This was an ok read. It had some decent creepiness to it but it's basically a "ripped from the headlines" type of story. If you've heard anything about the slenderman murders, you've basically read this book. I would recommend this if you're looking for a spooky thriller that keeps you guessing if it's actually paranormal or not. There is a little bit of lucid dreaming tied to the main story and I wish that would have been explored a little more, Still a decent thriller.

Thanks to netgalley for providing me with an audio review copy of this novel. All the following opinions are my own! 

While I wasn't the biggest fan of Alex North's debut novel, I found myself really liking the way they'd written it. The prose was lush, and the atmosphere intense and captivating. These things take a higher priority to plot in my personal reading experience, so I was really excited to see what they had to offer with this second novel!

Having read it now, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that The Shadows absolutely delivers on the atmosphere part. I'm not someone to scare easily, but I had to shut the audiobook off at night, because I found myself getting scared. The story itself, however, is another thing. 

This novel begins in the same town as the last one - Featherbanks. And it follows one of the two police officers who played a major role in Whisper Man - Detective Amanda Beck. Here, she investigates what appears to be a ritualistic killing of a young boy at the hands of his friends, and finds herself pulled into an uncannily similar killing that took place in a small village a quarter of a decade past. 

The other main character that we follow is a man called Paul Adams who is someone who is on the periphery of both these mysteries- close enough that he is affected, but not too close to be involved. 

Speaking of the mysteries, I liked the way they were written and the way that the author insinuated the connection between the two. One of the plot twists made me gasp, but the main resolution was kinda..meh. While the final reveal itself was slightly disappointing, I did enjoy the buildup a lot. I would have loved it if the reveal had brought together more elements, but while it was not my favourite, I didn't think it was the worst possible outcome either so yay for that. Also, I just loved the atmosphere so much that I'm willing to overlook everything else.

Another important part of the story is lucid dreaming and these kids' obsession with it. I really liked how the author incorporated that element into the story, and I enjoyed the hint of horror that it lent to this otherwise fairly straightforward murder mystery. Creepy, psychopathic kids are the scariest motherfuckers on this planet, and creepy, psychopathic kids who think they can make dreams happen in real life are 100x worse. So that is definitely a big enticing point for this novel. Even though things might not actually turn supernatural, the implication of it coupled with the atmospheric writing makes this book unputdownable! 

Overall, I enjoyed it. I don't know if I'd reread it, but it was super fun for a one time read! I'd 100% recommend the audiobook, too! The narrators did a fantastic job and were very much responsible in scaring me!

For me, the story was great but the narrator I could not deal with. It didn't help that they did not tell us the time lines because that was super confusing. Not a great experience. I will try to read the ebook for the story alone but as for the audio book I cannot reccomend

The Shadows is Alex North's second novel, a follow-up to his wildly successful debut The Whisper Man. Like Whisper Man, this book centers on an eerie decades-old killing and features DI Amanda Beck. The original murder has become an urban legend of sorts and now a copycat has emerged. According to the legend, “Redhand Man” is a ghostly figure who lives in the forest and can make people disappear. It was his powers that led two teenage boys to brutally stab a classmate. One of the boys turned up in town hours after the murder, covered in blood and wielding a knife. The other - Charlie Crabtree - was never seen again.

Eventually, an entire internet culture springs up around the legend. Amateur detectives spend years combing through every detail of the case in hopes they will finally solve it. Teens and crime enthusiasts relive the killing on various web forums—including someone who goes by CC666 and claims to have been there. CC666's posts aren't just observations either: they goad others into continuing Charlie's work. Could the person behind the mysterious handle be Charlie Crabtree? Is it possible that he really did escape 25 years earlier?

Aside from DI Beck, there is another person who wants to find out the truth. Paul Adams was a suspect in the original crime and now he's returned to town because his mother is dying. Chapters alternate between Paul's retelling of past events, his present-day narrative, and Amanda's account of her current investigation. There are many twists, including one big one, which took me by surprise. The atmosphere throughout is wickedly creepy and the flashbacks to Paul's teen years reminded me of the character dynamics in a Stephen King novel. I kept expecting something supernatural to happen but this isn't really that kind of tale.

