In a change of pace for the Book Club, in May we read and discussed a popular fiction novel – Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster.
English-born Sara Foster now lives in WA and, in a former life, was a book editor. In 2010 she took up her first love of writing and published her debut novel, Come Back to Me. Beneath the Shadows is her second book.
Set in the spooky Yorkshire Moors during a brutal winter, the book follows Grace, who has returned to the village of Roseby a year after her husband went missing. His disappearance has never been explained and even the police quickly dismiss it – the assumption being he wanted to disappear.
While she’s ostensibly there to clear out the cottage in preparation for its sale, she also hopes to find out just what happened there 12 months ago, and whether her husband is dead or alive. The moody setting and foul weather give this book a spooky feel and Grace finds herself quickly losing her grip on reality but determined to discover the truth.
Not many of the book club members read a lot of popular fiction (and neither do I) so this month’s choice gave us a chance to explore the difference between popular fiction and more literary works – and why some of us prefer one over the other. Some classed Beneath the Shadows as a "cut above romance" (and this is not meant as bad thing). Others described it as “easy to drop in and out of”. In other words, it’s a perfect book for when you can only read in short bursts!
Most of us agreed that Beneath the Shadows has a strong plot that unfolds nicely leaving the reader keen to find out what happens next. Foster also used her setting (the Yorkshire Moors) well to build the suspense and atmosphere in the novel.
Where some of us felt the story fell down was towards the end. As Grace gets closer to solving the mystery of Adam’s disappearance, the pace picks up but there’s almost too much happening. Some really interesting developments in the story weren’t fully explored, and some of us thought that was a lost opportunity.
We also talked about the characters. Some readers thought they lacked development, though most of them were certainly likeable. Adam was the one many of us really wanted to know more about. His role in the narrative was more a plot device than a character. This meant Grace couldn’t really grow either – there wasn’t a strong enough connection between her and her missing husband.
Where I think Grace was a successful character was in her moments of doubt and panic, when her mind wandered and her paranoia surfaced. Foster really tried to give her readers a sense of Grace’s psychological struggle.
For those who enjoyed the book, any issues in the characterisation and writing were minor quibbles. Beneath the Shadows was an enjoyable read and delivered everything you’d expect from a popular fiction novel – pace, plot and a satisfying escape.
Have you read Beneath the Shadows? What did you think?
