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Detective Ben Wade #1
Shadow Man
What Dennis Lehane does for Boston, Alan Drew does for Southern California in this gritty thriller about an idyllic community rocked by a serial killer—and a dark secret.
Detective Ben Wade has returned to his California hometown of Rancho Santa Elena for a quieter life. Suddenly the town, with its peaceful streets and excellent public schools, finds itself at the mercy of a serial killer who slips through windows and screen doors, shattering illusions of safety. As Ben and forensic specialist Natasha Betencourt struggle to stay one step ahead of the killer, Ben’s own world is rocked again by a teen’s suicide. Ben must decide how far he is willing to go, and how much he will risk, to rescue the town from a long-buried secret, as well as from a psychotic murderer.
With eerie, chilling, fine prose, Alan Drew brings us into the treacherous underbelly of a suburban California town in this brilliant novel of suspense about a man, and a community, confronted with the heart of human darkness.
Detective Ben Wade has returned to his California hometown of Rancho Santa Elena for a quieter life. Suddenly the town, with its peaceful streets and excellent public schools, finds itself at the mercy of a serial killer who slips through windows and screen doors, shattering illusions of safety. As Ben and forensic specialist Natasha Betencourt struggle to stay one step ahead of the killer, Ben’s own world is rocked again by a teen’s suicide. Ben must decide how far he is willing to go, and how much he will risk, to rescue the town from a long-buried secret, as well as from a psychotic murderer.
With eerie, chilling, fine prose, Alan Drew brings us into the treacherous underbelly of a suburban California town in this brilliant novel of suspense about a man, and a community, confronted with the heart of human darkness.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published May 23, 2017
270 people are currently reading
4308 people want to read
About the author
Alan Drew
7 books195 followersAlan Drew is the author of the critically acclaimed Detective Benjamin Wade series of psychological thrillers, THE RECRUIT (2022) and SHADOW MAN (2017). His debut novel, GARDENS OF WATER (2008), has been translated into ten languages and published in nearly two-dozen countries. He is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he was awarded a Teaching/Writing Fellowship. An Associate Professor of English at Villanova University where he directs the creative writing program, he lives near Philadelphia with his wife and two children. Learn more about his books at www.alan-drew.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 450 reviews
February 20, 2017
I'm between 4 and 4.5 stars here. I have Carol to thank for this one!
Shadow Man begins with the somewhat-paranoid musings of a person as they set out to murder a woman who is alone in her home, cooking dinner and unaware of what fate is about to befall her. When police detective Ben Wade is called by a friend to assist with the murder investigation, it's not long before all involved realize that Southern California might have a serial killer on their hands, one with a penchant for strangulation, for slipping through screen doors and unlocked windows.
While the prospect of a serial killer has everyone on edge, it's another death that sends Ben reeling. The body of a teenage boy is found in a field, and most signs point to suicide as the cause of death. But as Ben and his longtime friend Natasha, a forensic specialist, begin uncovering clues to the boy's identity, the life he led, and the secrets he kept, Ben's carefully compartmentalized life begins to shake. He's starting to wonder if it was wise to return to his hometown, Rancho Santa Elena, and all of the history that it held for him.
As Ben and his colleagues try to stop the serial killer before he strikes again, Ben tries to find answers in the boy's death as well, answers he might regret finding or deny seeing. But while he's trying to do his job the best way he knows how, he's also dealing with his own family crisis, as he realizes his teenage daughter Emma may be growing up faster than he is ready for, and he must tread a fine line between being concerned and overprotective.
Brooding and atmospheric, Shadow Man is as much a story of one man's battle with himself as it is a crime novel about a serial killer. And that's what surprised and delighted me so much about this book. Given how it began, I expected it to be your typical crime novel, with a fascinating yet flawed main character, and lots of intrigue around the killer and what made him tick. And while the book certainly has its requisite chase scenes and exploration of the killer, this is more a book about Ben and his past, and how what he tried to flee all those years ago is about to spill over and affect a lot of other lives.
The plot ultimately isn't surprising, but it doesn't matter. Alan Drew makes you care about his characters and makes you want to root for them, even as you watch them blunder and not always act in everyone's best interests. These characters are all the more interesting because of their flaws, their hearts and emotions, and the things they try to keep secret. This is a testament to Drew's storytelling ability.
If you go into Shadow Man expecting a police procedural or crime thriller, you'll be disappointed. If you go in expecting a well-told story with a good dose of crime, you'll be able to enjoy this book as much as it deserves to be enjoyed. There are a lot of interesting ideas explored, far more than your typical mystery.
NetGalley and Random House provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
Shadow Man begins with the somewhat-paranoid musings of a person as they set out to murder a woman who is alone in her home, cooking dinner and unaware of what fate is about to befall her. When police detective Ben Wade is called by a friend to assist with the murder investigation, it's not long before all involved realize that Southern California might have a serial killer on their hands, one with a penchant for strangulation, for slipping through screen doors and unlocked windows.
While the prospect of a serial killer has everyone on edge, it's another death that sends Ben reeling. The body of a teenage boy is found in a field, and most signs point to suicide as the cause of death. But as Ben and his longtime friend Natasha, a forensic specialist, begin uncovering clues to the boy's identity, the life he led, and the secrets he kept, Ben's carefully compartmentalized life begins to shake. He's starting to wonder if it was wise to return to his hometown, Rancho Santa Elena, and all of the history that it held for him.
As Ben and his colleagues try to stop the serial killer before he strikes again, Ben tries to find answers in the boy's death as well, answers he might regret finding or deny seeing. But while he's trying to do his job the best way he knows how, he's also dealing with his own family crisis, as he realizes his teenage daughter Emma may be growing up faster than he is ready for, and he must tread a fine line between being concerned and overprotective.
Brooding and atmospheric, Shadow Man is as much a story of one man's battle with himself as it is a crime novel about a serial killer. And that's what surprised and delighted me so much about this book. Given how it began, I expected it to be your typical crime novel, with a fascinating yet flawed main character, and lots of intrigue around the killer and what made him tick. And while the book certainly has its requisite chase scenes and exploration of the killer, this is more a book about Ben and his past, and how what he tried to flee all those years ago is about to spill over and affect a lot of other lives.
The plot ultimately isn't surprising, but it doesn't matter. Alan Drew makes you care about his characters and makes you want to root for them, even as you watch them blunder and not always act in everyone's best interests. These characters are all the more interesting because of their flaws, their hearts and emotions, and the things they try to keep secret. This is a testament to Drew's storytelling ability.
If you go into Shadow Man expecting a police procedural or crime thriller, you'll be disappointed. If you go in expecting a well-told story with a good dose of crime, you'll be able to enjoy this book as much as it deserves to be enjoyed. There are a lot of interesting ideas explored, far more than your typical mystery.
NetGalley and Random House provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
June 8, 2017
3.5
I won this in a GoodReads Book Giveaway!
I enjoyed this book but the marketing department really had poor marketing in this book. They marketed it as a thriller and also said it was very suspenseful. To me it wasn't either of these and I must of missed the suspense.
Lucky a Good Reads friend warned me before I read it because if she didn't I would of been angry. I have to say though that this is more of a literary novel and it was beautifully written. It is nothing like this book that I just loved and thought it might of had suspense like it.Shadow Man. It didn't have any suspense at all. There is a serial killer, but he's on the page for perhaps 15% of the book. The vast majority of the book deals with detective Ben Wade's need to come to grips with a secret that he's been keeping since childhood. It has nothing to do with the serial killer, although at the very end there is an attempt to indicate such a connection between the killer and the detective. It was too late in the book to really be effective.
Shadow Man is about others living in the shadows of what happened in the past. The novel is set in the 1980s in a small one time ranching community near LA, and the beautifully described scenery and small town feeling make the setting a character on its own. A series of murders suggest that a serial killers is at work in this usually quiet community. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Ben is becoming deeply involved in some complex and disturbing dynamics in the town. While Wade struggles to find the killer he also must face his own demons when a young teen turns up dead.
Even though this is beautifully written I found it to be very slow moving. I would recommend this book to those that like a literary novel instead of a thriller. It is a mystery but I think it was just marketed wrong. I did enjoy it but did not love it.
May 19, 2017
Shadow Man crept up on me. At first it seemed a bit ordinary, but as I got immersed in the story, it really got my attention. Set in the mid 1980s in Southern California, Shadow Man features police officer Ben Wade. A spate of murders suggest that a serial killers is at work in this usually quiet community. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Ben is deeply enmeshed in some complex and disturbing dynamics in the town. What makes this book stand out is Ben's character, and some of the moral and emotional dilemmas the story explores. I can't say more to avoid spoilers. Recommended to anyone who likes character driven mysteries. An added bonus is that there isn't much graphic violence. I look forward to seeing what this author writes next. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
Read
February 7, 2017With sincere appreciation to Edelweiss, Random House and Alan Drew for granting the e-galley of Shadow Man to be published May 23, 2017.
The “serial” killer is perfectly cast as an eerie formation, shapeless but leaving slivers of self as he slips in and out of windows in Southern California. Shadow Man, a dark and psychologically compelling presence that threatens the perception of safety in your home.
Detective Ben Wade’s quiet existence in Rancho Santa Elena is shattered when several horrific murders are committed in his jurisdiction. While Wade struggles to find the killer he also must face his own demons when a young teen turns up dead. Wade is a complicated character and is fleshed out well. I think he’s a detective we’ll see again.
