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In Her Shadow
In Her Shadow
Jan 15, 2026 8:44 PM

Author:Louise Douglas

In Her Shadow

'An edge-of-your-seat read . . . Dark and brooding' The Lady

'Enthralling and unnervingly absorbing . . . our top holiday recommendation' Heat

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She thought she'd left the past behind. Now it's coming to find her.

Hannah Brown never thought she'd have a best friend like Ellen Brecht. Ellen is everything she isn't - beautiful, daring, glamorous and fierce. Growing up together in rural Cornwall, life seems perfect. But their idyllic childhood is shattered by obsession, betrayal and, ultimately, tragedy.

Hannah has tried for twenty years to forget what happened during that terrible summer. Then, one ordinary morning at work, she glimpses a woman who is identical to Ellen. Can it really be her? And has Ellen returned to forgive her - or to punish her?

The thrilling novel from the bestselling author of The Secret by the Lake and The House by the Sea, winner of The Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award.

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Readers are captivated by In Her Shadow:

***** 'Full of intrigue and twists. It kept me gripped to the end.'

***** 'I finished the story feeling a bit breathless and as though I'd lived a whole other life.'

***** 'Beautifully written . . . wonderfully descriptive, I could actually smell the sea and imagine myself on the beach.'

Reviews

In Her Shadow is captivating, it is compelling and it is powerfully written...I cannot describe how much I loved this book!

—— http://readinginthesunshine.wordpress.com/

An edge-of-your-seat read, which will have you tantalisingly close to the psychosis Hannah seems to be experiencing. Dark and brooding.

—— The Lady

Enthralling and unnervingly absorbing... Our top holiday recommendation so far this year.

—— Heat

I'd defy anyone not to well up when he cries: "Why do I have to be so ugly, Mommy?", and as for the climax, it wreaks emotional havoc. There is a message running through the book, most clearly voiced by an inspirational teacher, that if we were all a little kinder to one another the benefit would be incalculable. To finish it with a firm resolve to be a better person - well, you can't ask much more of any book than that

—— Independent

Tremendously uplifting and a novel of all-too-rare power

—— Sunday Express

If you read one book this year, make it this one... a funny, emotional, brilliantly observed story... We loved it

—— Bella

For anyone who has ever worried about their child's vulnerabilities, Wonder will strike at your heart

—— Daily Telegraph

In its assured simplicity and boldness (reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird), it also has the power to move hearts and change minds

—— Guardian

When the kids have finished with this, the adults will want to read it

—— Financial Times

What a gem of a story. Moving and heart-warming. This book made me laugh, made me angry, made me cry

—— Malorie Blackman

The recent death of Iain Banks left a gaping hole in contemporary literature, but nowhere was the loss felt more than in his native Scotland. Banks took ordinary situations and rendered them extraordinary; a talent that fellow Scot Sue Peebles, whose first novel won both the Scottish and Saltire book awards, shares in spades… The "sacred geometry" of ageing and the timeless measuring out of love are what sustain this subtle, beautiful book.

—— Catherine Taylor , Guardian

Deeply humane tale of memory, loss and the struggle to understand a family’s past… It’s a novel of generous warmth

—— Ben Felsenburg , Metro Herald

A beautiful, brilliant novel destined to cement Sue's place as one of the leading lights of the Scottish literary scene

—— Waterstones

Peebles' keen eye for social observation adds a comic touch to the narrative, expertly showing how black humour is used in bleak times.

—— Rowena McIntosh , The Skinny

Peebles writes poetic prose, capturing Aggie's imaginative character and her need to find meaning in the puzzle of circumstances she finds herself in. The insight into dementia and its impact upon a family is poignant, with Aggie desperate to recapture the history of a beloved Gran who is disappearing in front of her eyes. The novel strongly evokes the Scottish countryside, its link to the past and the secrets it keeps. The story may be a slow burner, but keep going because its gentle pace builds up to a satisfying conclusion

—— Penny Batchelor , We Love This Book
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