I alternated reading and listening to this title and have to say that I enjoyed the listening portions slightly more than reading the book for this one. I enjoyed the narrator and felt it was like listening to a fireside scary story.

25 years ago there is a ritualistic murder by a group of teen boys. One murdered was caught and one got away. Paul was forever going to be tied to the crime so he left his hometown only to return home when his mother is on her deathbed. As Paul spends time back home he begins to uncover family secrets that tie his mother to the killer that got away. Paul becomes a very unreliable narrator as the story unfolds, he seems to be losing his sanity as digs up past secrets.

The story alternates POV between Paul past and present and a few chapters are from Detective Amanda Beck's perspective.. This book was more of a slow burn with information spaced sporadically throughout. I went into the book knowing that and not expecting a taut binge read which I think helped me appreciate the book more. The lucid dreaming aspect was intriguing and different?! I was wrong about the present day murder (very wrong)...so that was definitely a plus for the book.

I received the audio version of the story through Netgalley for my review and purchased my own copy of the physical book.

I loved this audiobook! The narrators were perfect - their voices creating the necessary atmosphere to convey the feelings and ambiance of the story so much so that many times I felt goosebumps and would stop in my tracks, waiting to see what would happen next. Excellent story and great audiobook!!

A gripping read that delves into the depths of the mind, memory, and dreams. This was a thrilling and slightly terrifying read that I simultaneously couldn’t stop listening to and was a little scared to continue.

I listened to the audiobook for this. I thought the narrators did a good job bringing this story to life. This book takes place both in the present and twenty five years ago. A tragedy happened 25 years ago that is still haunting people to this day. Paul goes home to find that not all is well in his hometown. The book goes between Paul and the detective on the case. I liked having the different perspectives in the book. I didn't like this book as much as I liked The Whisper Man but it was still a good thriller book to read. There is a lot of creepy things that happen in this book. The sense of loss is strong in this book.

*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily giving my honest opinion*

The Shadows is the first book I’ve read by North. It is a well done psychological thriller that I enjoyed.

The book felt well written but I have to admit the pacing felt a little up and down especially when the timelines changed. Personally, I preferred the pacing to the past timeline it was faster and I found it so much more interesting. Also, the plot twist in the book kept me gripped. My favourite part was the lucid dreaming aspect, it was so interesting.

The Shadows is told from the POV of Paul and Amanda set in two different timelines. Amanda’s POV is told in present time while Pauls’ alternated between past and present times. The past timeline is from about 25 years ago when he was a school.

North has created some good characters in The Shadows, they developed well as the book progressed while at the same time were engaging. As I said I did prefer most of the characters when they were younger.

I did listen to this book as an audiobook and feel the narrators were a great choice for this book. They brought it book to life and made it feel even more creepier.

This was my first NetGalley audiobook and it was a reasonably pleasant experience. I did have a few problems with playback, it kept stopping in the middle of chapters so I had to keep starting playback. Also, on a couple of occasions the audiobook did skip back to the start so I had to try and find my spot again, this meant that at times I ended up re-listening to parts as I couldn’t find my exact spot. I really couldn’t tell you if this problem was with the audiobook or the NetGalley app.

But, I ended up enjoying the book and would definitely recommend this book whether it’s the audiobook or physical copy.

I feel bad for having to give this book just an okay rating. Although I was pleased with the narration of the audiobook the story itself fell flat for me. I had heard so much hype about this novel that I couldn't wait to dive in, unfortunately, it didn't have the creep factor nor the mystery I was hoping for. I found myself just wanting to get through it so I could leave a review. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the chance to review this book.

At first I was a bit disappointed to have been approved for the audiobook edition and not the ebook, however, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the narration. Once again Alex North had me enthralled with this intense and suspenseful story. I look forward to more books by this author.

I really wanted to love this book. It was super creepy, and I love stories that involve creepy books about bad children in London. A bit specific of a genre like, but there have been a lot of stories told in this vein that I have really enjoyed.

I ended up DNFing this book around 100 pages. I wasn’t into the story. But the audiobook was really well done and I could tell the difference between the characters because of the different voices that were done! Well done audiobook.

I had a VERY hard time getting into this book, I'm unsure if it was the material or the narrator. I tried numerous times and unfortunately couldn't do the audio version. I will try the actual book and see if I can get into that.

Thanks for the advance copy and opportunity to try listening to this book.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I absolutely loved The Whisper Man so I was excited to have the opportunity to read this title early. Unfortunately it didn’t hold up and fell flat. I was struggling to get through the book. That said, I will definitely pick up Alex North again in the future!

I had higher hopes for this book. It wasn’t bad, not at all. But I found it forgettable, which shouldn’t have been the case with a premise as interesting as this one. Somehow, a story which sounded very unique ended up feeling like it had been done before. The twists felt inevitable to the point of forced, even as they were presented in ways that were obviously meant to shock. However, the plot moved along quickly, and I never found myself bored. The audio narration was well done, especially on the part of John Heffernan. The man has a phenomenal voice, and I’ll definitely be looking for more audiobooks read by him. And while I didn’t love <i>The Shadows</i>, I’m not at all opposed to giving Alex North another shot, as well.

