25 years ago, Charlie Crabtree brutally murdered one of his classmates and then vanished. Paul Adams has not returned home since his friend was murdered, but now that his mother is in hospice, it’s time for him to come home to Gritten Wood (aka The Shadows) and face the past he left behind.

Alex North does it again with a spooky setting and creepy storyline. I loved The Whisper Man so was excited to read The Shadows. Although some parts moved slowly to me, I enjoyed the story overall. I liked the dual timelines with Paul flashing back from present day to 25 years earlier. Charlie was such an unlikeable character and the scenes with him kept me on edge. I love a spooky setting in a book, and The Shadows were definitely that for me.

If you’ve read The Whisper Man, you’ll be happy to see Detective Amanda Beck return in this story. I liked how North connected the towns to have her be in this book as well.

One thing I will mention is that this book isn’t really horror so if that’s what you’re looking for I wouldn’t recommend this. However, if you’re looking for a mystery/thriller this one is for you. The author throws in a couple of big twists that I didn’t see coming at all. To me that’s what makes a thrilling read!