City of Shadows: The case was complicated but so was he...

by Jazmyne M. Parris

284 pages, Paperback

Published July 4, 2025

Reviews

[Crystal Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m completely convinced there was no proofreading done whatsoever. Characters in the book go from male to female in the blink of an eye (labelle), there are points where the same thing is written twice (pg 152 & 154) and it is clear as day the author has a limited vocabulary (something was shifting; it felt familiar; dress, dress,dress). I found this book through a friend on facebook sharing a post about it and since he and I are cool and he’s close with the author, I decided to give it a try. Sadly, i wish I hadn’t. This is in no way an attack on the author personally but this was hard to get through and a lot more practice and rough drafts are definitely needed. The storyline has so much potential but the writing is mediocre and there is no attention to detail. As a lover of books this was disappointing. I hope she takes it down, reworks it and puts it back out. Hoping for the best!

[Emmanuel Bamidele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I picked up City of Shadows, but wow this book had me hooked from the first chapter. The case is messy, full of twists, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, Jazmyne Parris threw in another surprise.

What I liked most was how real the characters felt. Nobody was one-dimensional even the smallest characters had layers, and I kept second-guessing who I could actually trust. The pacing was spot on too. It never dragged, but it also didn’t rush through the important parts.

This isn’t just a straightforward mystery. It plays with themes of trust, deception, and the darker side of people. The ending left me thinking about it long after I closed the book, which is always a sign of a good read for me.

If you enjoy crime thrillers with a touch of psychological depth, I highly recommend giving this one a try.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally loved the book. This was a great debut book for a first time author. I loved the suspense and romance. This is a amazing new take on urban fiction. Can’t wait for the second book!