The Shadow Box

by John R. Maxim

Manhattan investment banker Mike Fallon is having a bad time in the big city: First his Uncle Jake is beaten to death, next his lover is killed during a holdup, and finally Fallon himself gets fired and is almost pushed in front of a subway train by muggers. Things in Martha's Vineyard, where he flees, aren't much better -- because those events weren't random occurences at all but rather ghosts from Fallon's tangled past catching up with him. Maxim makes a smooth segue from his own past as a writer of spy stories like "Bannerman's Law" in a book that will keep you gripped and guessing.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Thriller

Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

John R. Maxim was born in Greenwich Village, NYC, educated at NY Jesuit Schools (Xavier and Fordham) played all the street sports and most team sports.
Comes from a family of cops and a few Feds. After school, took up flying, skydiving and dirt-track stock car racing until the Military decided it could do without him. Then went into marketing and advertising. Several awards. Rose to Senior VP at major New York Advertising agencies. Work involved a great deal of international travel. Major hobby back then was sailing.
Always wanted to write, however, and, one night on the bar car, decided to give it a year, succeed or fail. Sold first novel at age 41. Wrote 12 more plus one non-fiction, averaging a year and a half each. Translated into ten languages. Several were optioned for film or TV. Still waiting.
Took up skiing. Many trips to Switzerland and Colorado. With the kids gone, sold our Connecticut house and moved to Hilton Head Island with his beautiful wife, Christine, herself a champion sailor.

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading this book, I immediately searched to see if any of the author's other novels were at the library. You could read this book in a crowded, noisy stadium and be oblivious to your surroundings.

[Frank Consalvo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember it had some good insight into the Pharmaceutical industry.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading John R Maxim's writing. He weaves an excellent story!! I've read other books by him (including this one years ago) but enough years had gone by that I couldn't recall the entire storyline. Once I did recall more of it I was enthralled all over again and am reading this book for a second time! 😊

Great character development, lots of layers to the story, and you care about the characters! I wish there were more book by this author for me to read ... if I'm lucky I might find one more. It also highlights a lot of things (and more) that I've heard and read about the pharmaceutical industry and the FDA.

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent plot but all over the place with the story. And there were too many unnecessary characters, I couldn't keep all of them straight. There was something just a bit off with the writing style, I could never really get into the story. It was hard to figure out what the plot was and where the story was going at first. It got a little better towards the end but then everything happened all at once.

All in all, an ok story but I won't be going out of my way to find any more stories from this author.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael has been raised by an uncle since the age of 12. He's had everything he ever wanted but is a humble young man. After college he comes back home to New York and is working for a pharmaceutical company, following in his father's footsteps. When his uncle is killed, Michael's whole world comes tumbling down.

I had a real hard time putting this book down. The pace was fast and kept me turning pages. You couldn't decide who was the good guy and who was the bad guy from time to time but it all comes together and made a great story. I'll look for more of Maxim's books.

[Jilles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice enough thriller, but the exact same structure as The Bannerman Solution, where the back story becomes the main story with other characters delving it up, and the main character kind of leaving the center of the story exapt for the beginning and the ending.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was on the shelf of the rental in MV. Decent enough beach read.

[Eleanor Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Convoluted plot filled with continuity errors, dirty cops, no repercussions for wrongdoings, which all unbelievably wraps up into a package with a bow on it.

[Randy Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not written well, couldn’t tell what was spoken or unspoken, and story erratically jumped around. Good story but sort of supernatural which was not really expected.

[Paul Close · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good and believable characters, writing is slow and stilted in places. Not bad

[Donald Trump · Rating 2 out of 5]

Low Energy!
** 2 Stars.

[Caroline Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I genuinely don’t remember what this book was about. Will possibly have to reread in the future.

[Ravi Agarwal · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an ok kinda book, it was more about - what luck can do to u - rather than a mystery novel, but one thing it taught me is that the people who live with us are not always close to us and the one who are away are not always the enemy......I wont give it a tag of must read or should read but I can pass a tag of "can read", not that boring ..........

[Joe O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Good; Man's uncle and girlfriend are killed, he gets fired, and attempts are made to kill him as well; working with a psychic he discovers its because of a pharmaceutical company cover-up of bogus medications.

[Pa · Rating 3 out of 5]

An above average suspense tale with reasonably good plot and character development. Nothing special, but an OK read. Probably closer to a 3.5 star.

[Jessy245 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fast, easy, and exciting read. I really enjoyed it and the theme is still current.

[Space · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay story, I had fun with it, but I don't like the author. I won't be reading any more of his work.

[Janet · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book until the end. The ending was so bad I cannot recomend this book. At best this was a made for TV book, action and no substance

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this while touring Europe in 1998. I still recall the Title so it must have left an impression on me.

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thriller/adventure. Very long and got bogged down. Too much about counterfeit drugs. Love story and twists pretty good.