These Fleeting Shadows

By: Kate Alice Marshall

Narrated by: Megan Trout

The Haunting of Hill House meets Knives Out in a bid for an inheritance that will leave Helen Vaughan either rich...or dead.

Helen Vaughan doesn't know why she and her mother left their ancestral home at Harrowstone Hall, called Harrow, or why they haven't spoken to their extended family since. So when her grandfather dies, she's shocked to learn that he has left everything—the house, the grounds, and the money—to her. The inheritance comes with one condition: She must stay on the grounds of Harrow for one full year, or she'll be left with nothing.

There is more at stake than money. For as long as she can remember, Harrow has haunted Helen's dreams—and now those dreams have become a waking nightmare. Helen knows that if she is going to survive the year, she needs to uncover the secrets of Harrow. Why is the house built like a labyrinth? What is digging the holes that appear in the woods each night? And why does the house itself seem to be making her sick?

With each twisted revelation, Helen questions what she knows about Harrow, her family, and even herself. She no longer wonders if she wants to leave...but if she can.

©2022 Kate Alice Marshall (P)2022 Listening Library

Excellent duck

Loved every minute of it could not put it down. Recommend it to anyone who likes a good read.

It’s got a very fresh twist

I didn’t see the twist going in that direction and it was refreshing. Even the side stories ended up being of importance in the end and it makes it a little better.

Incredible, but TW for body horror

This story was absolutely fantastic. I read a lot of supernatural & fantasy books, and this one was anything but predictable. Kept me guessing the whole way through. It does have a few chapters where the main character experiences some body horror which isn’t my favorite, but it’s nothing too extreme. The story is also categorized as LGBT because the main character is a lesbian, so if you’re a bigot then avoid that part.

Thought provoking

I enjoyed this book. If you choose to do so, it can make you look at your morals, how humans can be so arrogant, rip something into this world and rip it apart. Do you sacrifice people for the greater good? Do you free a monster? Good vs evil all depends on your perception. This is a good story on the surface, sufficiently creepy and mysterious. But it has a depth that is very intriguing should you choose to dive in.

twisty in the best sense

freaking WILD man. always love Kate Alice Marshall’s work - will continue to support her work and her crazily inventive mind

Loved this reclaiming of The Great God Pan

Rachel Vaughn & her 18 year old daughter Helen are lured back to their ancestral home, Harrow, after fleeing in a cloud of confusion years ago. The night they left has become a mystery even to them. They are drawn back after the death of Helen's wealthy & tradition bound grandfather. It seems he'd unexpectedly changed the will, leaving everything to Helen on the condition she remain at Harrow for a period of 1 year.
Only that's easier said than done. Helen is thrown into Harrow without knowing who she can really trust. She's surrounded by a family she only recently met; a cold & formal grandmother along with aunts, uncles, cousins & the grounds keeper & his intriguing & bewitching (wink wink) daughter. Everyone seems to have an ulterior motive & not to mention the fact that the shadows from the book's title can actually hurt you & and may, in fact, be more than shadows
The plot unwinds to tell a story you think you know or knew. As the reader & Helen slowly unravel the horrors of Harrow & the Vaughn family, Kate Alice Marshall brings you into the story.
Once everything has been revealed, one can't help but think back at the clues we were given. After the first major twist, I was already excited at the prospect of a re-read. These plot twists were not there for the sake of a twist. They paid off & gave you an even greater appreciation for what Marshall crafted for us.

TLDR: It is everything you could want from a gothic atmospheric thriller. We have a sapphic MC who doesn't just pine for the girl she likes & who, with her found family, figure out the real history of the Vaughns & try their hand at finally breaking the vicious cycle started a century & a half back. Oh also fuck the patriarchy with cosmic & body horror vibes... but it’s a lot more nuanced than that.

Such a great story!

I could not stop. I binged this story in one day! When you think you know what’s going on it takes you to another path where the story is going. I’m definitely sharing this with others.

Never guessed the ending

Great book! Kept you guessing and engaged throughout the whole storyline. It was a great listen

A real pageturner!

This book was even better than I anticipated. After reading the summary, I was completely taken in as I wanted to know why I had to be lied to first before being told the truth. Now, it all makes sense. This book was an incredible journey full of sinister family secrets, as Helen worked to stay alive during her year at Harrow and unravel the mystery of its past before they unraveled her.

Captivating Story Wonderfully Narrated

When I saw the comparisons to Haunting on Hill House in the reviews, I knew this was just the type of book I was looking for. I like to listen to podcasts on my way to work and decided to give Audiobooks a try while my favorite podcasts were on Summer hiatus.

These Fleeting Shadows has just the right amount of twists and turns to keep you guessing and a cast of characters who are truly fascinating. Megan Trout expertly brings all these characters to life and her voice was perfectly chosen to tell this story.