January 05, 2021

The Shadow Man

 

By Helen Fields
Thriller
British Crime Fiction
⭐A 2021 Top Rated Read⭐

‘The Shadow Man is so chilling. With a dark, compelling plot and brilliantly drawn characters, you will be hooked from the first page…’ 
— Debbie Howells

📕My Review


What a fantastic start to 2021, The Shadow Man by Helen Fields. Pure escapism at its finest. I finished reading just as the UK's COVID-19 situation worsened with the announcement of lockdown #3. Thank goodness my To Be Read list circles the planet fifteen times and then some!

A serial killer, The Shadow Man, is abducting victims and holding them prisoner with the sole purpose of having something 'special' in store for them. Yep, this is one crazy sick-in-the-head mofo!!! The three captives (Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier) know their days are numbered. If they're to have any chance of survival it's imperative they find a way to escape and now!

I haven't read any of the author's 'Perfect...' series so The Shadow Man was my first introduction to her work. And what an introduction it was! Gripping, suspenseful and at times very disturbing. 

The killer was utterly chilling. He totally had me freaked out, yet even so I was fascinated by his repulsiveness. DI Brodie Baarda along with American psychologist Dr Connie Woolwine made a great team and I do hope their partnership continues. Their banter brought some much-needed humour and lightheartedness to counterbalance the darkness and depravity. 

Overall I thought it was a cracking read — intense, thrilling and exciting. The finale was just amazing. A well-deserving 5 star read.                  

Book Source: Review copy from the publisher
My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Print length: 400 pages
Publisher: Avon (4 Feb 2021)
Genre: Thriller, Crime
Buy from: Amazon UK | Waterstones | Book Depository | Hive | Amazon USA | B&N

📗The Blurb


He collects his victims. But he doesn’t keep them safe.

Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier are locked in a flat. They don’t know where they are, and they don’t know why they’re there. They only know that the shadow man has taken them, and he won’t let them go.

Desperate to escape, the three of them must find a way out of their living hell, even if it means uncovering a very dark truth.

Because the shadow man isn’t a nightmare. He’s all too real.

And he’s watching.

📘The Author


With a background as both a prosecutor and defence counsel, Helen Fields has a depth of knowledge about crime that lends a fierceness to her writing. From Courts Martials to care proceedings, the Coroner Courts to the Crown Court, Fields draws on her professional years for the extraordinary colour and texture that makes her writing jump off the page. 

Twice long-listed for the McIllvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year, and a multi-bestselling author whose books have been translated across the globe, Fields consistently produces high impact, compelling novels that readers love. 

The 'Perfect' series, set in Edinburgh, introduced the world to DI Luc Callanach. This year saw the release of Degrees of Guilt, her first psychological thriller in the name HS Chandler, a book as shockingly realistic as it is darkly entertaining.

Author Links: