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Chief Inspector Shadow Mystery #3
A Ghostly Shadow
Sometimes the past comes back to haunt you…
This Halloween, the notorious rivalry between York’s iconic ghost walk tour guides spirals out of control when the body of one guide dressed as the infamous highwayman Dick Turpin is found hanging from a tree. A few days later, his partner, who plays Guy Fawkes, is killed by an explosion of gunpowder at their office.
Detective Chief Inspector John Shadow is a man of contradictions. A solitary figure who notices the smallest details about other people, but endeavours to avoid their company. A lover of good food, but whose fridge is almost always empty. Although he would prefer to work alone, he is assisted by his eager and easygoing partner Sergeant Jimmy Chang. Despite a sprained ankle, a stray cat and an impromptu trip to Oxford, the two men investigate the shocking murders that have York on edge. Are the murders the work of a madman or a business feud?
And then the killer strikes again.
This Halloween, the notorious rivalry between York’s iconic ghost walk tour guides spirals out of control when the body of one guide dressed as the infamous highwayman Dick Turpin is found hanging from a tree. A few days later, his partner, who plays Guy Fawkes, is killed by an explosion of gunpowder at their office.
Detective Chief Inspector John Shadow is a man of contradictions. A solitary figure who notices the smallest details about other people, but endeavours to avoid their company. A lover of good food, but whose fridge is almost always empty. Although he would prefer to work alone, he is assisted by his eager and easygoing partner Sergeant Jimmy Chang. Despite a sprained ankle, a stray cat and an impromptu trip to Oxford, the two men investigate the shocking murders that have York on edge. Are the murders the work of a madman or a business feud?
And then the killer strikes again.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 14, 2021
14 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 23, 2024
This is such a great series and I am loving visiting York and catching up on Shadow and is mysteries, this time it is Halloween and all the ghosts of the past have come out on the many ghost walk tours that happen around York, supposedly on of the most haunted cities in all of England, Shadow is not happy with all that is happening and they are terribly short staffed at the moment making him grumpier than usual.
When the infamous Dick Turpin is found at the end of a rope hanging from a tree Shadow and Jimmy are on the case this was one of the ghost tour walkers and then a few days later his partner who plays Guy Fawkes is blown up in their office things are really heating up, the pressure is on, is there a psychopath on the loose in York, or is it one of the other business’s? Will they find the culprit before there are any more murders?
I am loving these stories, Shadow who prefers to work alone and think things through quietly and Jimmy who jumps in and really pushes Shadow’s buttons, always has me smiling, I do highly recommend this one and the series, it is witty and brings out the sleuth in me as I do my best to work out who the murderer is, a must read.
When the infamous Dick Turpin is found at the end of a rope hanging from a tree Shadow and Jimmy are on the case this was one of the ghost tour walkers and then a few days later his partner who plays Guy Fawkes is blown up in their office things are really heating up, the pressure is on, is there a psychopath on the loose in York, or is it one of the other business’s? Will they find the culprit before there are any more murders?
I am loving these stories, Shadow who prefers to work alone and think things through quietly and Jimmy who jumps in and really pushes Shadow’s buttons, always has me smiling, I do highly recommend this one and the series, it is witty and brings out the sleuth in me as I do my best to work out who the murderer is, a must read.
February 1, 2022
I am thoroughly enjoying this series of cozies set in modern day York, so much so that I have pre-ordered the next, A ROMAN SHADOW, due to be published in just a few days time.
There is a lovely blend of tourist events in York, a believable plot with enough clues and red herrings, and a cast of well drawn characters. In particular John Shadow and Jimmy Chang are developing well. Shadow is one of those detectives who uses a mixture of hard work, pounding the beat, logic and intuition to solve the crimes. He is always under pressure from the Chief Constable to work more efficiently and quickly.
Recommended, but do read the titles in order.
There is a lovely blend of tourist events in York, a believable plot with enough clues and red herrings, and a cast of well drawn characters. In particular John Shadow and Jimmy Chang are developing well. Shadow is one of those detectives who uses a mixture of hard work, pounding the beat, logic and intuition to solve the crimes. He is always under pressure from the Chief Constable to work more efficiently and quickly.
