This is such an emotional read. The characters are likeable and believable
This book covers some sensitive issues and it deals with this so well.
The pacing is a bit off in this book.

Jim and Cath are a happily married couple who have been struggling to cope after their eighteen year old daughter Emma left home a year ago, without telling them why or where she went.

They use an inheritance to buy a small rental property which brings back memories of their first house together, although it was not as perfect as this rental property.

The new tenants Ruth and Nick remind Cath and Jim of themselves when they were full of hope, before life took a turn for the worse. And so begins a friendship that has the power to heal or destroy them.

This was an emotional read that portrayed the agony and despair of a daughter going missing and how it would feel to try and move on when you are constantly wondering where your child is and if they are safe.

The characters were likeable and well rounded to make them believable.

This was such a great emotional read. I will definitely be looking out for this author's next book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

It's every parent's worst nightmare, to have your child go missing. I could sympathise with Cath and Jim and could not begin to imagine how I would react if I were in their shoes. The multiple POV really helped to bring the characters inner most thoughts to the forefront and I enjoyed seeing how the story unravelled.

However I did feel that the story could have been shorter and more enjoyable. It seemed to take a while for different reveals to happen but when they did they were brilliant!

A gripping read from Rachel Hancox. This book covers themes of family, marriage and loss in an intriguing and thought provoking way. The plot will stay with you long after you finish reading which, in my opinion, is the sign of a well told tale. We meet Cath and Jim and learn the story of their missing daughters. This runs alongside the story of Lara and Nick who serve as a distraction for Cath but have problems of their own. This book is well worth reading and will hold your attention until the very end.

Not going to lie, I know the saying goes 'don't judge a book by its cover' but I really did it this case, I was initially drawn to this book by its beautiful cover.
In this case my judgment served well. Was an absolutely fabulous book. Painfully emotional to read aswell, be prepared for tears to flow with this one. Rachel Hancox has done an amazing job on capturing all the emotions so well. An incredible moving story, that in all honesty, I'm going to find very hard to forget about, will certainly stay with me for a while. Beautifully written and I cant recommend it enough, it's just so brilliant! I'll be looking foward to seeing more by Rachel

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for this book.

I felt the writing was done well in this book but there was just something missing for me and I couldn't get into it and enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.

Cath and Jim are ordinary parents to twins, they feel the pain of losing one of her daughters, Rose, when she dies very young.
They have just purchased a property and are renting it to a young couple, who have moved out of London temporarily to save money.
But Cath and Jim have another shadow in their life: Emma has disappeared a year ago and they have not heard from her since then.
Will they ever see her again? Why did she leave?

I love the storyline and the characters, you just want to keep reading to find out what has happened to Emma. I also can sympathise with Cathy and understand why she is befriending her tenant.

A lovely read that will stay with you. I thought it would be a thriller but it was a nicely planned drama. Great for a Sunday afternoon

This was a complex story with many layers and complex aspects which all come together in the end. A fasinating story and a page turner. A most unusual book

This was billed as a thriller but I disagree - it was more about relationships and how they affect each other. I liked the first part where we get to know Nick and Lara who have moved into the area and are renting their dream home from Cara and her husband, Jim who in turn have their own problems with the disappearance of their daughter, Emma over a year before. The second part is focused on Emma which I found slowed the book down and was a bit frustrating. Luckily the third part pulled it all together and I ended up shedding a few tears.

This novel tells the story of Cath, Jim and their twin girls Emma and Rose. Rose tragically died as an infant as a result of twin to twin transfusion syndrome. Part of Emma has always blamed herself and when her friend, Julianne, also suffers a tragic death, she feels the need to escape.

Cath and Jim decide to take on a rental property and it's the perfect home for a young couple, Nick and Lara. Cath busies herself making everything perfect for them, including tending to the garden and bringing them cakes. Her motherly instinct is transferred to Lara while Emma is missing. It transpires that Lara has family issues of her own, having left home when her very religious parents refused to support her having an abortion. Meanwhile, Jim is distracting himself by having an affair. In the second part of the novel, we learn Emma's story- the events which led her to leave home, how she was able to take refuge in the centre and even deliver Naomi's baby and how she questions her sexuality.

The perspective alternates between the main characters, which I thought was quite ambitious, but the writing flowed seamlessly. I felt completely engaged throughout and felt the author did a great job of painting the characters. There is so much packed into this book, so it would make a great choice for book club discussions.

I will definiteky be recommending this read and look forward to reading more by Rachel Hancox.

Trigger warnings: child loss; missing child; miscarriage; adultery.

