Enjoyable but lacks the spark of The Whisper Man
Before I even get this review started, I will make one thing very clear. I LOVED The Whisper Man when it debuted by Alex North last summer. It felt like a fresh take on murder mystery thrillers that also left you questioned the things that leered within the shadows. Because of that, I had HIGH expectations of The Shadows, and this sophomore novel failed to deliver that same shock and awe.
25 years ago, a group of teenage boys took part in a ritualistic type murder. One of the murderers, Paul Adams was caught. One of the murderers, Charlie Crabtree, managed to disappear without a trace and therefore never being apprehended in this reprehensible crime. With Paul’s mother’s health on the decline, he has to return home to the scene of the crime, and to make matters worse, there’s a copycat killer imitating Charlie’s crime.
I was immediately drawn to the book because of the lucid dreams. I found the whole premise behind it both exciting and terrifying (think Nightmare on Elm Street). There were definitely a few creepy moments especially when it came to the Dream Diary, but they didn’t pack quite the same punch as those in The Whisper Man.
Since this story takes place in both the past and present and these timelines both offer different characters, I found myself struggling to keep track of what was happening to whom and why. I did the audio for this one, and I definitely had to go back and re-listen to entire chapters at a time. I think the sheer amount of characters made it difficult to really gravitate towards any one voice since they didn’t have as much depth. I ultimately think that my confusion is what ultimately detracted from the execution this book was going for.
Overall, I think The Shadows is a fast read/listen and does offer some of that creepiness that we’ve come to love from Alex North. While this one wasn’t my favorite, I do look forward his next release.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced listening copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
25 years ago, a group of teenage boys took part in a ritualistic type murder. One of the murderers, Paul Adams was caught. One of the murderers, Charlie Crabtree, managed to disappear without a trace and therefore never being apprehended in this reprehensible crime. With Paul’s mother’s health on the decline, he has to return home to the scene of the crime, and to make matters worse, there’s a copycat killer imitating Charlie’s crime.
I was immediately drawn to the book because of the lucid dreams. I found the whole premise behind it both exciting and terrifying (think Nightmare on Elm Street). There were definitely a few creepy moments especially when it came to the Dream Diary, but they didn’t pack quite the same punch as those in The Whisper Man.
Since this story takes place in both the past and present and these timelines both offer different characters, I found myself struggling to keep track of what was happening to whom and why. I did the audio for this one, and I definitely had to go back and re-listen to entire chapters at a time. I think the sheer amount of characters made it difficult to really gravitate towards any one voice since they didn’t have as much depth. I ultimately think that my confusion is what ultimately detracted from the execution this book was going for.
Overall, I think The Shadows is a fast read/listen and does offer some of that creepiness that we’ve come to love from Alex North. While this one wasn’t my favorite, I do look forward his next release.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced listening copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.