Shadows That Linger

by Bell Landers, Elvi Blómgren (editor)

After three years of hiding from a past she never wanted to face again, Abby’s world comes crashing down when her father’s unexpected illness pulls her back to the haunted hometown she tried so desperately to escape. Upon her return, she finds that history has a tragic way of repeating itself and Abby soon becomes a widow for the second time, forced to clear her name and divulge more of her precious secrets than she’d ever anticipated in an effort to bring herself and her husband the justice they deserve.

With the help of the town sheriff, someone she shares just as much painful history with, Abby begrudgingly falls head first into the unknown in more ways than she ever feared in the first place to come face to face with all that threatens her life and peace of mind. A story of trust and betrayal, Shadows That Linger leaves you wondering if anyone is truly safe.

394 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 25, 2023

Reviews

[Chapter Chirp (Jessica)]

“Shadows That Linger” centers around Abby Miles who seems to have the worst luck, especially when it comes to love. Her world comes crashing down around her after being mysteriously widowed twice. The stakes are at an all time high and it feels like time is running out to solve these coincidental murders. This was a fun murder mystery whodunnit with a twist of sweet justice in the end. Honestly, I guessed part of the mystery a little ways into the story but author, Bell Landers did throw a curve ball in there that I didn’t expect. Overall I liked reading this, and found it to be a cozy rollercoaster of a tale.

[Samantha Forbes]

Good, cute story

The storyline itself was cute and quick. Unfortunately there are some grammatical and layout errors that kept me from really getting into it. It took more days than I’d like to admit to read it all because of that. I don’t know if it translated weird into digital format or what happened, but there’s random paragraph breaks where there shouldn’t be and no paragraph breaks where there should be, especially with back and forth dialogue. All in all though, the storyline is good, if not somewhat predictable. I don’t think it needed to be as long as it was, there was a lot that could’ve been left out and still been a good story, but that’s just personal preference.

[Katie]

The only reason I picked this up was because the author was being absolutely insufferable online, spamming promotion for this book everywhere. Look, I support authors marketing their work. I want authors to talk about their books. But when it’s all day, every day, nonstop, eventually people are going to expect something profound.

This was not profound.

This book is so weak I’m convinced my paperback copy would physically fall apart after a single afternoon.

Then we get passages like this:

Some things, of course, were gone from when I moved in with Michael, but all the ‘child’ stuff was still here, untouched. The same bright pink blanket I’d had half my life covered the bed, and a stuffed animal I got when I was six, still perched on top of the pillow. I plopped down on the bed, locking eyes with the framed photo on my nightstand. Picking it up, I dragged my finger over the faces: Hunter, Janet, my mom, my dad, and me.

I let out a huge sigh, placing it back.

Placing what back? The sigh? 😭

And then the exposition train keeps going:

Life used to be a lot simpler. I grabbed the stuffed animal next to me, hugging it tight. When I was little, anytime I had a nightmare or was upset, I would squeeze the stuffed bear, and everything would be okay…

There’s info-dumping, and then there’s whatever the hell this is. If all your characterization comes through giant explanatory paragraphs like this, rewrite it. Automatically. No exceptions. It’s lazy characterization and exhausting to read.

The editing also feels like it was ordered off Temu.

Example:

“Abby?” Hunter tilted his head. “Fuck,” I blurted.

These should not be in the same paragraph. Start a new paragraph when the speaker changes.

Same issue here:

“What are you doing?” “…Running.”

“Again?”

“Hunter, I can’t do this! You don’t understand!”

And then this line made me do a double take:

“Oh, did your wife get murdered too? No, because you’d never been married and have never lost anyone like that.”

Bro… are we supposed to like this protagonist?

Also, notice how there’s barely any setting or atmosphere during these scenes. The dialogue just floats in empty space like a screenplay transcript. Please read more novels and learn how to naturally weave together narration, setting, emotion, action, and dialogue instead of giving us two floating heads arguing in the void.

I don’t care if it’s a thriller. Thriller novels still need prose.

Honestly, this reads like someone who watches a lot of TV and thinks that counts as studying craft.

It doesn’t.

[psych0_4books]

This book! You can't help but to be drawn into this whodunit suspense story. It follows Abby Miles, a widow who moves back to her hometown with her second husband to care for her ailing father. It doesn't take too long until tragedy strikes the young woman again and she's marked as a suspect in the case.

I loved the MMC, Hunter Wilson, who is Abby's lifelong best friend and former boyfriend. As a cop, he carefully treads the balance between being a friend and when to be Sheriff Wilson. He and Abby have a push-and-pull relationship as they attempt to piece together the case that dredges up the past and possibly threatens their futures.

The buildup to the third act had me pulling my hoodie strings and nervously giggling. A great story 🖤

[Ashley McCracken]

Can I say OMG and holy sh!t. This book kept me on my toes from page 1. I couldn't keep up with the suspects, everyone was a suspect at one point or the other. The shocker was who actually did it and the blood someone else has on their hands that isn't the victims. Someone else was murdered but never knew til later on. That was a huge shock. But I can't wait for a part 2 of their stories and more books by Bell Landers her self. She might be a new author but she definitely knows how to write books and keep us on the edge of our seat

[Scott S]

I recently came upon this debut novel from a new (to me) author that sounded quite interesting and I had to give it a read. What a wonderful and intriguing story Bell gives us, crafting a true thriller blending mystery, twists and drama with a cast of characters that have depth and emotions to care for and connect with.
The storyline’s interesting and was well written, this is a story that is easy to recommend. I look forward to more works from Bell, and to follow her along on her writing journey.