I've been listening to more audio books lately and was very excited to see the newest North book available to my ears! I was in for a wonderful surprise; not only were the narrators great at telling their story but they were able to capture all of the creepy tales, uncertainty and mystery in each line of this newest story! This well thought out and plotted story surrounds a traumatic event in the lives of a few young children years before. When stories and local events start to look like the past is coming back to haunt the present, our protagonist Paul comes back home to help his ill mother. Paul's mother begins spouting strange stories and sentences about Red Hands and the woods to Paul that make him believe she may hold more to the secrets of the past, but what are they and how do they connect with the here and now. A large part of this storyline centers around lucid dreaming and so much of the way the story was told was haunting and made this yet another difficult book to read at bedtime without the story infiltrating a restful sleep. Not to mention, it was such a quick and captivating story that it was hard to stop and not continue to the last word. The narrators were great and helped break up the characters by using different narrators. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and believe Alex North is definitely a writer to watch as he has a strong sense of character development and original story told in a beautiful yet haunting way. Sure to entertain you to the last page!

After reading the The Whisper Man and listening to The Shadows, I can see the similarities. I had a lot of questions at the end of WM but Shadows seemed to tie out better in the end for me. Thank you to NetGalley for an free Audiobook for an honest review.

You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile--always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet--and inspired more than one copycat.

Paul Adams remembers the case all too well: Crabtree--and his victim--were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together. But now his mother, old and senile, has taken a turn for the worse. Though every inch of him resists, it is time to come home.

It's not long before things start to go wrong. Reading the news, Paul learns another copycat has struck. His mother is distressed, insistent that there's something in the house. And someone is following him. Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago.

It wasn't just the murder.

It was the fact that afterward, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again...

Reviewed on Instagram (The Literary Vagbond) along with Alice Feeney's His & Hers. (102 likes)


literaryvagabond
If you’re looking for page-turning, immersive mysteries to survive the late-summer sticky heat, I’ve got two: Alex North’s The Shadows and Alice Feeney’s His & Hers. Both are set in northern England, have in-over-their-heads main characters, and dramatic chase scenes in the woods. While His & Hers, —good in a Gone Girl-way—has one too many twists at the end, there’s juicy dialogue, girl jealousy and suspicious boyfriends in this story of a TV reporter covering a murder in her hometown. Sometimes we need a little pulp fiction.
📙
The Shadows is better and goes well in this heat with Panzanella, the Tuscan salad my daughter made. (Her version is better than both the Italians and Melissa Clark’s). 25 years on, Paul Adams is haunted by the unsolved murder of his childhood friend. Lucid dreaming and supernatural underpinnings move this into Stephen King territory, but the present/past back-and-forth never confuse and heighten the suspense. North clearly is a seasoned writer as there are no missteps throughout, and as he balances achingly imperfect characters into a believable resolution.
📕
#netgalleyreview #netgalley
#mysteries #crimenovel #alexnorthauthor #bestbooksof2020 #bookstagram #guysreadtoo #booksandflavorbombs #readingandeating #bibliophile #bookish #booknerd #booksofinsta

I had read the Whisper Man by Alex North earlier this year, and it was sooooooo good and also slightly terrifying. So I was very excited to pick up his new book!

I really enjoyed this audiobook and found that I really like both of the readers and their voices. Believe me, there are some annoying audiobooks out there! The readers were clear and concise and easy to follow for me personally.

Alex North does an incredible job at engaging the reader and keeping you wondering what in the world is going on. Once I had time to really sit and listen to this, I found that I consumed it in less than 3 days. It was gory and a little too detailed at times but overall, Alex North is quickly becoming a new favorite author and I look forward to his next book!

Having thoroughly enjoyed The Whisper Man, I was looking forward to Alex North's newest work, This book was eerie and creepy, much like The Whisper Man, weaving in natural and supernatural elements in a way that leaves the reader wondering about many possibilities surrounding a horrific murder of the past as well as present day mysterious events. I enjoyed the characters and alternating perspectives. A highly captivating read.

This is my second experience with Alex North. I loved Whisper Man and was excited to listen to this. I found it very creepy and would definitely recommend. I plan to buy the book to read.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was not the biggest fan of The Whisper Man but I wanted to give Alex North another try. Unfortunately the result with this one was the same. Dual timelines combined with a large cast of characters led to a sometimes confusing read that had me losing interest often. Three stars specifically for the audiobook of this. It definitely was beneficial to the creepy storyline and kept me more engaged than reading this would have.

I really couldn't find myself getting into this book nor being scared by it. The concept of lucid dreaming just didn't appeal to me.