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A Walking Shadow
It is the year 1939 and Adam Paradise, the creature of the Frankenstein legend made real, has returned to civilization to discover his place in the world.
While enjoying a pleasant evening of moviegoing in Chinatown with his friend Hank, they end up in the middle of a brazen robbery.
Adam thwarts the holdup, which puts him on the hit list of not only the Tongs, but Yakuza killers, the Italian mob, and a mysterious mastermind bent on starting an ethnic gang war.
With his faithful Roma secretary, Vandoma Kalderash, he and Hank are soon plunged into a whirlwind of ambushes and deadly double-crosses.
The patchwork private eye also discovers a level of reality beyond the material world that shakes the foundations of all his beliefs.
Can he defeat the unseen forces of this evil without losing the very humanity he's trying to attain? And who—or what—is Daitengu, a creature that knows his deepest secrets?
_____________
“Teel James Glenn has penned one of the finest literary mashups of our time. Part Hammett, part Shelley, and all heart. A Walking Shadow is a wholly unique take on the PI mystery genre, so well written it will leave you longing for the next installment in this Shamus nominated series. Brilliant!” —Bruce Robert Coffin, bestselling author of Crimson Thaw
“This marvelous genre mashup was a fun read from beginning to end. Frankenstein’s monster – true to the book, not the movies, is presented as a 1930s hardboiled detective written in a tight, strong pulp style. Elements of Eastern mysticism blend smoothly with the sci-fi character in this sweet detective soup in a suspenseful story that pulls you through the action to a satisfying finish that left me eager for a sequel.” —Austin Camacho, author of eight novels in the Hannibal Jones Mystery Series, five in the Stark and O’Brien adventure series and short stories featured in the Edgar nominated African American Mystery A Historical and Thematic Study
“A Walking Shadow is compelling, exciting, yet deeply thoughtful. Teel James Glenn asks important questions about the human condition by giving us characters whom we care about—and one of the most human is Frankenstein’s monster. Glenn weaves an action-packed story through multiple genres and ethnicities with care and respect. Jump on board. You won’t regret it!” —Carol Gyzander, Bram Stoker Award® winner and World Fantasy Award finalist
While enjoying a pleasant evening of moviegoing in Chinatown with his friend Hank, they end up in the middle of a brazen robbery.
Adam thwarts the holdup, which puts him on the hit list of not only the Tongs, but Yakuza killers, the Italian mob, and a mysterious mastermind bent on starting an ethnic gang war.
With his faithful Roma secretary, Vandoma Kalderash, he and Hank are soon plunged into a whirlwind of ambushes and deadly double-crosses.
The patchwork private eye also discovers a level of reality beyond the material world that shakes the foundations of all his beliefs.
Can he defeat the unseen forces of this evil without losing the very humanity he's trying to attain? And who—or what—is Daitengu, a creature that knows his deepest secrets?
_____________
“Teel James Glenn has penned one of the finest literary mashups of our time. Part Hammett, part Shelley, and all heart. A Walking Shadow is a wholly unique take on the PI mystery genre, so well written it will leave you longing for the next installment in this Shamus nominated series. Brilliant!” —Bruce Robert Coffin, bestselling author of Crimson Thaw
“This marvelous genre mashup was a fun read from beginning to end. Frankenstein’s monster – true to the book, not the movies, is presented as a 1930s hardboiled detective written in a tight, strong pulp style. Elements of Eastern mysticism blend smoothly with the sci-fi character in this sweet detective soup in a suspenseful story that pulls you through the action to a satisfying finish that left me eager for a sequel.” —Austin Camacho, author of eight novels in the Hannibal Jones Mystery Series, five in the Stark and O’Brien adventure series and short stories featured in the Edgar nominated African American Mystery A Historical and Thematic Study
“A Walking Shadow is compelling, exciting, yet deeply thoughtful. Teel James Glenn asks important questions about the human condition by giving us characters whom we care about—and one of the most human is Frankenstein’s monster. Glenn weaves an action-packed story through multiple genres and ethnicities with care and respect. Jump on board. You won’t regret it!” —Carol Gyzander, Bram Stoker Award® winner and World Fantasy Award finalist
229 pages, Paperback
Published September 4, 2025
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3 people want to read
About the author
Teel James Glenn
205 books37 followersTeel James "T.J." Glenn has a long career as a performer, teacher, and stunt expert. He has sold several screenplays and is the author of the fantasy novels.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 4, 2025
I just finished A Walking Shadow by Teel James Glenn and think this is his best work yet. The story picks up from the end of The Paradise Investigations, Book 1. And that book was excellent! And like Book 1, Shadow gives us characters who are believable, and complex. The protagonist is such a stark contrast to the world around him. It's a joy to watch the story unfold from his perspective. It all feels so authentically 1930s NY noir. I loved this book, highly recommend!!
December 27, 2025
A fantastic follow-up to Not Born of Woman. Adam Paradise continues investigating the occult happenings of NYC, this time wading into what at first appears to be a brewing gang war that we soon learn is not nearly so simple...a masterfully crafted mystery that I couldn't put down.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews