Every once in a while, I get a book that I think I will like, but I am happy to find out that I don’t just like it… I love it. I am amazed, wowed, enamored, horrified, refreshed, and inspired all at the same time. These books are so special to me, because without book blogging, I would never have picked up this book, and I would definitely be the worse for it.

Eliza Maxwell has a brilliant new voice. She takes the unreliable narrator genre, which has become saturated since the likes of Gillian Flynn hit the shelves, and turns it on its head. Her ability to tell a story, and compel that story, by revealing facts as they happen from different perspectives, is remarkable.

The pace of this book is perfect, I wouldn’t change a thing. Just when I thought I had things figured it, something would happen or not happen, and I was left wondering. This is a, “I’ll only read one more chapter,” kind of book. The questions and answers fly at you so fast, that there is never time to 100% sure of anything. That distrust extends beyond the pages and into the reader, as your emotions become the most unreliable guide for the entire novel.


* Special thanks to Eliza Maxwell, Luke Union Publishing, and TLC Book Tours for providing a copy of The Shadow Writer in exchange for an honest review.

Graye Templeton is a character, like many in everyday life, that you have to feel sympathy for even as you are exasperated by their helpless immersion in their problems. The wrong turns in their world are not motivated by hate or greed or self-defense - Graye reacts only with love and caring and a wonky fault line between right and wrong. You want to help her, to come to her defense but she is her own worst enemy and your fault line is hard-set, black and white.

As is the conscious of our primary protagonist, Laura West. Laura is a sought after speaker and workshop leader, a book reviewer and blogger who has promoted and supported many authors, including her own one-hit wonder hard-drinking husband Dr. David West. David's temporary fill-in job as a guest professor at the same college where Graye is finishing up her own grad school requirements will also end with the semester. Graye's mid-term employment as Dr. West's TA will also stop at terms end, but she is honored to work for him. She loved his novel, Broken Home Harvest. It was gifted to her when she was much younger by Sister Margaret, a nun at the orphanage where she was raised, and Graye felt it spoke to her. But the David West who wrote that book is no longer in the house. His wife Laura, however, is a woman of class and kindness. She quickly becomes a good friend to Graye. It is a shame that Laura will be leaving almost immediately for Port Mary, a small coastal island in the Texas Gulf.

At the end of term, fate brings Graye to that self-same island, seeking a recommendation from David before her job interview with a Houston literary critic. Instead, she is hired by Laura as her personal assistant which is for Graye a job made in heaven.

Or so she thought... But before long, the bodies begin to fall. And Graye is the prime suspect. Her history may catch up with her.


I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Eliza Maxwell, and Lake Union Publishing. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.

It's been a long time since I struggled this much to decide how to rate/review a book. I didn't love The Shadow Writer. That said, I don't think it committed any sins too heinous to prevent a recommendation to others.
The Shadow Writer is a complex story that, at its core, is really interesting, though I couldn't connect with it. I think this stems entirely from the book's execution. It was written strangely. Again, not unforgivably, it was just too unusual for me. The first half of the book feels like treading water. As the reader, I'm in it and I know there is enjoyment to be had, I just had to wait too long to be pointed towards the main events. Then the book takes off like a rocket and suddenly I found myself dizzy from being spun into one twist then yanked into another.
The twists! There are so many and yet not many of them are easily digestible. In fact, after I learned the majority of the twists (because there are twists until the last moments of the book,) I wondered even more what the first half of the book was about. The book doesn't lead the reader to the twists or slowly build. Instead, it toys with the audience, almost lulling them into a sense of banality and then jumps out waving its arms and screaming, "Surprise! Bet you didn't see that coming!" Well, no. No, I didn't see that coming. How could I?
Read this book if you like twisty thrillers reminiscent of soap opera storylines from the days of yore or if you enjoy characters that leave a sour taste in your mouth. Just make sure to check your disbelief at the door.

