I love it when you know who the baddie is from the very beginning because the author gives you their information and yet the author still manages to take you on a roller coaster ride with twists and turns at every corner.

Meggy is a bad a**, I think her character is awesome! Connie's character was also fantastic; I love that she is an achromat and has a foul mouth. I would probably have a foul mouth as well if my job was to help hunt down serial killers! Although truth be told I don't hunt serial killers and I already have a foul mouth, ha!

Highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to take a wild ride.

This is a character driven fast paced thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! The writing is superb as the mystery cleverly unfolds. The pacing was perfect with an ending that had me shook! I definitely recommend this to all thriller addicts! Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for my copy.

A very interesting thriller. Elspeth, Maggie and Xavier are stuck in a flat together being held captive by the Shadow Man who calls them his family. I liked to see how all three behaved differently while in captivity. I liked the shadow man’s POV

I enjoyed reading The Shadow Man by Helen Fields. It is an original story, at least I haven't come across anything similar so far.
It is a dark story, and does involve violence against women and children, so that might be something some readers will want to avoid. It describes a certain illness (that I have no idea if it actually exists or not) that is very disturbing.
I unfortunately did not enjoy a few aspects of this story, and I was frustrated with the description of the antagonist and his complete power over others. I also found the ending unbelievable and a bit of a let down.

It certainty is a unique story that will draw the reader in and have you wanting to read more.

I enjoyed this book once I got into it.Took a few weeks to read as didn't grab me as some thrillers do,but that's just me.The reason why the murderer did what he did was interesting and I think is a actual condition.
Was set in Edinburgh I believe,but not as descrive about the city etc as another book I read set there.
I liked the main female character,as she was not politically correct,and was very capable as shown in the ending
with the killer.I would rate 3 1/2 stars overall.

I really enjoyed this book, the story line is good and very dark in places. Would recommend this book to others

Thanks to Net Galley and Avon Books UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
The Shadow Man is a gory, dark, creepy, disturbing psychological thriller. The Shadow Man is with doubt a Monster.
One woman is already dead, another woman, a wife and mother, Elspeth, has now been abducted.
Forensic psychologist Dr Connie Woolvine and Detective Brodie are working the case together. They have two very different personalities and are interesting together
The pace and terror pick up when 12 year old Meggy is abducted, Connie is convinced the two abductions are linked.
Fergus, The Shadow Man, is horrible, terrifying, crazy, obsessed with creating the perfect family.
The horrors Elspeth and Meggy discover, under the floorboards, where they are being held are horrific.
The last scenes paint a horrible cold chilling story for the reader.
The pages turn themselves. A 5 star read. Congratulations to Helen Fields on another best seller.

This book was so exceptionally GOOD. If you like locked room mysteries you will love this one. The author had me hooked from the first page. The ending is something I would have never guessed and the main character Connie was so impressive!

The Shadow Man never truly gripped me, but it did make me scared!

I found our main protagonist Connie quite annoying and it ruined my enjoyment for the detective sections of the book. Call our American brash, confident, self-assured; whatever you like but I didn't find that her personality translated well to the page. Bristly at times when completely unnecessary, I also felt sorry for her partner Baarda for having to put up with her!

The elements of our shadow man though, these were very gripping and terrifying. To watch those he kidnapps struggle, whilst experiencing the fight he has with his own body and mind meant that these sections I was able to absolutely speed through!

You cannot be anything other than invested in the race to save those the shadow man has taken and I felt the actions, and consequences, made were realistic and believeable. Having a young girl try to stay strong for the adult around her was touching and helped me to feel quite emotionally invested.

Overall, I did enjoy my time with The Shadow Man! I think this would be easily read by thriller fans, but for me personally, disliking an important personality made it that slight more difficult.

*I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

4.7 stars.

TW: Being burried alive, attempt at sexual abuse, kidnap and cheating a partner.

Connie, an American forensic psychologist, is called to join the search for a famous person in Edinburgh who disappeared and seems to have been kidnapped, but little do they know that the case will turn out to be much more complex than expected. At the same time, we live the story from the head of the kidnapper and come to understand his mental disturbance to the point of feeling sorry for them. Will the case be solved or will it turn out to be too complex for Connie and Baarda? I guess you'll have to read it to find out.

The city of Edinburgh so perfectly portrayed that you can see its alleyways and feel the ancient and stunning architecture that makes it what it is and gives it the nostalgic feeling visitors get to experience.

It was impossible not to feel with the characters, given that the writer explained each of their stories in such depth, including their emotions to whatever had happened or was taking place in their lives.