What really knocked my socks off in Shadow Man was the description of Orange County, CA. With a population of over 3 million and an area spanning beaches and rugged coastline to mountainous regions, Alan Drew portrays a landscape so much more vibrant than what I knew. Drew’s love of Southern California is evident. I want to experience the contrast he describes of big city life and rural charm through the eyes of Ben Wade as he horseback rides and swims in this spectacular locale.
The “serial” killer is perfectly cast as an eerie formation, shapeless but leaving slivers of self as he slips in and out of windows in Southern California. Shadow Man, a dark and psychologically compelling presence that threatens the perception of safety in your home.
Detective Ben Wade’s quiet existence in Rancho Santa Elena is shattered when several horrific murders are committed in his jurisdiction. While Wade struggles to find the killer he also must face his own demons when a young teen turns up dead. Wade is a complicated character and is fleshed out well. I think he’s a detective we’ll see again.
What really knocked my socks off in Shadow Man was the description of Orange County, CA. With a population of over 3 million and an area spanning beaches and rugged coastline to mountainous regions, Alan Drew portrays a landscape so much more vibrant than what I knew. Drew’s love of Southern California is evident. I want to experience the contrast he describes of big city life and rural charm through the eyes of Ben Wade as he horseback rides and swims in this spectacular locale.
January 2, 2018
"Shadow Man" by Alan Drew is a suspenseful and entertaining thriller that I really enjoyed reading from start to finish.
Although not the sadistic, psychotic serial killer book some maybe expecting but still a very well written crime book that's as much a character driven story as a murder one. It has your typical mixed up and troubled serial killer, the actual murders as they happen, dead bodies, the chase to catch the killer before he strikes again and a detective who has his own deep, dark, long buried secret that suddenly starts to sadly expose itself.
I loved how we got straight into the serial killer's mind in the opening of the book and I enjoy reading books that have chapters dedicated to a killer and his/her thoughts. Due to this style of writing we were able to see the killer's past and what brought him/her to commit the murders, the actual murders themselves through their eyes and more importantly the truth of what went on during an unexplained death in the story.
The characters are very well developed, likeable and interesting. Detective Ben Wade, a solid, decent policeman, is carrying a painful dark secret that starts to raise its ugly head when sadly, it looks like what he's been trying to come to terms with over the years is still going on. At the same time he's trying to be a good father to his teenage daughter Emma and protect both her and his ex wife Rachel from the unknown killer.
I also liked forensic specialist Natasha, her kindness towards the dead was lovely of her personality and truly showed her true emotions towards her harrowing job, while at the same time you learnt her past and came to know her very well.
The author has also created a fabulous atmospheric setting of Southern California, which I found quite unique and with excellent literary writing, descriptive and creative narrative that was intriguing and entertaining, this is a really good book that I would have no hesitation in recommending.
Quite a slow burner but still keeping an acceptable pace, I'm truly pleased I've read this book and would be more than happy to read more by Alan Drew again.
4 stars
Although not the sadistic, psychotic serial killer book some maybe expecting but still a very well written crime book that's as much a character driven story as a murder one. It has your typical mixed up and troubled serial killer, the actual murders as they happen, dead bodies, the chase to catch the killer before he strikes again and a detective who has his own deep, dark, long buried secret that suddenly starts to sadly expose itself.
I loved how we got straight into the serial killer's mind in the opening of the book and I enjoy reading books that have chapters dedicated to a killer and his/her thoughts. Due to this style of writing we were able to see the killer's past and what brought him/her to commit the murders, the actual murders themselves through their eyes and more importantly the truth of what went on during an unexplained death in the story.
The characters are very well developed, likeable and interesting. Detective Ben Wade, a solid, decent policeman, is carrying a painful dark secret that starts to raise its ugly head when sadly, it looks like what he's been trying to come to terms with over the years is still going on. At the same time he's trying to be a good father to his teenage daughter Emma and protect both her and his ex wife Rachel from the unknown killer.
I also liked forensic specialist Natasha, her kindness towards the dead was lovely of her personality and truly showed her true emotions towards her harrowing job, while at the same time you learnt her past and came to know her very well.
The author has also created a fabulous atmospheric setting of Southern California, which I found quite unique and with excellent literary writing, descriptive and creative narrative that was intriguing and entertaining, this is a really good book that I would have no hesitation in recommending.
Quite a slow burner but still keeping an acceptable pace, I'm truly pleased I've read this book and would be more than happy to read more by Alan Drew again.
4 stars
June 14, 2022
F-4's flying overhead, watching VHS movies, wait wait don't tell me that I'm confused. Then I get it, this book is set in the ever-expanding L.A. suburbs of 1986. Not a conceit, this is important. What some of the characters have to finally do would have been SO much harder back in the 1980s. and would take a much larger measure of courage.
This book is all about victims; the woman laying on her kitchen floor, the young, promising, unclaimed, and undocumented boy lying in the strawberry fields, and the restless detective tasked with finding answers and courage. This is a book about demons; those controlled and those uncontrolled. Think about it, we had just learned about Ted Bundy, Silence of the Lambs hadn't been published yet; BSU was really just coming into its own. Serial killers were a fairly new concept back then. They sure as hell hadn't been romanticized in fiction yet, except of course Jack/Jill the Ripper.
This is a story of two death investigations. Two serial killers, one physical and one of the soul.
This is a story of forceful redemptive love, but not a love story. This story moves-both the pace and the reader. This a story of destruction; the physical beauty of southern California until the developers move in and the destruction caused by long held secrets.
Quibble-of sorts, any one of us will probably be squirming at the crime scene investigation thinking they could be a better murder detective at the scene and do much better forensic work. Those scenes will show how much real forensics -not CSI crap- has grown in 30 years.
But at those same death scenes, such a grace note, the assistant ME Natalie Betancourt being questioned about her tender treatment and saying "A little kindness to take with them.” Her perception and tenderness continues through out the story holding the promise of hope.
This is a beautifully written book that explores damage on all levels; physical of the body and landscape, psychological, and of the soul. The old saying, no one escapes this life alive, no one escapes this story unmarked.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. It was a true gift.
This book is all about victims; the woman laying on her kitchen floor, the young, promising, unclaimed, and undocumented boy lying in the strawberry fields, and the restless detective tasked with finding answers and courage. This is a book about demons; those controlled and those uncontrolled. Think about it, we had just learned about Ted Bundy, Silence of the Lambs hadn't been published yet; BSU was really just coming into its own. Serial killers were a fairly new concept back then. They sure as hell hadn't been romanticized in fiction yet, except of course Jack/Jill the Ripper.
This is a story of two death investigations. Two serial killers, one physical and one of the soul.
This is a story of forceful redemptive love, but not a love story. This story moves-both the pace and the reader. This a story of destruction; the physical beauty of southern California until the developers move in and the destruction caused by long held secrets.
Quibble-of sorts, any one of us will probably be squirming at the crime scene investigation thinking they could be a better murder detective at the scene and do much better forensic work. Those scenes will show how much real forensics -not CSI crap- has grown in 30 years.
But at those same death scenes, such a grace note, the assistant ME Natalie Betancourt being questioned about her tender treatment and saying "A little kindness to take with them.” Her perception and tenderness continues through out the story holding the promise of hope.
This is a beautifully written book that explores damage on all levels; physical of the body and landscape, psychological, and of the soul. The old saying, no one escapes this life alive, no one escapes this story unmarked.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. It was a true gift.
March 13, 2017
3.5 stars
When I read the publicity blurb for this book, it immediately ticked all the boxes for me. Thriller? Excellent. Set in the 1980’s? Cool. Compared to Dennis Lehane? Hand it over.
But….despite an eek-inducing prologue, what we have here is a book that is being marketed to appeal to thriller fans which IMHO does a disservice to the author. This is a beautifully written story about a broken man trying to come to terms with his past. He just happens to be a cop involved in the search for a serial killer.
Ben Wade is a former LAPD detective who moved back to his hometown of Rancho Santa Elena in an attempt to save his failing marriage. It didn’t work. He & Rachel divorced but maintain an amicable relationship for the sake of daughter Emma.
Santa Elena is a carefully planned bedroom community designed for those seeking to escape the crime & bustle of Los Angeles. It’s a safe place to raise your family & Ben’s biggest challenges are handling drunks & shop lifters. That’s about to change.
There’s been a series of murders in Orange County with a specific MO & when a woman is found dead in her home in Mission Viejo, it appears the killer has moved into the area. Body #2 confirms their fears & for the first time, Santa Elena’s shocked residents begin to seriously consider locking their doors. Ben & his colleagues are stumped. Their workload gets heavier when the body of a teenager is found in a strawberry field. Despite being an illegal immigrant, the boy was a star swimmer on the local high school team & destined for an athletic scholarship to college.
A handful of short chapters interspersed throughout the book put us inside the mind of the killer. It’s a scary place to be & as he describes scenes from his childhood, we begin to understand how he became a twisted man.
But the vast majority of the book belongs to Ben. Initially, he comes across as a sympathetic character who spends a lot of time thinking about past mistakes & mourning what he’s lost. Instead of making things better, moving back to Santa Elena seems to have had the opposite effect. The added job stress is a catalyst for his increasingly erratic behaviour but it’s not until late in the book that we realize what was always simmering below the surface. As Ben reminisces, we learn of his childhood & how the early death of his father was a turning point. These passages are poignant & atmospheric & you feel for the little boy who remains even as Ben grow into a rebellious teenager who goes on to become a cop. As the story progresses, there are definite parallels between him & the killer. Both are held hostage by their pasts & it makes you ponder how they ended up on opposite sides.