For some reason, it took me a while to get into this book. The book is about Graye Templeton, and we know from the outset that this is not her real name. We also know there is some mystery surrounding her name change, that she isn't fond of the author/professor she interns for, and that she has ingratiated herself with his wife. And that there is someone or something she is running from (with hints from fairy-tale style stories sprinkled throughout).

Many books flip flop the chapters from past to present, or from one character to another, but somehow there were transitions that seemed missing in The Shadow Writer. For instance when the name Alex was brought up in Chapter 25, I had to do a search on my Kindle to find out where the name had cropped up before (Chapter 4), only to discover it was the main character's (Graye's) sister. There were other characters who just popped up out of nowhere in the story as well. For me, the characters were unlikable, and somewhat undeveloped. This importance to the story was all tied together at the end, but it took way too long for the mystery to be revealed. When it was, it was very interesting, but it came very fast with so many twists and turns my head was spinning. One of my favorite parts of the book was the description of the murder mystery event held for authors, bloggers and others in the book industry. I feel like this part of the book was well thought out and something any reader would enjoy attending (or reading about!).

What a fantastic book!! The characters, the plot, the pacing, just all so so good. For those fans of the mystery/thriller genre, I have to warn that this one was a little on the tame side, so if you like the blood guts and gore, this one won't live up to that, but the mystery behind it is so good, still worth the read!

Grave Templeton changed her name to escape the infamy that befell her during her childhood. With a mother that was murdered and she has the star witness, she wanted to leave it all behind and start fresh. But her past will not be laid to rest and is about to resurface and may just haunt her until she confronts it.

The errie creep factor was legit in this book and for me when I read that is what I love most about the genre. I love when I get the goosebumps and even when a little concerned about reading this book when I am home alone!

The thing that I loved a lot was the inclusion of a book blogger in the book. there are very few books that include characters who do what we do, whether it be as a career or hobby, so it is always fun to have someone in the book who is also in the book world. It was a unique look into the book community through a different lens than the typical one in publishing.

I have read about half of Eliza Maxwell's books and have loved them all. I want to make it a priority to get caught up on her books before the next one arrives.

Eliza Maxwell's previous novel, THE WIDOW'S WATCHER, was one of my favorite reads last year, so when I saw her newest book was a thriller involving a book blogger, I couldn't wait to get my hands on its pages!

As a huge fan of the thriller genre, I have read many titles, and I must say that this one stands up there with many of the more widely known! Featuring unlikeable and unreliable characters with ambiguous agendas and a twisting and completely unpredictable plot, this book needs to find a larger audience in order to spread the word on how amazing Eliza Maxwell's storytelling truly is! There were moments that I had to stop and reread chapters out loud to fully appreciate how beautiful and multilayered her use of language is, allowing her writing to simply flow right off the page.

"Question everything. [T]hings aren't always what they seem. Trust no one."

Though filled with subjects and themes regarding murder, manipulation, obsession, and lies, the content is never graphic or gratuitous, but rather the covert nature of the characters' actions keeps the tension and suspense mounting until the absolute end. Despite being privy to multiple perspectives and personalities, all of which add their own complexities, including a story within the story, you never really have complete access to anyone's motives or motivations. This all adds to the mounting sense that there is something quite dramatic and unnerving bubbling just under the surface, and it's definitely going to be explosive when it finally breaks free if in fact it should have been revealed at all. Readers will have to determine that for themselves after reaching the story's unexpected conclusion.

The best way to enjoy a thriller is by going into it with very little information or understanding. Let this story envelope you like a cozy blanket that suddenly wraps too tightly, yet releases in a dizzying and pulse-pounding fashion only to slowly welcome you into its loving embrace over and over again. What a reading experience this was and one that I look forward to returning to just to make completely sure I didn't miss a thing!

“A person writes a book out of ego, reads a book out of hope, and recommends a book out of love.”

Intensely woven and compulsively riveting, this mind-blowing journey is a masterful train wreck of assumptions that I can't recommend enough! A literary gift from an author that I highly anticipate each year!

This book will take you on a ride much like a roller coaster.  It is filled with heart-pounding action and just when you think everything will be ok, along comes another turn that throws you for a loop.

