This has been my favorite novel in the True Colors series so far. The protagonists are active Christians who try to walk out their faith despite their struggles resulting from past events. We know little about whodunit except for a vague physical description. Most victims are knocked out and do not see him. I found the history of the new century and what Denver was like to be satisfying, and I came to care about many of the very realistic characters.

Polly moved to Denver where she was a cleaning lady at the Denver Post until she talked the editor into giving her a chance to be a reporter. As the few other women newspaper reporters in 1900, she was only allowed to write society articles despite longing to do something of substance. Her father wanted her to return to St. Louis and get married like women were supposed to. She wrapped up her worth in her earthly father’s opinion of her, while her heavenly Father longed to be and do so much more for her.

Edwin was a detective at the police station near the Denver Post building and Polly’s boardinghouse. He was from a prominent Denver family. His father was murdered more than ten years ago; Edwin still lived in the family home with his mother and sister. He wanted to make a difference and worked hard for Denver’s citizens. His mother was a firm believer in the Lord, knowing that everything is in God’s hands. Edwin was trying to pay for past shortcomings, even though Jesus had already done so.

They met when someone began attacking women. Women out after dark were targeted. They were hit over the back of their head but not robbed or violated. Polly was told by Harry, one of the reporters, that she could take the mugging cases the first evening and write a brief article about them. She met Edwin when trying to find one of the victims to interview. They found another victim, Rachel, a close friend of Edwin’s; by the time they helped Rachel to his home, got the doctor, and returned to the newspaper office, Harry wrote up the article, sent it to press, and left. Rachel died during the night.

Polly tried to get involved with reporting these attacks as more occurred. She saw Edwin when other women were attacked. Once he invited her to have Sunday dinner with his family. While neither would admit it, they were beginning to feel an attraction based on their faith and attitudes about life.

My favorite characters were Polly and Edwin due to their shared faith, work ethic, personal challenges, and how they treated each other. I found myself wanting them to succeed, find the bad guy, and perhaps even find romance. Edwin’s mother was another favorite. She had a strong faith in the Lord and wisdom that she gently shared. I appreciated seeing the same spiritual lessons I continue to re-learn! There are plot twists and surprises throughout, including who the real bad guy was. I appreciated the author’s notes and the truth behind the novel and characters. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes well-written Christian historical fiction based on true crimes and unexpected romance.

From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher, NetGalley, and Celebrate Lit, and this is my honest review.

This is my fifth book that I have read from this series and so far I have enjoyed all of them. I will say that this one was a bit different than the others I have read in the series. There was suspense but it was bit more subdued but the storyline does keep you engaged and at least for me it kept me guessing on who the culprit was. It was also different because in this one you actually get to know the Silver Shadow and get a peek inside his train of thought and see his reasoning for attacking these women which was an interesting take on the storyline.

I really enjoyed the characters of Polly and Edwin. Polly is a go-getter and all she wants is to be a reporter that actually reports news and not society events. She really fights for this throughout the story and it made me sad that a huge part of it was because she was trying to get her father to be proud of her and accept her for who she was. Edwin is a detective with the Denver Police Department. He meets Polly through her investigation of these incidents and through that build a friendship and a later on a relationship. Their romance was nice and slow and very realistic. I really enjoyed their banter and how she would take over and somehow run the show.

This is my second book from this series that was written by her and I thought she did a great job. You can tell that she did her research and I think she did a great job at making these characters come alive even though a huge chunk of it is more fiction than historical. She did a great job at weaving the message that God's bigger and knows all of the plans for our lives throughout the story.

Overall I thought this was a great story and addition to the series. If you enjoy historical true crimes, suspense and a little romance then this is the book for you! I can't wait for the next one!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

The Silver Shadow is book 11 in Barbour’s True Colors series. This is a series of crimes based on true unusual crimes in history. The books are written by different authors and are great stand alone stories. In this book we read of crimes committed against women who are on the streets alone after dark.

I love this series. The story is well written, so it is easy to imagine what was happening. The main characters are good strong caring people. I enjoyed reading of policeman Edwin Timmer and how devoted he is to finding the person committing the crimes. And of reporter Polly Blythe as she struggles to make a place in a man’s world. This story is full of suspense, I just wanted to keep reading to see who the mystery man was. I especially appreciate how the author wrote such an amazing story with so little information to use.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.

A plucky independent heroine, Polly is determined to prove herself worthy in a man's world. Prove her worth to her father, and prove her capabilities to her editor at the newspaper. But it's hard to stay independent when a murderer stalks the streets, targeting unescorted women.
Determined to hunt down the killer, detective Price is walking a fine line between the past and the present, seeking justice for crimes unsolved.
He's also balancing his head and his heart between trying to make sense of seemingly senseless crime, and trying to protect our plucky heroine.
The story felt a little slower than some of the other books in the series, but still a good read. From the authors note it seems this story had the least amount of real historical detail to go on, but the author did a great job fleshing out the story and characters.

I have read all of the True Crime series and this one is a little different because so little was known about the real criminal this story was based on. It is about a serial killer that must be stopped, yet his motive is unknown. Edwin Price is the Denver detective working on the case and wondering if there’s a connection between several of the attacks on women. All were out walking alone in the evening, hit on the head, but not robbed or attacked in any other way. Then his sister is attacked but not killed. There are no clues left at the scene and none of the survivors can identify him.
Polly Blythe is trying to make her way as a newspaper reporter in Denver in 1900 and then her close friend was attacked, making Polly determined to help find the killer even putting herself in danger. She and Edwin team up to find this unhinged person. Tolsma has written a book that will certainly hold your interest as you turn the pages trying to find out who the killer is and his motive for doing the crimes against women…….. I received a digital ARC of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review.

Liz Tolsma always provides her readers with a story that is difficult to put down until the end is read. She has again written a book that is captivating and leaves the reader with the longing to keep reading after each page.

The Silver Shadow is a book about Denver in the 1900’s. Polly Blythe is trying to make a name for herself as a journalist, not just a writer of the doings of the social set. She gets involved in the attacks of women. When the attacks hit close to home, she and Detective Edwin Timmer team up after Timmer’s sister is assaulted, to try to find the attacker before more women are hurt or killed. Although it is not Detective Timmer’s idea for Polly to join him, he decides to keep her near in order to protect her impetuous nature. There are so many suspects that it keeps the reader involved just trying to decide for themselves who is the guilty party. This story is based on true crimes committed in Denver during this time.

I have been enjoying these Christian true crime books and I enjoyed this one also. The characters were believable and the story flowed well.. It is a Christian book but not preachy. It shows how the main characters use their faith in difficult time.
I have always enjoyed books by Liz Tolsma and I think you will too.
I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
I give this book a 4 out of 5-star rating.

I really enjoy the True Colors series and Liz Tolsma is one of the authors that I especially look forward to. The Silver Shadow was not my favorite book in the series, but it was still a very enjoyable, quick read that I would suggest to others. For me it stayed a little too far from the true story, but I still found myself wanting to stay up too late reading it!

If you like historical suspense you'll enjoy this quick read. I read it on my lunch break one week, but kept not wanting to go back to work. Polly is a newspaper writer for the Denver Post when a series of muggings that also end up killing some women happen. It's based on real life muggings where the killer was never found. Thankfully in the novel he's discovered. Though I guessed about five others, the killer ended up being someone else which left me slightly dissatisfied because I had zero connection to him as a reader, but it was a surprise and made sense. The book was quick and there was a bit of romance too which made it fun.

Just who was the Silver Shadow? Why were women in Denver attacked, and often killed, with no apparent motive? These are the questions that rookie news reporter Polly Blythe is determined to answer, with the help of Denver policeman Edwin Price. Author Liz Tolsma has created an intriguing fictional story around the true facts of this crime wave that terrorized Denver in 1900-1901, and she imagines the thoughts of Polly, Edwin, and the criminal that she has dubbed The Silver Shadow. The intrigue kept me guessing throughout the story, and I was especially interested in the Shadow's reasons for attacking these innocent women.

