Regular readers of my reviews will know that I have an affinity for the old pulps and pulp fiction. Is there a better-known example of the pulps than The Shadow? I've listened to many of the old radio shows and back in the 1970's I read a number of the 'Maxwell Grant' penned books so I was excited to see that popular fiction author James Patterson (with Brian Sitts) was bringing the character back for a new generation of readers to discover and enjoy.

Unfortunately the first book in this revised series, which I recently read and reviewed, didn't catch my interest, but I had already requested (and was granted) an ARC of this second book. Now I almost wish for that first book again.

Why does upgrading or modernizing a classic have to involve such drastic changes? In the original radio Shadow stories, Lamont Cranston had traveled through the Orient where he learned hypnotism that could cloud men's minds so as to become invisible to them. Now that Lamont and his wife have survived being revived from a cryogenic sleep and find themselves in the distant future with a great great grandchild, they discover that the world isn't exactly a better place and in fact their same arch nemesis has also found a way to get to this future.

Fortunately for The Shadow and his now protégé relative, Maddy, they are discovering new powers being bestowed on them from the ancient Orient. When invisibility isn't enough ... Shadow ... meet the Animorphs. Yes, The Shadow can now turn into an animal! Surely that will come in handy as Lamont and Maddy take on The Destroyer of Worlds, the leader of a grand criminal organization called Command.

Of course a 1930's era hero taking on a late-21st century criminal is going to need a little help, and so Cranston recruits the great (4th generation) grandsons of his old partners, who just happen to be as skilled as ancient grandparents were with specific traits.

While Patterson's writing is very much modern day pulp fiction (fast, furious, page-turning action), I don't understand why the need to take a character who already exists and change it so much that it's no longer recognizable as that character. Why not create someone new?

The story, as a pulp action story, is fine. It leans toward the incredulous which you might expect and the action is pretty much non-stop. But as a Shadow story? I don't think so. Maybe there aren't many Shadow readers out there who remember the old radio shows and pulps, so they don't have anything to compare it to.

Looking for a good book? Circle of Death by James Patterson and Brian Sitts is an updated, brought-into-the-future Shadow story. Other than the character names, this has little-to-nothing to do with the classic Shadow, but as a scifi action thriller it is just fine.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I love James Patterson, but I have read better novels by him. It wasn’t the writing necessarily, I am not a huge fan of the supernatural fantasy genre of reading, I didn’t realize: that’s what this was. I went in blind. I will continue to read James Patterson as I love a majority of this books, but this series is not for me!

This book is not a typical James Patterson book, it is more sci-fi urban fantasy. It had interesting characters who fleshed out the story to add interesting elements and a great storyline. Still a great read!

This was not the usual James Patterson book. Reminds me more of a teen thriller. It talks about characters from a different time zone coming back to avenge things.
The main character is from years ago, and is back protecting his grand daughter, who also has some of the same special skills that he does.
He arranges a meeting at his house, with other characters, and has to convince them that he is older than they think he is,

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing, NetGalley, and James Patterson and Brian Sitts for the chance to read an advance copy of Circle of Death The Shadow #2. This is an exciting read for fans of both new and old series of The Shadow. The Shadow dates back to the 30’s and this takes place during 2088 after being awoken by his and Margo Lane’s descendant Maddie and following the events of book 1. This time they are facing The Destroyer of Worlds as well as having to solve a series of strange murders taking place at the World’s Fair. Who knows how thing will turn out for our intrepid heroes? Only the Shadow knows! I highly recommend this book it is a lot of fun and very nostalgic as well.

Circle of Death by James Patterson was different from what I usually read. However, it was intriguing and fast paced.

This is the 2nd installment of James Patterson's series on The Shadow. I enjoyed the slight futuristic twist on the story and think the concept is interesting. There is a setup for a 3rd book that I feel will be well-received. Cranston's team of collaborators are up to the task but Maddy is by far the star. I look forward to seeing how her character progresses in the next book.

This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone with no issues.

This isn't your typical James Patterson book! This is an adaptation about a old superhero's from years ago. While there was a lot of action in it I could not stay pulled into the story.

We follow Lamont and his great-great-great-great-granddaughter while they assemble a group of great-great-great grandsons of his former colleagues and reveals that a truly evil global organization is murdering people all over the world. They join together to stop the unnecessary violence.

Thank you netgalley, the publisher and the author for my ARC!

The Shadow knows, Lamont Cranston has lived for a very long time. He is requesting the help of some old friends grand and great grand children. An enemy of Lamont.s is causing destruction all around the world. Can he and his new crew help to save the world or will they meet their death first.

A mysterious thriller that will take you from one century to the next while reminding you nothing is ever what it appears in a Patterson novel.

The ability of our main character to jump not only timelines but appearances kept me on my toes and guessing what would happen next and I loved it.

I've always wondered what it would be like to have a superhero alter ego and this story gave me a really good look at what that would be like and how hard it would be to balance everything, have the knowledge most people dont, and try to keep the people you love safe without everyone finding out who you are.

I can honestly say I didn't know what to expect with this one but the blurb drew me in and I'm so glad I read it, my brain is still processing what happened and to me, that is the definition of a great book.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Circle Of Death by James Patterson

Release Date July 03 2023

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Pace: 4/5
Overall Enjoyment: 4/5

Ok, I love JP’s writing style and the way he tells a story most of the time. I did not read the first in this series as I honestly did not know there was one. I am not really a big sci-fi fan and shapeshifters and moving between time frames as frequently as the characters do in this book just could not keep my interest. The characters themselves were very well developed but as the turned into animals, I just could not follow along. Most of the writing style in this book was obviously the was that JP writes but what he normally writes about, mystery and suspense, is what I really enjoy reading. He has an uncanny knack for being able to write a suspense novel without telling too much so the reader does not find it predictable. This one had a well thought out plot with people dying all over the world and the shadow must find a way to stop the destruction of Earth. The worst though is yet to come with the worlds fair being the number one target. The ending is a great one though. That is why I gave it 4/5 stars. In JP’s style it was still a good book. I do wonder though if I had read the first one if that would have made a difference.