I have only read a few of Eliza Maxwell's books, but each one has left me wondering how in the world she (or any other author) can derive such diabolical scenarios.  And very few characters are who they purport themselves to be in this book.  Graye is the biggest mystery and the things we learn about her childhood says so much about her personality and thought process.  Surprised is such an understatement for what I felt as her background was revealed to us over the course of the book.  I think I can safely say that Graye is a master manipulator and she has had decades of training from life.  Since I am trying to keep this spoiler-free, let's just say that her childhood was more than I expected and as more stories were revealed it explained so much about her personality and actions.

Laura is the other main character and I have to admit I thought one thing about her and then was gobsmacked to realize perhaps she too wasn't all that she portrayed herself to be in this book.  Was her relationship with her husband on the rocks or would they pull through?  How much pull did she really have as a blogger or was it her ties to the publishing industry through her family?

This book mixes a fairy tale with the actual events, but is it actually a fairy tale?  Is it a peek into Graye's past?  The author did a marvelous job mixing in "fantasy"  with reality.  Or is it all reality and we just don't know it yet?

There is quite a cast of characters that feed into the story and each adds their own twist to the story.  Some characters held surprises for us and others just supported what we might have already known.  There are a few parts that had me chuckling in regards to a love/hate relationship with another character that also happened to be an author.  Apparently, she is not held in high regard by many that know her.

There is one section of the book that tickled my funny bone and that is the murder mystery dinner held at the hotel as part of Laura's event.  Some of the comments by those that were "murdered" cracked me up and they were quite dramatic in their "deaths".

We have to give this book 5 paws up, it is just too good at keeping me in the dark and not guessing what might be revealed at the next turn.

Obsession. Manipulation. Lies.

This book was in a word UNPREDICTABLE! A crazy ride! A plot full of twists and turns and characters with agendas you are never privy to. Eliza Maxwell has crafted a dark disturbing tale about obsession and manipulation. Unreliable, unlikable, self serving narrators who left a bad taste in my mouth. I am still baffled as to how we got from that first chapter to the last, but it sure was entertaining getting there.

Here is a quote from the book I think all my book reviewing/blogging/Bookstagramming friends Will appreciate...
“A person writes a book out of ego, reads a book out of hope, and recommends a book out of love.”

This book really is about the confounding, needy, obsessive relationship between Laura and Gray. Laura is an influential book blogger who is married to a successful author. Graye is a grad student with aspirations of being an author and a dark past. Neither of these characters were tremendously likable and I had a hard time connecting with them. I felt as though neither of them really let the reader see inside,. As a rule I am a fan of unlikable characters, but I need them to be completely fleshed out. I felt as though Laura and Graye were always keeping me at arms length, this might have been by design but it kept me disconnected. In spite of this I could not put this book down, I needed to know where it was going. This was one of those books that kept zigging and zagging, swirving all over the place, I never knew what was coming next. Enthralling, unsettling, and ultimately satisfying!

7/10

*** many thanks to Lake Union for my copy of this book ***

It’s been a stormy spring here in my part of Texas, and for me, nothing goes better with gray rainy days, or nights full of crashing thunder and flashing lightning than a compelling mystery or a good thriller. Eliza Maxwell’s The Shadow Writer gave me the perfect storm setting mystery and suspense against a literary background and giving me strong female protagonists, as well.

Much of the novel is told from the point of view of Graye Templeton, a young woman whom we initially meet when she accidentally spills coffee on the woman who later becomes the novel’s second lead, Laura West. The two women are a study in contrasts: Graye, a grad student who is also a TA for a successful author and visiting professor is (apparently) introverted, unassuming, quiet, and helpful. Laura is warm, extroverted, has a successful career and has no trouble being assertive in her work, though her marriage is clearly not going well.

As the story progresses the third member of the novel’s core characters appears – David West – Graye’s boss, and Laura’s husband.

But relationships and truths shift and turn in this novel, and just when you think you understand the dynamics and desires of all the players another voice is added to the choir, another perspective is shown, and another buried truth is brought to the surface.

