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Amid the Shadows
A six-year-old girl is born with an unimaginable gift.
One person wants to extinguish it.
Another wants to protect it.
After her mother is violently murdered, young Sarah Baxter ends up in the care of a new and inexperienced social worker with problems of her own. But when Christine Rose and Sarah both get thrown into a terrifying conspiracy, Christine discovers that someone will stop at nothing to rid the world of Sarah's ability. Now the only thing that really matters is keeping Sarah alive!
One person wants to extinguish it.
Another wants to protect it.
After her mother is violently murdered, young Sarah Baxter ends up in the care of a new and inexperienced social worker with problems of her own. But when Christine Rose and Sarah both get thrown into a terrifying conspiracy, Christine discovers that someone will stop at nothing to rid the world of Sarah's ability. Now the only thing that really matters is keeping Sarah alive!
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2013
1600 people are currently reading
2542 people want to read
About the author
Michael C. Grumley
18 books1,318 followersMichael C. Grumley is the author of the best-selling BREAKTHROUGH series with over two million books sold. He lives in Northern California with his two young daughters. He’s an avid reader, runner and most of all father, and dotes on his girls every chance he gets. He loves hearing from readers while he works on the next ROLLBACK book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 489 reviews
November 16, 2016
I have one question for Mr Grumley WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?????
I will be brutal on this one it absolutely was the worst book I have put myself through this year, the plot was unrealistic the characters were stoic & there was no answers to so many questions about the six year old girl & her gift she had.
Every Chapter in this book was over written & really some of the stuff was like WHATS THAT GOT TO DO WITH IT?? I kept asking myself. It was more like an apocalyptic read rather than what the blurb had on the book description.
On one hand there was a good thing about this book THE END enough said.
I will be brutal on this one it absolutely was the worst book I have put myself through this year, the plot was unrealistic the characters were stoic & there was no answers to so many questions about the six year old girl & her gift she had.
Every Chapter in this book was over written & really some of the stuff was like WHATS THAT GOT TO DO WITH IT?? I kept asking myself. It was more like an apocalyptic read rather than what the blurb had on the book description.
On one hand there was a good thing about this book THE END enough said.
August 21, 2023
This is my third walk through a book by Michael C. Grumley and, again, I was not disappointed. There were a few things not explained by the end of the story, but not a big deal. I love that this author takes his plot and mixes it up with a bit of science here and a bit of theology there. Check out the plot for yourselves but it worked for me. Will read more from this author.
April 2, 2014
This author frustrates me because he is letting his ego hold him back. He doesn't think he needs an editor and though he invites readers to post reviews, he only pays attention to the good ones. If you can't take constructive criticism, you will never improve. He has very good story ideas and he's a decent writer. As I said in my review of Breakthrough, he could be a very good writer if he'd only put his ego aside and GET AN EDITOR! He should realize that the glaring errors in his books takes the reader right out of the story and all they can think about is that obviously the US Mint falls under the Treasury Department, not the State Department, as he so emphatically states in this book (hasn't he heard of Google?). Or that even people who have never been to New York know it is Madison Avenue, not Madison Street. Or that you don't need an apostrophe to make something plural. Those are just the obvious things. A good editor would make his writing smoother and his descriptions better. For example, he describes one woman as being tall with straight hair. Not much of a description!
As for the story, I enjoyed it. While I didn't find the plot quite as compelling as Breakthrough, I did notice a few improvements. For example, this one wasn't nearly as sexist as Breakthrough. The women were not awful, shrieking harpies who crumbled at the first sign of trouble. I also was not left with nearly as many questions when I finished. However, I did have a few. What was the deal with the churches? I didn't get the point of that. And what was Bazes looking for in the rubble? And where did he come from? Why were they looking for the kid at the end? How did they find him? What was he supposed to do? Did they ever find the missing cops (or their bodies)?
This was definitely a decent read. It just needs some polish to be a good read.
As for the story, I enjoyed it. While I didn't find the plot quite as compelling as Breakthrough, I did notice a few improvements. For example, this one wasn't nearly as sexist as Breakthrough. The women were not awful, shrieking harpies who crumbled at the first sign of trouble. I also was not left with nearly as many questions when I finished. However, I did have a few. What was the deal with the churches? I didn't get the point of that. And what was Bazes looking for in the rubble? And where did he come from? Why were they looking for the kid at the end? How did they find him? What was he supposed to do? Did they ever find the missing cops (or their bodies)?