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

This is the continuation of Shadow Book number 1.

Bouncing along between 1933 and 2088, this one covered a lot of ground but it still felt like a comic book.

With the addition of multiple co-authors, the writing just isn't consistent in my opinion.

This will probably be it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and GCP.
July 03, 2023

I really enjoyed The Shadow, and was looking forward to this book. The characters are well-developed, The book is pure fantasy, and full of comic-book style violence. The Shadow and some others he has chosen are trying to save the world from utter destruction. Those of us, that like dystopian thrillers, this story is no exception, and will be followed closely while on the edge throughout the ups and downs, surprises, and ridiculously far-fetched scenarios. The year is 2088, and “the shadow “ lives as Lamont Cranston in New York with his wife, Margo Lane, his "youngest living descendent" Maddy and Maddy's grandmother Jessica; The world, it seems, is divided into two major sections, with each "ruled" by a leader. I’m hoping there will be another book and the next adventure (but really, who knows what lurks?). Will be just as great

# netgalley

I'll go on record as saying this one is about as implausible as they come, but it didn't take long before I jettisoned my "Awww, c'mon, you can't be serious" attitude and enjoyed the heck out of it. It doesn't hurt, of course, that I'm old enough to have been a huge fan of "The Shadow" radio broadcasts, which ran from 1937 to 1954 (never mind where I fit into that timeline). This book is the second is the series featuring The Shadow's alter ego, Lamont Cranston; it's a first for me, but it won't be the last.

The year is 2088; a lot has happened since those old radio shows came to a halt. The Shadow, needless to say, didn't; in fact, it seems he's been rather active for way longer than we ever suspected. These days, he lives as Lamont Cranston in New York with his wife, Margo Lane (remember her??), his "youngest living descendent" Maddy and Maddy's grandmother Jessica; the city is just starting to recover after devastation caused by a baddie named Shiwan Khan before The Shadow brought him down. Margo has a few powers of her own, honed from years earlier, and Maddy, well, is a prodigy. The world, it seems, is divided into two major sections, with each "ruled" by a leader. As part of New York's recovery, the city is hosting a World's Fair - a blatant attempt at boosting goodwill and good feelings amid an overall atmosphere of despair.

But the powers-that-be are so consumed with maintaining a feel-good atmosphere that they sweep some nasty incidents under the rug - incidents that don't go unnoticed by Lamont and Margo nor, when they hit "home," Maddy - a headstrong girl who's just beginning to grow into awareness of her heritage and capabilities. Beyond that, it appears there's a ne'er-do-well who seems to be trying to destroy the world as it exists - known only as Command - and it's up to Lamont to put the kabosh on his mission (encouraged by the President of the Americas). To do that, Lamont calls in the troops - descendants of his trusted colleagues from the past, like Jericho, Moe, Burbank, Hawkeye and Tapper.

From this point on, you're on your own; I won't spill the beans except to say that there's fodder left for the next adventure (but really, who knows what lurks?). I'm already salivating; meantime, I'll thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for letting me read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

I read fhe first novel, as I did not realize this was a sequel, and didn't manage to finish the first book, so I sadly won't be reading this one. Thanks for the chance to review this one, despite it not being for me

Rating it a 3 star because i don't feel right giving it anything more or less without reading it.

Patterson is clearly an author I don't gel with, after a handful of reading them.

I absolutely loved "The Shadow"-book 1 and couldn't wait to read book 2. I quickly devoured this fantastic book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Pubkishing for this opportunity to read rate and review this arc which is available July 3,2023

So James Patterson puts his own spin on a character called The Shadow. It was a radio tv show back in the day and I requested this arc because it was a favorite of my granddad. It is well written and fast paced and action packed. I felt like I was being told a story by my Granddad about The Shadow. I’m buying this series

Big thanks to #NetGalley and #GrandCentralPublishing for allowing me to read/review #CircleOfDeath by #JamesPatterson and #BrianSitts. This second shadow book was amazing. Never a dull moment. I can’t wait for the third installment.

In literary circles, James Patterson books have long been considered sloppily written and appealing to the lowest common denominator - tabloid quality. But with the addition of dozens of co-writers, the writing in many of his series has improved and the scenarios have become more believable and readable. However, in Circle of Death, not so much. Brian Sitts is the co-author, and this dystopian novel in the Shadow series, is pure fantasy, unbelievable, and full of comic-book style violence. As is vintage James Patterson, there are dozens of murders, dead bodies, and violence, and The Shadow and some others he has chosen are trying to save the world from utter destruction.

While the characters are well-developed, albeit totally implausible, they are consistent throughout the novel, and are indicative of the supernatural powers that are often attributed to characters in fantasy novels. Patterson is the biggest selling author at present, maybe ever, and his storytelling abilities have kept readers on the edge for decades. For those who like dystopian thrillers, this story is no exception, and will be followed closely while on the edge throughout the ups and downs, surprises, and ridiculously far-fetched scenarios.

All told, readers who enjoy this type of fiction will want to immediately pick up this novel and will want to read it cover to cover in a short amount of time. Those who prefer less violence, less dead bodies, and less supernatural garbage will want to skip this one and read one of Patterson’s other series.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

While this entry is much better than the first, it still is somewhat disappointing. The story feels much more like a Shadow story (despite the future setting), but the people shape-shifting into animals and time travel elements feel completely out of place and took me out of the book unfortunately. This entry at least gives hope that the series can live up to its promise, it still falls short.