Tolsma vividly depicts the extreme fear of Denver citizens, and the frustrations of those who failed to stop this assailant, and she adds even more interest by creating a romantic connection between Polly and Edwin!

Apparently. there's little recorded information about these crimes, and the author's notes explain what is fact and what is fiction. I enjoyed The Silver Shadow and I recommend it to all who enjoy historical fiction and romantic suspense.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing via Net Galley and was under no obligation to post a review.

Polly Blythe, an ambitious young reporter thinks she has found a story that will raise her in the ranks of successful reporters. Policeman Edwin Timmer disagrees with her until more women are attacked in the same way. Polly finally gets Edwin to look closer at these attacks as the work of a serial attacker when his sister is attacked and Polly is threatened. Interesting story of how Polly and Edwin start working together to solve the case. I always enjoy a story that keeps me guessing who dun it right up until the end. I requested a copy through NetGalley. No review was required, my review is voluntary.

The Silver Shadow is the eleventh book in the fantastic True Colors series. If you enjoy true crime and romantic suspense and have not yet read any of these books... well, you are truly missing out. The series is written by various authors with their fictional take on true life crime stories in history. Each story is unique to the next, and as such you can read in any order you please.

In The Silver Shadow we are taken back to Denver 1900 where we learn a bit about a much lesser known crime... a series of muggings of women throughout the city in which each women was hit over the head but had nothing stolen nor was she violated. If we're being honest, it perhaps doesn't sound like the most exciting of crime stories out there, but the author did a great job of making it so. I couldn't wait to see what would happen and who the culprit would be. It certainly kept me wondering, that's for certain.

One of the things I really enjoy about these books is learning the actual history of the crime too, which is generally given in the author's note at the end. For this one, we learn that while the crimes really did happen and a few of the characters were real, this was more fictionalized than some of the others I've personally read in the story... I appreciate knowing that, and actually found I appreciated the story all the more knowing the author had little to go on when creating this fantastic story.

Overall, this was a great read and one that fans of true crimes is certain to enjoy!


**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

I absolutely love this series and look forward to learning about crimes that have taken place during different time periods. This story is set in the 1900s where women were not welcomed in the world of working outside the home. Men believed they should be at home tending to children, doing housework and be at their husband’s beck and call.

I welcomed the star of the story with enthusiasm. Polly was out to prove that women could work outside the home and do it just as well as men. Her time as a reporter was not welcomed by some and I liked how determined she was to succeed. Her strength and wisdom suited her well as she became involved in a story that shook the quiet neighborhood she lived.

Denver was thriving and there was much going on as the city grew and crime picked up. As readers are introduced to this mysterious person who was harming women, I knew it was going to be a race to solve the crime. The author does state that she did take some liberties in the story but I think she did a good job of bringing the characters to life. I was trying to keep up with the little crumbs of evidence but couldn’t quite figure out who it was.

Edwin is a good police officer who won’t rest till he finds the culprit that injured women in vicious and random attacks. The choice of weapon made me cringe. As the author described the attacks, I could feel the pain that radiated in the victim’s head. It was a horrible crime and I’m glad that Polly and Edwin teamed up to capture the person. The only problem I had with the story was the way Polly seemed to act like was not concerned about her safety. Why did she keep going out at night by herself knowing someone was out there attacking women? She had been warned many times but she was so determined to break the story she forgot her own safety.

Overall the book was entertaining but it did lack the punch that other stories in the series have had. It lacked details at times and some were not consistent with the story and was confusing. I did like how a group of men came together to help catch the person but they disbanded quickly. The police department was not very equipped to handle a case like this as they continually arrested someone who turned out to be innocent. The story is good but I felt like the ending was rushed and I was hoping for more attention given to the person behind the crimes. It was a great opportunity to delve into the reason he did it and perhaps go back to his past and allow readers to see why he chose to target women.



