Gruesome, grisly tale of murder and kidnapping in a stand alone book from Ms Fields. Brilliant characterisations especially Connie, and Fergus - who is dying and decides to kidnap three people, namely, Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier. They have tried to escape but it is a struggle. Great ending.

Enter an American profiler (are all Americans brash?) working with an experienced Scottish detective team.

What is there not to like? Many thanks Ms Fields.

Thanks to net Galley and Avon Books UK for the chance to read and review.

Readers of Helen Fields Luc Callanach series will be pleased to know that although Luc doesn’t make an appearance in this stand-alone novel, he does appear in a short story included after the end of the audiobook and Gayfield Square Station and the redoubtable Superintendent Overbeck do feature strongly in the novel.

In The Shadow Man Helen Fields gives us a new protagonist, Dr Connie Woolwine. Connie is American and a psychological profiler, just arrived in Edinburgh. She’s been called in to work with D.I. Brodie Baarda, a kidnapping specialist from Met Ops Team in London, following the disappearance of a young mother, Elspeth Dunwoody.

Connie is straight talking, a little sweary and not given to over indulging in politeness or bureaucracy. She has a fascinating backstory that I hope we will hear more of in future books. Baarda is a more gentle soul, a little closed in and together they are a brilliant pairing. From the outset, we know who we are dealing with, even if Connie and Baarda do not.

The Shadow Man is never concealed from the reader; rather we are brought into his fiendish plans; made to be voyeurs as he does what he sets out to achieve and not long into the book, one woman is dead and another has gone missing. More people will disappear as The Shadow Man carries out his focussed research and executes his nightmarish plans….what Connie and Baarda have to do is to work out why this is happening and then work back to who and where to find him.

Those familiar to Fields writing will know that she does not shrink from graphic and stomach churning descriptions when it suits her plotting. This one is certainly dark and gritty, but here it is the sheer creepiness of the antagonist and the skin crawling nature of his demented thought processes that produces the visceral reaction.

Fields is innovative and original in her choice of killer and her well researched medical knowledge plays into this character brilliantly and enhances the character of Connie, too. Her characters are excellent – I especially liked the interplay between Connie and the Pathologist as each begins to take the measure of the other.

The plot is intricate and well-paced and the creepiness level ramps up as the book develops, leading to massive tension and a growing intensity that threatens to explode. Fortunately this is leavened by some excellent light and shade in the dialogue between the characters of Baarda and Woolwine.

The narration by Robin Laing and Cathleen McCarron is excellent – it really helps to have a male and a female voice and their voices and accents work well together.

Verdict: Another hugely successful read from Helen Fields. It is quite a long book and could have used a little more editing, but nothing that distracts from a truly terrifying plot and some great characters. I predict this one will be a sure fire winner and hope to see much more of Woolwine and Baarda in the future.

I’ve read all of Helen Fields earlier books and enjoy her characters and writing. I was keen to see whether this standalone would live up to expectations and I’m delighted to say I wasn’t disappointed. I think she’s a gifted storyteller and this tale is carefully crafted so that the reader is unlikely to second guess how it’s all going to pull together.

I’d say she’s used her experience of living in the USA; her earlier stories reflect a more British style. The two investigating officers work well and play off one another in terms of attitudes and approach. Helen Fields never flinches from detail when it comes to violence. Some readers may find the level of detail difficult to stomach, but I believe she’s honest and realistic. Crime scenes and brutality are never pleasant and I don’t find it gratuitous. It’s there to make the point. I really enjoyed this cat and mouse tale.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

The Shadow Man gives us a dark, scary horror filled look into an abductor’s crazed mind as we follow him as he collects up the people he has stalked and as the police desperately try to find him and his captives. This is not one for the faint of heart, there is a lot of gore and scare and it definitely goes beyond the usual ‘investigative team tracks down a possible killer’ storyline.

The team of American Psychiatrist Connie and Scottish DI Baarda were fantastic! I really enjoyed their storyline and all of the involved detail into both of their lives and the case. As we watch people get taken, we also see the terror of these captives being in the house with this crazed man. There were a few spots were the book went a bit far for me (and I am a horror lover) but I think that was more personal taste. There were moments of ice cold fear in my body as I read what was happening to the captives, what a scary read! So many times throughout where I would say “oh NO!” out loud, I was so engrossed in what was happening.. And the ending, so terrifying! Will they find the people he has collected in time, will they still be alive? You will have to read to find out!

I will note that I found I was not invested like I thought I would be in the first third of the book. The third person narrative disrupted the flow at some points as you could mid chapter be hearing the thoughts of one of the captives and suddenly be in the thoughts of another and I would have loved to had each have their own chapter and not switch perspective mid stream. I found my mind wandering and wasn’t really getting the characterization of the kidnapper but I checked a couple reviews that said I was at the point where it picks up and wow were they right on the money! It suddenly became so engrossing, I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to add that in here so that you keep going, it will all fall into place!

If you are a dark horror fan and can stand a lot of gore mixed in with a good police procedural, this needs to be on your reading list! See if you can find the man in the shadows before he finds you! ☠️

**My thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for and Advanced Reader Copy of this very creepy read that publishes on February 4th, 2021**

The first paragraphs in this novel were truly terrifying: a woman sleeps peacefully while a stranger watches her from inside her own bedroom. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. The characters were supposed to be quirky, but it didn’t feel organic just a plot contrivance. I didn’t connect with the good guys, the bad guy or even the victims. I’m glad to see that this novel has received good feedback from other reviewers, I just didn’t find it as engrossing as I was hoping.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Avon Books UK!

Edinburgh a woman is discovered murdered, in her own home, no signs of forceful entry. Then a woman is reported missing, did she run off? Are they connected?

Connie Woodwine, an American Profiler and Forensic Psychologist, is brought to Edinburgh police in Scotland to help with the disappearance of Elspeth Dunwoody. She's a wife and mother, just like Angela Fernycroft, the woman that was killed in her own home. Connie is paired up with DI Brodie Baarde. There's a couple more disappearances and a murder. Could these all be tied together? Connie is very intuitive and she needs to convince the higher ups that yes, they are connected.

Fergus Ariss is a loner, and he's very sick. He believes he is running out of time but before that happens, he has to fulfill his agenda. Which involves a few unwilling people.

This book gave me the chills in so many different points, from the opening scene to the very last. This is the first book I've read by Helen Fields and I want to look into her others. I also hope this is the beginning of a great series with Connie & Brodie. They make a great team!

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for an advanced ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

The Shadow Man by Helen Fields is a crime thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books (and in particular Ellie Pilcher at Harper Collins for sending me with the widget), and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

A child, raised by his grandmother, who tried to instill in him a healthy lifestyle, struggled after her death.  He couldn't replicate the care she had given him,  and his mind rebelled, leaving his body in peril.  But his one goal before he dies, is to have a family around him.  He just has to collect them.

Eventually, Elspeth, Meggie and Xavier become that family.  They will have to find a way out before he kills them all.

Detective Inspector Brodie Baarda of the Scotland police force teams up with Dr. Connie Woolwine, a Forensic Psychologist from the U.S. to find the kidnap victims before it is too late.


My Opinions:   

I have loved other books by this author, so was really looking forward to this.  However, I do admit to struggling at the beginning.  I just couldn't get into it.  I think it may have been Connie.  I didn't particularly like Connie.  It's one thing about portraying her as a strong woman, but Connie was a little extreme.  I found her to be egotistical, and rather obnoxious.  Her language didn't offend me, but her arrogance did.  Yes, her background probably made her this way, but there were very few views of her soft side, so I had a few problems with the character.

However, eventually the plot won out, and I was reading for the joy of the story.  And the story was good.  As always, Fields wrote really well.  There was a lot of action, and I liked the way the story went back and forth between Connie, the kidnapper, and the kidnap victims.  The topic was a little dark, but that was probably why I enjoyed it.

I am rather surprised that this is a stand-alone novel.  Fields is good at series writing, and I would have thought that Connie would be a good series lead.

