Krista runs a streaming program with her best friend Hailey and give advice to viewers. It is a great show until a viewer starts posting threatening comments.

Krista is a great character. She misses her fiancé everyday since he passed away from cancer almost 2 years ago. This part of the book resonated with me the most. The author tells a page gripping story that made it hard for me to put the book down. It has murder, gaslighting, relationships, and a mystery. That’s a lot to pack into one book and it is well worth the read!!

Shadow Play
Sara Driscoll
August 26, 2025

Krista Evans spends her days performing physical therapy in her Chicago based clinic. It is an enjoyable activity where she meets many interesting people. It is tiresome, especially on her hands. She also has an interesting career that she spends on Tuesday and Friday evenings. Her tech studio is in a spare bedroom in her home. She and best friend Hailey host a question and answer chat series on the internet. Although it started slow, participants have grown weekly. All are visible and live via stream. So far things have been working well. The duo prep together via dinner out or home visits. No problems so far but as we all are well aware, there are all types of people on the information highway.
Shadow Play will be published by Kensington Publishers on August 26, 2025. I was able to read and review Driscoll’s latest novel via Netgalley. It was an excellent narrative, however I did have a bit of trouble with the wealth of webcasting terms and services they provide and describe in the first chapters of the book. As the suspense started to drop I tended to waylay the locutions via Driscoll’s ability to paralyze the reader with her shock-filled journey the protagonists have begun.
This is an exceptional novel and is not one to be missed.

Shadow Play is another standalone thriller by Sara Driscoll and proves that the internet and social media can be both a light and dark place to spend time. Krista Evans and her best friend Hailey are definitely on the light side. They have started a Twitch channel to offer an online community for people to join and get some life and love advice. The women get to do what they love – Krista helps people and Hailey can expand her brand into the WebSphere. Little did they know that someone would take advantage of their good intentions and turn their lives upside down with their evil intents. Someone who starts off like anyone other participant in their chats begins a campaign of harassment and eventually becomes a dangerous player in their own game. Krista, Haily and their team try to stay one step ahead of him but it’s obvious he’s not playing by the rules and it’s not long before things spiral out of control.

Shadow Play delves into the online world and keeps you guessing. It also makes you think twice about trusting the people you connect with anonymously on the net.

Krista Evans and her friend Hailey Swanson cohost an online advice show which seems to be gaining in popularity. However, when one caller, Chase547, doesn’t like the advice he’s given, he starts causing problems online and in real life. He belittles the advice, the show, and even when blocked, manages to get back in despite tight security measures. Law enforcement was previously unable to offer any help since the caller hadn’t really committed any crimes. Yet. Things go from bad to worse when Krista feels she’s being watched and finds things missing or moved in her apartment. Then startling clues start appearing that show the Chase547 is truly deranged. Now that law enforcement is able to investigate, will they find and stop him before it’s too late?

An intense, edge-of-your-seat thriller!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kirsta Evans, physical therapist by day and in the cohost to a biweekly online streaming show giving life and love advice. A bit like “Ask Aunt …” from the new papers I remember from long ago, only this is in real time.
All goes well until one of a bully takes the floor, doesn’t agree with the advice given, and things go pretty dark from there. And when online crosses over to real life tension builds.
As with any books I have read about people’s online presence, it really freaks me out.
As always, very well written and researched.

4.5 🌟. Wow this book was a very pleasant surprise to me, even though I read Driscoll’s last book and really enjoyed it. The characters were actually likeable and I became very invested in their story. I am unfamiliar with the Twitch network, but rest assured, I will never be joining it. The tension in this book was palpable. I loved the relationship between brother and sister. And most of all, I really grieved with Krista. That fact alone made the book great.

Thank you to NetGalley for this great arc!

i was a little worried about not being able to get into it because I am not a social media expert and I had no clue what twitch was. I really enjoyed it through and I love pod casts vibes, so this really hit for me.

Full of suspense, this book was hard at first for me to get into because I've never been on Twitch or Twitter. But the story was compelling as only Ms. Driscoll can do. I felt caught up with the characters and kept reading far into the night. Would definitely recommend this book. I received an e-book in return for an unbiased review.

Messy messy read of social media and a page turner all together I love this kept me up until the early morning because it was so good

In our increasingly digital world, we are inundated with platforms that create online communities where people can form connections. These online connections can be very positive, but they also can have a dark side, leaving users vulnerable to bullying, stalking and obsession. Sara Driscoll has written a timely, suspenseful standalone novel that highlights how those online obsessions can take a dangerous turn when they cross over into the real world. The tension gradually builds as the online taunting increases and then rockets toward the final confrontation! This book is so well written and believable it may just have you thinking twice about how much you want to put yourself out there online.