An emotional read that allows is a glimpse into the pains and trials of an everyday family. Cath.and Jim are an ordinary couple, who have faced extraordinary adversity, loss and pain; first through the loss of a sick child - Rose - in her early years and then when their almost 18 year old daughter Emma disappears without a trace. A year of fearing the worst and suffering turmoil.
Then they rent out a cottage to a young couple, who remind them of them in their early years of romance; sweet, loving, naive hopeful and not quite equipped for the trials life can throw in the way. Cath pours her time and motherly affections unto Lara. Her husband Nick is more suspicious of her actions. The story unravels events that lead up to Emma's disappearance. It is not so much the big revelation that matters though, rather than the heartbreaking journey they have all been on. An ordinary family bearing unimaginable pains. Each of them deals with their loss in different ways. This is a great read. #theshadowchild #rachelhancox #netgalley

The book has secrets that make you want to know more about the characters. There is sadness with families breakdowns and daughter's running away. But happy endings.

Jim and Cath’s struggles and heartbreak at the disappearance of their daughter Emma a year ago, and
the previous death of her young twin, affects them both in different ways. They decide to take under their wing, the young couple Nick and Lara who have taken on tenancy of their rental house.
I found this strand of the story entirely implausible, I’m sorry to say. I find it hard to believe that a pair of young newly-weds would take up a friendship with their middle aged landlord and landlady, who are clearly having relationship problems.
The whole story became way too maudlin and sentimental, with much internal musing, especially from Cath. This is a trait I particularly dislike in a novel, as it slows the narrative right down.
Jim’s choices I felt were another implausible strand, especially the way his affair came about.
I would not class this as a thriller, more a tale of fractured relationships. I confess I became bored with the book, and skim-read to the predictable ending. This book was just not for me.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
This book covers a few months in the lives of Cath, Jim and their daughter Emma and various characters they come into contact with. There are many reflections of things that happened in the past, providing insight to the people they have become and their reactions to current events.
I found the descriptions of emotions and reactions were beautifully written, and realistic. I wanted to keep reading to discover how things turned out, hoping for a happy ending whilst knowing that life isn't like that, there are ups and downs for all of us along the way. The book emphasises the importance of relationships, love and forgiveness, this essence will stay with me for a long time.

I loved reading the separate stories and how they meshed together, the different kinds of loss and love, I was both shocked and saddened whilst reading

Great book, I loved this read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was a gut-wrenching, emotional read that portrays the heartbreak and agony of a daughter going missing, and how the parents adjust to life wondering what happened to their child. Cath and Jim's experiences are very different, and I definitely sympathised more with Cath's situation. Their relationship was extremely difficult to read, and it broke my heart.
The reasons surrounding Emma's disappearance do take some time to come to light, and just when I was feeling frustrated, the author throws a curveball and I am right there with them, understanding every little nuance.
I did like Lara and Nick's story, although at times I struggled to see the relevance in their inclusion, but I did enjoy the contrasting relationships and themes between them and Cath and Jim, and I loved them as characters.
The characters were likeable on the whole, and while I didn't agree with some decisions, I can sympathise with why they made them.
A book full of emotion, and a really great read.

A new author for me to become obsessed with! My favourite part of book blogging finding more books I love. The Shadow Child is a story of family, love, loss, trauma and the hope we all hold onto. Cath and Jim have struggled after their eighteen year old daughter, Emma, left home and never returned a year ago. They can't come to terms with losing her, not knowing if she is even alive.

Cath attempts to deal with the hole in her life by mothering their tenants Lara and Nick. Unknown to her they are struggling themselves, each in their own hell, not even able to tell one another. At the same time Emma is trying to get used to her lifewhile she struggles to deal with a traumatic event that blew her world apart.

The story is told from the points of view of Cath, Jim, Emma,Lara and Nick. The story is told in three parts, Cath and Jim's story is told first, then we read Emma's story and in the final third, Rachel Hancox weaves the various stories together in such a beautiful way.

It's a very well written story that engaged me immediately. The way it's told really let's you get to know the characters. They aren't perfect and you see they are human, each with flaws and each uniquely themselves. I was absorbed in their stories and was soon in my own book world with these characters.
Rachel Hancox brings subjects that aren't always easy ones, but she deals with them very well. She puts relationships under a microscope and how they alter after any type of trauma. She highlights how people deal with trauma and how they change.

I did find it a moving and emotional book that tugged at my heart as I read. A touching and engaging read for me. I highly recommended read from me.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A great debut about family loss. Well-written with a fabulous cover. Recommended read.