This is not a thriller & that’s no bad thing. It’s a slow burn type of book with a strong sense of time & place, written in fluid & descriptive prose. Maybe the publishers found it difficult to assign a label. For me, it’s more a character driven police procedural. Yes, there are mysteries & it does contain a killer but everything revolves around & serves to develop the MC. So if you’re looking for an edge-of-you-seat kind of read, you may be disappointed. But if you’re in the mood for rich, literary drama you’ll find much to enjoy here.
When I read the publicity blurb for this book, it immediately ticked all the boxes for me. Thriller? Excellent. Set in the 1980’s? Cool. Compared to Dennis Lehane? Hand it over.
But….despite an eek-inducing prologue, what we have here is a book that is being marketed to appeal to thriller fans which IMHO does a disservice to the author. This is a beautifully written story about a broken man trying to come to terms with his past. He just happens to be a cop involved in the search for a serial killer.
Ben Wade is a former LAPD detective who moved back to his hometown of Rancho Santa Elena in an attempt to save his failing marriage. It didn’t work. He & Rachel divorced but maintain an amicable relationship for the sake of daughter Emma.
Santa Elena is a carefully planned bedroom community designed for those seeking to escape the crime & bustle of Los Angeles. It’s a safe place to raise your family & Ben’s biggest challenges are handling drunks & shop lifters. That’s about to change.
There’s been a series of murders in Orange County with a specific MO & when a woman is found dead in her home in Mission Viejo, it appears the killer has moved into the area. Body #2 confirms their fears & for the first time, Santa Elena’s shocked residents begin to seriously consider locking their doors. Ben & his colleagues are stumped. Their workload gets heavier when the body of a teenager is found in a strawberry field. Despite being an illegal immigrant, the boy was a star swimmer on the local high school team & destined for an athletic scholarship to college.
A handful of short chapters interspersed throughout the book put us inside the mind of the killer. It’s a scary place to be & as he describes scenes from his childhood, we begin to understand how he became a twisted man.
But the vast majority of the book belongs to Ben. Initially, he comes across as a sympathetic character who spends a lot of time thinking about past mistakes & mourning what he’s lost. Instead of making things better, moving back to Santa Elena seems to have had the opposite effect. The added job stress is a catalyst for his increasingly erratic behaviour but it’s not until late in the book that we realize what was always simmering below the surface. As Ben reminisces, we learn of his childhood & how the early death of his father was a turning point. These passages are poignant & atmospheric & you feel for the little boy who remains even as Ben grow into a rebellious teenager who goes on to become a cop. As the story progresses, there are definite parallels between him & the killer. Both are held hostage by their pasts & it makes you ponder how they ended up on opposite sides.
This is not a thriller & that’s no bad thing. It’s a slow burn type of book with a strong sense of time & place, written in fluid & descriptive prose. Maybe the publishers found it difficult to assign a label. For me, it’s more a character driven police procedural. Yes, there are mysteries & it does contain a killer but everything revolves around & serves to develop the MC. So if you’re looking for an edge-of-you-seat kind of read, you may be disappointed. But if you’re in the mood for rich, literary drama you’ll find much to enjoy here.
August 10, 2022
As I said so many times: it’s all about the writing!
And this man does it beautifully.
This is an excellent psychological thriller.
The opening scene is terrific.
The pace is slow, but because of the author’s writing skills, it’s far from being boring.
This book is labeled as a thriller but it should also be classified as a literary fiction.
This was my second book by this author, after reading the excellent “The Recruit”.
I wanted to learn more about Ben Wade and I was not disappointed.
The character’s development is superb!
The setting is the 80’s.
Although the story is told in 3rd person, you do get inside of the serial killer’s head as well as the protagonist’s.
There are some heartbreaking reveals.
The author is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. An associate professor of English at Villanova University, where he directs the creative writing program.
I hope that he will not take too long to release another book.
And this man does it beautifully.
This is an excellent psychological thriller.
The opening scene is terrific.
The pace is slow, but because of the author’s writing skills, it’s far from being boring.
This book is labeled as a thriller but it should also be classified as a literary fiction.
This was my second book by this author, after reading the excellent “The Recruit”.
I wanted to learn more about Ben Wade and I was not disappointed.
The character’s development is superb!
The setting is the 80’s.
Although the story is told in 3rd person, you do get inside of the serial killer’s head as well as the protagonist’s.
There are some heartbreaking reveals.
The author is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. An associate professor of English at Villanova University, where he directs the creative writing program.
I hope that he will not take too long to release another book.
May 13, 2017
This is not your typical police procedural. One of the first things I read about Alan Drew is that he graduated from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and teaches creative writing at Villanova. It shows. This book may be pegged as a mystery, but it's a beautifully written one. His phrasing takes you right to the various places, whether it's the ridge of an Orange County mountain overlooking the ocean or the Beach itself. “...these were swells that seemed to carry the whole weight of the Pacific in their walls, and they exploded onto the beach like trucks dropped fro. The sky.” Ditto for giving you a sense of the characters. “She hadn't been to Mass in years, but being on the scene always brought out the Catholic schoolgirl in her.”
Drew takes you back to 1986, when the areas outside of LA are growing up with new developments, one after another. These areas were supposed to be safe. Folks left windows open and doors unlocked. And all of a sudden, there's a serial killer. He makes you feel that time, when air conditioning wasn't a given; when being told to keep your doors and windows closed was a hardship.
In addition to the serial killer and a possible suicide of an illegal immigrant student, there is a lot of background about Ben’s life. The death of the student brings up some hard memories for Ben. He is a well developed character. And as the father of a teenage girl, he is definitely a sympathetic character.
This is not a fast paced novel but it is steady and keeps your interest. No downtime here.
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys William Kent Krueger. There is a similarity to the depth of character development.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
Drew takes you back to 1986, when the areas outside of LA are growing up with new developments, one after another. These areas were supposed to be safe. Folks left windows open and doors unlocked. And all of a sudden, there's a serial killer. He makes you feel that time, when air conditioning wasn't a given; when being told to keep your doors and windows closed was a hardship.
In addition to the serial killer and a possible suicide of an illegal immigrant student, there is a lot of background about Ben’s life. The death of the student brings up some hard memories for Ben. He is a well developed character. And as the father of a teenage girl, he is definitely a sympathetic character.
This is not a fast paced novel but it is steady and keeps your interest. No downtime here.
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys William Kent Krueger. There is a similarity to the depth of character development.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
April 21, 2017
Detective Ben Wade and his then-wife, Rachel, returned to their hometown of Rancho Santa Elena for a peaceful, safe life for themselves and their daughter. After all, as a detective, Ben knows the darker side of life. But even the idyllic California community couldn't save his marriage with Rachel--his high school sweetheart--and now the two are divorced and jointly raising their teenage daughter, Emma. And, for the most part, Ben's career is pretty dull: nothing like his old LA one. That all changes when a serial killer starts haunting the area. They come around at night, slipping in doors and windows, and terrifying the residents of this planned community. At the same time, Ben is trying to figure out if a young Hispanic teen truly committed suicide. Are these two crimes interconnected? And how much destruction will this killer bring until found?
I'm a sucker for a good crime novel, so I was intrigued by the description of Alan Drew's book; I have never read anything by this author before. I'm not sure I realized the novel was actually set in the late 1980s; I tend to read more contemporary fiction, but I was pleasantly surprised by this mystery. Although mystery is somewhat of a misnomer. While there is a case to solve here--two really--this is far more a character-driven novel, with an intense focus on Ben, his personal life, and how his past life has made him into the detective and man he is now.
In many ways, this is a novel about the passage of time and the effects it has on a person. It is a novel about the effects of abuse, as well, and what it can do to someone. Can a child who suffers abuse come through unscathed? I wasn't expecting such a storyline when I started the novel, but it worked. It's quite well-done and while much of the book is often sad, it's well-written and the pages pass quickly.
The novel is told from three points of view: Ben; our serial killer; and Natasha Betencourt, the local assistant Medical Examiner. Of course, Natasha and Ben have a bit of a personal relationship (this is a novel, after all). And, sure, Ben often comes across as the cliched crime detective who doesn't always follow the rules. Because of this--and because of the California setting--I couldn't help but think of Michael Connelly's amazing Harry Bosch as I was reading this (Bosch probably being my all-time favorite fictional detective). I actually would sometimes even accidentally read "Ben" as "Bosch." Still, to be compared to Bosch and not come across completely lesser for it is pretty high praise. Ben is no Bosch, but he's a well-written character, even if he is a bit cliched from time to time. Yes, he's dealing with a past. Yes, he likes to break the rules to get the job done (hey, so does Bosch). My only issue was that it was implied that he sometimes let his detective work slip a bit due to his personal ties in one of the cases: that didn't seem right.
Still, overall I really enjoyed this novel. The two storylines--the first being the serial killer case, the second being the teen suicide--intersected well and kept the book moving. Ben's ties to the teen were surprising and gave the book an emotional depth I wasn't expecting. While I'm not sure Drew could keep up the emotional rollercoaster for every novel, I could see Detective Ben Wade becoming a recurring character in a series. If so, I would certainly read the next book. 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 05/23/2017.
