The writing style in this book is clear and straightforward, making it easy to follow. I appreciated the humor and local dialogue elements that added some enjoyment to the story.

The murder of Morvern Murray, a local TV celebrity, sets the main plot in motion. Her sister, Anna, who returned from the US for the wedding, becomes a central figure in the investigation. The suspects are primarily those present for the wedding and a missing local kitchen porter.

DI Lukas Mahler leads the investigation after returning to Inverness from working in London. Throughout the book, we see him adjusting to the different pace of life in the Highlands and dealing with family matters.

The story mainly follows the standard police procedural format, with the detectives questioning suspects and uncovering clues. The resolution of the case was decent, though not particularly surprising. However, I couldn't help but notice a common trope where characters put themselves in danger without cell phone coverage.

The book left some loose ends and unresolved storylines, which may be addressed in future books. This left me with lingering questions by the end.

Overall, "Shadow Man" is a solid police procedural with engaging elements and an enjoyable writing style. While the ending was satisfying, the book could benefit from addressing some of the unresolved plot points in future instalments.

Set against the backdrop of the Independence Referendum in 2014, Shadow Man is an intriguing and enigmatic debut from Margaret Kirk and introduces us to a new Scottish DI, Lukas Mahler.

Right away his character engaged me. This debut gives us plenty of clues as to his difficulties in both his personal and professional relationships but left me wanting to find out more about this man. He is originally from Inverness but left to go to England as a child where it would appear he grew up. He served in the Met before taking a transfer back to the Highlands to allow him to be closer to his mum. His mum, Gracie, lives with poor mental health and while we get a couple of hints as to what happened to her, there is definitely more of a story there waiting to be told. Her vulnerability and Mahler's guilt combine to provide a realistic picture of a relationship that has been damaged somewhere along the line.

Inverness may be a relatively large city in the Highlands but the novel also highlights the very real difficulties faced by Mahler who finds some of his team are resentful of his position. The whole concept of outsiders fitting into a tightknit community is realistically portrayed throughout.

We are introduced to a whole host of characters but two who stood out for me were, Anna Murray, the sister of Morven and DS Iain Fergie. Anna did not have a close relationship with her sister and she finds herself under suspicion but I could not help feeling sorry for her. It seemed that she lived very much in the shadow of Morven and the rift between the two sisters had not shown any signs of healing in the run-up to the wedding. Their mother also appeared to have favoured Morven and it was difficult not to put myself in Anna's shoes as she struggled to deal with her grief, caring for her parents and dealing with her mother's dismissal of her. DS Fergie provided a breath of humour to the proceedings, his somewhat haphazard ways and his absolutely filthy Audi were a source of despair to Mahler but it was obvious that both characters gelled and the follow up to the Shadow Man will no doubt see this develop further.

Shadow Man opens with a violent death in Glasgow in 1994 before introducing us to Mahler who is returning to Inverness from a friend's funeral in London. He has no sooner touched down than he is faced with two brutal murders to investigate; the murder of police informant Kevin Ramsay and that of media darling Morven Murray. What follows is a fantastic cat and mouse game with a river full of red herrings that kept me guessing and second guessing all the way through. The novel is also peppered throughout with fascinating snippets of the history around the Highland Clearances and while it might sound peculiar, it worked perfectly well and gave the novel just that something a little bit different, there was a real sense of "cosy crime" set in modern day times and the political backdrop combined with the breathless beauty of the Scottish Highlands resulted in a taut and atmospheric police procedural beautifully written by the author.

An excellent debut which promises a great series ahead for lovers of Scottish Crime Fiction.

Morven Murray is a tv personality and an Inverness local lass. When she is discovered brutally murdered on the day before her wedding the cast of suspects quickly becomes dry. Her estranged sister has travelled home from America for the wedding and feels compelled to stay on until the crime is solved. The detective in charge, Mahler, has recently transferred from London and is keen to make his mark. Meanwhile there are undercurrents at play in the Inverness underworld that may or may not be linked.

