This debut is a beautifully written story about family, relationships, and loss. After 18-year-old Emma leaves home without letting her parents, Jim and Cath, know where or how she is, they question how and why the daughter they love so much can cut them off so suddenly. It leaves them drifting apart and having to find different ways in which to cope in the aftermath.

Emma is a twin but her sister, Rose, died when she was five years old. The impact of the loss of Rose is far-reaching for the whole family, in particular Emma, as indeed is the murder of her best friend shortly before she leaves home. Cath and Jim rent out a small house to a young couple, Nick and Lara, and Cath grows close to Lara who has lost contact with her own parents.

The story is told first from the point of view of Jim and Cath and halfway through moves to Emma. The characters are realistic and I couldn't help but feel for them all. Although heart-rending in places it is also a redemptive read and I highly recommend it. Many thanks to NetGalley and RandomHouse/Cornerstone/Century for the opportunity to read and review The Shadow Child.

A great book about people and their relationships.

The two main female characters are relatable and I really enjoyed getting an insight in to their lives.

The story is told really beautifully told and the mystery element is told slowly and keeps you gripped.

Enjoyable book which kept me gripped until the end. Heartbreaking in parts. Well written storyline with intriguing and well developed characters. It's a story of loss and belonging.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an Arc in exchange for an honest opinion

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me gripped all the way through and I could feel what the family were experiencing. A dark story but, not the sort of story that made me uncomfortable. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Plot: Emma has loving parents and it would seem a perfect life until one day she disappears. Her parents Cath and Jim don't know what to do, two postcards tell me that Emma is fine but doesnt want to come home but how do they carry on with life?

Review: This is a great thriller and I did enjoy it. It was a very interesting storyline and did tackle some sensitive subjects. The characters were very believable. My only criticism is that I found it a little bit slow at times but it didnt detract from the story the author was trying to protray.

For a debut novel, I thought it was well written and well researched.

Dealing with loss, guilt and self-blame, this is an in-depth psychological investigation into the minds of several characters, whose lives seem to reflect and refract each other's. Two daughters are lost, two daughters leave their parents in limbo, and two marriages are tested to the limit.

This is a thoughtful book, well-characterised and compelling enough to make the reader turn the page. It isn't the sort of book I normally read, so I can't say I love it, (rather too many babies for my taste) but it is very good for what it is.

If this is your sort of thing, then it is an excellent example.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @penguinrandom for my advance copy of #TheShadowChild
In the book we meet Cath and Jim who have already lost one daughter, then another goes missing.. into their lives come new tenants with seemingly perfect lives and Cath and Jim's marriage is tested to its limits but for me, the story celebrates the strength of women through adversity and the characters are real and flawed. 3/5 🌟
NB The story includes triggers, such as abortion, miscarriage and rape so it won't be for everyone.

This is a really heartbreaking, devestating read. That is also beautifully written. With great characters and a lovely storyline.

Eighteen-year-old Emma has loving parents and a promising future ahead of her.
So why, one morning, does she leave home without a trace? The author’s writing style lends itself perfectly to the genre. She knows exactly when to end a scene and mount suspense.

This book has several main characters - beginning with Cath and Jim who have lost not one, but two daughters, although they know what happened to one, but not the other. Their anxiety and desperation to find Emma affects all the decisions they make in life at the moment.
Another couple also appear as. main characters. They are Nick and Lara who rent a house from Cath and Jim. Both of them have had a difficult childhood but they are very much in love. Cath, desperate for companionship, ingratiates herself into their lives bringing more issues for all of them.
Meanwhile, Cath and Jim's daughter, Emma, is living a separate life, mourning the loss of both her sister and a friend who died recently.
This was an interesting story which wove together several strands of love, loss and grief, expressed by the characters in different ways. I found it a little slow in patches but nonetheless it had an interesting read.

Not just one Shadow Child, but many.

A murder, a vanished daughter, struggling parents and a search for explanations.

Cath had twins, one of them struggled for life. She has lived with the guilt ever since. Emma survived. Her childhood seemed uneventful. Then, at 17, everything changed for her. She vanished.

The book examines the aftermath and the events leading up to Emma's disappearance. Who is the shadow child - is it Emma, or perhaps her twin, or are there other shadow children?

Generally, a good book. Keeps you reading to find out what will happen.

This is a sad story about coping with loss at many different levels and about the variety of families relying on each other. While the book has a sad overlay, there are enjoyable and happy times.
I found it easy to engage with the characters and enjoyed the way an absent character suddenly joined the story as a narrator.
This book seems to me to tackle several difficult angles on family life and stress, looking at the diverse feelings that develop as time passes.
Recommended

A really great read. When Emma disappears from home her parents are devastated and they struggle with their grief of losing their daughter. The story has lots of depths and some interesting characters who blend well into the story. It involves two families who are both facing difficulties and there are plenty of issues from all thier pasts that have to be resolved before they can finally find happiness .I enjoyed this story and really recommend it

I enjoyed this book. The characters really came to life, and the story was compelling, whilst still being very believable. The interlinking of the various stories worked well.

The Shadow Child by Rachel Hancox

Eighteen-year-old Emma has loving parents and a promising future ahead of her.
So why, one morning, does she leave home without a trace?
Her parents, Cath and Jim, are devastated. They have no idea why Emma left, where she is - or even whether she is still alive.
A year later, Cath and Jim are still tormented by the unanswered questions Emma left behind, and clinging desperately to the hope of finding her.
Meanwhile, tantalisingly close to home, Emma is also struggling with her new existence - and with the trauma that shattered her life.
This book has a tv series or film written all over it.
I really enjoyed hearing all about Emma and her ' seemingly ' perfect life.
Part drama, part mystery this storyline kept me interested right to the end and I wanted to find out if Emma got her happy ending

A middle aged couple who find themselves in a very sad state after their teenage daughter walk out. They don't know where she's gone or why. Their lives also become tangled with a young couple who rent a house from them.
It appears that everyone has their own secrets. On the surface they all seem happy, but......
An intriguing story.

Jim and Cath are landlords to Lara and Nick. Emma, Jim and Cath’s daughter, has been missing from home for some time, after a tragic incident blew up her life. Cath tries to fill the void left by focusing on her tenants more than she should, whilst Jim finds solace elsewhere.

This is a story that deals with, and handles well, some sensitive issues. The plot is engaging and as the story unfolds it becomes evermore absorbing. The book was slightly overlong in my opinion, but nevertheless a very enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley.

The Shadow Child unravels slowly, leaving you eager to learn more with each turn of the page.
The main characters - Cath and Jim have lost their daughter Emma - she is missing and the couple is desperate to find her. Emma was once a twin but Rose was born with problems with her brain and dies at five years old.

The story also features Lara and Nick. The young couple rent a house from Cath and Nick but Cath can't seem to step away from them, she ingratiates herself into their lives - which brings its own issues.

The story moves at a leisurely pace, each character has its own secrets, Emma with an incident that causes her to run away from home. Lara with her family and Cath with her past.

A really good novel.

I really enjoyed this book, it was well paced with a good storyline and well developed characters. I was gripped right from the start and I couldnt put it down I had to know what the secret was and how it played out. There were sensitive issues in the book that were dealt with very well. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more by this author.