In His Shadow - by Hannah Beckerman (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From the bestselling author of The Forgetting and Three Mothers comes a gripping domestic suspense about warring siblings, a toxic father, and whether it's ever possible to outrun your childhood.

Walter Barratt is celebrating his eightieth birthday with his three children, all together for the first time in over two decades. But when the reunion is overshadowed by Walter's sudden death, the estranged siblings are forced to confront the secrets that tore them apart.

People-pleaser Frances has always put her father's needs first, striving for approval under the weight of his narcissism. Troubled Robbie is trapped in his father's orbit while struggling with demons of his own. And while Izzy fled halfway around the world to build a successful life, she is still haunted by the events of her childhood.

When questions arise as to whether Walter's death really was an accident, the siblings' relationships reach breaking point, and as twenty-four years of pent-up emotion are let loose, the destructive hold their father had over each of them is exposed.

In His Shadow is a tense, morally complex and emotionally powerful dissection of family bonds and the corrosive impact of long-buried secrets. Propulsive, suspenseful and fiendishly clever, it asks how far any of us would go to right the wrongs of the past. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Andrea Mara and Louise Candlish.