Praise for THE SHADOWS "This is absorbing, headlong reading, a play on classic horror with an inventiveness of its own... As with all the best illusions, you are left feeling not tricked, but full of wonder." – The New York Times "If you liked The Whisper Man , you’ll love this. Alex North has crafted a second novel which is just as gripping as his first and even scarier. Hugely atmospheric and deliciously creepy, it’s about how the past encroaches on the present, and how dreaming influences reality, until in the frightening world of The Shadows , it becomes harder and harder to tell one from the other... and the nightmare takes over." – Alex Michaelides, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Silent Patient "North follows up his sensational debut, 2019's The Whisper Man , with another terrifying spine-tingler... This heart-pounding page-turner is impossible to put down." – Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Expect to be electrified by the author’s total mastery of misdirection. This second stunning thriller firmly establishes North as a rapturous teller of tales." – Booklist (starred review) "Before this twisty story ends, there are many surprises....a successful, creepy thriller. If you like Stephen King, you’ll probably like North’s new thriller, too. – Library Journal Praise for THE WHISPER MAN “Works beautifully… If you like being terrified, The Whisper Man has your name on it.” – The New York Times (Editor’s Pick) “Superb.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Poignant and terrifying…Take a deep breath before diving into this one.” – Entertainment Weekly “Brilliant…an affirmation of the power of the father-son relationship…will satisfy readers of Thomas Harris and Stephen King.” – Booklist (starred review) “A terrifying page-turner with the complexities of fatherhood at its core.” – Kirkus Reviews “A powerful and scary story that will haunt readers long after the final page is turned.” – Library Journal “First it’s spooky. Then it’s scary. Then it’s terrifying. And then… well, dear reader, proceed at your own risk. An ambitious, deeply satisfying thriller―a seamless blend of Harlan Coben, Stephen King, and Thomas Harris. My flesh is still crawling.” – A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window Alex North is the internationally bestselling author of The Whisper Man and The Shadows . He lives in Leeds, England, with his wife and son, and is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name.
Features & Highlights
"This is absorbing, headlong reading, a play on classic horror with an inventiveness of its own... As with all the best illusions, you are left feeling not tricked, but full of wonder."
–
The New York Times
The haunting new thriller from Alex North, author of the
New York Times
bestseller
The Whisper Man
You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile--always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet--and inspired more than one copycat. Paul Adams remembers the case all too well: Crabtree--and his victim--were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together. But now his mother, old and suffering from dementia, has taken a turn for the worse. Though every inch of him resists, it is time to come home. It's not long before things start to go wrong. Paul learns that Detective Amanda Beck is investigating another copycat that has struck in the nearby town of Featherbank. His mother is distressed, insistent that there's something in the house. And someone is following him. Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago. It wasn't just the murder. It was the fact that afterward, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again...
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Reviews
★★★★★
4.0
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Intriguing and frightening
This book gave me chills at times. North is an avid storyteller, throughly exposing the characters’ vulnerabilities and fears. Definitely takes you on a ride! Although the ending could’ve been extended; it felt like the plot was rushed from the climax on. Still a great read. I love North’s works.
2 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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Still creepy but does not beat the first one
Reading Alex North's "Shadows" was a real treat for me. The intriguing mystery and intricate plot of the book kept me interested. Although I couldn't help but note that it missed the extreme creepiness that I adored in the previous chapter, the tempo and general mood were fascinating. The mystery was intriguing in and of itself, but I thought the plot dragged out a bit at times and appeared to lose some of its drive.
The author's skill in creating complicated characters and writing style, however, remained excellent. The complex web of relationships and the way the individuals' histories interwoven gave the story depth. My little concerns with the pace aside, the mystery was satisfactorily resolved, and all the loose ends were neatly wrapped up. "Shadows" is unquestionably a good sequel to the previous novel, demonstrating Alex North's mastery of writing and capacity for crafting a compelling mystery. The whole experience was still enjoyable even if the spooky component wasn't as strong. I anticipate reading more from this author and am hopeful that their upcoming books will have the ideal balance of suspense and mystery.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Not As Good As Whisper Man
📔 B O O K • R E V I E W 📔
•
Title: The Shadows
Author: Alex North
Rating 3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Everyone knows a Charlie Crabtree, you know, the one kid with a sinister smile and a dark imagination, the outsider, the loner. Well, 25 years ago, Charlie Crabtree, did the unthinkable, committing a murder so heinous that it attracted infamy that lasted for YEARS on the internet, resulting in copycat murders.
Paul Adams spent years putting his life back together after this event. Now his mother, who is suffering from dementia, is taking a turn for the worse and he must return home. Detective Amanda Beck is investigating yet another copy cat kill, and while his mother is becoming more and more distressed Paul himself starts to look into what happened all those years ago.
Okay, so unpopular opinion here, this one did nothing for me. This is a dual timeline, the before where we learn about Paul’s friendship with Charlie and the present where Paul returns home and the investigation of the copycat murders are taking place. I loved The Whisper Man, and was so thrilled to see that Amanda Beck was back on another case but honestly, there wasn’t even a need for her to have such a huge part in this book.