Recommended, but do read the titles in order.
October 18, 2021
I love the old city of York, where A Ghostly Shadow is set, and this book made me feel as though I were walking the cobblestone Streets beside Inspector Shadow. I was particularly thrilled when he stopped in the Guy Fawkes Inn for a pint as I had stayed there on my last visit to York. While this story is not a travelogue, it’s setting is excellently described by author HL Marsay and definitely gives readers a flavour of this wonderful old city.
On to the story, which sees Detective Chief Inspector John Shadow once again on the case with his trusty and garrulous sidekick widower, Detective Sergeant Jimmy Chang. This time the pair are investigating the murders of two of the city’s ghost tour guides. Clues to the possible murderer are peppered through the story though the eventual culprit came as a surprise to me. I enjoyed meeting the cast of quirky characters that popped up here and there through the story and despite his grumpy nature I liked Inspector Shadow immensely. This story was both entertaining and a lot of fun and I am hoping Inspector Shadow will be back.
On to the story, which sees Detective Chief Inspector John Shadow once again on the case with his trusty and garrulous sidekick widower, Detective Sergeant Jimmy Chang. This time the pair are investigating the murders of two of the city’s ghost tour guides. Clues to the possible murderer are peppered through the story though the eventual culprit came as a surprise to me. I enjoyed meeting the cast of quirky characters that popped up here and there through the story and despite his grumpy nature I liked Inspector Shadow immensely. This story was both entertaining and a lot of fun and I am hoping Inspector Shadow will be back.
October 16, 2021
I received this arc of A Ghostly Shadow from Tule Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This is the third book in the delightful Chief Inspector Shadow Mystery series by H. L. Marsay. It is fun to return to York, England during the period before Halloween. We are reunited with Chief Inspector John Shadow and his partner Jimmy Chang that we met in the earlier books. One need not read books one and two to enjoy this book, however. The author has described John Shadow so well, I feel like he is a familiar associate. He is quite the eccentric guy. He is a long time widower. His wife was Italian and so he eats dinner at the various Italian restaurants in York, as well as enjoy a fine wine and or pint of ale at the various taverns. He doesn’t cook or keep much food in his home so he also eats breakfast and lunch out. He lives on a houseboat and walks everywhere he goes for work or his meals. He is generally alone unless his partner has tracked him down.
As the book opens, Jimmy and John are walking to investigate some complaints from the various ghost walk tour operators that someone has been taking their pamphlets and tearing down their signs. There are several different people operating the tours, working together in pairs and all quite unique characters. There are disputes between some as they feel their competitors are sabotaging their business.
One morning the body of one of the guides is found hanging from a gallows, like the character he portrayed in his tours. John and Jimmy start investigating the death, interviewing the other guides as well as any other suspects they’ve identified. Soon after, the body of the first guide’s partner is found murdered too. Shadow’s boss is pushing him to get the case solved as tourists will be descending on York for the festivals accompanying the Halloween holiday. Shadow is then talked into taking care of a cat that belonged to the deceased guide and ends up tripping on it and spraining his ankle. At the same time Jimmy has gone to investigate some clues in Oxford for a couple days leaving Shadow to try and hobble around on his own. Shadow is unable to eat out as it’s too hard to get around. So some of the people he knows, stop by with food for him. He always seems to go through the facts in a very meticulous manner in order to split the work with Jimmy and eventually solve the muurders.
H. L. Marsay presents the evidence as Shadow and Jimmy are working to solve the case. He finds clues and gives directions to Jimmy to investigate. I try and solve the case too but they are too clever for me. I really enjoyed this book and the series. It is interesting to read about York, about the history of the people portrayed by the ghost tour operators and the holidays and events going on around Halloween there. There are many more celebrations than we have in the USA. I enjoy reading about Shadow’s past life, the people he interacts with and the relationships he has with others in his work and to some extent his personal life. I hope there will be many more books in this wonderful series. Another 5 star read by Ms. Marsay!
