Not for the faint heartened or those who have a weak stomach! Descriptions of cannibalism and torture which are so well described my stomach was churning. Usually stories such as this are descriptive but lack depth and substance, but this did not disappoint. The unravelling of the story left no questions unanswered and became believable and imaginable.

I notice quite a few reviews have talked about the level of goriness in this novel, but I think reading horror, that comes with the territory. I don’t think this is any gorier than a lot of other horror novels. I will say if you are looking for a cannibalistic cult novel, then this is for you! And I will say those are the two elements I enjoyed. Well, enjoy is kind of a weird word to use in combination with cannibals but you know what I mean. The supernatural element was awesome, the praying to the demon god and the new language brought on the drug were good additions. It certainly made it difficult to figure out which added a nice little mystery element to it. And I also enjoyed the tie into the title. The real downer for me were the detectives. There was certainly some rough verbiage regarding trans people that really brought the narrative down, I rolled my eyes several times with those scenes. I also didn’t like the way the police came to “rescue” the cult people. They all talked about how they wanted to do it strategically and then went in there half assed and got shut down. Like really?! Seemed unreasonable. But all in all, a solid 3 and another Graham read in the bag!

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Shadow People by Graham Masterton was an excellent book and i was gripped from the very beginning till the end especially as its not for the faint hearted!!! It's gory throughout and I loved it! . Graham is an author that surprises me every time i read one of his books and he is better that one of the famous horror authors out there.
Graham is a master of horror

Its one of the best books i have read in a while!

I highly recommend this latest book! I loved it!

Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is only the second book by Graham Masterton that I have read but I did find it a bit closer to reality than I found Ghost Virus to be. In saying that, believe me, you are in for a very gruesome read. This book is very graphic, so if that isn't your thing or you have a weak stomach, you probably will want to pass on this one.
This storyline contains cannibalism, cult like rituals and kidnapping because, well, there is cannibalism in case you didn't catch it the first time around.
Jerry Pardoe and Jamila Patel are again leading a very bizarre investigation into strange happenings that will have you reading as fast as you can to reach the morbid end.

If you're a horror fan, you are going to love this one!!!

I gave up on this book after 50%

I first want to say that it takes a lot for me to DNF a book and this is the second books of Masterton that I have tried to read.

I think my main problem is that he takes too long to get to the point and I find that it is almost excruciating the way that he draws the plot line out. It is also majorly diluted by having many perspectives in his stories which for me makes it hard to concentrate on the overall plot. I like to have a main protagonist or pair of protagonists that I can follow the story along with and root for. I guess Masterton just isn’t for me.

Not a book for anyone who likely gets disturbed. It's super gruesome and grim and gore (a combination that I like just fine). Please do check the TW again or ask people about it. A lot of people DNF this book (I know it because it's damn gruesome). Not everyone's gonna like this book. I don't like it but also don't hate it. This is also the first book by the author that I've read.
Thanks Netgalley and publishers for the ARC.

I was really liking this book, however it had to be a DNF for me. I love the horror genre, but the one thing I cannot do is gore. Unfortunately this book was too gorey for me. The scene that did it for me was a scene involving eyeballs, but that could have also been that I was eating Brussel sprouts while reading it. I enjoyed the story I read but it was just too much for me to stomach sadly.

I didn’t know what to expect with this one but overall I enjoyed my read through! Kinda weird in a wonderful way. Thank you to netgally and the publisher for early access to this book.

It took me a little longer than normal to get through this book, but I ended up seriously loving it. It was gory and gruesome and such an exciting read. Definitely the kind of book you gotta be in the mood for.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. If you love a good horror/gothic story, I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I saw the description of this book and had to have it. I love a good gore fest! I’ve been a fan of Masterton for a while now, ever since my introduction to him with the Katie McGuire series.

It did take me a little bit to get into the book but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. Looking forward to reading more of the series!

3.5 stars.

DNF. It was completely my fault! I saw the name of the author and requested without reading the synopsis because I enjoyed one of his books. But I don't think I can handle a book with cannibalistic cult!

4 Stars!

Graham Masterton has been a favorite of mine for a long time. Every time he releases a new book, it is a major event for me. When I got a copy of The Shadow People, I was sure that I was in for another treat. Masterton’s style often borders on the extreme without crossing over to gratuitous violence but filled with plenty of cringe-worth scenes mixed with solid storytelling and even a touch of classic whodunit thrown in for good measure. I knew that The Shadow People, which continues the adventures of DS Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel, was going to be another outstanding read.



Jerry Pardoe and Jamila Patel have become the “Ghostbusters” of the Metropolitan Police. Whenever there is a hint of the supernatural to a crime, they are the ones called in to investigate. This is the case when three bodies were found in a London basement. It was not that there were three dead bodies. It was that the bodies had been roasted and partially eaten and the drawings on the walls suggest that this was done by some sort of demonic cult. It is not an isolated incident, either. As more people begin to be kidnapped with clues hinting at the same cult, it is up to Pardoe and Patel to stop the cult before the body count gets any higher.



There is, in fact, a cannibalistic cult at work in the shadows of London who worship a demon that dates back to the Stone Age. Unfortunately, though, it seems as if the cult is moving out of the shadows as their crimes become increasingly bold. Pardoe and Patel know that there is something powerful going and are racing against the clock to discover the secret of the cult. When things get personal, it is time to pull out all stops and venture into the dark underground in London where evil dwells to do everything possible to keep it from spreading further.



