After a broken marriage and a callous attack, Remi Lucan decided to move to Tasmania. Here she buys herself a rundown cottage with months of renovations, Remi’s cottage feels more like home every day. But with her ex-husband breathing down her neck insisting that she sell her as she has hit a financial hurdle, Remi decides to take on two boarders to help her money situation.

When strange unexplained things start happening to Remi she wonders if her ex-husband is behind them or if it could be one or both of her boarders.

Aussie author Jo Dixon knows how to keep her readers on the edge of their seats. The tension that builds throughout this book is so good and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my digital copy to read and review.

I really enjoyed this. Great female characters, i especially liked Josephine. Not quite as twisty as I was expecting, but still enough to have me hooked. I more so enjoyed the unexpected relationships that were formed.

I could not put it down!!! 😍

Jo Dixon blew me away with her debut novel, The House of Now and Then and I knew as soon as Shadow at the Door was released that it would be even better! It absolutely lived up to that expectation! It was brilliant! I read it in 2 sittings in less than 18 hours and honestly if I hadn't needed to sleep I would have just sat and binged it all at once!

I love Jo's writing style.. it just flows perfectly for me and before I've even realised I'm pages beyond where I expect to be! This is how I love my reading to be..

Former actress Remi is rebuilding her life after the breakdown of her marriage and a brutal attack. Relying on nobody because it's safer that way, she keeps herself busy restoring her Hobart heritage home to its former glory.

When her ex-husband, Simon, puts the pressure on to sell the renovated property to come up with money to settle her debt to him, Remi is desperate to find the funds quickly. , She doesn't want to sell so to keep the house Remi decides to take in two tenants, Josephine and Emmerson to help boost her funds and repay Simon as quickly as possible.

But then someone starts targeting her with “pranks” and Remi begins to question if she’s made the right decision.

Someone is out to destroy Remi and it appears they won't stop until they succeed!

This one will have you suspicious of everyone!

I'm super excited for what Jo has in store next!

Thank you to Harlequin Australia and NetGalley for the digital copy for review.

A Shadow At The Door is Jo Dixon’s second published novel and it’s every bit as good as the first. This is a psychological thriller and the suspense is evident almost from the first page, where we meet former actress Remi Lucans involved in a kissing game orchestrated by her then best friend. Fast forward to 2023 and Remi, now divorced from Simon, is living in Hobart in a house she has lovingly restored. It’s clear that she’s in trouble. Her dog has been poisoned and from then on, things just get worse. It was hard to guess who was behind the nastiness, though a few contenders became frontrunners early on. Naturally plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat and reading well into the night to see if I’d guessed correctly. This story is gripping from first to last and I loved it.

Atmospheric Tasmania provides the perfect setting for this engrossing psychological thriller. Herein, Jo Dixon provides strong characters that readers will become invested in and find themselves eagerly turning the pages. This is a quick and wonderfully escapist read.

‘Her beautiful home was also her sanctuary. She wasn’t leaving. Here, she’d finally felt safe and at peace.’

For me, the greatest strength of this book is the contrasting cast of believable characters. The villains may be a little too villainous, however, Jo provides an eclectic and realistic mix of characters that really cements the tale and is sure to appeal to a wide range of readers. Good writing has you suspecting multiple people and even though I worked out early on who it might be - there is still much to unfold in the timing and events to a fitting conclusion. My favourite characters were the housemates, both very different, but added real depth and reality to the storyline.

‘She was alone in her old house with barely enough superficial interaction to keep her from becoming a shuffling, mumbling hermit. It wasn’t social or glamorous, but it was the life she had chosen. And still wanted.’

A Shadow at the Door is Jo’s second novel and now firmly establishes her as a writer you will keep coming back to. The pacing is good and even though you may guess correctly early on, there are plenty of twists and turns scattered throughout to keep you fully engaged to the very end. This book hooks you from the outset with the second half really bringing it home. Mystery and thriller lovers are sure to enjoy this one.