This was definitely a decent read. It just needs some polish to be a good read.
May 10, 2016
What. The. Blippity. Blank.
Billed as a Dan Brown-esque mystery with a supernatural flair, this book is a complete mess. Characters come and go without any reason for the reader to care. Seemingly interesting set pieces are mysteriously introduced (in a certainly Brown-esque style), only to never be mentioned again. The relationships are improbable, the action is stilted, the villains are either bland cutouts or mustache-twirling buffoons, and huge sections of "side-material" read like blog posts on topics that interested the author (e.g., computer viruses, the crew size and configuration of a Boeing 757, etc.).
Really, it worked like this:
10% in: "Wow, this DOES feel like Dan Brown."
30% in: Very mysterious!
50% in: Still pretty mysterious...
70% in: There's no way that any payoff can match this build up.
80% in: ...Really?
90% in: I want to give up, but I'm so close.
Completed: I'm glad I only paid $0.99 for this.
Billed as a Dan Brown-esque mystery with a supernatural flair, this book is a complete mess. Characters come and go without any reason for the reader to care. Seemingly interesting set pieces are mysteriously introduced (in a certainly Brown-esque style), only to never be mentioned again. The relationships are improbable, the action is stilted, the villains are either bland cutouts or mustache-twirling buffoons, and huge sections of "side-material" read like blog posts on topics that interested the author (e.g., computer viruses, the crew size and configuration of a Boeing 757, etc.).
Really, it worked like this:
10% in: "Wow, this DOES feel like Dan Brown."
30% in: Very mysterious!
50% in: Still pretty mysterious...
70% in: There's no way that any payoff can match this build up.
80% in: ...Really?
90% in: I want to give up, but I'm so close.
Completed: I'm glad I only paid $0.99 for this.
November 22, 2022
I really don't understand the high ratings or reviews for this at all. Characters were introduced just to disappear pages later and never be heard of again. There was no breaks between scenes so one minute your with one character and the next sentence someone entirely different in a different location is there and I had to keep flipping back and forth to see if I'd missed something, but no, it's very badly written and edited if edited at all
February 8, 2017
I'm not sure if this one deserves two or three stars. The premise is interesting, although if I had known what it was about, I probably wouldn't have picked it up in the first place - the description of the book is woefully inadequate to the story.
Still, the world was interesting, and the foundational ideas of it are generally uplifting in a Christian, God's-looking-out-for-us-even-though-it-seems-like-he-isn't sort of way. I appreciated the concept that the Bible's meaning has been lost to interpretation, and some of the other ideas.
Still, it's the execution that leaves some to be desired. The story tears on quickly, but in a way that seems to leave very little chance for anything terribly unexpected to happen. There were no powerful twists, and although characters died, I never felt any real fear for the main characters. In that way, the story itself and the ending tight up almost too tidily. Side characters are used, but often not to very food effect. They come off less as people populating a full world and more as B-side television characters - he was a fan of telling what kind of person they were instead of showing. That brings me to my largest criticism of this book: it was set to be epic in scope, but much of the world-level shaking cleans up incredibly easily, and I always felt detached from the larger picture.
Smaller things bothered me too. There were a fair number of minor grammar mistakes ("she's six-years-old" comes to mind...) and large chunks of descriptive stuff that was auxiliary to the story. I understand explaining the history of a building, but he did it too often and again, not usually to good effect. I found the frequent scene changes jarring because sometimes he didn't give me a reference sentence for how the last scene transitioned into the next one. The main villain was a little cartoony, and I had a little trouble buying, by the end, that he was competent enough to champion his plan for world-destruction.
All of that said, the story was largely enjoyable. I don't feel like I wasted my time on it. It isn't a masterpiece by any stretch, but it has a pretty strong concept at its core, and characters who are interesting if not masterfully portrayed. I'd recommend it to someone who only dabbles in thrillers and likes a Christian message. I'd tell the author to keep writing - the writing isn't terrible, but it can only improve.
Still, the world was interesting, and the foundational ideas of it are generally uplifting in a Christian, God's-looking-out-for-us-even-though-it-seems-like-he-isn't sort of way. I appreciated the concept that the Bible's meaning has been lost to interpretation, and some of the other ideas.