Connie is a badass forensic psychologist who chose her profession because of some difficult events on her adolescence that are more common than they should be. A psychiatrist made the wrong call, which ended up affecting who knows how many people, just to keep a reputation and using it as a means to justify his mistakes.

Baarda is the police officer assigned to work on this case with Connie, a proper chap who learned to treat people kindly and always do whatever is right. A very sweet and intelligent man.

Fergus, our criminal is deeply disturbed with a disorder that is not accepted by science simply because it has not yet been included in the manuals used to classify which are allegedly all possible disorders.

The writing style made this book so easy to read, revealing just what was necessary and not letting the reader know more than what her characters were thinking at a given moment. You will be surprised at the same time they do and feel hanging more about 40% of the book at least, needing to know what's going to happen to all of them. No flowery writing.

This book so incredibly documented that every single explanation was supported by thousands of scientific articles and books. It talks about real cases and never includes a symptom or part of an investigation that would be impossible to find in real life. As a psychologist to be quite soon, I only have praise for the investigation done for the making of this wonderful book.

If you're either character or plot driven, you'll certainly enjoy this book; especially if you like properly documented books and emotional connections to characters.

I loved the premise of the book. But when I started reading, I found it hard to read. It’s actually so well written it framed me out. Looking over my shoulder type of book. I had to stop reading!

I've enjoyed Helen Fields' 'Perfect' series, though I still need to catch up on the newer ones, so I couldn't wait to read her standalone. Such a creepy premise, and it didn't disappoint. The book features a rare and fascinating psychological condition (this also features in another crime series I've read recently), which prompted lots more Googling to learn more. This was a fun read that was graphic in places, and I can't wait to see what the author writes next.

What an action packed, fast paced book! It was so so dark, I loved it! I was at the edge of my seat the whole time, I was so engrossed in the story. This is how you write a good thriller! Thank you, Helen Fields!

This is the first book I read from this author and really enjoyed it. It’s a suspenseful and gripping crime thriller with well developed and believable characters. It has a hint of supernatural and it’s quite different from the usual crime thrillers, making it unique in the genre. I highly recommend it.

Dark and twisty. It is a psychological thriller that is gripping with a central character that, even though is abhorrent, you can't help want to know more about him and the rare condition he has.

This is a slight change of pace from her normal books, having not read many of hers before i didn't know what to expect. Im some aspects this book waa great. In others it just did nothing for me personally.

I liked the idea of this book and I enjoyed the theory behind it all especially why the kidnapper is doing what he's doing.

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

Shoutout to NetGalley for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. 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. The beginning of the book is a bit weird because you start out by seeing the killer's point of view, and you are dropped into a very weird and drama-filled point without any back story. For me, that made me want to keep reading, but I can see that may turn some people away. The characters of Connie Woolwine, an American forensic psychologist, along with her partner Brodie Baarda, a London detective, both of whom have been asked to assist in capturing the Shadow Man are what make this book. I loved their chemistry. I loved Connie's take no shit attitude against Brodie's more gentle, sensitive, and polite manner. I’m not normally known for giving a 5-star review but with a book as good as this one was it’s a no-brainer.

I wanted to enjoy this book from the plot line it sounded good and right up my alley however I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would.. It was slow and it felt like it was missing something to me.. I liked connie and her banter but that was about it.. The book sadly didnt have me wanting to pick it up every chance I got.. I read reviews and everyone seemed to love it I just dont think it was for me.. Recommend? Not likely..

~Happy Reading~

The Shadow Man in an intense, anxiety filled thriller that remains with you even if you put the book down (this story got so under my skin I had a related dream about it – this is something that happens very rarely for me). It is an incredibly tense story, with characters you have real emotion for and a plot line that never lets you relax for a second. The writing style is engaging and well done, but the biggest thing for me was the portrayal of our villain. Not since You have I come across a villain that has made me want to have a wash after reading parts of the story inside their head – it is relentless. There were parts I had quite emotive reactions to this story.
I also think that there was plenty of opportunity for Helen Fields to go into graphic descriptions that could have seemed gratuitous, but she completely avoids this and leaves what is unsaid to create a deeply unsettling and insidious atmosphere. The ending is brilliantly executed and is edge of your seat drama.
I will say this though, this book may not be for everyone, this is on the cusp of being a horror novel rather than a thriller. The atmosphere, scenario and villain fit incredibly well into a tense, horrific story that will be difficult to read for many. It is hard hitting and nerve wrenching, but worth it to read a story as well constructed as this one.

T/W – Child kidnapping, kidnapping, murder, implied rape, mental health issues, claustrophobia, strangulation