This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

After her divorce, Remi focusses on renovating her dream home in Tasmania. Then all of a sudden a series of unfortunate events mean she may lose everytihing she has worked hard for. Is her ex husband and his new wife behind her bad luck or is one of her new house mates to blame? Will she throw in the towel and sell up or will she join forces to discover the truth? A great read.

Another cracker from Jo Dixon. Set in the beautiful Tasmania, this was a slow burning twisty thriller. I loved the slow build and enjoyed the in depth character development, loving some and hating others is always the making of a fabulous thriller.
From about the half way point things really heated up and had me turning pages swiftly to see what direction the story would go next. A brilliant book for the lover of a good domestic thriller and one I highly recommend. With thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for this early reading copy, it's a ripper!

I loved Jo Dixon’s 2023 debut novel, The House of Now & Then, so I was very excited to read her new book A Shadow At The Door. And it did not disappoint – it’s a gripping character driven mystery and it’s just made me love this Aussie author even more!

Set in beautiful Tasmania, former actress Remi is rebuilding her life after the breakdown of her marriage and a physical attack that rocked her world. She has kept herself busy meticulously restoring her Hobart heritage home to its former glory but when her ex-husband, Simon, threatens to sell the renovated property from under her, she needs to come up with money quickly settle her debt to him. This prompts her to welcome two housemates, Josephine and Emmerson, into her home but when someone starts targeting her with “pranks” she begins to question if she’s made the right decision and who could potentially be out to hurt her.

The biggest strength in this book for me was the twists and turns and uncovering everyone’s secrets. I suspected all the characters at one point or another and it kept me guessing up until the final reveal. My favourite characters were the 2 housemates, who although were very different characters, they both added depth and authenticity to the storyline. And I always love an atmospheric Tassie setting especially for a tense mystery.

I can’t wait to see what Jo Dixon writes next and if you haven’t checked her books out yet, I highly recommend you do – you will not be disappointed!

A big thank you to Netgalley & HQ Fiction for the ARC of this I read for honest review.

WOW this one was a one sitting read, there was no way I was putting it down till I got to the end, I have been eagerly awaiting Jo Dixon’s next book since I read her debut last year which I loved so much and she has nailed it again with a book filled with mystery, tension and wonderful characters and Hobart Tasmania is great setting, come along for the ride I am sure you will love it as much as I did.

Former TV star Remi Lucan has made herself a good life in Hobart, renovating the house that means so much to her after everything that has happened to her, the vicious attack and her divorce from her husband, leaving her career and wifely duties behind has been good for her and her beautiful home is nearly finished, if only she had more money to do so.

Her ex-husband Simon is putting the pressure on her to sell the house and pay him back what she owes, but Remi is desperate to keep her house, so desperate that she takes in a couple of borders, an older woman Josephine and a young woman Emerson, this is hard for Remi but needs must, but when there are a few things happening that are causing even more problems for Remi Josephine and Emerson decide to do some investigating, could there be someone behind these incidents, is someone out to get Remi and if so who?

Remi has always had one close friend, Luke and he is there for her always and as things get worse he arrives in Hobart to help as well, but who is doing these things to Remi, are her new borders involved, it is her ex and his new wife, who and then things heat up, are lives now in danger, will they discover who is behind it before it is too late?

This book has many twists and turns, so many people who could be the culprit, but who? I was tossing around guesses in my mind at each turn of the page, so many wonderful characters in this one, good and bad. I loved Remi she stayed strong throughout all that is and has happened to her, I was cheering her on. This is one that I highly recommend truly if you love a good mystery, thriller one that will keep you guessing then read this one.

Jo Dixon is now one of my favourite authors and I will eagerly be awaiting her next book.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.

Mystery | 400 Pages
Publication Date: 3 January 2024

Jo Dixon has done it again with her second novel - A Shadow at the Door.