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I'm a sucker for a good crime novel, so I was intrigued by the description of Alan Drew's book; I have never read anything by this author before. I'm not sure I realized the novel was actually set in the late 1980s; I tend to read more contemporary fiction, but I was pleasantly surprised by this mystery. Although mystery is somewhat of a misnomer. While there is a case to solve here--two really--this is far more a character-driven novel, with an intense focus on Ben, his personal life, and how his past life has made him into the detective and man he is now.
In many ways, this is a novel about the passage of time and the effects it has on a person. It is a novel about the effects of abuse, as well, and what it can do to someone. Can a child who suffers abuse come through unscathed? I wasn't expecting such a storyline when I started the novel, but it worked. It's quite well-done and while much of the book is often sad, it's well-written and the pages pass quickly.
The novel is told from three points of view: Ben; our serial killer; and Natasha Betencourt, the local assistant Medical Examiner. Of course, Natasha and Ben have a bit of a personal relationship (this is a novel, after all). And, sure, Ben often comes across as the cliched crime detective who doesn't always follow the rules. Because of this--and because of the California setting--I couldn't help but think of Michael Connelly's amazing Harry Bosch as I was reading this (Bosch probably being my all-time favorite fictional detective). I actually would sometimes even accidentally read "Ben" as "Bosch." Still, to be compared to Bosch and not come across completely lesser for it is pretty high praise. Ben is no Bosch, but he's a well-written character, even if he is a bit cliched from time to time. Yes, he's dealing with a past. Yes, he likes to break the rules to get the job done (hey, so does Bosch). My only issue was that it was implied that he sometimes let his detective work slip a bit due to his personal ties in one of the cases: that didn't seem right.
Still, overall I really enjoyed this novel. The two storylines--the first being the serial killer case, the second being the teen suicide--intersected well and kept the book moving. Ben's ties to the teen were surprising and gave the book an emotional depth I wasn't expecting. While I'm not sure Drew could keep up the emotional rollercoaster for every novel, I could see Detective Ben Wade becoming a recurring character in a series. If so, I would certainly read the next book. 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 05/23/2017.
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February 14, 2017
I've finished this book, clearly, since I'm here writing a review. Now I'm trying to come up with the right words, which I'm finding a challenge, because, while I enjoyed aspects of the story, I'm also supremely irritated. First, I'll tell you that the writing is good. Alan Drew is a talented guy. But I'm thinking that he has his genre wrong. Or the marketing is wrong. This book is not at all what it claims to be.
Within the first line of the book's description, in bold type: "...gritty thriller about an idyllic community rocked by a serial killer..." This is not a thriller. Not even a little bit. And, I'm sorry, but I'm really tired of publishers tossing the word "thriller" around in order to sell books. This story is far too slow and meandering to be a thriller. I'd call it literary drama. The content is heavy on introspection and reflection.
Next, the description leads us to believe this book is about a serial killer. It's not. The first few pages start by putting us in the serial killer's mind, which is, again, a cue that this killer is a central figure within the story. He's not. The bulk of this story is about Ben, his family drama, an illegal immigrant teen boy who may or may not have committed suicide, and a link to something that happened to Ben as a teenage boy. This is a major storyline, and an issue that deserved, and should have had, its own spotlight. The serial killer aspect feels like a sideline, something sprinkled in to give the story the necessary grit needed to label it a thriller. We don't feel any urgency within the town or even the various police departments. Most of the time, we're not even chasing that case. We remain wrapped up in Ben's emotional issues. Then, at the end, there is an attempt to link the killer with the dead boy, which feels like a cheap stretch in order to get the two storylines connected.
Ben is a likable character. He's well-developed and complex, a mix of cowboy loner and broken hero. The other characters are more two-dimensional, supporting roles to Ben's lead, and the serial killer is a combination of stereotypes.
One more thing I want to note is that this story takes place in the 1980s. It's not a problem that this isn't within the description, but I wish there'd been an author note at the start to help orient readers. I was thrown off at first by some of the content because I didn't realize the story took place 30+ years in the past.
I did enjoy Ben's story, the main story, apart from the serial killer. I think the description sets false expectations going in, and the author's attempt to weave the serial killer thread into an otherwise dramatic, emotional story, hurts what could have been a powerful reading experience.
*I received an advance copy from the publisher, via Amazon Vine, in exchange for my honest review.*
Within the first line of the book's description, in bold type: "...gritty thriller about an idyllic community rocked by a serial killer..." This is not a thriller. Not even a little bit. And, I'm sorry, but I'm really tired of publishers tossing the word "thriller" around in order to sell books. This story is far too slow and meandering to be a thriller. I'd call it literary drama. The content is heavy on introspection and reflection.
Next, the description leads us to believe this book is about a serial killer. It's not. The first few pages start by putting us in the serial killer's mind, which is, again, a cue that this killer is a central figure within the story. He's not. The bulk of this story is about Ben, his family drama, an illegal immigrant teen boy who may or may not have committed suicide, and a link to something that happened to Ben as a teenage boy. This is a major storyline, and an issue that deserved, and should have had, its own spotlight. The serial killer aspect feels like a sideline, something sprinkled in to give the story the necessary grit needed to label it a thriller. We don't feel any urgency within the town or even the various police departments. Most of the time, we're not even chasing that case. We remain wrapped up in Ben's emotional issues. Then, at the end, there is an attempt to link the killer with the dead boy, which feels like a cheap stretch in order to get the two storylines connected.
Ben is a likable character. He's well-developed and complex, a mix of cowboy loner and broken hero. The other characters are more two-dimensional, supporting roles to Ben's lead, and the serial killer is a combination of stereotypes.
One more thing I want to note is that this story takes place in the 1980s. It's not a problem that this isn't within the description, but I wish there'd been an author note at the start to help orient readers. I was thrown off at first by some of the content because I didn't realize the story took place 30+ years in the past.
I did enjoy Ben's story, the main story, apart from the serial killer. I think the description sets false expectations going in, and the author's attempt to weave the serial killer thread into an otherwise dramatic, emotional story, hurts what could have been a powerful reading experience.
*I received an advance copy from the publisher, via Amazon Vine, in exchange for my honest review.*
December 18, 2017
Billed as a ‘gritty thriller about an idyllic community rocked by a serial killer’ potential readers will undoubtedly presume that the “Shadow Man” of the title refers to a psychotic murderer on the loose. However despite this novel featuring a serial killer ominously dubbed the Night Prowler, the looming shadows could also be interpreted as the demons that haunt former LAPD detective Ben Wade and the secrets of his dark past when he returns to his rural childhood home in Southern California. So although a serial killer does terrorise the neighbourhood and an undercurrent of brooding tension bristles throughout, Shadow Man is really the cathartic journey of a man brave enough to break the silence surrounding the unspoken secret that hangs over the town. Atmospheric and highly emotive, the serial killer takes a backseat when Ben’s suspicions surrounding the death of a young illegal boy and his possible suicide are raised and it reawakens the adolescent traumas that blighted his own past. Shadow Man is Ben’s gutsy story and focuses on his struggle to find the courage to tackle the horrors that live in plain sight in a respectable local community. Best described as a literary thriller with a slow burning mystery element lasting throughout, potential readers would do well to be forewarned.
The novel opens with former LAPD homicide detective Ben Wade having returned to his hometown of Rancho Santa Elena in a futile effort to save his flagging marriage. After being shot in the line of duty in the city and in a bid to stave off a separation with his former wife, Rachel, they opted for the quieter pastures and the easier caseload of the town where they both grew up and where Ben and his cattle ranch father rode together in the hills. Now 1986 and with the town gradually being transformed into another of the master-planned communities of southern Orange County, Ben is slowly watching the breathtaking surroundings that he cherishes being devoured. Having not discharged his weapon in his four years in Santa Elena he has become used to feeling like a “glorified security guard in a place already mind numbingly safe”, but all that is about to change, and when it does it threatens to destroy Ben along with it. As the whispers of a serial killer in LA and northern Orange County gather apace on the police rumour mill Ben knows it is only a matter of time until the psychopath casts his eye to Santa Elena where the low crime rate and lauded public schools lull the citizens into a trusting state of complacency, making them blind to the dangers and long buried secrets within the neighbourhood.
When Ben attends the latest incident just seven miles away in Mission Viejo he and Deputy Medical Examiner, Natasha Betencourt, see all the hallmarks of the serial killer and his signature modus operandi, from the killer slipping into homes through screen doors and open windows in the cover of darkness to the fractured hyoid bone. When the next incident takes place in Rancho Santa Elena it gives rise to the feeling of a community under siege. As Ben struggles to make headway he is driven to distraction by the looming threat of a killer and passes sleepless nights listening to the police scanner and attempting to pinpoint where the killer will strike next. It is the second death in Santa Elena that rocks Ben’s already shaky foundations when a teenage and undocumented Mexican boy is discovered in the orange groves with a gun in hand having taken a bullet to the back of the head. With Ben disconcerted by this change of the killer’s modus operandi he begins to wonder if he the boys death is perhaps a suicide, staged or otherwise, or if there is in fact a second predator on the loose. As Ben digs into the background of the dead boy, Lucero Vega, it is the handwritten note in the boys back pocket that sends him reeling and takes him straight back to his own traumatic adolescence, from the death of his father at age eleven to his years as a star of the school swimming team. As Ben recognises an earlier incarnation of himself in Lucero Vega he gradually finds the courage to expose the dark secrets that have lain dormant for two decades to become the person who shatters the silence and refuses to stand by and watch others succumb to such horrors. Whilst it isn’t too difficult to intuit Ben’s own demons and the unspoken secret that has devastated his and many other young boys lives in the subsequent years, it is his coming to terms with the events and confrontation of events that makes Shadow Man so profoundly memorable and compelling.
