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The Shape of Darkness
- Narrated by: Sophie Aldred
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
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The Shape of Darkness
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Summary
Bloomsbury presents The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell, read by Sophie Aldred.
Wicked deeds require the cover of darkness....
A struggling silhouette artist in Victorian Bath seeks out a renowned child spirit medium in order to speak to the dead - and to try to identify their killers - in this beguiling new tale from Laura Purcell.
Silhouette Artist Agnes is struggling to keep her business afloat. Still recovering from a serious illness herself, making enough money to support her elderly mother and her orphaned nephew Cedric has never been easy, but then one of her clients is murdered shortly after sitting for Agnes, and then another, and another....
Desperately seeking an answer, Agnes approaches Pearl, a child spirit medium lodging in Bath with her older half-sister and her ailing father, hoping that if Pearl can make contact with those who died, they might reveal who killed them. But Agnes and Pearl quickly discover that instead they may have opened the door to something that they can never put back....
What secrets lie hidden in the darkness?
Critic reviews
"Dripping with atmosphere with a corkscrew plot, Laura Purcell just gets better and better." (Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars and The Foundling)
"It's her best one yet and that’s saying something. A story of a woman haunted in every way possible, I think it’s a future gothic classic." (Martyn Waites)
"Darkly addictive and utterly compelling. Reading Laura’s books is like watching a horror movie where you have to keep hiding behind a cushion because you dread what is coming next, but you simply have to find out!" (Ruth Hogan)
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What listeners say about The Shape of Darkness
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Belinda
- 24-03-21
Guilty pleasure
It was indeed a guilty pleasure to retreat into listening to this curious tale. There was plenty of mystery to reflect upon and then to grasp. It was very well researched and I learnt a little history from it. I have a ‘shadow’ of an in-law from a long time since so it was interesting to hear facts about the art. I also had distant relatives who practised the deceptive art of the séance, so that too was very absorbing indeed! If you read this Ms Purcell I’d like to thank you very much indeed for the entertaining listen!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Emily B.
- 07-03-22
a fantastic gothic thriller with an occult leaning
Fab story. endearing characters. kept me guessing. intricate tale. I shall seek out more from this author.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Isolde
- 29-01-21
Beautiful Victorian Gothic Thriller
The language throughout this book is sublime. The richly evocative writing brings life to Victorian Bath.
I think the story will appeal to people with a vivid imagination as the first part drew strongly on my ability to turn the words mentally into atmospheric pictures. I think for people who struggle with imagining storylines it may be a bit slow.
The first part of the story moved at a slower pace but at the half-way point it was gripping and addictive. I loved the setting, the creepy dark shadows, the exploration of Agnes' role as a silhouettist, the Victorian obsession with spiritualism and the description of the societal position of women.
This story would make an excellent TV series, movie or play so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
The supernatural element was also a draw for me. I was totally immersed in the world of Agnes Darken. The narration was excellent and meant I could lose myself in the story.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rose
- 26-07-22
I don’t know what to make of this book
I really do like this author’s work but, I really don’t know what to make of this title. I found the narration a bit childish so I read my kindle copy myself. Even then, I honestly don’t know what to make of it. How much is illusion and how much real? None of the characters are very nice. Pearl you can forgive. She’s just a child after all but, as for the rest, not nice at all. I get that Agnes is strange and grief stricken but I felt the ending was just that, an ending, not a conclusion. I think i might have to read it again just to really make it out. Very atmospheric mind, typical of this author’s work and very well crafted. Not sure if all parts of the plot work. I’ll read it again and find out how it feels second time around I think.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Therese Jönsson
- 24-12-21
So many twists and turns!
Absolutely loved it. Great story and wonderful narration. Could not stop listening to it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 17-06-23
Great story with a twist
I like her style of writing .. keeps you guessing to the end & then you are never quite sure!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Fran Manca
- 22-06-21
Absolutely brilliant!
Brilliant listen. Really well constructed story, all characters have a multidimensional depth, clever plot twists. Beautifully narrated!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sarah McCaffrey
- 21-04-21
Awesome
This was a great story superbly told. Creepy and engaging. Keeps you guessing all the way, the end is awesome. Just fantastically enjoyable.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- A J
- 25-05-21
Great twisty ending, just too late for me
I struggled to keep going to be honest. The lead character didn't have a clue what was going on, and neither did I. For hours. That continued for so long that I stopped feeling invested. The ending was great; twisty and exciting but way too late for me, and too rushed. So much was revealed in the last few minutes and then it just ended. Maybe it was me, maybe it would have been better devoured in one sitting. Great premise, great writing style, great narration. Pacing of the story arc was my issue with it.
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11 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- wendy
- 28-05-21
kept me gripped to the very last word
loved it , so many twists and turns I never saw the end coming. couldn'tbear to stop listening
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