Dreams are a patchwork, stitched together for the things that happen to us in our waking lives.

25 years ago, two teenage boys participated in a horrendous ritualistic murder. One of the boys was apprehended, but the other, Charlie Crabtree, disappeared without a trace leaving behind a phenomenon that lived on in the dark web. Linked to the crime, Paul Adams left his hometown and never looked back. He's forced to return home because of his ailing mother and is unsettled to discover that there is a copycat on the loose and his mother seems to know more about the murders and Charlie's disappearance than she ever let on. As he starts digging into the past, he finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew - his friends, his family, even himself.

Told via alternating timelines with the sinister background of The Shadows - the town's deep, dark woods, this story unfolds through revelations, piece by piece, we work out alongside Paul. The atmosphere is dark and haunting and begs us to question - can you ever truly escape your past?

Alex North is a masterful writer. His characters are so fully fleshed out, it's easy to lose yourself in them. I really enjoyed Paul and how haunted he was by everything that took place that fateful year of his life. It was easy to feel his sense of loss and regret and see how it affected his life. My interest was very piqued by the concept of lucid dreams and how these boys were all so easily impressed upon by the sinister Charlie Crabtree. Loved the twists and definitely didn't see them all coming. I found myself looking back in shock at one splendid twist in particular! I can't wait to see what Mr. North writes next.

Thank you to Alex North and Celadon Books for sending me an early copy of this book to read an review.