As Drew draws out the marital discord and touches upon the unreachable part of Ben that is responsible for keeping ex-wife, Rachel, shut out from his frustrations he illustrates the troubles which have prematurely ended the marriage. As Ben watches Rachel’s own life changing and his fourteen-year-old hormonal daughter, Emma, becoming steadily more independent he creates a wholly sympathetic but undoubtedly flawed character, caught in a battle with his own conflicting emotions. More than anyone in the town, Ben knows how human nature deals with shame and with a broken marriage and an unresolved internal battle with anger, the scars that he left the town with are more apparent than ever before.
With a tentative romance with medical examiner Betencourt having floundered, the author takes the opportunity to explore not only Ben but Natasha in greater detail and lay the foundations for an escape from the childhood that has held him prisoner for so long. Hugely introspective with periods of genuine insight and self-examination, Drew sets his story against the vivid backdrop of mid-1980’s southern Orange County and the changing landscape and as readers follow Ben and his journey through the Santa Ana winds and rolling hills there is no doubt that Ben’s childhood home has his heart. Between the focus on the investigation there are chilling entries from the psychopath revealed in italicised text which add to the moody atmosphere. Readers will be struck between the similarity between Ben and the killer and the scars of the past that motivate their parallel storylines. Drew captures how a childhood lived in fear can that drive a man to such shocking depravities, and how our pasts can send us to a point where inflicting pain on others is the response.
Readers expecting a pulse-pounding hunt for a serial killer will, I suspect, be sorely disappointed. However, the upside is that there is much to admire in this engrossing and immersive literary thriller that combines a character study of a man confronting his past, a social examination of a community in transition and the people in a community with the most to lose, from the illegal citizens to those scurrying to withhold their secrets. Evocative and eloquent, although Shadow Man never rises to the heights of delivering nerve jangling suspense a brooding tension does permeate events, ensuring readers will be hard pushed to put this novel down before Ben Wade’s story is over. One slight disappointment was the belated attempt by the author to try to link the boys suicide to the serial killer but it feels very half-hearted and does a disservice to Ben’s burdensome journey which is a substantial achievement in and of itself. Part police procedural, the era and the rural location mean that the forensics and police response are less under the microscope than they might be in a more modern imagining.
Shadow Man is Alan Drew’s first foray into crime fiction and on the strength of this impressive effort I hope to read more of his work. Whilst I doubt that there is more to come in detective Ben Wade’s cathartic story, if Drew can capture the sense of place and the multilayered characters of Shadow Man in his future efforts then it deserves to pay dividends. Atmospheric and very well explored, this is ultimately Ben’s story and for once the serial killer plays second fiddle. A powerful read, Shadow Man, is an alternative take on a serial killers spree and it’s potential to unsettle the most harmonious and seemingly contented communities.
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
The novel opens with former LAPD homicide detective Ben Wade having returned to his hometown of Rancho Santa Elena in a futile effort to save his flagging marriage. After being shot in the line of duty in the city and in a bid to stave off a separation with his former wife, Rachel, they opted for the quieter pastures and the easier caseload of the town where they both grew up and where Ben and his cattle ranch father rode together in the hills. Now 1986 and with the town gradually being transformed into another of the master-planned communities of southern Orange County, Ben is slowly watching the breathtaking surroundings that he cherishes being devoured. Having not discharged his weapon in his four years in Santa Elena he has become used to feeling like a “glorified security guard in a place already mind numbingly safe”, but all that is about to change, and when it does it threatens to destroy Ben along with it. As the whispers of a serial killer in LA and northern Orange County gather apace on the police rumour mill Ben knows it is only a matter of time until the psychopath casts his eye to Santa Elena where the low crime rate and lauded public schools lull the citizens into a trusting state of complacency, making them blind to the dangers and long buried secrets within the neighbourhood.
When Ben attends the latest incident just seven miles away in Mission Viejo he and Deputy Medical Examiner, Natasha Betencourt, see all the hallmarks of the serial killer and his signature modus operandi, from the killer slipping into homes through screen doors and open windows in the cover of darkness to the fractured hyoid bone. When the next incident takes place in Rancho Santa Elena it gives rise to the feeling of a community under siege. As Ben struggles to make headway he is driven to distraction by the looming threat of a killer and passes sleepless nights listening to the police scanner and attempting to pinpoint where the killer will strike next. It is the second death in Santa Elena that rocks Ben’s already shaky foundations when a teenage and undocumented Mexican boy is discovered in the orange groves with a gun in hand having taken a bullet to the back of the head. With Ben disconcerted by this change of the killer’s modus operandi he begins to wonder if he the boys death is perhaps a suicide, staged or otherwise, or if there is in fact a second predator on the loose. As Ben digs into the background of the dead boy, Lucero Vega, it is the handwritten note in the boys back pocket that sends him reeling and takes him straight back to his own traumatic adolescence, from the death of his father at age eleven to his years as a star of the school swimming team. As Ben recognises an earlier incarnation of himself in Lucero Vega he gradually finds the courage to expose the dark secrets that have lain dormant for two decades to become the person who shatters the silence and refuses to stand by and watch others succumb to such horrors. Whilst it isn’t too difficult to intuit Ben’s own demons and the unspoken secret that has devastated his and many other young boys lives in the subsequent years, it is his coming to terms with the events and confrontation of events that makes Shadow Man so profoundly memorable and compelling.
As Drew draws out the marital discord and touches upon the unreachable part of Ben that is responsible for keeping ex-wife, Rachel, shut out from his frustrations he illustrates the troubles which have prematurely ended the marriage. As Ben watches Rachel’s own life changing and his fourteen-year-old hormonal daughter, Emma, becoming steadily more independent he creates a wholly sympathetic but undoubtedly flawed character, caught in a battle with his own conflicting emotions. More than anyone in the town, Ben knows how human nature deals with shame and with a broken marriage and an unresolved internal battle with anger, the scars that he left the town with are more apparent than ever before.
With a tentative romance with medical examiner Betencourt having floundered, the author takes the opportunity to explore not only Ben but Natasha in greater detail and lay the foundations for an escape from the childhood that has held him prisoner for so long. Hugely introspective with periods of genuine insight and self-examination, Drew sets his story against the vivid backdrop of mid-1980’s southern Orange County and the changing landscape and as readers follow Ben and his journey through the Santa Ana winds and rolling hills there is no doubt that Ben’s childhood home has his heart. Between the focus on the investigation there are chilling entries from the psychopath revealed in italicised text which add to the moody atmosphere. Readers will be struck between the similarity between Ben and the killer and the scars of the past that motivate their parallel storylines. Drew captures how a childhood lived in fear can that drive a man to such shocking depravities, and how our pasts can send us to a point where inflicting pain on others is the response.
Readers expecting a pulse-pounding hunt for a serial killer will, I suspect, be sorely disappointed. However, the upside is that there is much to admire in this engrossing and immersive literary thriller that combines a character study of a man confronting his past, a social examination of a community in transition and the people in a community with the most to lose, from the illegal citizens to those scurrying to withhold their secrets. Evocative and eloquent, although Shadow Man never rises to the heights of delivering nerve jangling suspense a brooding tension does permeate events, ensuring readers will be hard pushed to put this novel down before Ben Wade’s story is over. One slight disappointment was the belated attempt by the author to try to link the boys suicide to the serial killer but it feels very half-hearted and does a disservice to Ben’s burdensome journey which is a substantial achievement in and of itself. Part police procedural, the era and the rural location mean that the forensics and police response are less under the microscope than they might be in a more modern imagining.
Shadow Man is Alan Drew’s first foray into crime fiction and on the strength of this impressive effort I hope to read more of his work. Whilst I doubt that there is more to come in detective Ben Wade’s cathartic story, if Drew can capture the sense of place and the multilayered characters of Shadow Man in his future efforts then it deserves to pay dividends. Atmospheric and very well explored, this is ultimately Ben’s story and for once the serial killer plays second fiddle. A powerful read, Shadow Man, is an alternative take on a serial killers spree and it’s potential to unsettle the most harmonious and seemingly contented communities.
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
January 5, 2018
I’d never heard of Alan Drew before but when I read the description of the book and saw mention of a serial killer slipping through windows and screen doors, I jumped at the opportunity to read and review Shadow Man. Imagine my surprise and absolute delight when I discovered that this book is about so much more than just a creepy psychopath. In fact, that bit could very much be considered almost irrelevant.
Set in the 80’s, Ben Wade moved his family back to his hometown in an attempt to save his marriage. It’s obvious quite early on that this didn’t quite work out as Ben is now divorced. Life seems rather dull after a career in Los Angeles as nothing really ever happens in Rancho Santa Elena. Until there’s a murder and it seems a serial killer has descended upon the town.
This is a very different police procedural to the ones I normally read. It’s incredibly character driven and beautifully written. The small town setting in Southern California works like a charm and oozes atmosphere and while the investigation into the serial killer is interesting, it’s not the be all and end all of this story. Because Detective Ben Wade has other things to deal with when a teenaged boy is thought to have committed suicide and he will be forced to face his own past and reveal a deep rooted secret.
If you’re going into this story expecting a fast-paced read and an action-packed chase for a serial killer, you will most likely end up extremely disappointed. It doesn’t provide the high level of suspense you’d expect from the description. I’m not even sure I’d call it a thriller, even though it seems to be marketed as one. And while I did find it chilling at times, those moments had nothing to do with the killer but more with Ben’s past and the seemingly blind town residents.
