* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

3.5 stars.

This was my second read by Alex North and continues to show his talented writing and ability to create a fantastically creepy atmosphere. The writing is suspenseful and contains some good moments of added confusion and misdirection. The entire setting is very gritty and mysterious. The pacing was pretty quick and the action was both disturbing and gripping.

I enjoy the somewhat clouded and confusing way that North weaves a story. You never quite have all the information and a lot of the information given isn't really what it seems. There are not a lot of red herrings in this narrative, which may have toned it down a bit in making things convoluted. However, the intensity of this plot was high from beginning to end.

Everything read rather quickly and the heightened suspense definitely made this a page turner. The Shadows was well on its way to being even better than The Whisper Man, which I read earlier this year. However, (and I may be in the minority on this) I found the ending disappointing and I found myself feeling deflated as I completed my read. Without giving any spoilers, it just didn't feel authentic and came across as more of a cop out for me. I would have liked to have seen the plot grow a bit more entangled than it did. Though the twist was surprising, it really wasn't that rewarding.