One of the characters tells Paul “a ghost story is more sad than anything else.” I don't often feel that, but I did when I finished The Shadows. In part, this is because I'd recently read about the real-life story that inspired Alex North to write the book. I won't say more, but if you finish the book and look up the actual case, you'll find the details are as heartbreaking as they are haunting. North brings the sense of loss that accompanies such acts of fantastical violence into focus.

Two final thoughts: the audio was excellent throughout. I'm still having a few glitches with the app but the narrators were wonderful, especially John Heffernan. And last but not least, who the heck is Alex North? My google sleuthing efforts to uncover his true identity came to nothing.

Much thanks to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Shadows is a creepy and eerily mysterious book. And the audiobook just made it more spooky.

When I first started listening, I was not exactly getting into it. It has a slow pace and the few starting chapters were not that gripping. But as I heard more, I was hooked with the mystery and ofcourse Charlie.

There are two narrators for this audiobook and both did a great job at creating the mysterious and spooky environment for us listeners. 

I liked how the book has both the horror as well as scientific elements... those lucid dreams, experiments etc. 

Would highly recommend to horror and mystery -thriller lovers!

I liked The Shadows even more than The Whisper Man! Between the strange lucid dreaming elements, the psychopathic outlook of Charlie Crabtree, and the description of the fantastical monster "Red Hands," it is sometimes hard to discern which events are based in reality and which occur in Paul's memories, or in the dream world. There were also several very unexpected twists for me throughout the story which really elevated this book for me. There are two voice actors for the audiobook, one for Paul, the main character, and Amanda, the cop investigating a recent copycat crime of a murder that took place 25 years ago. Both voice actors were excellent and I liked the switch back between them, which further served to orient me within the story. Listening to the audiobook was also an appropriately creepy experience so, listen to it at night at your own risk!

I received this as an ARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me access.

After reading The Whisper Man earlier this year, I knew that I just had to read The Shadows. Alex North has a way of just slowly drawing you in. He definitely knows how to build up the suspense.

We go through multiple POV and between past and present. The speed was perfect for this kind of setting.

“It’s bad people who do bad things,” she said. “If they didn’t do them in one place, they’d just do them somewhere else instead.”

“You have to do something about Charlie.”
~ Alex North, The Shadows
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Twenty-five years ago, Charlie Crabtree murdered Paul Adams’ friend and then ... disappeared.  Now that Paul has returned to his hometown to see his dying mother, he is forced to confront the horrors he thought he had left behind.  The disappearance of Charlie has created many copycat murders in the following years and just as Paul returns, he learns there has been another in a neighbouring town.  Combined with his mother’s insistence that there is something in the house and Paul feeling as though he is being followed, he begins to wonder…what became of Charlie?
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After reading the author’s debut novel “The Whisper Man”, I immediately placed “The Shadows” on my TBR. The author sure knows how to set the atmosphere for his novels! The creepy, suspense, horror feel was there. The book kept me engaged even though the first two parts were slower paced than part 3 and I was invested in trying to figure out what was happening.  The story alternated between the present and the past connecting the two timelines.  When I thought I had it figured out, there was one reveal towards the end that left my mouth hanging open.  The ending itself I found to move quickly and was a little anticlimactic considering the buildup that preceded.  Despite that, this was still a great read although “The Whisper Man”, in my opinion, was better.  One character comes over from “The Whisper Man” but reading the debut novel is not a necessity to read this one. 

I experienced this book in two ways – the kindle edition and the audio book. The audiobook has two narrators - Hannah Arterton and John Heffernan. The narration was clear and easily understood.  Each chapter was easily discernible and there was adequate pacing to allow the reader to know when a new scene in the same chapter began. Although the narrators attempted to make the voices of each of the characters distinct, it was not always successful, and in my opinion the voices did not fit all the characters.  The narration did not immerse me, as the reader, into the story.  I preferred and recommend reading the novel.  I was able to immerse myself in the story and let myself be carried away.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook and provide an honest review.