Like I said at the start though, even though Shadow Man wasn’t exactly what I expected, I did thoroughly enjoy it. Alan Drew has a wonderful writing style and has created well-developed, complicated and realistic characters that drew me in and held my attention until the end. I would definitely recommend this one if you like character-driven novels.
Set in the 80’s, Ben Wade moved his family back to his hometown in an attempt to save his marriage. It’s obvious quite early on that this didn’t quite work out as Ben is now divorced. Life seems rather dull after a career in Los Angeles as nothing really ever happens in Rancho Santa Elena. Until there’s a murder and it seems a serial killer has descended upon the town.
This is a very different police procedural to the ones I normally read. It’s incredibly character driven and beautifully written. The small town setting in Southern California works like a charm and oozes atmosphere and while the investigation into the serial killer is interesting, it’s not the be all and end all of this story. Because Detective Ben Wade has other things to deal with when a teenaged boy is thought to have committed suicide and he will be forced to face his own past and reveal a deep rooted secret.
If you’re going into this story expecting a fast-paced read and an action-packed chase for a serial killer, you will most likely end up extremely disappointed. It doesn’t provide the high level of suspense you’d expect from the description. I’m not even sure I’d call it a thriller, even though it seems to be marketed as one. And while I did find it chilling at times, those moments had nothing to do with the killer but more with Ben’s past and the seemingly blind town residents.
Like I said at the start though, even though Shadow Man wasn’t exactly what I expected, I did thoroughly enjoy it. Alan Drew has a wonderful writing style and has created well-developed, complicated and realistic characters that drew me in and held my attention until the end. I would definitely recommend this one if you like character-driven novels.
March 27, 2017
Absolutely Chilling! A must read! Once you start reading you can't put it down.
November 15, 2019
Kitaba büyük beklentilerle başladım ne yalan söyleyeyim. Arka kapak yazısı umut vericiydi. Ama içerik hayal kırıklığı oldu.
Öncelikle başrol Ben Wade’e kanım hiç ısınmadı. Adam buz gibi. Tabi kitabı bitirince bunun sebebini anlıyorsun ama bu yine de kitabı iyi kategorisine sokmuyor.
Wade’in geçmişiyle ilgili bir mesele araştırdığı cinayetle paralel gidiyor ve insan ister istemez alakalı mı diye düşünüyor. Bu çift soruşturma akıl karıştırıyor. Eski karısı ve kızıyla olan ilişkisi çok zorlama. Natasha ile olan diyaloğu ise bambaşka.
Annesinin hastalığı çok klişe geldi bana. Kitapla ilgili içime sinmeyen bir şeyler var. Çok kötü diyemem ama iyi de değil. Ortalamanın biraz altında buldum.
Öncelikle başrol Ben Wade’e kanım hiç ısınmadı. Adam buz gibi. Tabi kitabı bitirince bunun sebebini anlıyorsun ama bu yine de kitabı iyi kategorisine sokmuyor.
Wade’in geçmişiyle ilgili bir mesele araştırdığı cinayetle paralel gidiyor ve insan ister istemez alakalı mı diye düşünüyor. Bu çift soruşturma akıl karıştırıyor. Eski karısı ve kızıyla olan ilişkisi çok zorlama. Natasha ile olan diyaloğu ise bambaşka.
Annesinin hastalığı çok klişe geldi bana. Kitapla ilgili içime sinmeyen bir şeyler var. Çok kötü diyemem ama iyi de değil. Ortalamanın biraz altında buldum.
March 21, 2017
Shadow man begins as a serial killer is watching a woman preparing her evening meal completely unaware that she is being watched. Detective Ben Wade is called in to assist in the investigation. It quickly becomes evident that this quiet Southern California town now has a serial killer who is adept at being still, quietly waiting to sneak undetected into the homes of his victims. Assisted by medical examiner, Natasha Betencourt, Detective Ben Wade attempts to solve this crime, when the body of an illegal teenager is found in a field. Could these cases be related? The M.O. is not the same, the serial killer strangles his victims, this young man was shot in the head with all signs pointing to suicide. Troubled by the youths death, Detective Wade begins looking into this death and his past comes rushes back to him.
Detective Wade has a secret and it has haunted and affected him for years. His secret has had a negative effect on his marriage. He currently has joint custody of his daughter and keeps a close eye on her and his ex-wife. If dealing with a murder investigation is not enough, Ben has issues to deal with at home. He is uncomfortable with his daughter dating a boy a couple of years older than her and fears she will make some poor choices that he hopes she does not regret.
As the investigation continues we see Detective Wade wrestle with his past, his conscience and his feelings of responsibility. He is a good man. It was touching to see him offer to pay for the burial of the dead youth. He is also a conflicted man with a lot on his plate. His conflict is really what made this book shine for me. Yes, this book is about solving a crime(s), but it also a glimpse into one man's life. We see his inner struggles, his hard time trying to be a protective loving father without alienating his daughter. He is attempting to cope with his divorce, trying to figure out his friendship with Natasha, deal with his elderly Mother and also be a good detective. It becomes evident as the bodies pile up that his secret cannot be hidden any longer.
This isn't your classic murder mystery/thriller book. I found this to be refreshing. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE mysteries. I love police procedural books. I worked in forensics for years and these books get my juices flowing especially when done well! But this book is different in the best possible way. There is not a lot of police procedural in this book but there doesn't need to be. Work is being done to solve the cases but the real beauty is in Ben's conflict, his struggles, his story as he attempts to hunt down a killer and put another behind bars.
Yes, we do get to see into the mind of the killer and his horrific childhood. His mind has become as twisted as his body. These glimpses are insightful and also serve to keep the crime/mystery part of the book moving. But let's be real - this book is about Ben. As Martha Stewart would say "It's a Good thing." I found this book to be a perfect mix of various elements: mystery, thriller, drama, etc. The pacing of this book was great - nothing felt rushed or forced. Living in Southern California, I could easily imagine this book taking place, I had a vivid image in my mind on Ben and his daughter horseback riding in the mountains, the fields the migrant workers worked and lived in, the quiet dusty towns. This book had mood and atmosphere which almost felt like another character at times.
I received a copy of this book from Random House and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
Detective Wade has a secret and it has haunted and affected him for years. His secret has had a negative effect on his marriage. He currently has joint custody of his daughter and keeps a close eye on her and his ex-wife. If dealing with a murder investigation is not enough, Ben has issues to deal with at home. He is uncomfortable with his daughter dating a boy a couple of years older than her and fears she will make some poor choices that he hopes she does not regret.
As the investigation continues we see Detective Wade wrestle with his past, his conscience and his feelings of responsibility. He is a good man. It was touching to see him offer to pay for the burial of the dead youth. He is also a conflicted man with a lot on his plate. His conflict is really what made this book shine for me. Yes, this book is about solving a crime(s), but it also a glimpse into one man's life. We see his inner struggles, his hard time trying to be a protective loving father without alienating his daughter. He is attempting to cope with his divorce, trying to figure out his friendship with Natasha, deal with his elderly Mother and also be a good detective. It becomes evident as the bodies pile up that his secret cannot be hidden any longer.
This isn't your classic murder mystery/thriller book. I found this to be refreshing. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE mysteries. I love police procedural books. I worked in forensics for years and these books get my juices flowing especially when done well! But this book is different in the best possible way. There is not a lot of police procedural in this book but there doesn't need to be. Work is being done to solve the cases but the real beauty is in Ben's conflict, his struggles, his story as he attempts to hunt down a killer and put another behind bars.
Yes, we do get to see into the mind of the killer and his horrific childhood. His mind has become as twisted as his body. These glimpses are insightful and also serve to keep the crime/mystery part of the book moving. But let's be real - this book is about Ben. As Martha Stewart would say "It's a Good thing." I found this book to be a perfect mix of various elements: mystery, thriller, drama, etc. The pacing of this book was great - nothing felt rushed or forced. Living in Southern California, I could easily imagine this book taking place, I had a vivid image in my mind on Ben and his daughter horseback riding in the mountains, the fields the migrant workers worked and lived in, the quiet dusty towns. This book had mood and atmosphere which almost felt like another character at times.
I received a copy of this book from Random House and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
September 9, 2017
Shadow Man was an excellent read, atmospheric, great scene setting and a slow burner of a literary thriller that is entirely character driven.
I think, to be honest, that the term "Serial Killer Thriller" is probably a promotional mistake because that tagline promises something that Shadow Man doesn't really deliver. Yes there is a serial killer at work here but that is almost in the way of background noise, a defining set of events that allows Alan Drew to explore his characters motivations, personalities and relationships - especially the father/daughter relationship and the intriguing yin yang of family dyamics.
The mystery elements tie all that together more than become the complete focus - however when our killer is "on screen" so to speak it is highly engaging, we see some of the background to the action and watch the investigation unfold. It is a little bit voyeuristic this novel, in all it's aspects, and beautifully written throughout.
If you are looking for Hannibal Lecter type scares you won't find that here - it is more considered and underlying than that and for me it was more compelling character drama than crime thriller - that doesn't negate the fact that is is very very good indeed. It just may not be exactly as it sounds in the blurb.
Overall a book I would definitely recommend for fans of slow burners with lots of heart and a decent hit of dark side.