Maxwell handles all the plot twists with aplomb, weaving together Graye’s history, Laura’s marital woes, David’s inadequacies, and even the story-within-the-story – the novel that Gray is writing under a nom de plume. (I confess, I almost wish she would publish that book as a companion novel, because it intrigued me so.)

What I really liked what this novel was more than just a thriller or mystery, it also had two very strong themes: identity and voice. The first was much more literal – characters used pen names and masked who they were, but the other was present as a metaphor as well in a more literal form: Graye’s novel was her way of speaking her truth, but Laura’s ability to identify ‘talent’ was also a way of giving people their voices, and in the end, she also found a new timbre for her own.

Goes well with a steaming bowl of chili and a wedge of cornbread, stormy weather optional.

I have read Eliza Maxwell's previous books, so I thought I knew what I was getting into with The Shadow Writer. She is a true storyteller, her books have a dark edge to them, tend to really stick with you after the final page is turned, and I can count on at least one really unexpected, unpredictable twist.

Eliza Maxwell really blew the doors off this one. The Shadow Writer is gripping, suspenseful, and unexpectedly mind twisting. It's a well-spun story with unforgettable characters that has more twists and turns than a mountain switchback, and one that will have you saying "just one more chapter" - late into the night.

The story starts out innocently enough and grows more complex and dark as it unfolds, speeding up to a reckless pace - only to throw you against the window as it makes a sharp turn and then nearly takes you over a cliff.

The story is told from multiple points of view. Chapters flit between Graye, and Laura. There are also chapters told from the point of view of Sister Margaret, a nun from the orphanage where Graye was raised after the murder of her mother - a secret and infamous past that she has no intention of sharing. Graye's backstory unfolds in bits and pieces, and you might get a hint of something, well, off - but this is a woman who endured an unimaginable childhood, so you can imagine that she has some idiosyncracies. Maxwell's switches from point of view were confusing at times, but it only seemed to add to the feeling of unpredictability.

The characters are complex and contradictory, manipulative, and weirdly both likable and unlikable at times. The shifts were subtle and I was never really sure if the characters were who I thought they were - or just who they needed to be. Whose viewpoint is reliable? The fairy tales shared at the start of some chapters and the additional point of view of Sister Margaret and others add layers to the story - but things are never quite what you think.

Oh wow! This just blew my mind. Actually feel so emotional after finishing it which I wasn’t expecting at all!!! I can see this becoming a best seller for sure!!

I’m actually left so speechless I don’t even have the words to write a full review even 2 months after finishing this book, they just wouldn’t do it justice.

If you want to be taken on the craziest, emotional journey of your life then read this book and try and write a review yourself because I give up!

3 Solid Stars.

“The Shadow Writer” is a fast-paced, suspenseful read. There are few unexpected twists and the story has a dark and sinister feel to it. I enjoyed the story and the mystery within the pages of this book, however I did have a hard time connecting with the characters. I am not sure why but the characters felt flat to me and I just could not relate to any of them. There were also few places where I felt disconnected from the story, places where the story jumped in a time period without any good connection in between the chapters. This may have been an author’s intention, to make this story more dark and unpredictable, however I felt a little lost and I had to double check that I didn’t skip few pages by mistake.

Overall, it was a solid 3 star book for me. It kept my interest and I wanted to continue with the story, but the lack of character development and the gaps in the timeline were just not working from me.

Thank you Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author, Eliza Maxwell, for giving me an opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Laura's got secrets. She's put up a good facade and is a sucessful blogger and, everyone thinks, is happily married. Graye, who has a nasty back story, takes a job as her assistant and then things start to fall apart. To be honest, neither Laura or Graye is especially engaging. The twists are well done, although some of them were not especially surprising to readers of this genre. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A rare not the best from me.

To begin with I really enjoyed The Shadow Writer by Eliza Maxwell. The story was interesting and I was intrigued. Unfortunately it slowed down and I started to lose interest. The characters were all rather unlikeable - all out to get what they could from each other. I had hoped for more from this book but it fell a bit flat for me. A decent ending though.