It’s hard to live up to The Whisper Man and all the creepiness of the mailbox.... I really enjoyed this one too though from Alex North. Loved the audiobook especially because of the dual narrators, both who were excellent at evoking mood, especially for a book like this. Let’s just say I’m glad I don’t live near the woods. Another excellent thriller that will keep you guessing til the end.

Suitably creepy story told half current and half in flashbacks about a tortured man returning home to face the demons he left as a young man and a detective investigating a horrific murder that harkens back to a mysterious case 25 years before.  Paul Adams, the former, starts the story friends with the oft-bullied James.  They end up 'friends' with the creepy Charlie Crabtree and eventually one of the friends ends up dead with Charlie missing.

Alongside that thread of story we see in modern times Paul has returned to take care of his mom, and he's a man haunted by the events of 25 years ago.  There's a part of the internet alight with people interested in Crabtree and Paul isn't sure he's not still alive somewhere.  Furthermore there's a detective investigating that death and trying to find ties between it and the murder from before.

Somewhere halfway between a horror and a mystery this is a solid story with a lot of creepiness and some pretty solid fleshed out characters.  The narrators did a great job of bringing the characters to life and keeping the atmosphere.  And the story itself is twisty and turny like any in that particular set of genres.  

Thanks to NetGalley, Alex North, and Macmillan for making this audiobook available for request and allowing me to share this honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an audiobook ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review!

The first ⅓ of this thriller set up a truly intriguing story. The book's jacket cover promises a lot of tropes that I love in horror/thriller fiction in general; a group of kids as a mc, dreams vs. reality, two timelines, urban legends, and a dark paranormal element throughout. 

In the first timeline, Paul and his friends attempt to lucid dream together, and begin to share dreams with each other. However, something goes horribly wrong, and one of the boys (influenced by this dream state) commits murder. The boy in question, Charlie Crabtree, is never found after this shocking murder sweeps the little town. The events are so scarring that Paul leaves his hometown, hoping never to return again. 

In the second timeline, a copycat murder occurs, and there are suspicions that the murderers were helped by Charlie Crabtree, which seems impossible. Crabtree has long been presumed dead and ghosts can't help commit murder, can they? Seemingly by chance, Paul is summoned back to his hometown to take care of his ailing mother and the similarities between the two crimes are too much to ignore. 

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. This story didn't utilize the second timeline in an effective way; it felt like all the action was in the first timeline and the second timeline was just a bunch of monologues as different characters gave information to Paul. The ending comes up on you fast, and seems very rushed. There didn't seem a need to have the female detective as a second POV, because she didn't help propel along the story at all, except as a crutch for Paul towards the end. I do think the concept was brilliant, and would have excelled as a longer horror novel that wasn't afraid to go for a more paranormal lens. This will be a book for thriller fans that enjoy fast paced murder mysteries where the story itself is more important characterization.

Free Audio Copy provided through netgalley--opinions are my own.
The narration of this book was very well done. A few glitches in the netgalley app as I listened, but this was no fault of the narrators, and their accents were a plus!

Content wise, this was a solid psychological thriller, but did not live up to my expectations after reading The Whisper Man.  Detective Beck returns to solve this thriller and there's a few references to The Whisper Man which I thought were fun.  Outside of that, it feels like we've seen this type of thriller before.  Dark and twisted teens, senile important characters, copycat crimes, lies, botched memories, and two timelines to follow. 

This was a very character heavy novel which made it harder for me to follow, especially on audio. I feel like a few things didn't quite add up either.  Overall it was a decent read while I was in it, but will be one of those thrillers that blends into others and is unforgettable as it stands alone.

With that said, I'll still read what North writes next.

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and Celadon books for the ALC Of the Shadows. 

This book was so hard for me to follow and I really love audiobooks. I feel extremely let down and still aren’t quite sure what even happened or what the issues was here. A lot of secrets, multiple character connections, lucid dreams and a ghost | glad to be finished with the audiobook but definitely think this book needs to be enjoyed with the physical copy. I thought it was quite repetitive “something bad is going to happen”.....was said too many times. 

Overall just not a fan.

This is a creepy thriller that flashes back in time to the original crime and forward to a copycat crime. Lots of great atmosphere provided by "the shadows" the name given by locals to the nearby woods.

Thank you to Netgalley for an audiobook ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. 
Alex North's latest will not disappoint fans of "The Whisper Man." A creepy tale that is captivating from the very beginning. I thought the narrator for this audiobook set the perfect tone for this plot and keeps the listener enthralled in the story. I will say that at times the book is a bit confusing. There is a plot point that involves a lot of lucid dreaming and characters sharing dreams....this aspect was hard to follow at times. Nonetheless, the story itself is well played and will definitely be a must-read for readers of this genre.

I might be in the minority when I admit this, but I think Alex North's books are over-hyped. 

I listened to both THE WHISPER MAN and now THE SHADOWS, and just found both stories a bit underwhelming.
I have quickly learned that North loves a good unreliable narrator, and there is so always a twist in his books that centers around a character not being quite in touch with reality. The best way to surprise your audience is to reveal someone is delusional and a bit crazy, then you can do anything you want in the story.
Perhaps I am being a bit harsh, but I find his mysteries tedious to follow with very little satisfaction at the end. 
I probably just need to admit defeat, and realize his writing style is just not for me. 

What were your thoughts on this book?

What a book!  Great suspense and characters.  The narration is perfect!  I will look for more by this author.  Had me under it's spell until the very end.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Alex North’s The Shadows. His first book, The Whisper Man, was too terrifying for me to listen to, so I was hesitant digging into The Shadows. But I was immediately sucked into the voice of the story through Paul’s narration. I could feel the sticky pub table between us as he starts to piece together what the hell he just lived through. There’s a sense of intimacy between you and the narrator, which is only made stronger by the interweaving chapters from a distanced third-person showing us what the other main character is up to. But just like sitting across from someone telling a really good story, all the background pub din fades away. In these troubled times, who would’ve guessed horror could be an escape?

The other main character, actually, is Detective Amanda Beck — someone who is familiar to those who’ve read The Whisper Man. Still rattled from her experience in The Whisper Man, Amanda’s confidence in herself as a detective is clearly shaky. It also seems like she’s competing with two ghosts: of the expectations she had for herself, and the ghost of her dead father who was also a detective. The quiet routine of normal life is disrupted, though, as she’s called to investigate the murder of a boy. Her investigation leads her to Paul, whose childhood friend Charlie Crabtree was involved in a murder twenty-five years ago whose details are eerily similar to this one.

History feels like it’s repeating itself, but with a distortion: something is just not quite right about the way things are adding up. Local legend is that Charlie Crabtree disappeared after he was involved with the first murder. And it’s little questions like these — is Charlie really gone? — and wondering what Paul is holding back (can we trust him?) that really kept me swept up in the story. After all, Paul’s own mother is telling him he shouldn’t have come back, that there are things in the woods and in the house he needs to be afraid of.

For fans of Tana French’s In The Woods, Alex North’s The Shadows is a captivating, atmospheric thriller with strong elements of classic horror weaved in.

I think my biggest issue with this was not knowing if it was fantasy or thriller to the last minute and so I really didn't appreciate the story as much. 

Because I so often read stories where supernatural elements are interwoven into realism.

If I sent into this knowing its a straight thriller I think I might've appreciated it more but it was too blurred for me. 

Also the female narrator was too formal for me to enjoy any of her perspective chapters

4 stars for decently creepy storytelling. 1 star for the new NetGalley shelf app that sucks donkey balls and made this a terrible listening experience. The title wouldn't download (too me at least 20 tries to get it downloaded), randomly stopped while playing and reset all my settings, at least every one to two chapters (there were 46 in this book). The narration was great and I was consistently interested, but so frustrated the entire time.