The Shadow Key

A Novel

By: Susan Stokes-Chapman

Narrated by: Richard Harrington

“The Shadow Key ushers us into Gothic darkness. . . . What sets this novel above your run-of-the-mill Gothic dread-fest is Stokes-Chapman’s skillful deployment . . . and above all, narrator Richard Harrington’s masterly performance. A Welshman himself, Harrington has a beautiful, dark brushy voice that alters in pitch to capture men and women and darkens as the perfidy and malevolence unfold. He brings such lyric grace to the occasional Welsh-language passages that they become as haunting and seductive as music.” — The Washington Post

On an isolated estate in late-eighteenth-century rural Wales, a young English doctor uncovers dangerous secrets that may threaten his own life in this spellbinding Gothic tale from the bestselling author of Pandora.

Dismissed from his post at a prestigious London hospital, Dr. Henry Talbot has little choice but to accept a mysterious offer of employment as a private physician from an inscrutable lord in rural Wales, Lord Julian. Arriving at Plas Helyg, the isolated estate, Henry can’t speak the language and finds himself treated with hostile suspicion by superstitious villagers, whose beliefs in myths and magic he’s inclined to dismiss. But when he discovers that his predecessor died under peculiar, inexplicable circumstances, his determination to uncover the truth leads him down a path fraught with danger—made all the more perilous by his headstrong, reluctant ally Linette, Lord Julian’s cousin.

Linette has lived a lonely life as Plas Helyg’s unconventional mistress: Julian treats her with disdain, her father is long dead, and her mother, long plagued by strange spells and believed by everyone around her to be deeply unwell, spends most of her time locked away in her rooms. Fiercely self-reliant, Linette refuses to wear women’s clothes, has no interest in marriage, and takes an interest in the welfare of the men working in Lord Julian’s mines, against his wishes.

Linette has always suspected something is not quite right in the village, but it is only through Henry's dogged investigations that the dark truth about those closest to her will come to light—a truth that will bind hers and Henry's destinies together forever in ways neither thought possible.

Enjoyable Read

The narration was excellent and the story interesting and engrossing. It would make a fine movie,

Slow burn!

It may be pretty boring at first, but the last twenty chapters are wild! Be patient.

A perfect Welsh Gothic

Wonderfully written and expertly narrated! The story rings true as a proper Gothic tale, complete with moody characters, dramatic landscapes, mystery and murder.
This ticked all of my boxes.

Gorgeous Atmosphere & Intriguing Plot

I loved everything about this story. The setting and descriptions were beautiful, but not too much. It was somehow like a sweeping, atmospheric classic novel, but written in lively, engaging prose. The characters were believable and well-rounded. The plot had fun twists and turns. Though I saw the final twist coming, it wasn't so obvious as to be annoying, and it came after a number of revelations that I did not see coming, so the conclusion was satisfying.

The narration was also wonderful, with lovely accents that were pleasing to listen to and helped to flesh out the world of the story. There were many Welch words and phrases that were pronounced beautifully. I'm glad I listened to this rather then read it myself.

I wish there was a sequel so I could listen to more! And SPOILER ALERT the best part was that the dog doesn't die :)

Dark academia perfection

I loved this story. I could imagine this being a Hammer horror film back in the day. The pacing suited the brooding darkness and mystery. I loved the characters and I think everything tied up perfectly in the end. Wonderful prose. I will probably listen to this again as a comfort read. I don’t often do that, so that is high praise from me.