Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Sinister Shadows
AUTHOR: Brittany Cournoyer
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 211 Pages
RELEASE DATE: October 30, 2019
BLURB:
Who is Duncan Reynolds? Pierce, the man claiming to be my husband says that’s me.
A racing heart and a need to breathe are my only memories when I wake in an unfamiliar room surrounded by strangers. With nothing else to go on, I have to trust the people around me to help me remember.
As days stretch into weeks, I know the reoccurring dreams of dark alleys and sinister shadows can’t be ignored, and the only person I have to help me is Pierce. With my memory slowly starting to return, I know things aren’t always as they seem. Will searching for the past lead me closer to my husband or toward the danger that’s lurking just out of sight?
REVIEW:
Duncan wakes in a hospital bed, but nothing is familiar to him. Not his name nor his husband – Pierce. Pierce likes to be in control, and it is clear that he is in love with Duncan. But there are lots of questions, and nothing is as it seems.
Well, if you want a story where your gut tells you one thing, but little nuggets of information keep you guessing, then you need to have this story on your shelf. It’s one of those stories where, when you’ve read it once, you see the giveaway clues.
The story is told in the third person from Duncan and Pierce’s viewpoints. Other than some independent body parts, I found it technically sound. The concept of the arc is simple, but the execution is exquisite. If I said too much about the story arc, it would give the game away. As the one with amnesia and an injured ankle, it would be easy to have this story told solely from Duncan’s side. But, the inclusion of Pierce’s thoughts and actions gives the story a different dimension, as do the slow return of Duncan’s memory.
After his accident, Duncan is kept in isolation at a house in the country, which is supposed to be the place he and Pierce fell in love with. To keep control over Duncan, Pierce uses a combination of techniques. He makes Duncan feel ungrateful, sedated, and occasionally physically ill. But from the sections that are from Pierce’s viewpoint, it is clear, that he cares for Duncan, which sows’ seeds of doubt, that he could be doing everything to keep Duncan safe. There’s always an excuse why Duncan shouldn’t do something, and there is no doubt events twisted.
The story has a disturbing quality because all the situations are plausible despite your inner voice telling you different. Then like all good mysteries, events, people, and drama start to unravel. Emotions vary from scene to scene, and they range from gut-churning, sympathy, anger, like, chilled, excited, relief.
Emotionally troubled can be used to describe both Duncan and Pierce. But they are distressed for very different reasons. The journey they, as individuals and as a couple, traverse is what makes this story so gripping.
Sinister Shadows is a story that once started – I had to finish asap because I had to know if my gut was right, and what the fate of the characters would be.
RATING: 
BUY LINK: