Let the Shadows Fall Behind You: A Novel (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"As a well written but convoluted Gothic tale involving a complex list of characters, it is a very promising debut."  —Reviewing the Evidence

"Leveille has written a compelling debut novel filled with characters that have their own issues or need to adjust their life because of the actions of others. How each character responds to what has happened in the past, and how that shapes their life as an adult, is part of the draw of this intense character study. Leveille swiftly moves between past and present, sometimes to some distraction, but the story moves at a rapid pace and does not disappoint."  —The Voice of Women

"A taut psychological thriller with more than enough mystery and rich characterization to keep us mesmerized."  —A Reader's Respite

"A haunting story of disappearance and loss and, ultimately, of redemption.  Weaving together a world of family loyalties and family lies, of broken bonds and of those that endure, it combines the nuance of poetry with all the suspense of a thriller."  —Nino Ricci, winner, Governor General's Award and the Canadian Authors Award for his book The Origin of Species

Product Description

Filled with quirky, heartwarming characters, this novel is a late coming-of-age story shaped by the eternal redeeming power of female friendship. Brannagh Maloney returns to her hometown for a reunion of old friends, carrying the burden of thinking she has lost her lover, Nikolai Mirsky. Once there, she finds it hard to ignore old family secrets, and decides to visit the house where she was raised and treated cruelly by her grandfather. Brannagh forces the old man to tell her what happened to her mother, and the shocking truth finally sets her free as she understands why her grandfather had acted so harshly. When Nikolai turns up unexpectedly, Brannagh's life takes another turn as her mysterious past deepens.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Kunati Inc. (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601641672
• ISBN-13: 978-1601641670
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,246,535 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Page Turner, May 24, 2009

By	Chelle Cordero - See all my reviews

This is an intricate story where the memories of the past and the discoveries of the present weave themselves together to heal wounds and answer haunting questions.

Leveille uses the many seemingly unrelated events of complicated lives to help show how the characters got to where they are today and how the hidden scars of the past have affected them, changed them and molded them..

This is almost a coming of age story where the characters learn to understand themselves and grow. Very well done book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thriller with prose, May 15, 2009

By	M. Jacobsen "Stop the Spelling and Grammatica... (Southeast of Disorder) - See all my reviews

This is a wondrously written thriller that I couldn't put down. Set in Canada, a young woman trying to escape her violent childhood cons her way onto an environmental research team where she falls in love with the team leader. When he inexplicably disappears into the Canadian wilderness, she returns home to sort out her past and, by default, her future.

The novel traverses three time periods: the protagonist's early childhood, the present, and the not-so-distant past of her scientific expedition. The three time frames meld together perfectly and there is no confusion, only enhancement of the story.

This is a character-driven, psychological thriller that hooks you immediately and doesn't let go until the last secret is revealed. The plot increases intensity to an almost feverish point, but the author does so with beautifully written prose. The sights, smells, sounds and emotions come alive.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good thriller that isn't just about car chases or explosions!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Just Ok, May 2, 2009

By	Cheryl K (CO) - See all my reviews

Brannaugh Maloney loved her boyfriend Nikolai "Nikki" Mirsky. Which is a good thing as Nikki also happens to be her boss. Nikki is a wilderness preservationist. Brannaugh works for him as a cataloguer.

Nikki will be going away for a week long conference. Instead of staying at the hotel with the rest of the attendees, Nikki will be staying at a cabin that his assistant, Alex Turner found. It is rumored that the cabin is haunted. Story has it that the cabin was built by a prospector for his mail-order bride. Ten months after the young lady arrived, the prospector vanished while out fishing. Brannagh has a bad feeling about Nikki staying at the cabin. Nikki assures her that nothing will happen to him.

Brannagh calls the hotel where the conference is being held to check in with Nikki. To her surprise the clerk tells her that there is no one listed in their system by the name of Nikolai Mirsky. Brannagh is now worried that something horrible has happened to Nikki. Brannagh files a missing person's report. Months pass and the authorities are no closer to figuring out what happened to Nikki then when he first disappeared.

Brannagh has just about given up on Nikki when one night while at her friend's house, she spots a man's face peering in the window. Brannagh swears the man looks exactly like Nikki. How can that be possible?

Let the Shadows Fall Behind You by Kathy-Diane Leveille is the first book I have read by this author. While this story had potential; there were also some factors that I had some issues with like when the storyline would lash back to explain how Brannagh met Nikki and what her childhood was like. This was all good as it helped piece together some of the characteristics of why Brannagh did the things she did but at the same time I found that I was given too much information. The back plot could have been shorten some. The one thing I enjoyed was when the story would switch between the past and the present. You could tell when this happened without any interruptions in the flow of the story. Overall I thought this book was a pretty good read.