I think, to be honest, that the term "Serial Killer Thriller" is probably a promotional mistake because that tagline promises something that Shadow Man doesn't really deliver. Yes there is a serial killer at work here but that is almost in the way of background noise, a defining set of events that allows Alan Drew to explore his characters motivations, personalities and relationships - especially the father/daughter relationship and the intriguing yin yang of family dyamics.
The mystery elements tie all that together more than become the complete focus - however when our killer is "on screen" so to speak it is highly engaging, we see some of the background to the action and watch the investigation unfold. It is a little bit voyeuristic this novel, in all it's aspects, and beautifully written throughout.
If you are looking for Hannibal Lecter type scares you won't find that here - it is more considered and underlying than that and for me it was more compelling character drama than crime thriller - that doesn't negate the fact that is is very very good indeed. It just may not be exactly as it sounds in the blurb.
Overall a book I would definitely recommend for fans of slow burners with lots of heart and a decent hit of dark side.
May 29, 2017
“Shadow Man” contains many of the familiar components of police procedurals - an unhappily divorced cop raising a daughter with his ex-wife, the lingering effects of a shooting, cross-jurisdictional conflicts, and glimpses inside a serial killer’s mind. But Alan Drew presents them in an entirely fresh (and welcome) manner. Since the absorbing plot is described well in other reviews, my review focuses on what made “Shadow Man” a standout in other areas. Drew’s sense of place in writing about 1980’s Southern California is an important under-pinning to the novel. On the horseback rides Detective Ben Wade takes with his daughter Emma in the hills where he grew up, place comes to the forefront. “His daughter’s childhood was measured by the same topography that had measured Ben’s, and sometimes he had the strange feeling that they were living their childhoods simultaneously, as though the hills were some fold in time where their youths intersected.” Drew writes evocatively of his childhood and all the changes in that particular place with a real sense of loss and a desire to restore something which will never come back.
Many crime novels have plots in which the killer poses a personal threat to the investigator. The threats to Ben Wade are of a different sort - much more intimate and emotional, and only peripherally related to the serial killer he is hunting. This adds significant depth and power to the novel. While “Shadow Man” fits into the category of police procedural, it is also a book about the power of place, coming to terms with the past, and trying to find a way forward. I recommend it highly, and sincerely hope Alan Drew is planning to write more about Ben Wade.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
Many crime novels have plots in which the killer poses a personal threat to the investigator. The threats to Ben Wade are of a different sort - much more intimate and emotional, and only peripherally related to the serial killer he is hunting. This adds significant depth and power to the novel. While “Shadow Man” fits into the category of police procedural, it is also a book about the power of place, coming to terms with the past, and trying to find a way forward. I recommend it highly, and sincerely hope Alan Drew is planning to write more about Ben Wade.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
February 20, 2017
Shadow Man is supposed to be the story of a serial killer who was horribly abused as a child and the efforts of the police to track him down and keep him from killing others. However, the book is really about Ben Wade. Ben Wade is one of the detectives on the case and while the victims of the serial killer affect him greatly and he gives his all to catch him, it is the apparent suicide of a young teenager that really shakes up his world. Much more than just a search for a killer, Shadow Man is about others living in the shadows of what happened in the past. The novel is set in the 1980s in a small one time ranching community near LA, and the beautifully described scenery and small town feeling make the setting a character on its own. Shadow Man could be called a thriller but it is really much more than that, with characters that are so real you can feel their pain.
April 19, 2017
I found this book to be much more than a mystery/thriller. It is a literary novel that takes on social issues while providing extensive and well-developed characterizations and plot. It is a difficult book to read because the topics tackled are ones that are close to society's heart but rest in the dark side of the soul. No bones about it - it is a page-turner - but it is one with heft and depth.
Ben Wade is a detective in a small southern California town just outside of Los Angeles. It once was a cowboy's haven but the real estate mavens have moved ever 'forward' in their development. People feel safe in Rancho Santa Elena. They leave their windows open, their doors unlocked and trust that goodness prevails. Their belief system is seriously challenged when a serial killer strikes and then strikes again. No one is safe anymore.
While Ben searches for the killer, a Mexican teenager is found dead in a strawberry field with a bullet in his head. He was a strawberry picker but, interestingly, he was also a star swimmer for the local high school team. He was not in the school's district but someone had loaned him their address so he could attend there. Is he a victim of the serial killer or was this suicide? Ben is unsure and, as he discovers some evidence in the boy's pocket, his own demons come to play.
I really appreciate the book's focus on elephants in the living room, those things in plain sight that are ignored. As a society, this is a common tendency. We often choose what we see and blind ourselves to what's unpleasant or controversial. The author is not afraid to bring this aspect of our culture to light and he does it with both finesse and profundity.
It would not be fair to parlay anything further about the plot. Suffice it to say, it is well worth the read. I would have given it a '5' except for some beefs I have with the editing. There is too much repetition and some of the issues felt 'pounded' into the narrative. Any discerning reader could have picked up subtle clues and I dislike being told something over and over. I admire Alan Drew's writing and intend to check out his first novel.
Ben Wade is a detective in a small southern California town just outside of Los Angeles. It once was a cowboy's haven but the real estate mavens have moved ever 'forward' in their development. People feel safe in Rancho Santa Elena. They leave their windows open, their doors unlocked and trust that goodness prevails. Their belief system is seriously challenged when a serial killer strikes and then strikes again. No one is safe anymore.
While Ben searches for the killer, a Mexican teenager is found dead in a strawberry field with a bullet in his head. He was a strawberry picker but, interestingly, he was also a star swimmer for the local high school team. He was not in the school's district but someone had loaned him their address so he could attend there. Is he a victim of the serial killer or was this suicide? Ben is unsure and, as he discovers some evidence in the boy's pocket, his own demons come to play.
I really appreciate the book's focus on elephants in the living room, those things in plain sight that are ignored. As a society, this is a common tendency. We often choose what we see and blind ourselves to what's unpleasant or controversial. The author is not afraid to bring this aspect of our culture to light and he does it with both finesse and profundity.
It would not be fair to parlay anything further about the plot. Suffice it to say, it is well worth the read. I would have given it a '5' except for some beefs I have with the editing. There is too much repetition and some of the issues felt 'pounded' into the narrative. Any discerning reader could have picked up subtle clues and I dislike being told something over and over. I admire Alan Drew's writing and intend to check out his first novel.
April 13, 2017
SHADOW MAN is everything a good detective story should be. The killer is not cartoonish; if fact many readers will feel compassion for him. Detective Ben Wade is human, rather than superhuman, and engages in believable police work. The book follows two story lines: Wade tries to catch the killer but also is confronted with his own flawed past and has to face up to it. No spoilers, but the parallels between the two stories will make the reader sympathize and root for Wade. It would be a delight to read more about Ben Wade so I hope Drew is planning a series. Just a great book! Fans of C.J. Box and Robert Crais will enjoy this book.
September 20, 2022
I won an ARC of this novel in a goodreads drawing.
There's a serial killer on the loose in 1980's small town Southern California, and our totally 80's detective, along with his totally 80's CSI lady are on the case.
It's exactly like reading an 80's book, except for the dearth of whining about the Baby Boomers selling out and complaining about Reagan.
There's a serial killer on the loose in 1980's small town Southern California, and our totally 80's detective, along with his totally 80's CSI lady are on the case.
It's exactly like reading an 80's book, except for the dearth of whining about the Baby Boomers selling out and complaining about Reagan.
April 20, 2017
Full disclosure: I won Shadow Man in a Goodreads giveaway. I was very excited to win a book, since I've been a Goodreads member since 2012 and enter giveaways on a regular basis. In my honest review, I can say that I'm glad I won such a great, thrilling read. Shadow Man was much more than a serial killer suspense novel. One review I've read since finishing the book describes Southern California so well-described that it is almost a character of its own and I couldn't agree more. Alan Drew's writing is so descriptive and in-depth, that I immediately got the feel of being in Southern California in the 1980's. The main character, Ben Wade, is the detective attempting to hunt down the killer that is terrorizing his hometown while Ben battles inner-demons of his own from his past from his hometown. I could hardly put the book down and have recommended it to my husband and several other family members. I felt that Shadow Man was a cut above in this particular crime/thriller/suspense novel genre.
June 11, 2017
An LA cop (Ben) investigation a murder of a young teen boy in East LA; brings back his demons that started in his teens and that is still with him.
Ben thinks about his coach in high school, maybe he is the serial killer. No not the coach, but he is investigated though, but a small, fast man in the shadows.
Good story. It was like two stories wrapped into one.
I won this Free book from Goodreads First-Reads.
Ben thinks about his coach in high school, maybe he is the serial killer. No not the coach, but he is investigated though, but a small, fast man in the shadows.
Good story. It was like two stories wrapped into one.
I won this Free book from Goodreads First-Reads.
May 23, 2017
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC of “Shadow Man” by Alan Drew, in exchange for an honest review.
After getting shot, Detective Ben Wade moved from Los Angeles back to his hometown in Orange County, where crime is dramatically lower, and where he hoped to save his strained marriage. But there is a killer who has been relying on the community’s sense of safety to slip unseen into homes with open doors and windows, relishing the look of fear on his victims’ faces as he chokes the life out of them. When local law enforcement reluctantly acknowledge the string of murders may be the work of a serial killer, they call Ben to help catch him. While investigating the case, Ben is dealing with the separation from his wife and daughter, and it becomes evident that Ben is also struggling to confront demons he thought he fled long ago.
