Special Agent, Nathaniel Arkin is on the hunt for a killer, or is is a shadow group that he has been chasing for years? This is the tale of terror, murder, and maybe redemption.

Nathaniel Arkin, having left his intelligence job on a very low note, has been exiled to the remote Four Corners region of Colorado to work for an obscure Federal Agency. While in exile, he becomes involved with an investigation into the death of a well-known fanatical preacher who happened to be a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. The circumstances and evidence remind Arkin of a previous case he worked on, where the victims were shot with a high-powered rifle using the same ammunition. Despite the obstacles being placed in his way, both bureaucratic and life-threatening, Arkin is determined to catch the killers and redeem his reputation.

The Shadow Priest by D.C. Alexander is the first book of the Shadow Priest series featuring former Intelligence Agent Nathaniel Arkin. Alexander’s experience as a federal agent reveals itself in the characters he has created for this book, especially in Nathaniel Arkin.. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the sequel. I would give this book 4/5 stars.

*A copy of this ebook is the only consideration received for this review. *

Alexander is a new author to me. After reading this book, I will go back to read others and flag future books. This had all the components that I enjoy - mystery, humor, friendship, human behavior, and an opening to another story. The development of his characters was delightful. Although the plot and story involve a great deal of intrigue, I found it absolutely plausible and yet the twists were mostly unexpected. I haven't enjoyed a character this much since Vince Flynn's, Mitch Rapp!

Great character development here but no conclusion so it must be a "sequel-novel". Oh well other than that and the sophomoric humor that almost made me stop reading, I liked the intimations back to 9-11 and of course the usual religion bashing because the world is better off without it right? (Heave sarcasm) \\Anyway, 4 stars and decent read

A truly captivating mystery written with in-depth knowledge and a bit of humor. Setting the stage for the plot, The Shadow Priest captures the mindset of the lead character in the first chapter. Special Agent Nate Arkin is first on the scene of a murder, putting the pieces of the crime together systematically, confounding his fellow agents and law enforcement with his observations, and setting the stage for the manhunt that will consume him.

Then he sets out to find whoever killed a two-bit, drug dealing, supremacists and why. Could it be the same person who cost Nate his career with the DCI in Washington, D.C? Using his near-perfect memory recall, he sets out to use all of his past knowledge to compare and link the two events with the goal of getting revenge.

I felt that I knew the characters personally, empathizing with their emotions and pain as they came alive and died on the page. The story is sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and sometimes tragic, but it all blends together as real life would and takes the reader along for the ride.

The book was well written for the most part with plenty of action. It has a interesting take on fundamentalism. Sometimes the exchanges between the main characters seemed forced, but was quite amusing in places. However, for me the book as a whole lacked the spark to hold my interest to the end.

Feeling to continue reading when you can hardly stay awake. That's one of my personal signs that a book has me hooked.

When I began this title, I wasn't sure. It had been a while since I read a thriller style book. But, within a short while, the book had its hooks into me. Like a young child, I was huddled under covers in the middle of the night to read the final chapters.

You'll find plenty of intrigue and action, but also a dash of humor sprinkled throughout. And, I could see this being an awesome movie (either for the big screen or TV) as the plot is fairly sound and the story is entertaining.

Now I am itching to get my hands on the sequel to see what happens to Arkin as well as his sick wife and best friend.

It took me awhile to get into this book. In fact, I even put it down for awhile. However when I did pick it up again, I discovered a well written story that delved into the post 9/11 world of espionage and fundamentalist. The author uses his experience as former federal agent to weave a tale filled with all the bells and whistles of modern law enforcement.
The main character, Nathaniel Arkin, had a distant but demanding father. After law school, Arkin finally ended up in federal law enforcement where he found his real calling. However once he began investigating a lapsed priest turned terrorist, Arkin’s career became sabotaged and he eventually ended up at a posting in Durango, CO, a sleepy outpost with little activity. That changed when a charismatic preacher is killed with a large caliber gun used mostly by federal law enforcement.
The story continues with many twists and turns and finally ends in a cliffhanger. At the end of the book we are informed that a sequel will be published later in 2017.

I usually don't get into this type of book but the title and the description pulled me in and I am glad it did because this is one of the best books I have read on Netgalley to date and I am humbled by the opportunity to have this book as one of the ones I got to read early. This book kept my interest and I couldn't wait to see where the next page took me. I would definitely check this out because this one will keep you guessing and interested to the ending.

Before I read The Shadow Priest, I read some of the negative reviews, complaining that the ending was set up for a sequel to follow it, and that there were *so* many loose ends. For me, that wasn't an issue. So, on to the review itself.

Nate Arkin, and the other members of a multi-agency legal taskforce get embroiled in Nate's old nemesis aka "The Priest". This is like a cross between a James Patterson & Lee Child book. With more depth of character than Jack Reacher, but more military action than Alex Cross. For me, the only downside with this book, was at times, in an indescribable way, the prose lost the "polish" of "big publisher" books. However, there are plenty of plot twists and turns, plenty of action and the pace keeps going through the book. Is this an intellectually challenging book? No, but it's not meant to be - it's a well written, and enjoyable thriller, and I'll gladly read the follow up novel.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this fine book. It has many things going for it. The descriptions are spot on and are like visiting the areas. The characters are well-described and are real people with both good and bad elements. The story itself is full of suspense and keeps the readier guessing. Most importantly, it delves into the psychological underpinnings of the demagogue and what drives them. The plot arc revolves around the moral dilemma associated with taking actions that are morally wrong to prevent much greater evil from occurring. The theme of betrayal plays a major role as Arkin struggles for redemption after being shipped off to a thankless post in the four corners area of Colorado. The assassination of a Pentecostal preacher by a sniper with a large caliber weapon drags Arkin back into the same case that was his downfall. He has to hide his investigation by working through the local agents. The book is hard to put down with surprises and suspense all the way through. It is a fun read that is intellectually stimulating.

4 stars

This book is very well written and plotted. It has a way with language, and it just flows. I found interesting the theories put forth about the causes of fundamentalism and its role in society today. Especially liked was the pondering on what made serial killers like Hitler and Bin Laden do what they did.

I found Arkin to be a totally believable character with all the flaws and foibles that came with him. I appreciated Mr. Alexander’s descriptions of the surroundings of both the opening scene and the later scenes. I grew up in the Seattle area and have travelled all over the Pacific Northwest, so I very much liked the journey home.

I realize that this is part of a series, although I did not know it when I picked this book out. But I’m still glad I read it, because it was thought-provoking and action filled.

I want to thank NetGalley and Dero for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read and enjoy.