As the book opens, Jimmy and John are walking to investigate some complaints from the various ghost walk tour operators that someone has been taking their pamphlets and tearing down their signs. There are several different people operating the tours, working together in pairs and all quite unique characters. There are disputes between some as they feel their competitors are sabotaging their business.
One morning the body of one of the guides is found hanging from a gallows, like the character he portrayed in his tours. John and Jimmy start investigating the death, interviewing the other guides as well as any other suspects they’ve identified. Soon after, the body of the first guide’s partner is found murdered too. Shadow’s boss is pushing him to get the case solved as tourists will be descending on York for the festivals accompanying the Halloween holiday. Shadow is then talked into taking care of a cat that belonged to the deceased guide and ends up tripping on it and spraining his ankle. At the same time Jimmy has gone to investigate some clues in Oxford for a couple days leaving Shadow to try and hobble around on his own. Shadow is unable to eat out as it’s too hard to get around. So some of the people he knows, stop by with food for him. He always seems to go through the facts in a very meticulous manner in order to split the work with Jimmy and eventually solve the muurders.
H. L. Marsay presents the evidence as Shadow and Jimmy are working to solve the case. He finds clues and gives directions to Jimmy to investigate. I try and solve the case too but they are too clever for me. I really enjoyed this book and the series. It is interesting to read about York, about the history of the people portrayed by the ghost tour operators and the holidays and events going on around Halloween there. There are many more celebrations than we have in the USA. I enjoy reading about Shadow’s past life, the people he interacts with and the relationships he has with others in his work and to some extent his personal life. I hope there will be many more books in this wonderful series. Another 5 star read by Ms. Marsay!
October 15, 2021
The Chief Inspector Shadow Mystery Series is one of my favorites. Having read almost all of Agatha Christie mysteries when I was a teen this is a welcome addictive series. I have no doubt that Agatha Christie would be reading these books too if she was alive today. Taking place in contemporary York these stories by H.L. Marsay have the grumpy but lovable-in-his-on-way Chief Inspector.
A Ghostly Shadow gives more insight to Shadow’s past plus more of his assistant Sergeant Jimmy Chang who I just adore too. The budding romance of Jimmy is mentioned several time which I loved too. It also gives Shadow a nudge in to remembering his true love. Then of course there is the mystery. Another murder this time right near Halloween. I enjoyed the sights, sounds and history of York in these tales but especially in this one with the ghosts tour guides. If I ever visit York I will be especially looking for all of Shadow’s haunts.
The mystery is not as easy to solve as it first appears which makes me follow the clues along with Shadow and Chang. Interesting without being gory, or bad language or the police using questionable tactics. Shadow is a by the book Chief Inspector. Each book reveals more about him but they also stand well alone. Highly recommend for anyone who loves a great mystery.
An ARC of the book was given to me by Tule Publishing which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A Ghostly Shadow gives more insight to Shadow’s past plus more of his assistant Sergeant Jimmy Chang who I just adore too. The budding romance of Jimmy is mentioned several time which I loved too. It also gives Shadow a nudge in to remembering his true love. Then of course there is the mystery. Another murder this time right near Halloween. I enjoyed the sights, sounds and history of York in these tales but especially in this one with the ghosts tour guides. If I ever visit York I will be especially looking for all of Shadow’s haunts.
The mystery is not as easy to solve as it first appears which makes me follow the clues along with Shadow and Chang. Interesting without being gory, or bad language or the police using questionable tactics. Shadow is a by the book Chief Inspector. Each book reveals more about him but they also stand well alone. Highly recommend for anyone who loves a great mystery.
An ARC of the book was given to me by Tule Publishing which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 25, 2024
I’m thrilled to review H. L. Marsay’s outstanding A Ghostly Shadow, the third book in her Chief Inspector Shadow Mystery series. The stories of this series are set in and around the English city of York. Many larger cities have tourist tours. York, with its rich history, has historical tours which are better known as ghost tours. Their subjects all lived and died in previous centuries.