I enjoyed the idea of “lucid dreaming” and the culty vibes in this one, but think I just expected more. There were definitely some creepy parts, but nothing that really had my jaw on the ground. Did I see that ending coming? No, but it was just okay in my mind. Ive read some really awesome reviews of this book so don't let me deter you from picking this one up.
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#luciddreaming #cultyvibes #copycatmurders #heniouscrimethatgainedimfamy #unpopularopinion #theshadows #alexnorth
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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Great read, unexpected!
I really enjoyed this book. The narrator is complex but relatable and the last chapters gave me whiplash
★★★★★
1.0
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What. The. Hell.
Well, I tried. But I've long since decided not to waste my time on books that are so poorly written that it makes me cringe just to open up the darn thing to read more. I don't know what in God's name some of these 4 and 5 star reviewers were on when they "read" this thing and somehow came to the conclusion that it was worth even a passing glance at the airport bookshop.
FIRST, I enjoyed the idea of the story. It was spooky. Bordering on supernatural, true-crimeness. Much like The Whisper Man, which I LOVED. It even had a Stephen King vibe, which I sometimes enjoy when it's warranted. But the more I read, the more intolerable the repetitive writing became. Somehow, instead of improving his craft after The Whisper Man, Alex North falls heavy on the decline and spews forth this bleeding hangnail of a novel which feels more like it was an inbred amalgamation of an unfinished short story and his brainless agent pressuring him into "fleshing it out" just to get another book on shelves. Shallow, empty, devoid of any enjoyable characters, dialogue that might as well have been written by a 3rd grader, and a main character, Paul Adams, one of the single most annoyingly grim and brooding sobs I've ever come across in literature. After deciding to DNF this prison yard blanket party on the senses, I curiously looked up the book to see how it all ended. I have dodged some nasty, ugly bullets in my time. But sometimes I wish The Shadows was the bullet that got me. Right in the head. Just so I could die in peace and not have any memory of having ever picked up this embarrassment of a story.
THE SHADOWS has officially joined my DNF shelf, and the 60 to 70% that I did read.
Hopefully, Angel Maker will make up for this.
★★★★★
4.0
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A gripping and suspenseful novel
The Shadows by Alex North is a gripping and atmospheric novel that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. North has a real talent for crafting suspenseful and eerie tales, and The Shadows is no exception. The story is set in the small town of Gritten, where a series of gruesome murders have taken place. The protagonist, Paul Adams, was a teenager when the first murder occurred, and he has been haunted by the memories ever since. When the killings start up again, Paul finds himself drawn back into the mystery, and soon realizes that the killer may be closer than he ever imagined.
One of the things I loved about this book was the way North weaves together the present-day investigation with Paul's memories of the past. The result is a multi-layered story that keeps you guessing until the very end. The characters are also very well-drawn, particularly Paul and his childhood friend, James. Their complex relationship is at the heart of the story, and North does an excellent job of exploring the dynamics between them.
Overall, I would highly recommend The Shadows to anyone who loves a good thriller. The pacing is spot-on, the atmosphere is creepy and unsettling, and the mystery will keep you guessing until the very end. It's a four-star read that I won't soon forget.
★★★★★
4.0
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Spooky read that will blow your mind
If you're still looking for a book that will give you the chills, check out The Shadows. I loved The Whisper Man by Alex North and was glad our book club picked his next book, The Shadows, as our September read!
In this novel, classified as a supernatural mystery/thriller, a group of teenagers obsessed with lucid dreams, are trying to conjure The Red Hands, a boogie man of sorts. When two of the teens, Charlie and Billy, are accused of murdering their classmate, the small town is shocked. Twenty five years later detective Amanda Beck is investigating the copycat murder of another teen. The problem is, back when the first murder was committed, Charlie was never found...
There is so much to be said about this book. It's dark, deliciously suspenseful and it will blow your mind. The line between the dream and the reality is so subtle, that you will find yourself rereading previous passages to unravel this twisted mystery. At one point I was jotting down the names of the characters since the book shifts between "before" and "now" in addition to having multiple POV.
There is more than just murder mystery. There is a mother-son relationship storyline of Paul who regrets the lost time with his dying mother. Paul escaped the dreadful little town after his classmate and close friend was killed, and now as an adult, he returns to care for his ailing mother and finds himself back in the nightmare he tried so hard to forget.
The book will throw a few surprises at you, but my favorite ones were the Jenny storyline and the fact that when the student was killed twenty-five years ago, the author deliberately did not name the victim. Anyone else had that nagging feeling that something was amiss?
This suspenseful thriller is a great mix of classic horror, illusion and murder investigation. Once a few pages into it, it's almost impossible to put it down. It's creepy and unsettling in the way that after awhile, you're not able to tell the nightmare from reality.
★★★★★
5.0
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Slow start
It started off slow but once it got going I couldn't put it down
★★★★★
5.0
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Thrilling
After reading The Whisper Man I had to order the next book and it did not disappoint. Alex North is fantastic at totally creeping me out without being graphic or gory, and somehow still manages to have me emotional at character growth. Highly recommend his books!