At its heart this is a very standard police procedural and whilst not the best, it does show some promise. The murderer is flagged up very early and the final few scenes just seem a little excessive in terms of creating a plot device and exciting ending for the sake of it. however for a debut novel it bodes well for the future

I've definitely found a promising new series in The Shadow Man. Because the characters seemed to well-rounded and convincing, I thought this might be a well-established series, but it seems to be either a stand alone or - hopefully - the first in a new series. If so, I'll certainly be reading more.

The Shadow Man effectively combine mystery, grittiness and police procedure with just the right pacing and level of drama.

The characters are great - I really liked protagonist DI Luke Mahler and Anna, who wasn't part of the police but who we also followed as the case unfolded. I liked that there were two main characters who showed different perspectives to the investigation. The characters were well-rounded and interesting too, and it was interesting to read a good portion of the story from the perspective of someone who had nothing to do with the police. The Shadow Man features lots of seemingly unconnected people who all came together as the novel continued, which I also really liked.

The setting is also great (pre-Scottish referendum Inverness) - and I liked the atmosphere that the setting conjured up. It's a testament to Margaret Kirk's writing that I could really imagine myself there, seeing as the only place I've ever visited in Scotland is Edinburgh.

Overall I'd highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a great new Detective series which is both entertaining and realistic. I'd definitely like to read more about Luke and Anna!

Hi Karen,
My next review is as follows:-
“Shadow Man”,written by Margaret Kirk and published in paperback by Orion on 2nd Nov. 2017. 352 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1409165507
Two sisters

Just before her wedding day, Morven Murray, queen of Scottish daytime TV, is found murdered. All eyes are on her sister Anna, who was heard arguing with her hours before she was killed.

Two murders

On the other side of Inverness, police informant Kevin Ramsay is killed in a gangland-style execution. But what exactly did he know?

One killer?

As ex-Met Detective Inspector Lukas Mahler digs deeper into both cases, he discovers that Morven's life was closer to the Inverness underworld than anyone imagined. Caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, is Lukas hunting one killer, or two?

DI Lukas Mahler was formerly with Londons Metropolitan police but has moved north because he is worried about his mothers poor health. He gets a lot of resentment from his colleagues who presume he is English but of course he was born locally in Inverness but unfortunately upset his new colleagues when he reports some corruption and is ostracised because of it.

The plot is very tightly written , with the main story of this deceased TV star sister giving the remaining sister, who lives in the US a whole lot of problems as there is a lot of resentment on both sides between the two and the police are naturally suspicious of a person arguing with another who is killed shortly after.

The story was very atmospheric and although I’ve only spent only one day in Inverness myself, I remember it quite well and it seems a great new locality for a new crime series from this very gifted new author. I hope that there are many more books in this series as based on this outstanding debut novel, this author has a great future. Strongly recommended.

Best wishes,

Terry
(To Be published on eurocrime.co.uk already published on amazon.co.uk using mysteryfanatic pseudonym)

Shadow Man is the start of what I hope will be a thrilling new crime series. This was a really enjoyable read and I’m sure that Margaret Kirk is a name that we’ll be hearing a lot from in the future.

DI Lukas Mahler has transferred from the Metropolitan police to the local branch in his hometown of Inverness. Police informant Kevin Ramsay has been killed in a brutal attack. Lukas heads up the inquiry to find his killers but a short while after he arrives in Inverness, TV star, Morven Murray has been found murdered in her hotel room on the morning of her wedding day. Inverness has never known anything like it. Are the police dealing with one killer or two?

DI Lukas Mahler is a fantastic new addition to the crime writing world. He was an intriguing character to get to know and I’m keen to find out more about him, Margaret Kirk certainly has me hooked; I’m interested to find out more about his past work with the met, which I hope will feature in later books. His mother’s story was also a good sub-plot and I found parts of it heartbreaking at times.

Margaret Kirk’s writing is outstanding; I particularly liked the description that she uses for Inverness, a part of Scotland which I have always wanted to visit.

This is an excellent debut novel from Margaret Kirk, an author who I will definitely be looking out for in the future. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read.