This story concerns one such tour operator who was discovered hung from a tree. It is Chief Inspector Shadow and Sergeant Chang’s job to ascertain if it is a solitary murder, an attack on all ghost tours, or the work of a madman recreating history. Panic ensues a few days later when the deceased business partner is blown up. Matters aren’t helped when the local newspaper hack fans the flames. If Shadow could lock someone away. Reporter beware!
The storyline of this book and the other books of this series is as rich, intricate, and inspiring as medieval stained glass. This book, and the other books of this series are each a fine gift for the reader to cherish. A Ghostly Shadow is another story by H. L. Marsay establishing her brilliance.
Rating: 5+ STARS!
This story concerns one such tour operator who was discovered hung from a tree. It is Chief Inspector Shadow and Sergeant Chang’s job to ascertain if it is a solitary murder, an attack on all ghost tours, or the work of a madman recreating history. Panic ensues a few days later when the deceased business partner is blown up. Matters aren’t helped when the local newspaper hack fans the flames. If Shadow could lock someone away. Reporter beware!
The storyline of this book and the other books of this series is as rich, intricate, and inspiring as medieval stained glass. This book, and the other books of this series are each a fine gift for the reader to cherish. A Ghostly Shadow is another story by H. L. Marsay establishing her brilliance.
Rating: 5+ STARS!
October 15, 2021
I love Chief Inspector Shadow Series, this is book 3. It's a good murder mystery set in present day in old York, England. York is supposedly the most haunted town in England so with Halloween a few days away the ghost tours are busy. When 2 tour operators turn up dead it's up to Inspector Shadow and his partner Sgt. Jimmy Chang to solve the crime. All the previous characters are back and we visit several more of Shadow's favorite eateries. I enjoy learning bits and pieces of England's history incorporated so seamlessly into the story. I would recommend reading the previous books for the background but this one can be read as a stand alone. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
July 1, 2024
Two and a half stars.
This is not a bad police procedural but it would be a lot better without the reader having to be informed of every meal that Shadow has every breakfast, lunch and dinner time plus the names of all pub and restaurant owners, waiters, chefs, bar staff et al. It's just as much a food guide to York as it is a detective story with a half decent plot.
Shadow is just a bit too grumpy and rude to endear himself to the reader (this one anyway) but Sergeant Jimmy Chang is quite likeable.
As I said in my review of the previous book Shadow is a would-be clone of Colin Dexters' Morse transposed from Oxford to York but nowhere near as good.
Disappointing. I doubt if I'll read any more of them.
This is not a bad police procedural but it would be a lot better without the reader having to be informed of every meal that Shadow has every breakfast, lunch and dinner time plus the names of all pub and restaurant owners, waiters, chefs, bar staff et al. It's just as much a food guide to York as it is a detective story with a half decent plot.
Shadow is just a bit too grumpy and rude to endear himself to the reader (this one anyway) but Sergeant Jimmy Chang is quite likeable.
As I said in my review of the previous book Shadow is a would-be clone of Colin Dexters' Morse transposed from Oxford to York but nowhere near as good.
Disappointing. I doubt if I'll read any more of them.
September 14, 2021
This is the third instalment of the Chief Inspector Shadow Mysteries. It is set in York at Halloween and Shadow is not happy to find most of his fellow officers are away on a team building mission. It is left to him and his enthusiastic sergeant to investigate some seemingly petty rivalries between the city’s ghost walkers. Then one of the tour guides is found dead.
I loved this story, especially the part when Shadow briefly adopts Catesby, the black cat. Like the two previous books it the series, it was well-paced, had beautifully written characters, was peppered with humour and had plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing!
I loved this story, especially the part when Shadow briefly adopts Catesby, the black cat. Like the two previous books it the series, it was well-paced, had beautifully written characters, was peppered with humour and had plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing!
September 16, 2021
Intriguing, entertaining and with a cast of engaging characters! Everything you could want from a murder mystery!