Set in the 80s, this has a well-written plot that doesn’t rely on the conventions of modern society, instead focusing on fluidly intertwining the hunt for a serial killer with the protagonist facing his past. While this has been categorized as a crime novel, or police procedural, I think that is a disservice to this book, as that appears to be the secondary to the main character’s internal struggle to deal with events from his childhood, and how those events have affected his life since. The characters are well developed and the landscape is described in such detail, it transports the readers to the rural pockets of So Cal’s coast. I really enjoyed this book, and would love to see Detective Ben Wade return as part of a series. In the meantime, I’ll definitely be checking out other books by this author! 4.5 stars
After getting shot, Detective Ben Wade moved from Los Angeles back to his hometown in Orange County, where crime is dramatically lower, and where he hoped to save his strained marriage. But there is a killer who has been relying on the community’s sense of safety to slip unseen into homes with open doors and windows, relishing the look of fear on his victims’ faces as he chokes the life out of them. When local law enforcement reluctantly acknowledge the string of murders may be the work of a serial killer, they call Ben to help catch him. While investigating the case, Ben is dealing with the separation from his wife and daughter, and it becomes evident that Ben is also struggling to confront demons he thought he fled long ago.
Set in the 80s, this has a well-written plot that doesn’t rely on the conventions of modern society, instead focusing on fluidly intertwining the hunt for a serial killer with the protagonist facing his past. While this has been categorized as a crime novel, or police procedural, I think that is a disservice to this book, as that appears to be the secondary to the main character’s internal struggle to deal with events from his childhood, and how those events have affected his life since. The characters are well developed and the landscape is described in such detail, it transports the readers to the rural pockets of So Cal’s coast. I really enjoyed this book, and would love to see Detective Ben Wade return as part of a series. In the meantime, I’ll definitely be checking out other books by this author! 4.5 stars
April 14, 2017
First, the book is certainly well written and definitely on the literary side of the spectrum. It was billed as a thriller, though, and I wouldn't categorize it that way. There is a serial killer, but he's on the page for perhaps 15% of the book. The vast majority of the book deals with detective Ben Wade's need to come to grips with a secret that he's been keeping since childhood. It has nothing to do with the serial killer, although at the very end there is an attempt to indicate such a connection between the killer and the detective. It was too late in the book to really be effective.
Much of the book also deals with Wade's feelings and concerns about his daughter growing up. Although the details were interesting in their own right, and the writing was good, this mostly proved a distraction from what I was expecting the plot to be. I would rather this had been billed as a literary novel from the beginning. As it was, the serial killer parts seemed rather tacked on, although, again, they were well written. They might have made an interesting short story on their own.
Much of the book also deals with Wade's feelings and concerns about his daughter growing up. Although the details were interesting in their own right, and the writing was good, this mostly proved a distraction from what I was expecting the plot to be. I would rather this had been billed as a literary novel from the beginning. As it was, the serial killer parts seemed rather tacked on, although, again, they were well written. They might have made an interesting short story on their own.
March 28, 2017
This novel will be released in June. Put it on your to be read list. This author pulled me in from the beginning to end. Was a personal story to me due to part of the book. Is about a serial killer who had been severely abused as a child. Is about the detective that is after him. Is about the detectives life. Is a moving story told by an exceptional story teller. Lots of action and teary eyed emotion. Is about a shame based nature that affects one for a very long time. You will like these characters and the end of the story thus far. Would like to see more of this character in future writings. Thanks to Alan Drew and Goodreads.
April 29, 2017
“Shadow Man A Novel” by Alan Drew. I would like to thank Goodreads, Random House and of course Alan Drew for the Advanced Reader's Edition of this fantastic piece of literature. This is a tough one to review. It’s a Psychological Thriller, but it’s much, much more than that at its core. While there is a serial killer as a part of the storyline, I feel that it is something that happens in the background and is sporadic throughout the novel. The real story is Ben Wade, a detective who returns to his southern Californian hometown in 1989, where he attended high school and was a member of the swim team. While he is on the job of trying to hunt down and identify the serial killer, he also has to deal with some buried secrets in the shadows of his past life. This book touches on some very disturbing and tough issues, so be warned and be ready to go there with what for me was the “psychological” part of this thriller. I really did not expect this book to go in the direction it did, but once we were there it was difficult to pull myself away from the pages. It was gritty, in your face, thought provoking and compelling. If I were to market this book, which I am in no way qualified to do, I would say this is Literary Drama at its very best with splashes of thriller/suspense intertwined. The characters are complex and well developed and the story flows from start to finish. This is one of those books that will stay with me for some time and it was a privilege to read and digest every nuance of this well written piece of literature. I look forward to reading more of Drew’s work.
Synopsis (from back cover): Detective Ben Wade has returned to his hometown of Rancho Santa Elena in search of a quieter life and to try to save his marriage. Suddenly the community, with its peaceful streets and excellent public schools, finds itself at the mercy of a serial killer who slips through windows and screen doors at night, shattering illusions of safety. As Ben and forensic specialist Natasha Betencourt struggle to stay one step ahead of the killer—and deal with painful episodes in the past—Ben’s own world is rocked again by violence. He must decide how far he is willing to go, and Natasha how much she is willing to risk, to protect their friendship and themselves to rescue the town from a psychotic murderer and a long-buried secret.
With fine, eerie, chilling prose, acclaimed author Alan Drew weaves richly imagined characters into the first of several thrilling novels of suspense featuring the California world of Ben Wade and Natasha Betencourt. Shadow Man reveals the treacherous underbelly of suburban life, as a man, a woman, a family, and a community are confronted with the heart of human darkness.
Synopsis (from back cover): Detective Ben Wade has returned to his hometown of Rancho Santa Elena in search of a quieter life and to try to save his marriage. Suddenly the community, with its peaceful streets and excellent public schools, finds itself at the mercy of a serial killer who slips through windows and screen doors at night, shattering illusions of safety. As Ben and forensic specialist Natasha Betencourt struggle to stay one step ahead of the killer—and deal with painful episodes in the past—Ben’s own world is rocked again by violence. He must decide how far he is willing to go, and Natasha how much she is willing to risk, to protect their friendship and themselves to rescue the town from a psychotic murderer and a long-buried secret.
With fine, eerie, chilling prose, acclaimed author Alan Drew weaves richly imagined characters into the first of several thrilling novels of suspense featuring the California world of Ben Wade and Natasha Betencourt. Shadow Man reveals the treacherous underbelly of suburban life, as a man, a woman, a family, and a community are confronted with the heart of human darkness.
May 31, 2017
I am not a fan of crime novels, in general, but I like to break my reading pattern on occasion by throwing something unusual into the mix. And, that is how I ended up reading Shadow Man, the story of a detective with a secret and a serial killer on the rampage.
At first, I was unsure I'd be able to get through the book. There are only brief forays into the mind of the killer, but he's obviously twisted and they're very difficult to read. I don't find murder entertaining; that's why I avoid crime - both fiction and nonfiction. But, I found the detective, Ben Wade, so compelling that I simply could not put the book down. I also loved the 1980s California setting. It's not a place I know, but anyone who lived through that time period can relate to the horror of widespread construction destroying the wild beauty of the land.
It's also worth noting that while there is a serial killer being hunted, there's a secondary storyline relating to the protagonist, Ben. What is the secret that he's kept hidden for over 15 years? And, how might it change the investigation into the single murder that doesn't fit the serial killer's profile? Did the serial killer change his habits, briefly, or was the death a suicide?
At times, you may need to skim if you don't have a strong stomach or murder scenes bother you. I did occasionally pick up the pace deliberately. But, Shadow Man is an excellent read and I'm glad I briefly stepped outside my comfort zone.
At first, I was unsure I'd be able to get through the book. There are only brief forays into the mind of the killer, but he's obviously twisted and they're very difficult to read. I don't find murder entertaining; that's why I avoid crime - both fiction and nonfiction. But, I found the detective, Ben Wade, so compelling that I simply could not put the book down. I also loved the 1980s California setting. It's not a place I know, but anyone who lived through that time period can relate to the horror of widespread construction destroying the wild beauty of the land.
It's also worth noting that while there is a serial killer being hunted, there's a secondary storyline relating to the protagonist, Ben. What is the secret that he's kept hidden for over 15 years? And, how might it change the investigation into the single murder that doesn't fit the serial killer's profile? Did the serial killer change his habits, briefly, or was the death a suicide?
At times, you may need to skim if you don't have a strong stomach or murder scenes bother you. I did occasionally pick up the pace deliberately. But, Shadow Man is an excellent read and I'm glad I briefly stepped outside my comfort zone.
March 9, 2017
I just finished this book and it was a very good suspenseful read. There are two mysteries going on and both are just as consuming as the other. The plotlines are interesting and pretty fast paced. One interesting note is that this novel takes place in the 80's in Southern California. I am
still mulling over how much I did or didn't like the characters but it didn't deter me from enjoying this thriller. The writing drew me into this story and I really did hate to put down this book and I could not wait to see what the outcome for both mysteries was going to be. One major criterion for me devouring a book and liking it so much is that factor of wanting to know the ending and seeing how the unraveling plays out, especially when the major character has a lot to lose.
still mulling over how much I did or didn't like the characters but it didn't deter me from enjoying this thriller. The writing drew me into this story and I really did hate to put down this book and I could not wait to see what the outcome for both mysteries was going to be. One major criterion for me devouring a book and liking it so much is that factor of wanting to know the ending and seeing how the unraveling plays out, especially when the major character has a lot to lose.
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