Still, it's the execution that leaves some to be desired. The story tears on quickly, but in a way that seems to leave very little chance for anything terribly unexpected to happen. There were no powerful twists, and although characters died, I never felt any real fear for the main characters. In that way, the story itself and the ending tight up almost too tidily. Side characters are used, but often not to very food effect. They come off less as people populating a full world and more as B-side television characters - he was a fan of telling what kind of person they were instead of showing. That brings me to my largest criticism of this book: it was set to be epic in scope, but much of the world-level shaking cleans up incredibly easily, and I always felt detached from the larger picture.
Smaller things bothered me too. There were a fair number of minor grammar mistakes ("she's six-years-old" comes to mind...) and large chunks of descriptive stuff that was auxiliary to the story. I understand explaining the history of a building, but he did it too often and again, not usually to good effect. I found the frequent scene changes jarring because sometimes he didn't give me a reference sentence for how the last scene transitioned into the next one. The main villain was a little cartoony, and I had a little trouble buying, by the end, that he was competent enough to champion his plan for world-destruction.
All of that said, the story was largely enjoyable. I don't feel like I wasted my time on it. It isn't a masterpiece by any stretch, but it has a pretty strong concept at its core, and characters who are interesting if not masterfully portrayed. I'd recommend it to someone who only dabbles in thrillers and likes a Christian message. I'd tell the author to keep writing - the writing isn't terrible, but it can only improve.
did-not-finish
May 8, 2023DNF - page 102 (33%)
I simply cannot make myself care.
I simply cannot make myself care.
February 6, 2017
This is one of the worst books I've ever read. I am legitimately upset for the time I wasted reading it and I wish I could have forced myself to abandon the story. The story is a cheap interpretation of Christianity and a novice attempt at conspiracy theory. The plot had many holes, the characters were under developed, and the dialogue was cheesy at best. Do not recommend.
April 4, 2015
Ok one of the reviews got me. What in the world is Bazes looking for?
January 14, 2017
I took a chance on this book and was disappointed. There were elements of this book which I found fun and intriguing, but by the second half of the read, I found myself just wanting to finish the book - not a good reaction for a reader. The plot meandered without much purpose at times and the "big reveal" felt more like an eye-roll - too grandiose while also managing to be too predictable. Some of the characters had potential but were not developed. Additionally, just as the plot seems to move along, the author introduces another minor character for no particular reason and then discards the same character after a mere chapter or two. Finally, some of the details (at least those of the military variety) were so blatantly inaccurate as to thoroughly distract from the reading. My biggest problem with these inaccuracies is that even a simple Wikipedia search would have likely given the author correct information that could have helped improve the authenticity of those moments. Ultimately, I am disappointed that the potential of this story was never realized.
May 11, 2022
Excellent!
Tons of action. This is a complex plot that was pretty easy to follow. A six-year-old girl has a gift from God, and she has a protector (kind of a warrior angel). The world is about to be destroyed and has to be saved.
What I liked:
-I loved the last four words of the book. If you read the book and have the will power, don't jump ahead...wait for it.
-Some very creative action scenes.
-Interesting scenes and situations.
-The paratroopers.
-The computer virus that could destroy the world
-The characters, including the little gifted girl, her protectors, and the bad guys.
What I didn't like:
-It took me a while to get all the characters straight. But if I wasn't sure who someone was I just kept reading and it all worked its way out. This did not get in the way of really enjoying the story.
Really, really good!
Strongly recommend.
Tons of action. This is a complex plot that was pretty easy to follow. A six-year-old girl has a gift from God, and she has a protector (kind of a warrior angel). The world is about to be destroyed and has to be saved.
What I liked:
-I loved the last four words of the book. If you read the book and have the will power, don't jump ahead...wait for it.
-Some very creative action scenes.
-Interesting scenes and situations.
-The paratroopers.
-The computer virus that could destroy the world
-The characters, including the little gifted girl, her protectors, and the bad guys.
What I didn't like:
-It took me a while to get all the characters straight. But if I wasn't sure who someone was I just kept reading and it all worked its way out. This did not get in the way of really enjoying the story.
Really, really good!
Strongly recommend.
June 27, 2014
Amid the Shadows
What an AWESOME book this is!!!
I give it the highest rating possible!
The storyline was strong, scary but at the same time sweet, had religious overtones woven throughout (positive and negative), each of the characters were very well-written, very cool elite special forces -- who kicks some serious *ss !!
I read this book in a little over five hours....no daily walk for me....
I could NOT put it down!
The main character --- Sarah, got my heart! I wonder if there are really gifts such as hers? .....and the little boy they found in Kansas???
The theme of this book is that good will triumph, even when evil is almost equal in power.
I will remember and recommend books written by Michael C. Grumley!