This is the third instalment of the Chief Inspector Shadow Mysteries. Shadow and Jimmy find themselves embroiled in a disagreement between the city’s ghost walk guides which turns sinister when one of them is found hanging from a tree.
The investigation sees Jimmy taking a trip to Oxford and Shadow taking a trip of a different kind. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Shadow’s awkwardness when he was forced to accept help after being incapacitated.
Plenty of twists and turns and just when I thought I knew who the murderer was, there was a final surprise!
This is the third instalment of the Chief Inspector Shadow Mysteries. Shadow and Jimmy find themselves embroiled in a disagreement between the city’s ghost walk guides which turns sinister when one of them is found hanging from a tree.
The investigation sees Jimmy taking a trip to Oxford and Shadow taking a trip of a different kind. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Shadow’s awkwardness when he was forced to accept help after being incapacitated.
Plenty of twists and turns and just when I thought I knew who the murderer was, there was a final surprise!
October 15, 2021
This is my first book by this author and I loved it so much that I am purchasing the first two books in the series A beautiful well paced story that had me feeling like I was walking the shambles of old York with enough drama and suspense to keep me engaged
Chief Inspector Shadow isn't to happy when he discovers that most of the team are away on a team building exercise and it is up to him and Jimmy to police the area Things get chaotic when the local ghost walking teams become embroiled in fighting and one ends up hanging from a tree. Can I two intrepid police officers solve who is the murderer You will have to read to see
Chief Inspector Shadow isn't to happy when he discovers that most of the team are away on a team building exercise and it is up to him and Jimmy to police the area Things get chaotic when the local ghost walking teams become embroiled in fighting and one ends up hanging from a tree. Can I two intrepid police officers solve who is the murderer You will have to read to see
April 5, 2022
Somehow I missed this third in the series in my rush to preorder and read the fourth. Reading them out of order in no way spoiled my enjoyment and I haven’t tired of following the efforts of John Shadow and Jimmy Chang as they track criminals to ground in York. The evocation of York is a major attraction. Marsay takes the reader into the city, its history and activities. I also enjoy the teamwork of the flawed detectives, their respect for expertise and capacity to apologise. It is smooth, skilled writing that engages the reader unobtrusively.
What’s not to like?
What’s not to like?
October 27, 2021
it is Halloween and the iconic York ghost walk tours are in full swing when one of the tour guides dressed as Dick Turpin is found hanging from a tree a few days later hid partner dresses as Guy Fawkes is killed in a gunpowder explosion D.C.I. John Shadow and his partner is investigation when the killer strikes again
June 5, 2024
This book started slow, but after the murder case, when DCI Shadow and Jimmy Chang began to investigate. I truly believe every new book is better and better. This one was an emotional bomb. I immensely enjoyed this book.
November 13, 2021
Loved the inclusion of some of York history. A nice easy, cosy read.
February 10, 2023
A Ghostly Shadow
Brilliant!!! Another enthralling adventure with Inspector Shadow. I love this series!!!!! Can’t wait to read the next one and the net after that!,
Brilliant!!! Another enthralling adventure with Inspector Shadow. I love this series!!!!! Can’t wait to read the next one and the net after that!,
May 5, 2025
Well, well, well! It's a little bit of Frost and a little bit of Morse (and a lot of delicious food) and I liked it. I'm glad I gave Shadow another do.
December 31, 2022
Set in the city of York at Hallowe'en, this third novel in the Chief inspector Shadow Mystery series, begins to expose the deeper mysteries of Shadow's own past. Filled with H. L. Marsay's clear familiarity with the traditions and problems of the real city she writes about, 'A Ghostly Shadow' demonstrates the author's skill in depicting even minor characters.
Get the series. I think I should really have give this novel five stars. So I will.
Get the series. I think I should really have give this novel five stars. So I will.
February 3, 2024
The third book in the Detective Shadow series. The main characters in this detective series continues to evolve. Friendships are forming. Each book continues to get better. So far I am really liking this series and look forward to reading more.
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