Falls the Shadow

Nick Sharman Mystery #8

by Mark Timlin

In Sharman's eighth hardboiled adventure finds him back in the PI game, investigating a radio station

Working in a bar has proved too dangerous for Nick Sharman, so he’s back in the private investigation game. His first job, looking for a lost Highland terrier called Prince, shouldn’t be too demanding; a quick visit to the owner’s ex-husband and a mention in the local newspaper ought to trace it. But Sharman has reckoned without a skinhead nutter by the name of Eddie Cochran. Then there’s the call from Sunset Radio. Late-night phone-in DJ Peter Day has managed to upset an unpleasant splinter group, not to mention a paranoid caller, John from Stockwell; and now his post contains more than the usual fanmail; nothing explosive however, so far. Sunset wants Sharman to mind Day—though he’s rather concentrated on Sophia, the secretary with the habit of wearing dresses that cling to every curve of her body. But even Sharman couldn’t ignore the grisly contents of the next package delivered to the station, or let the threat of further bloody killings go unanswered.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

aka Johnny Angelo, Tony Williams, Jim Ballantyne, Lee Martin.

Mark Timlin lives in east London, has a Rolex and drives flash old American cars.

Reviews

[Warren Stalley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falls the Shadow is the eighth novel in the Nick Sharman PI series created by talented crime author Mark Timlin. Back at work as a private eye after his brief yet violent stint as a barman in previous book Hearts of Stone, Nick Sharman is hired by his local radio station Sunset Radio to look into sinister threats being made to late night DJ Pete Day by Nazi terror group Sector 88. Soon events turn even nastier when Day is also terrorised by a madman known as The Midnight Crawler. Things turn cruel and devastating for Nick as the narrative leads to a bitter finale. Falls the Shadow is markedly different from Hearts of Stone with more emotion than action this time round. Mark Timlin shows another side of his creative writing in this psychological slice of London noir.

[Chris Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this book feels like it was written by someone else, Sharman as a character feels very different, more tea less booze and drugs, the Bruce Willis/Hollywood level unbelievable violence is gone also, making for a better all around read for me at least. I'm hooked on the series so I guess I'll find out in the next one if the writer just hit his grove and matured or if he found a guy to write for him so he could go to the pub and cash the royalty checks.