Graye Templeton had a horrific childhood, one that she hoped to escape and put behind her. She gets a job working with Laura West - a blogger and influential name in the publishing industry,. She hopes to use her connections for herself to get herself published. Laura's marriage is falling apart and is hiding many secrets.

I struggled to connect with this story and the characters. It wasn't for me as much as I tried. Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

This book had so many twists and turns, I feel I need a neck brace at this point, as I just finished it this evening. I read a LOT of thrillers, and there were so many things I didn't see coming, I just kept blinking and saying my version of WTF (which is tamer than that)! This is my first read by Eliza Maxwell, and I know it's a cliche, but it won't be my last.

Parts of it were pretty confusing at times - the multiple narrators, the hints of the backstory that the author teased me with through the entire book, and the intermittent fairy tale narrative, that I'm still not sure I understand, tbh. But I enjoyed the twists so much that I am happily overlooking any negatives I could say about it. Will recommend. Thanks for the early read!

I've read all of Eliza Maxwell's books and was in love with The Unremembered Girl, which stayed with me for weeks, with the ache I felt for the main character still in my memory today. I enjoyed this book also although it has a lighter feel for me even though the subject matter deals with murder, manipulation and lies. The chapters are from the point of view of Graye Templeton, Laura West, and a few more characters.

Graye had an abusive, lonely childhood that included the murder of her mother when Graye was nine years old. Graye was then raised in an orphans home that included a kind nun that did her best to protect Gary, encourage her to come out of her shell and pursue her interest in writing. Sprinkled throughout Graye's life was the loss of others close to her, which cemented her desired to not become attached to anyone.

Laura is an influential book blogger, married to an acclaimed novelist who is now struggling to write a book that will match the popularity to his first novel. Laura's father is a publisher and she daily receives manuscripts from writers who hope to have their writing noticed by influential Laura. Despite Laura's wealth and standing among the book industry, her marriage is failing as her alcoholic husband falls deeper into a downward spiral of being unable to produce publishable works.

Margaret, the nun who loved and nurtured Graye after the murder of Graye's mother, plays a big part in this book too. I won't say more about the story that is full of twists, turns, and discoveries because I don't want to give anything away. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4

Aspiring author Graye Templeton will do anything to escape the horrific childhood crime that haunts her. After a life lived in shadows, she's accepted a new job as protégé to Laura West, influential book blogger and wife of acclaimed novelist. Laura's connections could make Graye's publishing dreams a reality. But there's more to Laura than meets the eye.

This is the first book that I have read by the author and I can honestly say that I did not know what I was going to get out of the book. I wasn't disappointed. This is a multilayered read that's dark and makes you question who you really are. Just when you think you do know where the storyline is going, you will find that your wrong. This is a well written, thought provoking read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author Eliza Maxwell for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This book! You will certainly be engrossed once you start. Try as I might I never anticipated how this book would end.

Graye Templeton is running from danger and finds herself in exactly the right place she needed to be. She has found a wonderful friend in Laura West and lands herself exactly the job she needs, in her writing industry, unfortunately Graye had been Laura's husband David West's teaching assistant, an acclaimed writer himself. It was as if it was fate running into Laura, or was it. The train of events that play out have devastating consequences and never in a million years would I have guessed how each occurrence would play out. So many layers to unravel, all in one mind blowing conclusion.

For me this book was a psychological thriller and thrill me it did. I would definitely give it more than 5* as it kept me interested from beginning to end and a title I would certainly recommend to friends.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

First things first. Make sure that you have plenty of time to dedicate to this book because once you pick it up you won't put it down until you have finished it. What you think you know is going on? You're so wrong. What I thought was going on? I was so wrong. If you love a well written roller coaster of a book you definitely should pre order this book so it'll be waiting for you on release day. I wish that I could give this book more than five stars because it's unputdownable. Happy reading!

This was an intriguing read and has plenty of twists and turns in the plot that will either intrigue you or frustrate you! The book wasn't what I expected but I enjoyed it nonetheless.