Shadow Box Keep the Ghost

Keep the Ghost Trilogy #2

by Scott Kelly

Sean Reilly belongs to the gulf. The bond was forged when he faked his death by diving in, and honored as waves carried Sean out of a statewide manhunt and into Morgan's saving graces. Six months after the events of Keep the Ghost, that same ocean brings our intrepid fugitive to a desolate island off Mexico's east coast. There are just a couple thousand people on Isla Holbox, and only five police officers. Normally, he'd like that fine - but normally, someone isn't trying to murder him.

Nothing is simple anymore. Back in the States, he could trust Morgan completely. She was his mentor and guide. Now, something has changed. Something from their past has reached Holbox, and Sean's introduction to it rides along on a bullet aimed squarely at him. Someone wants him dead, and he doesn't know who or why. Morgan might, but when has she ever told him the truth?

And that's just start of his problems. If Sean ever hopes to escape into the gulf again, he'll have to break free from a box of his own making. In doing so, he'll answer the question: Can a person ever truly remake themselves?

Unknown Binding

About the author

Scott Kelly started writing novels as a teenager. When he was nineteen, he landed a publishing deal for his novel Jimwamba, which was followed by his works [sic], The Blue, and Keep the Ghost. Now thirty-two, he has received awards, been published by independent presses, topped charts on social writing websites like Wattpad, garnered hundreds of positive reviews and ratings on Goodreads, and ranked as high as the #1 free eBook on Amazon. His works have reached hundreds of thousands of readers, with some fans even taking the step of applying his fictional creations to their own lives, as with the game "Eureka" from the novel [sic].

**Visit his blog at:
www.ScottKellyWritesBooks.com

**Find him on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/ScottKellyWrites

Reviews

[Tulay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast paced story.

Didn't read the first book, maybe that reason some parts were confusing. Characters were real, you can even feel and picture the sun burn in his chest. Inner voice always telling Sean what to do, maybe soon he'll find himself. Don't think I'll read the next book, story line didn't excite me.

[Ronald Keeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shadow Box by Scott Kelly is very definitely an action novel. The action never stops and it is never obvious what is going to happen next. Author Kelly might have read advice to authors that said: “Don’t tell, show.” And Kelly does that to such a degree that sometimes I wanted Kelly to tell me something. I never felt I knew what was going on throughout the entire novel. So, if you like mysteries and if you like to engage with your novel, this is the book for you. The only drawback is that this is part of a series. Yes, there is a conclusion to this novel, there is not a cliffhanger. But if you like the characters, you will want to read about the future adventures of some of the characters.

We begin with an identification problem. Our protagonist is James Claiborne. Or Sean Reilly. Or another identity of convenience. There are many of these as our hero attempts to survive. He is on the run; there are many individuals and entities looking for him. Some are law enforcement agencies; some are criminal organizations. Our hero has managed to irritate everyone. And he is not alone; he has female accompaniment. Morgan might be his girlfriend; he would like her to be. She might be an accomplice in several crimes; there is an indication of that. Maybe she could be both.

Kayla was never really his girlfriend. She only liked Sean because she wanted him to kill her. Not that she really wanted to die; she just wanted it to look that way. Then the insurance would pay, they would split the money, life would be good. Things went a bit wrong when Kayla actually died. Sean was the prime suspect. Evidence had been cleverly staged to prove that Sean had done it. Sean began running. Mr. Banks was the man behind the plan to frame Sean for the crime and he had a large organization with many people who supported his criminal enterprises. One of those “helpers” was Morgan.

Morgan helped Sean construct new identities, both the long term Claiborne identity and the immediate short term identities needed to defeat pursuers. Morgan also had possession of a large amount of money and evidence that would identify the actual killer of Kayla and remove the threat to Claiborne (Reilly). So, pursuers wanted to find Morgan (money and evidence) and Claiborne (wanted by law enforcement). And along the way Claiborne/Reilly fell in love with Morgan. She professed a love for only money and seemed ready to discard or abandon or betray Reilly at a moment’s notice.

This is an action-packed novel which will require the reader’s full attention as identities of main characters shift back and forth in time. Even the pursuers adopt multiple identities. This is an entertaining spare time reading activity.

[Lora Nowak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I read "Keep The Ghost" I was intrigued by Scott Kelly's writing and the world he created. The characters he creates come to life in front of your eyes and he's done such an outstanding job of fleshing the main characters out, you can almost see them in your mind as your read this series. In "Shadow Box" Sean and Morgan are stranded on a tourist island in Holbox, Mexico. Morgan still has Sean on a leash but his inner voice, his true self speaks to his conscience trying to encourage him to do the right thing and stop running.I like the reflections from the boat and the things Morgan tries teaching Sean. Sean has become a bit desperate, for company, answers, Morgan and to save his life, he talks back to his inner voice but doesn't truly listen. We meet a few new characters in this book and they all have a role to play be it good or bad or just a bit in the middle. It seems as though Morgan truly cares about Sean, as much as a sociopath can. This concept of Morgan's is believable and then again she goes too far with things and then it's unbelievable. I like one thing she said, if she were the last person in the world and saw a cow, she decided to call it a dog, would she be wrong? Mr. Kelly is brilliant in his story telling, there's twists and turns and unexpected things waiting to pop up at any moment. It was a true fast paced thrill ride to read both of the books but I think with each book, the stakes become higher and now that Sean & Morgan are hopefully safely on their way to another country, I believe with their circumstances and everything/everyone that's out to get them things are going to be very chaotic, which is what I expect from this series now...and I love it. No matter what, Sean always gets through things. I encourage everyone to read Shadow Box and at the end there's a link to sign up for a scene that couldn't be in the book for obvious reasons (you'll know those reasons after you read the book) Anyway, Scott will email you this scene and it adds to the reasoning of why I think Morgan cares more about Sean than she lets on to him....The next book is going to be amazing too.

[Edward Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping, nail biting, intense read

Wow. Couldn't put these two down (book 1 and 2). The intensity keeps going never letting up. Talk about non-ending suspense. What's going to happen next... Thanks Scott Kelly for keeping the foul language to minimum. Good books and stories CAN be written without them. Can't wait for next in the series.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out slow. But then you had to keep reading it to find out if they would live!

[Delores Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

Keeps you wondering what will happen next. If you like crime mysteries you will like it. Read the first one of the series though. This one picks up where it left off

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this second book! Hoping/waiting/praying for a third! Maybe? Yes? I need to know what happens to Sean & Morgan!

[Carole Beasley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well wrote

The second book is as good as the first. Always a surprise hidden in the words. Looking forward to the next book.

[Molly Duren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever and unique

Interesting and thought provoking. I look forward to the next book in the series. Great characters who have more to tell