It’s hard to live up to The Whisper Man and all the creepiness of the mailbox.... I really enjoyed this one too though from Alex North. Loved the audiobook especially because of the dual narrators, both who were excellent at evoking mood, especially for a book like this. Let’s just say I’m glad I don’t live near the woods. Another excellent thriller that will keep you guessing til the end.

Thank you to Netgalley for an audiobook ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review!

The first ⅓ of this thriller set up a truly intriguing story. The book's jacket cover promises a lot of tropes that I love in horror/thriller fiction in general; a group of kids as a mc, dreams vs. reality, two timelines, urban legends, and a dark paranormal element throughout.

In the first timeline, Paul and his friends attempt to lucid dream together, and begin to share dreams with each other. However, something goes horribly wrong, and one of the boys (influenced by this dream state) commits murder. The boy in question, Charlie Crabtree, is never found after this shocking murder sweeps the little town. The events are so scarring that Paul leaves his hometown, hoping never to return again.

In the second timeline, a copycat murder occurs, and there are suspicions that the murderers were helped by Charlie Crabtree, which seems impossible. Crabtree has long been presumed dead and ghosts can't help commit murder, can they? Seemingly by chance, Paul is summoned back to his hometown to take care of his ailing mother and the similarities between the two crimes are too much to ignore.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. This story didn't utilize the second timeline in an effective way; it felt like all the action was in the first timeline and the second timeline was just a bunch of monologues as different characters gave information to Paul. The ending comes up on you fast, and seems very rushed. There didn't seem a need to have the female detective as a second POV, because she didn't help propel along the story at all, except as a crutch for Paul towards the end. I do think the concept was brilliant, and would have excelled as a longer horror novel that wasn't afraid to go for a more paranormal lens. This will be a book for thriller fans that enjoy fast paced murder mysteries where the story itself is more important characterization.

Free Audio Copy provided through netgalley--opinions are my own.
The narration of this book was very well done. A few glitches in the netgalley app as I listened, but this was no fault of the narrators, and their accents were a plus!

Content wise, this was a solid psychological thriller, but did not live up to my expectations after reading The Whisper Man. Detective Beck returns to solve this thriller and there's a few references to The Whisper Man which I thought were fun. Outside of that, it feels like we've seen this type of thriller before. Dark and twisted teens, senile important characters, copycat crimes, lies, botched memories, and two timelines to follow.

This was a very character heavy novel which made it harder for me to follow, especially on audio. I feel like a few things didn't quite add up either. Overall it was a decent read while I was in it, but will be one of those thrillers that blends into others and is unforgettable as it stands alone.

With that said, I'll still read what North writes next.

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and Celadon books for the ALC Of the Shadows.

This book was so hard for me to follow and I really love audiobooks. I feel extremely let down and still aren’t quite sure what even happened or what the issues was here. A lot of secrets, multiple character connections, lucid dreams and a ghost | glad to be finished with the audiobook but definitely think this book needs to be enjoyed with the physical copy. I thought it was quite repetitive “something bad is going to happen”.....was said too many times.

Overall just not a fan.

This is a creepy thriller that flashes back in time to the original crime and forward to a copycat crime. Lots of great atmosphere provided by "the shadows" the name given by locals to the nearby woods.

Thank you to Netgalley for an audiobook ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.
Alex North's latest will not disappoint fans of "The Whisper Man." A creepy tale that is captivating from the very beginning. I thought the narrator for this audiobook set the perfect tone for this plot and keeps the listener enthralled in the story. I will say that at times the book is a bit confusing. There is a plot point that involves a lot of lucid dreaming and characters sharing dreams....this aspect was hard to follow at times. Nonetheless, the story itself is well played and will definitely be a must-read for readers of this genre.

I might be in the minority when I admit this, but I think Alex North's books are over-hyped.

I listened to both THE WHISPER MAN and now THE SHADOWS, and just found both stories a bit underwhelming.
I have quickly learned that North loves a good unreliable narrator, and there is so always a twist in his books that centers around a character not being quite in touch with reality. The best way to surprise your audience is to reveal someone is delusional and a bit crazy, then you can do anything you want in the story.
Perhaps I am being a bit harsh, but I find his mysteries tedious to follow with very little satisfaction at the end.
I probably just need to admit defeat, and realize his writing style is just not for me.

What were your thoughts on this book?

What a book! Great suspense and characters. The narration is perfect! I will look for more by this author. Had me under it's spell until the very end.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Alex North’s The Shadows. His first book, The Whisper Man, was too terrifying for me to listen to, so I was hesitant digging into The Shadows. But I was immediately sucked into the voice of the story through Paul’s narration. I could feel the sticky pub table between us as he starts to piece together what the hell he just lived through. There’s a sense of intimacy between you and the narrator, which is only made stronger by the interweaving chapters from a distanced third-person showing us what the other main character is up to. But just like sitting across from someone telling a really good story, all the background pub din fades away. In these troubled times, who would’ve guessed horror could be an escape?