A fast paced mystery and one I did not want to put down. A Shadow at the door was like coming back to an old friend in Remi. Her ex-husband Simon is back and wants Remi to sell her pride and joy - the house. Strange goings on happen - some incidents that make her allow two strangers into her home to rent rooms. Josephine and Emerson - two very different people and backgrounds. Someone is out to get Remi, destroying her life one incident at a time.

I finished this book in a few days and just wanted to keep flicking the kindle pages until the very end. If i didn't have a crazy toddler it would have been finished in one day. I absolutely enjoyed the setting, Tasmania in the freezing cold winter and the characters of both Josephine and Emerson but also wanted jump through the pages at certain characters aka Simon and Kayla. You have to take the good with the bad right?

Thank you Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for a gifted copy of this book for my honest review.

EXCERPT: By the time she reached the house, every step required effort. The mountain loomed in the distance, blurred by low, dark cloud. An ominous hulk pressing down on the city, squeezing any joy from the streets. Her home, at least, looked welcoming. The windows of the ground floor shining a soft gold against the dead grey of the day, promising warmth and comfort. Inside a bath and a hot meal awaited. A glass of wine. Or the whole bottle. She stepped through the gate, stopping as she reached the front door, preparing herself to enter. She was filled with weariness at the thought of listening to Emerson's prattle or pretending everything was okay under Josephine's perceptive gaze. She didn't want to be with these people - these strangers. She wanted to be alone, wanted to give into the weight of her fears, to cry and wallow, and drown her misery in a steady procession of strong drinks. Conversation was beyond her and she didn't have the strength to be anything other than miserable. She wanted her home to herself goddammit. Not filled with these women who, let's face it, could be complicit in the damage being inflicted on her. It was a scenario she couldn't rule out.
She fumbled through her bag for her key, remembering after a minute that the house key lived with her car keys. Which were with the mechanic.
For fuck's sake, she couldn't even get into her own home.

ABOUT 'A SHADOW AT THE DOOR': After a brutal attack and the breakdown of her marriage, life has taught former TV star Remi Lucan that it's safer to not rely on anyone. Instead, she's buried herself in Hobart, transforming her dilapidated sandstone house back to its former splendour, and it has been her proudest achievement. Better than her short-lived acting career. Definitely better than being a smile-on-command trophy wife. But when she runs out of money, her wealthy ex-husband tries to force the sale of the property and Remi realises her only option is to lower her defences and take in tenants. At first her biggest problem is adjusting to the intrusion of two unlikely housemates, but when a series of 'accidents' turns ugly, it becomes clear these incidents are more than pranks. Someone is out to get Remi, and they won't stop until they destroy her...

MY THOUGHTS: An absorbing tale of friendship, obsession and revenge.

A Shadow at the Door is a slow-burner character driven psychological thriller. Dixon has written wonderful characters from the overly burdened Remi and her concerned and caring (or are they?) housemates to Remi's greedy and conniving ex-husband Simon and his second wife, influencer Kayla, to Remi's oldest friend Luke, the man who is always there for her.

Dixon has created a deliciously uncomfortable atmosphere, combining the harshness of the Tasmanian winter with the despair Remi feels as one thing after another goes wrong in her life; events that she comes to realise are not random pieces of bad luck but a carefully organised campaign against her. She doesn't know who she can trust. I didn't know who she could trust!

A Shadow at the Door is a quietly tense read that had all my senses on alert. There is a little repetition on occasion when we are shown events from the viewpoints of multiple characters but, on the whole, this was an absorbing and tense read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.2

#AShadowattheDoor #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Jo writes stories full of imperfect characters dealing with unsettling situations, and making fatal mistakes. There is intrigue and mystery, the moodiness and underlying threat of the wild environment, and provocative twists and turns.

