Prepare to be spellbound. Barbara Frances'
long-awaited third novel, “Shadow's Way,” takes you to the coastal, deep
South, where the past and the present mingle in a gothic tale of insanity, murder, and sexual intrigue.
You'll meet the beautiful Elaine Chauvier, former actress and proprietor of Shadow's Way, her family's antebellum home; the esteemed Archbishop Andre Figurant and his fallen identical twin, Bastien; newly arrived Ophelia and Rudy, here to explore their Chauvier roots and their ties to Shadow's Way; and the mysterious Madame Claudine. Under a veneer of piety and graciousness, i.e., the questions: What is good? What is evil? What is reality?
Reviewed
by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Shadow’s
Way is a work of gothic intrigue and Southern mystery penned by author Barbara
Frances. In this sweeping narrative of interpersonal drama, intended for mature
readers, we meet Elaine Chauvier at the novel’s titular home, where she runs a
bed and breakfast. Elaine is keen to hang on to Shadow’s Way, so when her
half-sister Ophelia and cousin Rudy show up to visit, trouble ensues. Combining
this with a mysterious Archbishop, his housekeeper and obscure identical twin,
the novel progresses swiftly into a creepy and intriguing mystery as a massive
hurricane approaches the Gulf Coast. A superbly haunted time awaits its
readers.
Fans of Agatha Christie and her enormous ensemble casts will find many
enjoyable parallels in the work and structure of author Barbara Frances. I
particularly enjoyed the setting for this tale, playing on the traditional
tropes of the Southern gothic genre, but also adding many flairs and twists
from ghost stories, fables and psychological horror works. Both the characters
and plot are multi-faceted, giving readers a lot to follow, but also a lot to
gain from paying close attention to each clue and motivation. The mystery
itself sometimes takes a back seat when the (often literal) ghosts and shadows
take over, playing with the characters’ sensibilities and forcing them to ask
much deeper questions of themselves and others. What results is an emotive but
also thoughtful, spooky mystery novel. I would highly recommend Shadow’s Way to
mystery and gothic fiction fans looking for something new, unique and really
well crafted.
Ms. Francis’ novel Shadow’s Way, had me enthralled from page
one, it kept me reading until so late into the night that I used a flashlight
in order not to wake my husband.
I’ve always enjoyed reading gothic tales, but this one went
beyond most that I had read. The synopsis was correct, past and present mingled
and left me on the edge of my seat. Was G – G – Daddy a real paranormal
experience or a figment of Elaine Chauvier’s imagination, which got worse as
she sunk deeper into insanity?
I loved the various characters that Ms. Francis brought into
play as needed to heighten the story. They were well rounded and interconnected
in ways that one has to keep reading to get the full picture.
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