Anyway, I will continue to read anything this author writes.

Very well developed characters and an extremely engaging story. Well thought out and very suspenseful story line that keeps the reader guessing until the final twist! This is the book to read this year! Highly recommended!

Excellent read! The plot is easy to follow with some unexpected twists and turns. Gripping and unforgettable!

This book is terrifying. It’s one of those that grips you right from the start and keeps you turning the pages long after bed time. I’ve given this five stars but would have given four and a half if I could. The main reason is that I can’t believe that Edinburgh’s Major Investigation Team would call in a forensic psychologist from the United States (!) and a Detective Inspector from London to track down (in the beginning) one missing woman! It just wouldn’t happen. Also, I noticed just a few grammatical errors. Nothing to lose a star for because the book was so good, but can someone please change ‘just deserts’ to ‘just desserts’? Sorry, I can’t help it. Anyway, the characters are superb. I fell in love with Dr Connie Woolwine as soon as she appeared. She’s a strong, brave, straight-talking, individual who builds up profiles of serial killers. She has her own way of solving cases and says and does what she wants whether others agree with her or not. DI Brodie Baarda is quite the opposite - gentle, polite, quiet and reserved. Together they make an excellent team, and the interaction between them adds a touch of humour sometimes to this dark and very disturbing story. They are tasked with tracking down a mentally ill and delusional psychopath who studies his victims before abducting them. I’m not going to give anything away, but this is a totally thrilling story. Very well written and (almost) believable. I was holding my breath at the end, even though there were a few instances where I thought “No way would that happen”. A brilliant read – and I hope there’s more of Woolwine and Baarda to come.

Thank you to Avon Books for allowing me to read this fantastically written book! I enjoyed this one and will highly recommend.

Release date Feb 2021- go out and get this one!

An excellent book that I would highly recommend and very well written with good character development. I really enjoyed it.

I am a huge fan of Helen Fields, and so I was delighted to get an advanced copy of the Shadow Man. The book beckoned me in with a fantastically unsettling beginning, where we see a very new type of villain. I was hooked. Connie was my favourite character throughout. It took me a while to warm to her, which I imagine was the point, but she got under my skin. I loved the scene where she converses with the cadaver in an attempt to understand what has happened, and I love how she works out what’s going on with Fergus. Baarda is a classic detective type, but very human, and I loved Ailsa too. The case they solve is unique, and I couldn’t wait to read at the end of the day. A brilliant novel. A fantastic read.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have some mixed feelings one this one. DI Baarda, an MIT detective in London and Dr. Connie Woolwine a psychologist from from America are called to Scotland to investigate the kidnapping of a member of a prominent Scottish family. Then a teenager is kidnapped. I like the relationship between Baarda and Connie. Connie is a brash American and Baarda, at first isn't sure how to take her. But they end up trusting in each other. What I didn't like was the story of the kidnapper. I got why he kidnapped the victims, he was clearly ill and all of that was explained, but his delusions left me not interested and not wanting to read. Meggie and Elspeth leaned on each other and their storylines help my interest. I felt like Xavier's story sort of ended, maybe to quickly. Also, and this is me personally, but Connie is America, so she wouldn't be happy that she wore her "trainers", or reach down to take off her "trainers". The ending was something I wouldn't have thought of happening so it was a bit of a shocker. Thank you NetGalley, Helen Fields and Avon.

4 Ultra Gritty Stars

This book is not for the faint of heart! This one has the creepiest bad guy that I can remember in quite a while. Watch out for the Shadow Man!

Connie Woolwine is an American forensic psychologist who has been called into a police investigation in Scotland. She is working to build a profile and this criminal is unlike anything they’ve ever seen. Connie is smart and a great analyst and seems to get into the criminal mind.

She’s working with Detective Baarda and they are trying to find the victims who have been kidnapped. It doesn’t fit a traditional model though, one victim is older, one is a child, and one is in a wheelchair. What is The Shadow Man doing with these people? Connie thinks they are alive, but it is a race to find them before things change.