What an AWESOME book this is!!!
I give it the highest rating possible!
The storyline was strong, scary but at the same time sweet, had religious overtones woven throughout (positive and negative), each of the characters were very well-written, very cool elite special forces -- who kicks some serious *ss !!
I read this book in a little over five hours....no daily walk for me....
I could NOT put it down!
The main character --- Sarah, got my heart! I wonder if there are really gifts such as hers? .....and the little boy they found in Kansas???
The theme of this book is that good will triumph, even when evil is almost equal in power.
I will remember and recommend books written by Michael C. Grumley!
to-buy
September 11, 2019Kind of reminds me of this movie starring Kim Basinger titled Bless the Child.
December 16, 2018
I really enjoyed it!
The classic battle between good and evil. The story blends the spritual and supernatural, highlighting the concept of the 'fallen angel' and the manipulation of technology, on a global scale, in an attempt to trigger the final annihilation!
The classic battle between good and evil. The story blends the spritual and supernatural, highlighting the concept of the 'fallen angel' and the manipulation of technology, on a global scale, in an attempt to trigger the final annihilation!
August 14, 2014
Some great books take a while to grab you, reel you in. This book is not one of those, this one latches on to you from the get go and takes you for a thrill ride. I enjoyed this book immensely, I had a hard time putting it down, after all I do need to sleep. This book I was always eager to read, the author tantalizes you with enough suspense, intrigue, drama with a supernatural twist to make you keep on reading. It's like The Bourne Identity meets Stephen King, Grumley is a talented author, if he keeps putting out books like these he will have to quit his day job.
March 3, 2017
This book was good versus evil, to protect a six year old girl. The child holds special abilities, and everyone from the government to angels are involved. The story moves along at a clip, but some of it seems unconnected. I read it, and was not completely sure what the writer was trying to say. Characters came, and disappear, and although you get some idea as to the gifts of the child, nothing is fully explained to your satisfaction, at least not to me. I feel this is a book you love, or leaves you cold. I feel the chill....
September 18, 2020
Terrible
One of the worst books I've ever read. Should've been half as long as it was but the author thought it necessary to give so much useless information and constantly introduce characters, give their entire life story, then never mention them again. One character never has what they were looking for revealed. I'd be upset if the book had ever managed to make me care about anything happening in any way. Oh and the villain has no idea why he's even chasing the little girl which is the entire plot. Makes total sense
One of the worst books I've ever read. Should've been half as long as it was but the author thought it necessary to give so much useless information and constantly introduce characters, give their entire life story, then never mention them again. One character never has what they were looking for revealed. I'd be upset if the book had ever managed to make me care about anything happening in any way. Oh and the villain has no idea why he's even chasing the little girl which is the entire plot. Makes total sense
July 3, 2014
3 and a half stars for this creative story. Kudos for the plot, although there were some strands that left me hanging. This paranormal/spiritual type of novel is normally not my cup of tea and probably wouldn't have read it had I known the theme. Nevertheless, it was an intriguing story that kept me engrossed. Give it a try and don't get turned off by the religious theme because it isn't a sermon-like book. It's actually a good adventure/paranormal read.
March 13, 2020
A ridiculous premise, barely outlined characters and a strong desire to finish so I could move on to something else. What bothered me the most was that the entire novel revolves around a six-year-old's special gift which never once comes into play in the entire story. Perhaps it should have aided in the denouement, Mr. Grumley? I will say it was a quick read and, in a strange sense, kept my interest (mainly, I think, to see how this mess could possibly end).
July 19, 2017
I really ended up liking this book. It has everything in it...Supernatural aspects, religious undertones, special forces/military and also mystery and suspense. It's a difficult book to explain without giving too much away. If you can let your imagination and mind go to the places this story goes, you'll enjoy it.
December 10, 2014
Did not finish this book when I discovered the overly religious aspect of it and the impossible things transpiring. Just not my cup of tea I guess. I was interested up to the point of the super natural and I'm not a fan of those types of books so closed the cover and put it away.
December 1, 2017
It occurs to me while reading the ending that the problem can be solved with communication. It begins with: hi sir, i would like to apply for the job as your son’s bodyguard. The end. No evil angel, cancer cured.
P.S: you should fired your editor. So many misspellings and errors.
P.S: you should fired your editor. So many misspellings and errors.
January 2, 2021
I actually enjoyed this book. Its supernatural theme, to me, isn't any harder to comprehend than any other books of this type. I found myself attached to several of the characters, so I give it a 3.5 technically.