Masterton is known for writing horror that borders on the extreme and can be a little rough around the edges at times. Part of his appeal is his ability to write with that edge without crossing the line into gratuitous violence. The Shadow People is a great example of this and if anything pushes the envelope a little further. Even though I have read many books by Masterton and knew what to expect, there are still some scenes that are hard to read and made my stomach turn a little. There are a lot of themes in this novel that may not sit well with some readers and that is ok. I do not think that Masterton is for everyone and this novel has a particularly sharp edge to it that runs throughout the novel. Masterton rarely pulls any punches and he pulls none in The Shadow People. This is a disturbing and graphic novel from the beginning to the end and readers with a weak stomach or sensibilities should avoid this one.



The Shadow People is, quite simply, scary and disturbing as hell. Masterton takes on many taboos in this novel and gives the reader all of the details along the way. There were things in this novel that made me cringe even though I would consider myself a seasoned horror reader and yet I found myself wanting to turn the pages even faster. The Shadow People has more than just an edge to it. It has a bloody serrated blade just looking for a victim lurking on every page. Masterton does not take the reader on a trip to the dark side but instead immerses the reader in the darkest of waters and holds the reader beneath the surface. With the very strong and taboo themes explored in these pages, this is a novel of extreme horror and one that is executed very well. It is not a comfortable read nor is it meant to be. The Shadow People keeps the reader on the edge of his seat even if he wants to flee. The darkness is here and Graham Masterton is the carnival barker for its dark circus. This novel is strongly recommended for those who are not afraid to venture into the darkest depths of human nature even if they may never emerge the same again.



I would like to thank Head of Zeus and NetGalley for this review copy. The Shadow People is available now.

I've read some really great books from Masterton in the past, so it genuinely makes me sad I couldn't keep reading this one. The cops, our mains, are just straight out unlikable, toxic, and worst of all, actually interrupt the plot entirely. I know I can't be the only reader who's had their fill of books which throw around transphobic speech, racist depictions of BIPOC characters (our villains as the cult members no less), and a lot of sexist description relating to female characters on top. No thank you.

A new weird case brings back together Jamila Patel and Jerry Pardoe when a lot of human remains are found in what looks like a creepy barbecue. Could it be that a bunch of homeless people has become cannibalistic or is there some fanatic cult whorshipping a goat-headed god that is painted on the underground tunnel walls? Soon more people are missing, and more bones are found, but the police also manages to capture some of the homeless suspects, which are only able to communicate in unintelligible growls. What Jamila and Jerry finally uncover is much more vile and dangerous than they ever thought possible.
I was eager to jump into the next case with Jamila and Jerry, however in the end I was not as thrilled as I was after reading part one. There were some lengths to the story, and the plot was dancing along on a small line between absolute horror and total ridiculousness, overstepping both borders without hesitating. There was a lot of gore, more than necessary imho - not that I'm a queasy reader, but even the most stomach turning scenes will loose their effect when repeated too often. Also, I found that the dialogues where really poor at times - especially the police slang and the seemingly forced attempts at wittiness. However, the ending brought a satisfying conclusion and the last page was creepy enough that you want to keep the light on after reading. I hope the next case for team Jerry and Jamila is already in the making, but I also hope it will be a couple pages shorter and more focused on some straight horror.

This isn't a book for faint of hear or squeamish people, it's a horror full of gore and action.
It's gripping but sometimes the overdose of gore cause a sort of paradox effect as it's so over the top.
The author can write a gripping novel and keep your attention alive even if this is not a perfect book as the characters are a bit under-developed and surely not on the polite side.
Recommended if you like very gorey horror.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Cults, investigations, and supernatural events can be found in The Shadow People by Graham Masterton. I loved the characters- Jamila and Jerry had great dialogue and banter between them. The cult aspect was so creepy and I got goosebumps reading those scenes. This is slightly longer, but I flew through the second half so quickly. This was bloody and gory, and just my kind of book! I can't wait to read more by this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-arc!

Detectives are called in to investigate when human remains are discovered in an abandoned building, remains which have been cooked and eaten. It becomes a race against time to track down the perpetrators of this crime, who appear to be a devil-worshipping cult.

I thought I would enjoy this book but I gave up on it at 30%. There were too many things I didn't like. Firstly, the gallows humour cop banter felt forced and unfunny, and poked unnecessarily at racial, sexual and gender stereotypes. There also didn't seem to be the sense that anyone investigating the crimes actually cared about what was happening, like they were emotionless drones carrying out the investigation and hadn't just seen one of their number with his head smashed open like an egg. Finally, the depiction of the cult itself seemed quite implausible (although in fairness as I said, I only read to 30%, it might have all been explained later) but all communicating in grunts, which became understandable when some sort of potion is consumed?? It seemed unlikely and daft, and combined with everything else, I just decided the book wasn't for me.

On the positive (?) side, the descriptions of the crimes were suitably horrific and ought to please fans of the horror genre, even if as a police procedural/thriller it fell short for me.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

It starts when two men are inside the dutchy hotel looking for squatters. There they find a pile of burned human skulls. This story is easily one of the most frightening and disturbing tales I have read so far. The characters are realistic and the story is well written. There are some very real triggers in this book along with a cannibalistic murderous cult that abducts it's victims for sacrifices off the street. It is very scary indeed. I loved it though.

DS Jamila Patel and DC Jerry Pardoe are called to a murder scene. When they get there, they find a bizarre scene. A pile of scorched human skulls, bizarre markings left on the walls. As more people are snatched off the street, and the body count piles up, Patel & Pardoe are left to figure out who is doing this and to try to stay alive themselves.