Audio Book Review: The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: 1997

Source: Personal Copy

Other Books By Author: Mariana,
The Rose Garden and The Winter Sea

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "The Invincible Ninth Roman Legion Marches from York to Fight The Northern Tribes. and then Vanishes from the Pages of History.  Archaeologist Verity Grey has been drawn to the dark legends of the Scottish Borderlands in search of the truth buried in a rocky field by the sea.  Her eccentric boss has spent his whole life searching for the resting place of the lost Ninth Roman Legion and is convinced he's finally found it—not because of any scientific evidence, but because a local boy has "seen" a Roman soldier walking in the fields, a ghostly sentinel who guards the bodies of his long-dead comrades.  Here on the windswept shores, Verity may find the answer to one of the great unsolved mysteries of our time. Or she may uncover secrets someone buried for a reason."

Verity Grey is an archaeologist with a has a great job with the British Museum.  Things seem to be going well for her, that is until her ex-boyfriend, Adrian, calls and asks her to come to Scotland to help him on a dig.  Of course, Verity agrees.  Things start to get really weird for her though.  The house she is staying at is extremely eerie. She hears things at night and there's talk about ghosts. Plus, she meets Peter Quinnell, who is also an archeologist, but he's sort of joke in his field. He's been looking for a marching camp from the 2nd century for years and he has become the laughing stock amongst his peers. But things aren't all bad for Verity. There's also the extremely good looking as well as charming archeologist, David.  He keeps her interested and maybe, just maybe, this missing Roman marching camp isn't all fiction?  Susanna Kearsley's The Shadowy Horses is an absorbing Gothic tale filled with romance, suspense, and history.  

Verity is my kind of heroine in The Shadowy Horses. I love when heroines are not only capable, but smart too. I actually ended up appreciating archeology so much more than before since I read this novel. Learning what goes into a dig, the details, and the science behind it, along with the history, were all very interesting.  I also really enjoyed the slow burn romance between Verity and David. 

I was in the mood for an audio book that had a Gothic vibe, so I am so glad I listened to The Shadowy Horses. It was such a creepy read at times and I loved being lost in Verity's world. Between the ghostly presence, the setting of the moors of Scotland, the shadowy horses heard at night, the hidden dangers of the mysterious dig, it was probably one of the most atmospheric novels I read in awhile.

While I didn't enjoy The Shadowy Horses as much as The Winter Sea, I still thought it was very entertaining.  The audio book version was well done and I liked Sally Armstrong, the narrator, and especially enjoyed her British accent.  

Susanna Kearsley is becoming one of my favorite historical authors, especially if I want to read a historical novel with a slight paranormal twist.