We can add another great addition to the canon of Scottish crime writers in Margaret Kirk. This appears to be the first in a series set in Inverness featuring DI Lukas Mahler. Lukas has returned to Inverness after working at the Met in London, his mother's health is fragile and he wants to keep a close eye on her. He is feeling rather morose after attending the funeral of Raj, a friend and cop he worked with in London. On his return, with an overstretched and underfunded police service, his boss, DCI June Wallace, has him heading two murder inquiries. Police informant Kevin Ramsey has been run over multiple times and a well known TV presenter, Morven Murray, has been brutally slain in a hotel. Morven was preparing for her wedding to ex-footballer, now entrepreneur, Ross. Anna Murray, the estranged sister of Morven has just arrived from San Diego, where she works as an academic.

15 years ago a killer throws a young woman, Janis Miller, off a balcony to her death at a student party in Glasgow. In the present, Lukas is running himself ragged looking into the murder of Morven with Fergie and his team as they delve into her life and search for possible motives. There is heavy pressure on him given the fame of the victim. A kitchen hand, Donnie Stewart, a man with drink problems, has gone missing and both Anna and Ross had arguments with Morven. It soon becomes clear that the ambitious Morven was not popular with those she worked with. Unable to express her grief for her sister, a guilt ridden Anna takes it upon herself to look for the killer by closely examining Morven's life. With his professional life interrupted by the needs of his mother, Lukas finds leads scarce and his headaches increase when a further murder takes place. Finally Lukas finds himself listening to his gut instincts which suggest a suspect that seems to be impossible. As he follows his hunch, Anna finds herself in grave danger.

This is an atmospheric and well plotted story with a great location in Inverness. I think it is entirely possible that the reader might guess the killer, but this in no way prevents enjoyment of the story. I liked the pacing, and found it a gripping and tense read. The character of Lukas has grit, courage, determination and compassion. His care of his mother who has mental health issues after being attacked in the past raises the stresses in his life. I hope to see the return of Anna in future books as I think she and Lukas complement each other well and there just might be a spark of something in their relationship. A wonderful and entertaining read that I recommend highly. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.

The winner of Good Housekeeping Magazine's First Novel competition in 2016, Shadow Man is the debut book by Ms. Kirk. Set in Inverness, it follows DI Mahler and DS Ferguson's investigation of Scottish Daytime TV celebrity Morven Murphy's murder, days before her marriage to an ex-football star.

Morven is not a sympathetic character and at first, there seems to be many people who might have wanted her dead. But when all those with opportunity have seemingly rock solid alibis, Mahler is short on leads. Morven's sister Anna, back from San Diego for the wedding, would seem to have more reason than most to see the TV star dead, but does a stolen boyfriend and a lifetime of playing second fiddle to her sister give enough reason for her to resort to murder?

This is a more than competent first novel. The author's plot is tight and well thought out; there are just enough red herrings to make it interesting, and the characters are well drawn and believable. Lucas Mahler is the archetypal 'cop with a past', but he is far from being the cliched alcoholic loner. There are hints of an abusive father, he returned to Inverness from the Met after the death of his partner to make sure his mother, a broken woman, is taken care of and he looks after himself. These are welcome differences from many other cops in crime fiction.

Ms Kirk bravely makes the victim a thoroughly unlikable woman but describes the characters involved in the investigation so sympathetically that we do genuinely care that the villain is caught.

I believe that this is the first in a series of books featuring Mahler and Ferguson and I look forward to reading more from this new voice in Scottish crime fiction.

This will appear on my blog on 02/11/17

Thank you netgalley and Orion publishing for the pleasure of reading this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Detective Mahler is on the case of a murder of a local tv darling. The case is impeded by the sister, the fiancé, other conniving coppers and Mahler's personal problems with his mother. After reading 'perfect remains' and the buzz around that I was hopeful that Shadow Man would be of the same level and without a doubt it's exceeded that.

For me personally being from Inverness I could envisage the places and put myself in the locale and this made it much more enjoyable for me! I need book 2 very soon please!