Excellent.
A thoroughly enjoyable thriller with just the right amount of twistedness and gore this time but tension by the bucketful.
I loved Helen's last one but I felt this was even better.
Interesting side to Connie the profiler who has her own problems to deal with. Her back story is fascinating and fabulously portrayed.
Read this in one weekend and really struggled to put it down.
Many thanks.

Just finished readin The Shadow Man by Helen Fields. When multiple people begin disappearing in Scotland Connie, a psychologist, is called in to help investigate and deliver a profile on the potential abductor. While I was curious to see how this book would end and if Elspeth, Meggy, and Xavier would make it out alive, it was very wordy and took me quite a while to get through. I feel like a lot of the beginning could have been cut out so the story flowed a little faster. Overall it mostly kept my attention and the last 10% was definitely the best. Thanks @avon_books and @netgalley for the advance copy!

Another brilliant read from Helen Fields. Gripping from the first page this is a gritty and disturbing story of ‘the shadow man’ and his many, victims spanning decades. Suspense and drama had me willing Elspeth, Maggie and Xavier on so that they can get back to their families as undamaged as an ordeal like this can leave them. Highly recommended. With thanks to netgalley for an arc in return for my honest feedback.

Thank you for the advance copy. This book is very much an edge of your seat book and I'm certain it will be hugely popular amongst our library readers. It's a dark exciting thriller and although the writing is very good and descriptive, it doesn't stop the book being a real page turner. I will be recommending this book for our library book club.

”Life has a way of making things complicated”.

This is my first Helen Fields book, so I didn’t know what to expect from this book. She is popular with her series and this is her first standalone book.

The story is intriguing to me to know more depth towards the truth. From the beginning, it had me hooked and kept my attention. As the story unfolds, we came to know about two main characters, Connie and Fergus.

Connie, the American forensic psychologist, is excellent in her work. She is the most compelling character in this book who can’t see colors and profile the kidnapper. Fergus, the kidnapper, is scary. He is an interesting character even though he’s a bad guy here. He is diagnosed with a mental illness called Cotard syndrome and leads to no fear in doing anything as he thinks he’s invisible and dying even though he is not. Fergus chose each person for a reason. They are playing their role to Fergus.

The story has been told in a nice storyline; only I feel a little confused with the point of view. I think it is better to have two points of view only, from Fergus and Connie. A few last chapters made me speed my reading because I want to know the ending. I am satisfied with the end! Plot twist also in here!

This is a standalone novel but I'm hoping there's a sequel because I like to read more about Connie and DI Baarda.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This standalone book absolutely shocked, amazed and captivated me from the very first page. A complex storyline with intriguing characters it will compel you to read deep into the night. A must for all thriller lovers and my thanks go to Netgalley, Avon books and the fabulous Helen Fields for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Are you ready to delve into the mind of a killer? You better be prepared... not everyone makes it out alive!

Helen Fields ability to write captivating and thrilling books just gets better and better!

The Shadow Man is her first standalone novel since writing the Perfect series. Whilst we are given two brand, spanking new characters this story actually takes place in the same constabulary as her previous novels and features the monstrous Superintendent Overbeck (Overlord!) and even the same chief medical examiner Alisa! For the fans of the Perfect series (like me) this just makes it even better!

The two new characters we are treated to in this book are brilliantly written and paired up. Similarly to Turner and Callanach, Connie is your strong female lead. Supremely intelligent when it comes to profiling, strong willed and is certainly no wallflower. But, for all of her ‘Rocky’ outbursts she is absolutely fabulous, a breath of fresh air to an otherwise male dominated sector and I very much hope she makes another appearance soon.

This book had me hooked from the get-go. It’s a creepy, pulse-racing read that is so tense I found myself holding my breath. Had Connie not followed her gut/instinct rather than wait for clues I do think Fields might’ve struggled to rein this plot into line. But theory chasing aside this book is absolutely brilliant!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read The Shadow Man by Helen Fields. I loved this book, from the moment I picked it up, until the end. This is a stand alone, written by one of my favourite writers.
Talk about creepy! This is probably one of the best books I have read all year. Shadow Man is a perfect title for this book, as the killer really is in the shadows. This sick individual does horrific things, to get what he thinks is his "Perfect Family!" Helen Fields brings serial killer to a whole new level and Fergus Arris fits the bill. He sure kept American Profiler/Forensic Psychologist Connie Woodwine and DI Brodie Baarda on their toes!

The Shadow Man is a gripping thriller which I could not put down. The story is compelling and the perpetrator of the horrifying crimes is sinister and made my flesh creep. It is not for the faint hearted but for all lovers of crime thrillers it is a must.

I wish I could give this latest book from Helen Fields 6 stars. It is brilliant. From the first sentence I knew it was going to be excellent and I wasn’t disappointed. This is a stand alone book after the brilliant Perfect series. It is a gritty tale introducing DI Baarda and criminal psychologist Constance Woolwine. Connie is a great character, feisty and straight talking and hopefully this will be the start of a new series. Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the opportunity to review this brilliant novel.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a great thriller, with a great storyline and good characters. Wasn't the best I have read but saying that I enjoyed it.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.
Having read all the DI Callanach books to date and become a fan of them, I was perhaps a little apprehensive about this publication as it would introduce totally new characters from Ms Fields.
I needn't have worried, this standalone publication was a superbly written book and I have no hesitation in giving it five stars.
Dare I hope for more to follow for these characters ?

American profiler and forensic psychologist Connie Woodwine and DI Brodie Baarda from the Met Ops Team are assisting the Edinburgh based Police Scotland team following the disappearance of Elspeth Dunwoody, this is followed by further disappearances and this the hunt is on for ‘The Shadow Man’.

Wow. That start! Talk about perch on the edge of your seat, hardly daring to breathe as the nightmare unfolds. 0 to 60 in a nanosecond! I think it’s fair to say that Helen Fields has my attention immediately. Woodwine and Baarda make a fantastic team, they’re yin and yang, as they try to track down a horrifyingly mentally ill, delusional and demonic monster. The interaction between them works so well, Connie is straight talking, shoot from the lips and Baarda is ever polite but there is sharp good humour between them which works really well and relieves tension. The victims actions are interesting and I don’t want to give much away but one of them proves to be both brave and resourceful. There’s desperation, shocks by the bucketload as a maniacal fantasy is constructed. It’s creepy, ghoulish, shivers up the spine and jaw dropping in intensity. Thankfully the pace alters and gives you time to catch your breath before your head explodes and then builds up again. The end - what can I say except it’s beyond tense, it’s tragic and sad. I love the ultimate finale with Connie and Baarda and I sincerely hope that the author does not confine them to a one off. They are tremendous characters, I’d love to read what they do next.

Overall, I think you can tell I think this book is good! It’s gritty, dark, so well written, the plot is well paced and you have no idea what is going to happen next. It has some very original and creative elements that add an extra dimension to the storyline. This is Helen Fields best book so far in my opinion. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Avon Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I am a massive fan of the DI Callanach series of books so was excited to read this!

Really enjoyed the story but especially liked the characters - there's surely a series in Connie Woolwine and Brodie Baarda. I also loved that some of the secondary characters from the Callanach books make an appearance.

Breathtaking. My favourite of Helen's yet! Deliciously creepy and atmospheric, it will stay with you long after the last page is turned...

Firstly thank you to net galley for the opportunity to read this book. Secondly, wow! This is not my first Helen fields book. Ive read the perfect series so was a bit worried how id feel without the usual characters ive grown to love. But let me tell you, this standalone was not a disappointment at all. Connie is badass and i hope and pray helen will continue her story. This book is based upon the story surrounding a few people who end up going missing. Connie is an American forensics psychologist who does her best to figure out whats going on in the mind of the kidnapper, along with detective brodie baarda. This book should 100% be made into a film, i was literally on the edge of my seat waiting in anticipation for what was about to happen. I cannot rste this book enough. It was creep, amd extremely clever. I would to see more books with the characters in because i thought they were brilliant. Massive hats off to helen fields for this masterpiece

Wow! A 4.5 stars read for me. I could hardly put the book down and I will definitely be seeking out her other books in the "Perfect" series.

I loved the dynamic and chemistry between Connie Woolwine and Brodie Baarda, although I would have liked to have seen more character development but I hope the author will bring them back in another book. Also, I felt some confusion with the timeline as it seemed that the investigation was moving at a different pace than the action involving the victims.

All-in-all, this story progressed from being somewhat creepy to disturbing and then ramped up to full-blown terror! I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for providing this ARC.

Ok now that's what I'm talking about in a Mystery/Thriller book!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
I ❤'d this book!! So GOOD!

I am such a big fan of Helen Fields Luc Callanach series so i was thrilled to get the chance to read this and it was just as amazing as i hoped. Connie is a brilliant, complex character and following her as she unraveled the crime was exhilarating. I couldn't remember the last time i was so tense reading the climax of a thriller. I had no idea what was going to happen.

A read that sends chills up your spine, this is not a DI Callanach story but a standalone thriller

3 People have been kidnapped and placed in a windowless house with little hope of escape, A psychologist is helping the police by trying to get into the mindset of the kidnapper and assist in the search for these missing 3

A thrilling read and one that needs very little feedback to make others want to read