The other main character, actually, is Detective Amanda Beck — someone who is familiar to those who’ve read The Whisper Man. Still rattled from her experience in The Whisper Man, Amanda’s confidence in herself as a detective is clearly shaky. It also seems like she’s competing with two ghosts: of the expectations she had for herself, and the ghost of her dead father who was also a detective. The quiet routine of normal life is disrupted, though, as she’s called to investigate the murder of a boy. Her investigation leads her to Paul, whose childhood friend Charlie Crabtree was involved in a murder twenty-five years ago whose details are eerily similar to this one.

History feels like it’s repeating itself, but with a distortion: something is just not quite right about the way things are adding up. Local legend is that Charlie Crabtree disappeared after he was involved with the first murder. And it’s little questions like these — is Charlie really gone? — and wondering what Paul is holding back (can we trust him?) that really kept me swept up in the story. After all, Paul’s own mother is telling him he shouldn’t have come back, that there are things in the woods and in the house he needs to be afraid of.

For fans of Tana French’s In The Woods, Alex North’s The Shadows is a captivating, atmospheric thriller with strong elements of classic horror weaved in.

I think my biggest issue with this was not knowing if it was fantasy or thriller to the last minute and so I really didn't appreciate the story as much.

Because I so often read stories where supernatural elements are interwoven into realism.

If I sent into this knowing its a straight thriller I think I might've appreciated it more but it was too blurred for me.

Also the female narrator was too formal for me to enjoy any of her perspective chapters

4 stars for decently creepy storytelling. 1 star for the new NetGalley shelf app that sucks donkey balls and made this a terrible listening experience. The title wouldn't download (too me at least 20 tries to get it downloaded), randomly stopped while playing and reset all my settings, at least every one to two chapters (there were 46 in this book). The narration was great and I was consistently interested, but so frustrated the entire time.

I went into this book so hopeful, I heard it was really scary, and I even hesitated to start it on an evening when I would be home alone at night. Well that being said, home alone or not, this book was not scary, it was mostly disappointing. I could tell the author was going for a bone chilling, Stephen King vibe, but it just didn't hit the mark. If this book is truly "better than" and "scarier than" Alex North's debut novel The Whisper Man, I'm not sure what that book will have to offer.

I really loved The Whisper Man and was SO excited when I saw another novel was coming out by Alex North and this book did not disappoint. As with The Whisper Man, I found The Shadows to be creepy, thrilling and I loved that it also had some depth. Alex North is turning into an automatic read after this for me and I’m so excited to see what other books are in store!

“We have to do something about Charlie.”

Twenty five years ago Charlie comitted a murder so shocking that it’s attracted and inspired more than one copycat. Paul remembers the case all too well, Charlie and his victim were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together, but now that her mother is sick, it is time to come home. It’s not long before things start to go wrong. Another copycat has struck. His mother insists that something is in the house. And someone is following him. Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing that awful day twenty five years ago, not the murder, but that Charlie was never seen again.

This story was creepy, mysterious, full of twists and unputdownable.
The story is told in two time lines, past/present, and I loved how the two of them came together to reveal what really happened back then. I’ve read some mixed reviews and I was nervous, but really enjoyed this story, and I look forward from more books from Alex North.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for giving me a copy of this audio in exchange for an honest review.

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Super disappointing. The first book I read by this author blew me away and had me not wanting to put it down. This one however I felt left a ton of unanswered questions. Not really scary more unbelievable. Kids can interact with each other in their dreams and then people start dying. And red handprints show up everywhere...I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As an avid audiobook listener, I felt that performance of this publication was exceptional ! The characters were clear and well portrayed. Performances can make or break an audiobook experience, and this story was simply enhanced by its readers.
As the second publication under the Alex North name, I felt this one lacked the deep suspense that the first one gripped you with (The Whisper Man). This second brings back one of the characters from the first as well as eluding to the priors details about the quarry.
This is a strong story, a good plot, a little creepy at times, which sends you on a mystery and jars you from your current thought patterns. That’s always welcome in suspense !
Charlie Crabtree sure had issues and pulled others right into them with ease. Paul has his mother’s strength. We don’t learn this until later in the plot, but he maintains his resolve and learns much about his past after 25 years.
I’m excited to read more from the author publishing as Alex North & hope new works are in progress !
Thanks to the author & publisher for the Audiobook provided. All opinions are my own.

Another great book from Alex North! Dare I say, even better than The Whisper Man?

5/5 stars! I couldn’t press pause on this one! It was well paced and creepy and mysterious! We had troubled teens, traumatized adults, and bodies turning up. All the makings for a great and spooky story! Highly recommend!

The shadows by Alex North.
Wow brilliant. I listened to an audio version and I had chills. Great. Would definitely recommend. 5*.

The Shadows is a creepy story about a myth in a small town. I loved how different it felt from most other books on the market right now. The storyline is told between two different characters and I loved that the audiobook production used 2 different actors to read those parts. It enhanced the experience quite a bit.

The story is about a man who returns to the town he grew up in to reconnect with his dying mother. As he returns he is confronted with many "ghosts" of the past and a particular incident that affected his life forever. This book had me turning the pages quickly to find out what was happening.

If you have read the Whisper Man by this same author, you will definitely enjoy this book!

I was not able to finish this audiobook because I have trouble concentrating without having the words in front of me. I will try to get my hands on a physical copy of this story because I really enjoyed Alex North's debut novel: The Whisper Man.