Jo lives in rural Tasmania, where she wrangles an ever-growing collection of animals, and is attempting to transform blackberry-infested paddocks into beautiful gardens. She's learned to be somewhat useful at lambing, to plant trees, and to grow raspberries and rhubarb. She can also (sometimes) recall the botanical names of perennials and know which ones the wallabies will devour and which ones they ignore.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA, via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Shadow at the Door by Jo Dixon for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Remi Lucan had moved to Tasmania in the aftermath of a broken marriage and brutal attack where she could have lost her life. She bought a dilapidated sandstone cottage in Hobart and loved her little house which she'd spent her time renovating. But with her ex-husband nagging her to sell her home and Remi's finances in disarray, she decided to take in a couple of boarders. It went against her love of being alone, but her need of money meant taking the less of two bad options.

Josephine, an older woman, and Emerson, a bubbly and gregarious youngster, saw Remi gritting her teeth. But as bad things began happening to Remi, one after the other, escalating in a frightening fashion, Remi wondered if her ex was using tactics which threatened Remi into selling. She wouldn't put it past him. Could she remain strong enough to stop what was happening? Would her two new housemates help her - or were they involved?

A Shadow at the Door is the second novel by Aussie author Jo Dixon and I loved it as much as I did her first. Filled with tension, intense and heart stopping moments, I was tossing whodunnits all over the place! With well written characters and fast turning pages, I have no hesitation in recommending A Shadow at the Door to fans of the genre.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Hobart positively glistens as the setting for Jo Dixon's latest thriller. Anyone who has been there will recognise its colonial architecture, quirky commercial district and deceptively tranquil nature reserves. The story is compelling, if let down somewhat by patchy characterisation (including a shallow antagonist whose unnatural dialogue was an annoying red flag for this reader).

Overall, a decent escapist read.

In this second novel by Jo Dixon, we meet central character Remi, who after divorcing her ex-husband, and after a series of events that derail her career on a TV soap, Remi is content with renovating an old home in Hobart and living a somewhat reclusive lifestyle. This is until her ex-husband and his new wife want her to sell the property to pay out their share of the mortgage owed on the property. Due to a lack of cash, Remi seemingly has no choice but to take in a couple of boarders to help pay the mortgage. A series of bad things including her house being set on fire begin to happen, and Remi although her character shows a lot of resilience, she is not sure who she can trust or if it is even safe to turn to anyone in her life. She confides in her long time best friend and new housemates, but is someone purposely trying to ruin her and why?

Jo Dixon, has established herself as a strong writer in the cosy mystery/suspense genre, that has you wanting more. Perfectly paced throughout, and although I figured out who the villain was early on, the plot with its twists was enough to keep you engaged in the outcome of the story. Combined with an idealic, pictueresque Tasmanian setting, this book has you almost wanting to start to plan your next travel holiday to this destination, and makes for a highly enjoyable read.

Thank you to Net galley and publisher Harper Collin’s for an early digital copy to read and review.

A Shadow At the Door is a domestic thriller that I found particularly interesting for a number of reasons. The first is the setting of Hobart, Tasmania which is brought to sparkling life as a crucial part of the story. The second is the difficulty I had in working out who exactly the abusive party is.

We meet Remi, a former actress who now lives in a beautiful old home she has spent countless days and weeks renovating to bring it back to beyond its former glory. But spoiling the party for her is Simon, her ex- husband who shows up at her door with plans to sell the place or from under her. After all, he had financed the original purchase of the place.

No sooner has she refused his approaches that a series of incidents start to plague her. Each incident costs her money, making it harder and harder to find the money required to avoid defaulting on the loan.

Someone is responsible for her consistent bad luck and Simon is the prime suspect.

To help earn money, Remi decides to take in a couple of boarders, Josephine and Emerson. Vastly different in age and personality, they both prove to be valuable additions to her household.

For a vast portion of the book, Remi appeared ready to explain away all instances of bad luck. But when a fire is deliberately lit in her basement and she sees a figure walking from her home she understands someone is out to get her. The question is who? The obvious answer or an unexpected other?