"I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review."

Great characters! A historical crime that takes the reader on many twist and turns. I loved the time period and that woman were being given right. Polly was a character that didn’t give up, her tenacity made me want to cheer her on. A sweet slow building romance was perfect. A great story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s a fun read that keeps you guessing as to who the Gray Shadow may be. This a great series, I hope there are more to come. It’s so fascinating to read of crimes from long ago and how they were solved without the technology we have today. Fantastic storytelling!
Was given a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

The Silver Shadow is book 11 in the True Colors series. Each book in the series is based on a crime that occurred around the turn of the century. While historically accurate, the various authors throw in a bit of romance and suspense to bring the characters and plot to life. Liz Tolsma is the author for the Silver Shadow. The story involves a detective and a female reporter and their attempt to find the culprit attacking women. The Silver Shadow is bashing women over the head but only when they are out after dark and unaccompanied. Because women should be home, cooking and providing a welcoming home for their men, right? And that is the basis for every conflict in the story. Woman should know their place and not try to position themselves in a man's world. But, with any good story, truth or fiction, there has to be strong characters and a captivating storyline. The Silver Shadow covers all those bases. Liz Tolsma gives us just enough intrigue and suspense to keep the reader engaged. I gave the book 4 stars because of some predictability. After all, the outcome is based on facts. But that doesn't take away from the enjoyment. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

The latest novel in the True Colors series takes place in Denver at the turn of the 20th Century. This is a completely stand-alone novel and requires no knowledge of other books in the series. It involves the case dubbed the Silver Shadow, a man attacking women for no apparent reason as they are not robbed or molested.


The author took an interesting case with few facts available and turned it into the basis of an intriguing work of fiction. I enjoyed the characters in the book, particularly Edwin and Polly who developed a sincere attachment to each other. It's always good to see a relationship built on mutual respect and trust as well as affection and attraction.


I was provided a free copy of this novel via #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is full of nail biting suspense as you wonder who the next victim will be or where the Silver Shadow would strike next! I pegged someone early on as the Silver Shadow…

I loved the connection between Polly and Edwin! Side note: My daughter lives in Denver and so I was thankful this gave me a connection to make me thankful it is something in the past!

I can’t wait to read the 12th book coming out in July. The Scarlet Pen by Jennifer Uhlarik.

Liz Tolsma has masterfully taken an obscure, little-known historical event and woven a captivating tale that I found hard to put down! The Silver Shadow had one goal – to send a message to the women of Denver, Colorado in the early 1900’s that they were to be only good wives, daughters, and mothers, and to save other men from the “ridicule, censure, and derision” he had endured.

I loved the strong female protagonist, Polly, and her desire to leave her controlling father and pursue a job at the Denver Post, albeit starting out as the society gossip columnist. The many struggles she had to endure, both physically and mentally, showed great strength of character.

The many twists and turns kept me guessing as to the real villain. It’s a riveting whodunit, with a little romance thrown in.

I received a copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley and was under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I was excited for this one ever since I gave 5 stars to The Gold Digger, also part of the True Crimes series and written by Liz Tolsma.

I was again provided with an intriguing historical mystery, a hero you don’t see every day, and a headstrong heroine who tried to find her place in a male dominated world. Sophie’s recovery from the Silver Shadow was probably the saddest for me.

I didn’t find the crime as strong and creepy as in the Gold Digger, but the author again kept me guessing with a few different suspects, made me second guess myself and threw in some creepy factor by showing us some POV from the culprit and why he was targeting women.

The author also ended with a note of what was true facts, where she had to get creative with fiction and a list of the real victims of the Silver Shadow.

Recommended for readers who like a bit more of a thriller plot.

Looking forward to the next true crime book in the series.

Another interesting book in the True Crimes series. I appreciate the true historical element to these stories, often of events that I have never heard about & would be lost to the pages of history. I also appreciate that although the subject matter is often horrible the stories themselves are not gruesome or too gory.

Thanks #netgalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.