"The Shadows" by Alex North is a perfectly chilling horror story in which a gruesome murder from the past gets reenacted by a pair of copycat teenage killers, bringing the old crime under new scrutiny by the police and at the same time setting off a chain reaction that will lead to several more deaths and finally to the solution of a twenty-five-year-old mystery.
A few of the plot twists towards the end are a bit far-fetched, and I didn't particularly like the motivations behind Charlie's obsession, when they were finally revealed (I'm not going to spoil it for you, but they seemed quite simplistic and unoriginal to me), but overall this novel does for a very entertaining read.
The characters are highly relatable, although somewhat stereotyped, and the plot is intricate enough to take you by surprise several times over. There are plenty of scary scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and the tension is masterfully built up through the narration.
I particularly enjoyed the atmospheres (the author nailed exactly what it feels like to grow up in a small village, or to be bullied by schoolmates during PE).
Extra points for keeping me wondering until the very end whether the story was going to go with the supernatural element or to explain it away rationally.
All things considered, a very pleasant read.
This was the first book by Alex North I read, and I will definitely check out his other novels.
A few of the plot twists towards the end are a bit far-fetched, and I didn't particularly like the motivations behind Charlie's obsession, when they were finally revealed (I'm not going to spoil it for you, but they seemed quite simplistic and unoriginal to me), but overall this novel does for a very entertaining read.
The characters are highly relatable, although somewhat stereotyped, and the plot is intricate enough to take you by surprise several times over. There are plenty of scary scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and the tension is masterfully built up through the narration.
I particularly enjoyed the atmospheres (the author nailed exactly what it feels like to grow up in a small village, or to be bullied by schoolmates during PE).
Extra points for keeping me wondering until the very end whether the story was going to go with the supernatural element or to explain it away rationally.
All things considered, a very pleasant read.
This was the first book by Alex North I read, and I will definitely check out his other novels.