I was drawn into the story at the very beginning! Well developed characters and easy to follow dialogue makes it easy to get into the story at the on-set. Definitely a mind boggling scenario and story so true to life, it was believable how everyday occurrences could be viewed and misinterpreted. Tense moments and harrowing scenes kept me turning the pages!

This is a suspenseful thriller about stalking, obsession and a podcast run by Krista and her friend Hailey. The story of the dangers of online anonymity is very timely.

I seem to be an outlier with my three star review as most others have rated it considerably higher. I’m probably not in the demographic this book is intended to entice. I had never heard of Twitch until I read this book.

Shadow Play is a tense, fast-paced psychological thriller with a modern twist. Sara Driscoll steps away from her popular K-9 series to deliver a standalone that dives into the dark side of internet fame and personal vulnerability.

The story follows a therapist who moonlights as a mental health advocate on Twitch, offering support to her growing community. But when a mysterious stalker begins targeting her both online and offline, the suspense escalates quickly. The premise feels fresh and timely, especially with the increasing crossover between public and private life in the digital world.

While I didn’t connect with this one quite as deeply as the K-9 series, it still kept me turning the pages. The tension builds well, and the psychological elements were handled with care. The main character was both smart and relatable, and the sense of danger felt real without being over the top.

A solid read for fans of suspense, cyberthrillers, and character-driven tension. If you're curious about Driscoll’s work outside the K-9 world, this is a great place to start.

Clients of physical therapist Krista Evans appreciate the advice they receive on life and love during
their sessions. When Krista and her friend Hailey Swanson start a livestreaming platform on Twitch,
the follower count grows. Unfortunately, it has attracted a listener ,Chase 547, who is obsessed with a
female acquaintance who is ignoring his overtures. As his postings become more threatening, Krista
contacts the Chicago PD. When the body of the female is discovered, attempts to discover his identity
is hampered by the various ways the internet has to hide that information.
Highlights the danger of dealing with unknown people on the internet and how much information
is avalable online. Intense edge of your seat read.
#ShadowPlay #Kensington #JenJDanna #SaraDriscoll #NetGalley

Although I’ve enjoyed all of the author’s previous books this one was a bit of a miss for me. It’s a well written story about a tech savvy stalker who uses the main characters’ Twitch channel as part of his stalking technique. And that’s why the story didn’t resonate with me - I’d never heard of Twitch until I read this book and I don’t follow any online channels or chat groups.

What an incredible journey the author took me on. I was flipping pages as fast as I could. This book was a roller coaster of emotions and drama. The timing is perfectly paced. This book just blew me away. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Krista Evans is a physical therapist by day and a live-streamer offering common sense help on life and love on a streaming platform called Twitch. She and a college roommate are behind the streaming content and security management.

There are many secrets, twists and turns in this story. It was suspenseful along with being terrifying. I’ve seen too many thrillers to be comfortable with the content. It was all too plausible for me.

I figured out who the killer was but had to develop the rationale to support my theory. I didn’t have it until the reveal.

Sara Driscoll takes you on a rollercoaster ride through this serial killer’s actions.

I was given an ARC e-copy of the book via Netgalley and the author. These are my opinions

Engaging and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

Krista is a physical therapist that gives great advice. Her friend Hailey is a gamer and has created a live streaming advice podcast on Twitch. A place where people can ask questions, get advice from Krista.
A edge of your seat thriller that pulled me in and didn’t let go until the very end.
I am not familiar with being a gamer or live streaming. Jenna has done a a lot of research given the amount of information. Found the story relatable and scary if this can truly happen to anyone.

Thank you NetGalley, Sara Driscoll and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read this suspenseful and chilling story.

My Review
☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️

Shadow play.

simply phenomenal standalone story.

chicago therapist Krista with best friend from college, run a twitch channel giving good advice. everything is awesome on the channel until one day, everything changes.

Soon lives are affected. But much more than that. this book was so good. I don't want to give any spoilers away. You've got to pick up this story and read it. It's coming out soon.

This author's work is simply amazing.

But shadow play, will have you on the edge of your seat for sure.

Best friends running a chat show, trying to help others. and some spoilers like to show up, they ruin everything. Check out this book it's good.

The perfect story.

I love how the author came up with this story. You must read the acknowledgments in the back of the book, so good.

Jen J. Danna/Sara Driscoll - Author