This is a thriller that takes a little time to get rolling but once it gathers pace the momentum ensures that it's an enjoyable ride.

There are many opportunities for misdirection and Jo Dixon does a fine job of milking them for all she's worth. The result is high suspense and a plot that leads you down a dark path.

Set in Hobart, Tasmania the beauty of the city's surrounding landscape plays a key role in providing a breathtaking backdrop to the drama within. Critical moments that take place at Salamanca Market and Queens Domain help to make it fell as though I was right there in the midst of the action.

I found A Shadow At the Door to be an engrossing psychological thriller that vendor from a nicely conceived twist midway through. Remi bore all of the hallmarks of a domestic abuse survivor and, as such, I thought her responses to the confrontations with the men in her life were wholly understandable, even if it did affect the flow of the story.

I thought the strength of the book came from her two housemates. Although vastly different in age and personality, they each brought unique and fresh outlooks and life experiences from which they could draw. The strength they provided results in an action packed ride that proved to be very entertaining.

My thanks to Harper Collins Australia via NetGalley for the digital ARC which allowed me the opportunity to read, enjoy and review this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for the chance to read this book.

Omg 5 stars for this book! It's hard to believe it's only Jo Dixon's second novel! It's gripping from the start. With mystery and intrigue spread throughout to keep you reading until late at night. I also love the way the women stick together in the end. I read this in 2 days, it would have been so easy to sit and read in one sitting, though. Life and adult responsibilities got in the way! I loved the twists and dramas, though I did cotton on to who the perpetrator was likely to be by the half way mark. But that definitely didn't detract from the story.

Please write quickly Jo, I need more of your stories! 😆🙏

Thoroughly enjoyed this 2nd outing from Jo Dixon, another twisty tale that lived up to expectations after her 1st book.
Remi has had a tough few years, a physical attack on her, acting career cut short and a failed marriage but she is finally getting her life on track. Except now her ex husband is calling in his part of the house she is lovingly restoring, the one she was to have for her marriage settlement.
Not wanting to loose the house, her only choice is to take in tenants, an older woman called Josephine and a young exuberant Emerson.
But when they move in, some unexplained happenings occur. Remi finds it hard to get close to people, so who can she trust?
Loved this, I found it a little slower paced in the beginning. It felt like poor Remi was getting so much muck thrown at her and I had no idea why but once that all settled I found it had a cracking pace.
I don’t want to go much into the other characters as I don’t want to unintentionally give a spoiler.
Put this or Jo Dixon’s 1st novel on your list if you’re looking for a great Aussie holiday read with plenty of twists.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

Jo Dixon's highly anticipated second book is slower paced than what I usually prefer but a rivetting read nonetheless. Packed full of suspense, I didn't know who to trust. A couple of red herrings here, a few twists there and my head was spinning. I did manage to pick the "baddie" early on however, but I wasn't 100% sure until I got closer to the end.
The last third of the book is an absolute page turning experience and I couldn't put it down until I was done!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for an eARC of A Shadow at the Door. Expected publication date is 3/1/24

Under pressure by her ex-husband to sell her beloved home, Remi takes on two tenants to help keep up with the house repayments. But when the "accidents" start, Remi knows she needs to investigate deeper to find out who is behind it all and why.

This was another riveting book by the talented Jo Dixon. The set up of the story in the first half was excellent. I had my suspicions about almost everyone! The second half was so bingeable, I ended up reading it in one go. With a clever plot and multiple twists, fellow thriller lovers will love this one as much as I did.

This one publishes on 3rd January 2024 - be sure to get your hands on a copy!

I loved reading another book by Jo Dixon. What do I love about her writing....it is set in Australia, a place I love. Her characters are well defined and well thought out. I connected with Remi, Josephine and Emerson all in different ways. I really enjoyed how this story played out and how little hints, didn't give away too much but gave away enough to keep the story going and got me in deeper to the plot.