August 2, 2023
this book and this author are a wonderfull discovery. Fans of every genre will enjoy this. I am starting Breakthrough next. You wont be sorry to pick up this great book.
April 25, 2025
I really enjoyed this book .. yes the premise was a bit much, lots of characters, but it kept moving and I kept reading to see what would happen next .. would make a good movie?! And, with how it ended with one country, and the "epilogue", what happens next?!
August 4, 2020
Contrary to the last reviewer, I thought Mr. Grumley was incredibly creative in the way he wove the plotline together. Somethings have to be left to the reader to figure out. As an author, I came across this book while doing research into other thriller writers as I've just ventured into this genre. I read "Amid the Shadows" in one afternoon. I think what some readers fail to grasp is that some characters are placed in a novel as fuel to move the story along and are not necessarily in need of a full back story. For me, this novel gave me food for thought as I delve into the age-old question "where is God in all of this?" I thought it was well-written, thrilling, a page-turner and I'm still thinking about it days later which is the goal of every writer. Kudos to Mr. Grumley for being a successful self-published author. I'd love to know his marketing secret.
Best wishes,
Joni Marie Iraci
author "Reinventing Jenna Rose"
Best wishes,
Joni Marie Iraci
author "Reinventing Jenna Rose"
September 3, 2019
This was one of thirty-something freebies I downloaded en masse. I have a very mixed response to this novel. 1.) it is out of my usual interest area. I don’t typically care for books dealing with any kind of supernatural forces. 2.) I became interested in the story in spite of my reservations. 4.) I got bogged down in the overdone details of the fight scenes and did a lot of skip-reading to find another spot of interest. 5.) I found the philosophical/religious connections interesting - sometimes inspiring; sometimes irritating. 6.) I had some trouble keeping characters straight - too many and too similar names. 7.) The very frequent misuse and confusion of the verbs lie and lay bugged me. 8.) I did finally just abandon the book at about 74% - it was just more trouble than it was worth.
December 23, 2019
I was kind of interested in this book, even enjoyed some of it until the end. There is a lot of over-explaining of things that don’t matter and I found myself zoning out some, but the ending, are you kidding me?
Half the characters just went away, and when they were in precarious situations, too. I don’t even know who lived or died! The ending was so abrupt, it’s like the author decided he was tired of writing so he wrapped it up as quickly as possible. A new character was introduced in the last chapter; no idea who he was, where he came from, or why he’s there. I thought I must have skipped pages and flipped back and forth several times. So disappointed in the ending.
Half the characters just went away, and when they were in precarious situations, too. I don’t even know who lived or died! The ending was so abrupt, it’s like the author decided he was tired of writing so he wrapped it up as quickly as possible. A new character was introduced in the last chapter; no idea who he was, where he came from, or why he’s there. I thought I must have skipped pages and flipped back and forth several times. So disappointed in the ending.
October 19, 2021
Not the best I've read from Grumley...
Disjointed and underdeveloped, this thriller raced to the end leaving behind numerous dead characters in its wake. I couldn't keep all the characters straight because they would be briefly introduced, then suddenly dead. The supposed religious theme was undeveloped. The reader didn't feel enlightened or emotional, but rather a bit bewildered at the many unanswered questions. I am left wondering what message was intended. Even the end was rather pointless. Oh well.
Disjointed and underdeveloped, this thriller raced to the end leaving behind numerous dead characters in its wake. I couldn't keep all the characters straight because they would be briefly introduced, then suddenly dead. The supposed religious theme was undeveloped. The reader didn't feel enlightened or emotional, but rather a bit bewildered at the many unanswered questions. I am left wondering what message was intended. Even the end was rather pointless. Oh well.
December 2, 2021
An amazing twist so unexpected!
This book more than earned each star. The inclusion of the internal struggle we each carry in our hearts for our world. This gives an alternate perspective for seeing the mysteries of how God works in all our lives. It winds events with special abilities people to create a world you believe in. This keeps me turning the pages to see how each piece fits into the puzzle. It originally appealed to me with subtle hints of a little girl with amazing sight.
This book more than earned each star. The inclusion of the internal struggle we each carry in our hearts for our world. This gives an alternate perspective for seeing the mysteries of how God works in all our lives. It winds events with special abilities people to create a world you believe in. This keeps me turning the pages to see how each piece fits into the puzzle. It originally appealed to me with subtle hints of a little girl with amazing sight.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 489 reviews