We get to experience what the kidnap victims are going through and it is truly terrifying! There are even a few chapters from The Shadow Man himself and they are even more terrifying.

The most amazing part of this book is the finale and it was just out of this world. I almost couldn’t read it, but I kept saying “It’s just a book . . . “

This was my first Helen Fields and she’s got a series with 6 books. I might just start those on a rainy day!

3.5 stars

He collects his victims...but why? To what end? What is he collecting them for? What is his master plan?

Elspeth is taken first, then Meggy and finally Xavier. Why? Why them? He takes them but keeps them...hmmm He has issues as kidnappers and killers do, but is there something else going on here? Man, I was scratching my head trying to figure out what was driving the Shadow Man. He gives us clues, little glimpses but in the end it all comes together in that perfect "aha" moment.

Plus, that house! It had me stretching my mind muscles to try and figure it out. It felt like a maze, levels, things under the floors, etc. I thought, he must have them in the house, but then they say is he coming up? Made me think of the movie "The People under the Stairs" Not the storyline but the house.

The best part of the book was Connie Woolwine, an American forensic psychologist. A woman after my own heart. I loved her. She is smart, crafty and determined. She has a unique way of looking at things and is soon on the hunt. Her scenes and those with Brodie Baarda, a London detective, are what really made the book for me. There were times in the book, that my attention wavered, and I would lose interest but not her parts. I loved that the Author had both readers and Connie learning things about the Shadow man at the same time. Of course, we do know what is happening to the three kidnapped victims and that makes it fun to watch Connie and Baarda try and find them.

I waivered back and forth with my rating as there were times my attention lagged. There were parts that were slow - but I am glad I hung in there as the ending makes up for it. I hope to see Connie (and possibly Baarda) in future books (putting that out there with fingers crossed hoping and wishing). There was a part at the end that had me gasp out loud. I do not do eye stuff, just saying.

My advice is if this gets slow for you or does not seem to be working in the beginning, hang in there. It all comes together in the end. The killer is not like others who have read before. When you learn everything you learn about him, will your thoughts on him change? Will it all make sense? this had me grabbing my DSM 5 at lightning speed. Intriguing indeed.

Overall, an enjoyable read that has me wanting more of Connie Woolwine.

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Shadow Man is the first of Helen Fields’ books that I’ve read but it certainly won’t be my last! Are they all this dark and terrifying?! It actually gives me shivers even now just thinking about some parts of it.

There’s a serial abductor on the loose in and around Edinburgh and time is running out for police detective Baarda and American profiler, Connie, to catch him before he kills again. With chapters written from different character perspectives, very early on we learn that he’s abducted and holding wife and mother, Elspeth, but we don’t really know why. As the plot unfolds we realise that he’s nowhere near done yet, and start willing Connie and Baarda to be successful in tracking him down.

Out of what sounds like a fairly standard crime thriller plot, Helen Fields has created a really gripping and at times horrifying novel. The bad guy is menacing and unpredictable; there were so many moments that, had I been watching it play out onscreen, I’d have jumped out of my skin.

It is clear how much research must have gone into this book, from police procedure and criminal psychology to unusual medical conditions, each strand of storyline feels authentic.

Connie is my favourite character; a straight-talking, sharp, strong woman who won’t take any nonsense from anyone. The interplay between her and Baarda works really well and, though this is Fields’ first standalone novel, I can’t help but hope she turns it into a series!

With thanks to Avon for gifting me this eARC to review.

The Shadow Man is a creepy police procedural set in Edinburgh by the author of the Perfect series, which may or may not be the start of a series. It features a fabulous new heroine in American psychologist & criminal profiler Connie Woolwine, and one of the scariest antagonists in years. I confess I requested this based on the author and hadn’t paid much attention to the plot summary, so had assumed it was a continuation of her regular series, and was getting confused after a few chapters wondering when Luc would appear, but by then was fascinated by fearless Connie and didn’t mind at all.

