Book Review: Shadows & Light by Tanya Anne Crosby
Genre: Upmarket Women’s Fiction / Southwestern Gothic Mystery
Setting: Albuquerque, New Mexico
The Story
Thirty-two-year-old wildlife photographer Cassandra (Cassie) Eskelson has a history of leaving a relationship before the walls close in. Labeled “unstable” by her family and “broken” by a string of exes, she prefers to live her life behind the lens. To her, the world is manageable one frame at a time, and unlike people, cameras don’t lie; they record life as it is. (Barnes & Noble, 2026)
After breaking off a complicated relationship with Noah, she has nowhere to go. Frustrated that their late father, Vincent, left their childhood home to her half-brother Kevin, an attorney with political aspirations, she breaks into the house. This triggers an all-out war with him. Before their mother, Mariana, disappeared when they were children, Cassie and Kevin were close. Now, he treats her as a problem to be managed. To him, the house is just an asset; to Cassie, it was the last place she saw her mother alive.
As the desert light strips away thirty years of gaslighting and family silence, Cassie must decide whether to build one last exit, or stop running long enough to see the truth that’s been buried in plain sight.
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The Review
In Shadows & Light, Tanya Anne Crosby delivers an atmospheric, emotionally resonant work of upmarket women’s fiction with a sharp Southwestern Gothic edge. Set against the stark, illuminating landscape of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the novel immediately draws readers into a web of buried family secrets and psychological survival, exploring how childhood trauma shapes adult relationships and influences the choices we make.
The narrative revolves around Cassie, whose career behind the lens serves as a carefully constructed defense mechanism allowing her to remain emotionally detached from those around her:
“Brutal as it might be, creatures acted according to their nature, predictable in a way people never were.”
Her return to their Albuquerque home forces her to confront memories she has spent years avoiding. She recalls her mother being in an accident, though she’s consistently told those memories are just dreams. Cassie is a complex and relatable protagonist whose emotional walls mask a deep longing for belonging, acceptance, and, most importantly, the truth about what happened to her mother.
Her half-brother Kevin provides a sharp contrast. An ambitious lawyer who views the family home as a financial asset rather than a place filled with memories, he represents the power struggles and emotional manipulation that have defined Cassie’s life. Their conflict becomes the spark for uncovering decades of family secrets and confronting the damage caused by silence and gaslighting. Meanwhile, Cassie’s best friend, Alicia, offers a grounded source of companionship, providing steady guidance and reality checks when Cassie needs them most.
Through this fractured sibling dynamic, Crosby explores powerful themes of generational trauma, avoidant attachment, and the insidious nature of gaslighting. The Southwestern desert setting adds rich atmosphere, with its harsh light and deep shadows reflecting Cassie’s struggle to separate painful memories from reality, acting as a metaphor for the inescapable truth that thirty years of silence can no longer obscure.
The characters are well-developed and relatable, the pacing is tight, and Crosby’s descriptive language is often poetic:
“Only then did she exhale, feeling strangely weightless, as though she’d stepped off solid ground but hadn’t yet begun to fall.”
My Verdict
Shadows & Light by Tanya Anne Crosby is a thought-provoking blend of women’s fiction and psychological literary fiction that proves some of the most difficult mysteries aren’t found in the outside world, but within our own families. It serves as a powerful reminder that while the truth may be painful, facing it is the first step toward freedom. As a social commentary, it also poignantly illustrates how the disappearance of women of color can too often go unnoticed by society at large.
Recommended for: Readers who appreciate emotionally rich women’s fiction with a darker, suspenseful edge and a touch of romance to keep things interesting. Definitely one to add to your reading list!
“Every photograph—every life—was a negotiation between shadows and light, and somewhere between the two lived the story people chose to believe.”
About the Author
Tanya Anne Crosby is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels. She has been featured in magazines, such as People, Romantic Times, and Publisher’s Weekly, and her books have been translated into eight languages. Her first novel was published in 1992 by Avon Books, where Tanya was hailed as “one of Avon’s fastest rising stars.” Her fourth book was chosen to launch the company’s Avon Romantic Treasure imprint.
**Thank you to Serena Hanson and Oliver Heber Books for my gifted copy for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
