticipated releases of 2021 for me, and I have to say, she didn't disappoint. But something strange is happening… after her clients leave her house, they end up dead. Is this just a coincidence or is the killer purposely targeting her?

Top 10 books about spirit mediums | Books | The Guardian Top 10 books about spirit mediums | Books | The Guardian

THE SHAPE OF DARKNESS, by Laura Purcell features Agnes, a silhouette artist in Victorian Bath. She's struggling to support her mother and nephew in a time where more modern devices are becoming popular. When her customers start dying shortly after their sittings with her, she breaks down and sees a child medium--the older sister clearly untrustworthy, but the younger appears to be genuine. This much we gather from the synopsis, but the book is so much deeper than that. 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. Thank you! The Silent Companions scared me witless! 🙂 I haven’t found any of her other books frightening, but they’re still spooky and chilling.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.

Project Gutenberg eBook of Heart of Darkness, by Joseph The Project Gutenberg eBook of Heart of Darkness, by Joseph

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. Dripping with atmospherewith a corkscrew plot,Laura Purcell just gets better and better.” – Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars and The Foundling Pearl is known as “The White Sylph”, her albinism the prominent reason for the sobriquet. She is a spirit guide, and even though only eleven years of age, unlike all the charlatans and frauds many years older, Pearl’s powers are real. It is to Pearl that Mrs Boyle comes to speak to her murdered husband. The dead speak through Pearl, not to her, and after each séance Pearl is exhausted and none the wiser as to what the dead have revealed. All she knows is that Mr Boyle’s shade did not reveal his murderer. Towards the end the story becomes so dramatic as to be frankly risible. There were a few scenes that were meant to inspire suspense or whatnot but they way they go down would have suited more a B movie.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? Eyes of the Beast: The vampire can will a supernatural red gleam into their eyes, giving them sight even in the total absence of light.