This is a creepy book and I was pleasantly surprised at how uneasy I was while reading. I think that this is great for those who love the horror genre, but I ended up not finishing it because I was too creeped out.

I really enjoyed North's "The Whisper Man" so I was very excited to read this one. I wouldn't say that it was my favorite but I do think that it lived up to my expectations! Creepy and atmospheric. Haunting and dark. This was a decent story made more chilling by the excellent audiobook narration. I look forward to more work by the author in the future!

The Shadows by Alex North is a mesmerizing psychological thriller that delves into deep-seated trauma and dark secrets from a past tragedy. The audiobook, narrated by Hannah Arterton and John Heffernan, brings this chilling story to life in an incredibly engaging way. Arterton’s emotive narration and Heffernan’s gripping delivery create an immersive experience that truly pulls you into the suspense and tension. Their performances make the haunting atmosphere of North's novel even more vivid, turning the audiobook into an unmissable and spine-tingling experience.

This novel was a quick read, great narration, but not as good as his previous novel, "The whisper man."

✔️ I enjoyed the two POV ; I found them quite complimentary⁣
✔️ creepy and suspenseful with a plot that kept me interested ⁣
✔️ I had my suspicions about a certain character but definitely didn’t see that twist coming !⁣
✖️ at parts it seemed really slow

Another intriguing mystery from Alex North. I love his writing style so much. It’s always so creepy. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
3.5 Stars

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an Arc in exchange for my honest opinion

I did enjoy the overall concept for the novel, as well as the plot. However the narrative itself was pretty dry. It lacked emotion and connection. It may be that it's because it's a British author and story, but I was hoping to be more engaged with the book than I was.

This book had a great concept but I was a little let down. I was looking for something with a paranormal twist to scare me but it ended up being more of a murder mystery.
The narration of the audiobook was great though.

Thanks to MacMillan Audio on Netgalley for this audio review copy, all opinions stated are my own!

The audio narration would normally bump this up a star, the production was fantastic and I enjoyed the dual narration (usually I don't). But the story itself let me down and where I was expecting true paranormal explanations I feel like I got a bait and switch instead. The story itself has vibes of the real-life West Memphis Three case from the US in the 90s mixed with elements of the Slenderman case. I was truly interested to see how Alex North would wrap things up, but the pacing in the book was so awful. Nothing happened for the first 70%, no real progress was made towards solving the the mysteries of the original murder and where Charlie went afterwards. But the last 25% has too much action crammed into it, with twists dropping every other page it felt like (at least to me). It was overkill. And Detective Beck's last pov chapter seemed to hint at potential paranormal explanations after all. Overall disappointing, the audiobook kept me going when I would have dnf'ed.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book!

I enjoyed this one and I highly recommend. I binged read this in one day!

Some twenty-five years have passed since Paul Adams left Gritten. Now, with his mother’s health seriously deteriorating, he reluctantly returns to the house where he grew up, to the place where his friend died in a ritualistic murder.

But as his mother lies close to death, he discovers that the grisly murder has inspired a copycat. Charlie Crabtree vanished after the murder all those years ago. And now someone is following him. Will the long-held, closely-guarded secrets of the past finally reveal the truth?

Told alternately in the past and in the present, this creepy tale keeps the suspense building as the ever-present tension plays on the readers’ nerves. Twists and turns, unexpected reveals, and some dark secrets keep the pages turning and the reader ensnared in the telling of the tale.

Recommended for readers who enjoy tales of horror.

Very creepy. Very cool. Loved the narration. Loved the dual timelines. Honestly, just a solid audio read.

-- this read was quite a while back, as I received the arc during 2020 and was unable to review during 2020 due to the many, many issues of that year. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for arc!

You can now call me a new fan of Alex North! This Audiobook was definitely intriguing and luring while keeping myself on the edge of my seat.

The storyline itself keeps jumping back and fourth from the present to 25 years ago. This wouldn’t usually be an issue but in this case you had so many characters it was hard to follow, especially since this was an Audiobook I listened during my commute. If I had to review this novel on the “ambience” of the story this would of definitely been a 5 star.

“it was difficult to shake the sensation that the place was cursed in some way—that there was something poisonous in the ground here, rooted in the history of the place, that kept the land barren and the people dead inside.”

CHARLIE oh my dear Charlie, I so love a creepy character such has you, did I tell you he is also a KID!!! The crime not only affects the past but also the present many years later.

I received an ARC of this novel from Macmillan Audio through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a great companion read! I really enjoyed it but it was not as good as The Whisper Man. Would still recommend for sure.

The story felt unnerving but overly forced and drawn out. Creepy child characters are always scary, but this one felt like more of a whiny bully than a true villain.

This one was not as creepy as "The Whisper Man" but definitely gave me the eeby jeebies. I really enjoyed the audio production of this book. Two narrators was helpful for this book. I would definitely read this one of you're looking for a crime fiction novel that will hook you from the beginning.

I ended up not finishing this one, it just wasn't for me, thanks anyway for taking the time to accept my request.

I couldn’t get into the audio book but I have a physical copy and I have a feeling that will be more engaging for me wbs easier to follow

This was just left of the mark for me. I really enjoyed the dual timeline and POV's and the first twist was enjoyable, but there were too many turns after that. The narrators were excellent, (what isn't to love about a British accent narrating a mystery?) but in the end I felt like there were too many twists, too many killers. Instead of everything elegantly coming together ,the resolutions all felt separate and disjointed.

The Shadows by Alex North was very atmospheric with great character development. I really enjoy the trope of "going home" after years with the hope of not reliving past trauma but facing your demons all the same. The plot points were well-paced. I'd really like to read more from this author.