[Emily]

PHENOMENAL book! It has mystery, romance, lies and thriller vibes. The author does an amazing job on the characters, building them and giving them depth, back story, etc. The story has a “who dunnit” vibe, making you suspicious of everyone! Imagine a small town romance, sprinkled with suspense and a dash of Gossip Girl. It has a refreshing storyline with a good solid plot. Overall, fantastic story that I really enjoyed! Can’t wait to read more from the author!

[Teagan]

Wasn’t a bad book, I knew it was Janet from the jump. The whole Colleen threw me which I enjoyed but it should have ended at 80% when Janet was found to be the killer. I skipped the last 20% to see how it ended cause I couldn’t be bothered with it anymore.

I hated how the chapters were different POV but there was no indication of this until you read the chapter and realised it switched to Hunter and then back to Abby. That was annoying.

[Sandy Mel]

Such a great book. Abby and Hunter were truly meant to be together. I’m glad after everything she was able to heal, and find her happy. I love the detail put into this book. I’m finding way too often how authors skip over big parts and it makes it unrealistic. I was happy to see the author took the time to show some of the healing her characters had to go through. Can’t wait to see what else this author does

[Patti S]

Mysteries are not the typical books I read, however I wanted to give this a try since I really enjoyed the novella that Bell wrote. The main character Abby truly had a run of bad luck that pulled at my heart strings. I had all kinds of emotions reading this story. The story maintained suspense that had me guessing all the way to the end. Definitely a fun read and encourages me to read outside my normal genres.

[Alexis]

I loved this book! It's not a genre I'd normally read, but I decided to read it anyway and loved it! There are secrets, lies, and romance. It's the perfect read if you like cozy murder mysteries, with twists that will keep you on your toes! And the ending, omg! It was great! I can't wait to see what else this author has in store!

[Brianna Dandurand]

This book was AMAZING. It was cozy, and I read it in less than 24 hours, I couldn’t put it down. I actually fell asleep reading it. It is a wonderfully cozy murder mystery with serious “who dunnit” vibes. It has a nice little side helping of romance, which is perfect for people who both love and *hate* romance alike. It was just enough to keep you attached to the characters.

[Liz]

ARC READ.

All I can really say is O.M.G this book kept me on my toes from page 1. The twists and turns kept me guessing and I hardly ever have that! I usually can figure it out pretty early but this one had me guessing up until they figured it out themselves!

It is an amazing story and oh how I hope there will be more!

[Book Crone]

This was a fantastic who done it that kept me turning the pages. Abby has a hell of a time but Bell brings her through with lots of twists and turns. There is an HEA which I appreciate. This is not a spicy book but I would add a TW for grief and struggles with healing and guilt. I really enjoyed this one. Not going to post spoilers. Loved Abby and Hunter and Stanley.

[Allie Van Epps]

I love books that keep you always guessing, as soon as you think you've got it figured out, plot twist! This is how I felt reading shadows that linger. It's both engaging and entertaining. The characters feelings are also very well portrayed and I loved that I connected with the characters.

[Roni]

good idea, not great follow through

This book had so much potential! But the writing was all over the place the characters had no developments it was one dimensional and predictable. I finished it but I struggled to do so.

[Kat Miranda]

A wonder novel from Bell Landers ❤️

Spoiler-free review. This murder mystery will keep your head spinning. With twists and turns that leave you reeling! You will spend your time biting your nails and asking who dun it. And that ending chef kiss.


This author is up and coming, so jump on the bandwagon. You won't be disappointed. Also, go follow their socials because she's hilarious to boot.

[Riv]

For a debut novel this is written quite well. The author is talented and cab really spina tale well. I love the overall plot and enjoyed the surprises along the way. Great read can't wait to see what the author releases next.

[Jamie 🖤]

it’s a nice little book.

There’s a few typos that bothered me more than they should’ve. lol but overall it’s a cute & intriguing book! I would recommend it!

[Alisha Copas]

This book was so good! So many shocking twists!

[Makenzie Bender]

Really good. Kinda drugged out but over all decent. Ending was very disappointing

[Cassi Giddens]

Great book! once I really dived in, I struggled to put it down even for work!

[Katie]

I was blessed with the chance to Alpha read for the wonderful Bell Landers when she was prepping to release this book! And I can only say it is simply AMAZING! It is FINALLY available on Amazon, in paperback, hardback and Kindle Unlimited. And when I tell you I RAN to order it and was so impatient to get my hands on my very own copy I had to download it on KU so I could start reading it again. This book had me in a COMPLETE chokehold from the first sentence. I started reading and couldn’t stop. I read the entire book in one setting. The twists the turns. The back and forth of who it could be. 😍😍

If you’re looking for a mystery with some romance and just simply a great story, go check this book out!

[Michael Bishop Jr.]

Buckle up for an emotional rollercoaster in Abby’s tragic story. I felt like a fly on the wall, witnessing every moment unfold. You can not help but feel for Abby while loving and hating the characters.

Ella Mae was my favorite—even if she was not a major character. Ella Mae might need a side story. But I digress.

This book has it all—drama, jealousy, murder, twists, turns, mystery, and even “hottie cops” (not my words!). You’ll love it or hate it, but you won’t regret reading it. Personally, I loved it.

Full disclosure: I found this author on Threads—we follow each other. When I saw she was trying to reach her monthly goal, I decided to read a few pages to help. Well… 394 pages later, here we are.

[Bri Torres]

Seriously amazing. I could not put it down. It has mystery and romance. The twists are never ending. You are truly able to feel the emotions as you’re reading and things are happening. 10/10 would read again and am definitely going to be