Fergus Ariss is dying, and before he goes, he wants to recreate the perfect family that was denied him in childhood. Unable to meet them the usual way, he stalks and then kidnaps them, locking his fantasy wife, child and brother in his soundproofed house. Newcomers Connie and London Detective Brodie Baarda have both been summoned to Edinburgh to assist the overstretched Major Incident Team because the missing woman is related to a VIP. Initially shocked by her blunt manner and unusual approach, Bardaa is won over by her astute insights - but can the new team find Fergus before he takes his new family to the grave with him?

I’m generally trying to avoid serial killer thrillers - they’re overdone and mostly formulaic, and I’ve read too many of them, so I was intrigued to meet a baddie with a very uncommon syndrome behind his evil acts who is not setting out to kill his victims. This is not about guessing who he is - that’s revealed early on - the mystery is in why and what made him this way, how far will he go and will he be stopped in time? The author does a brilliant job of making us care about fragile Elspeth, brave Meggy and resilient Xavier - I was genuinely scared for them and wasn’t sure who if any of them would survive. There were some brief nasty scenes of extreme cruelty that made me wince but not too much gore.

I liked the pairing of buttoned-up Brodie and cavalier Connie, and do hope there will be more books about them, although could do without the “will they or won’t they?” hint of romance.
4.5 rounded up for excellent writing (I resisted the petty temptation to round down for all the anti-doctor bits - what’s that about?!)
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review.
The Shadow Man is published on February 4th.

This detective mystery was so addicting!

I really loved this thriller. It’s everything I expected from Helen Fields to deliver.

The mystery starts off with our detective and criminal profiler investigating the murder of a 30-year old mother of 2 with the perfect marriage. Soon after another woman with a similar profile to the first victim is abducted. At first, the detectives aren’t quite sure what is exactly going on. When a young girl is abducted, the events seem unrelated, but our sharp-eyed criminal profiler is finding the hidden message and connecting the dots to a very disturbing individual with unclear motives and an even shakier profile.
The result is heart pounding.

You can tell that the author did a lot of research about criminal profiling and how a criminal profiler would look at each case and every little piece of evidence. It was absolutely exhilarating to read, I totally geeked out.
I loved the POV of our criminal, what they are thinking, what their motives are, their thoughts— they lend such a realistic look into the mind of a criminal, it’s chilling.
I also very much enjoyed the depiction of the particular illness presented in the novel. It’s an illness I’ve heard of but haven’t seen depicted in a book.

We have quite a decent amount of characters. I enjoyed the majority of the characters, especially the pathologist. With the depictions of the female characters, I felt there was something lacking that I cannot quite put my finger on. They were written a slightly bit cliche and I didn’t much care for the hatred between the profiler and female superintendent.

Overall, this was a fantastic thriller. I will certainly be picking up the remaining books in the DI Callanach series.
4.5 stars

**ARC provided by Avon Books UK via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Helen Fields has created a real monster of a serial killer in this novel. Fergus Ariss is a very sick man. He can feel his organs rotting away and believes he doesn't have much time left before he dies. He's also running out of time to complete his agenda and collect the perfect victims to fit his needs.

American forensic psychologist Connie Woolwine has been called in by the Edinburgh police to profile the kidnapper of the wife of an important man. She's been teamed up with DI Baarda, the head of Major Investigations, a quiet, reserved Londoner, and together make a very odd couple at first. Connie is an interesting character who sees the world in black and white due to an accident while she was at college that robbed her of the ability to see colours. She also has an unusual approach to feeling what the suspect would be thinking and doing and it's her determined intuition and insight that will eventually lead them to Fergus.

This is such an unusual case with no obvious links between the victims and although the difficult case progresses slowly at first, the momentum of the plot gains speed as Fergus moves on with his warped agenda. Viewpoints from the victims as well as from Connie, Baarda and Fergus give different perspectives of what they are experiencing as the case develops. The victims are a spirited group determined to survive as long as possible and work to help each other. Despite their different personalities Connie and Baarda make a great team as they develop a comfortable, bantering relationship (hopefully, Helen Fields will allow them to return in a sequel or series). The ending was one of the best I have read in a thriller with some real nail biting moments.