Dancing with Shadows
The Puppet Meisters Trilogy, Book Two
by Adrian Churchward
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Pub Date 01 Aug 2017 | Archive Date 01 Mar 2018
SilverWood Books | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles
Description
Human rights lawyer of the year Scott Mitchell is publicly arrested on suspicion of laundering $250 million for the Chechen mafia. The social media trolls come out in force to vilify him and he’s immediately sacked from his six-figure job at a prestigious London law firm. With the threat of a criminal trial, no employment prospects, no income, and dwindling savings, Scott sets out to prove his innocence.
As he embarks on a journey taking him to Malta, Hungary and Russia, he becomes a pawn in a power play being fought out in the shadows between UK and Russian intelligence agencies. Scott must choose between his unswerving belief in the supremacy of the rule of law and pragmatism…
Dancing With Shadows is the second book in The Puppet Meisters trilogy, dealing with state abuse of power.
A Note From the Publisher
*Readers in the US please note: punctuation and spelling follow British rules.
Advance Praise
The reader is captivated from the beginning when Scott Mitchell, about to board his flight back to Moscow, is stopped at the check-in counter of British Airlines. We’ve all stood in that slow moving line, clutching our passport and boarding pass, and watching as someone is asked to step aside. We know we haven’t committed any crimes, but for a moment, we taste fear. From this point on, the reader becomes one with Scott Mitchell, and when his assets are frozen and his credit card becomes worthless, we are ready to go into battle with him. We are dedicated to proving his innocence, regaining all he has lost, and helping him stay alive.
As in the first novel in this series, Moscow Bound, the pace is breathtaking. We travel between London, Russian cities, Budapest, and Malta trying to prove that Scott was not involved in a 250 million dollar money laundering scheme with the Chechens. The staples of power--powerful Russian oligarchs, information hacking techniques, business investments designed to produce information and influence, and brutal treatment of those who get in the way--have become known worldwide and Scott encounters them all. Combined, they nearly overwhelm the reader but, the author anchors the reader with the inclusion of well-developed supporting characters and by incorporating beautiful old cities, well-known buildings and hotels, tempting food and drinks, and Scott’s nine-year-old cat.
Reading Dancing with Shadows is a compelling experience. It is hard to resist the drive to keep turning pages. When the end comes, the reader is already anticipating the next book in the series.
Eris Perese, Amazon.com
*****
Fantastic follow up to the impressive "Moscow Bound" - the sequel follows Scott Mitchell (laconic human rights lawyer) on his odyssey of paranoia as the screws tighten around him.
The book is written in the traditions of Le Carré, Clancy, Ian Fleming, Ludlum and even Kafka in portraying an atmospheric and claustrophobic thriller with additional Anglo-Russo political undertones set against the "Second Cold War." It rifles with conspiracy and danger, has three dimensional characters and the breakneck plot has devastating effects. I couldn't recommend this one enough - the read of the year for me.
Kieran, Goodreads
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781781324776 |
| PRICE | $11.99 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Felicity K, Reviewer
Very good story about what could be happening behind the scenes, and how do you extricate yourself from these situations. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Val K, Reviewer
A fast paced modern day spy thriller. Scott Mitchell, a successful human rights lawyer is framed for money laundering and it leads to a journey to the darker side of Moscow, Budapest and beyond. Very enjoyable, though occasionally a little confusing.
Toni O, Reviewer
Book #2, in The Puppet Meisters trilogy
“Dancing With Shadows” is the second book dealing with state abuse of power featuring Scott Mitchell, a human rights lawyer. This sequel to “Moscow Bound” is a gripping and exciting read from start to finish. This time we have Scott on suspicion of laundering $250 million for the Chechen mafia and we follow him through a sea of untrustworthy characters from London, to different Russian cities, to Budapest and Malta in a cat and mouse game while he tries to prove his innocence.
Scott is the lead in this story but many characters we came to know in the first book are re-introduced and play important roles: Ekaterina, Gravchenko and Pravda. Ms. Churchward doesn’t shy away from introducing multiple new characters also. The plot has multiple threads to follow that need our attention and can be overwhelming but the author set the stage expertly by including a group of well-developed players, beautiful surroundings and a touch of gastronomy delights. No doubt, this gripping tale filled with unexpected twists and turns is well worth reading. If you enjoy a thriller rifles with conspiracy and danger and have a soft spot for some Anglo-Russian shenanigans, give this one a try.
Jeremy R, Reviewer
This is one of the best suspense novels I have read in awhile. The main character, Scott Mitchell, is a British human rights lawyer who has been framed as helping launder money for Chechnyans and the story focuses on his efforts to prove his innocence, which is a complicated process involving powerful figures in Russia and the British government, all of whom have their own agendas that they want Scott to assist with.
The story is full of twists and turns and just when you think you are piecing it all together, there is another surprise twist. The author does a great job of maintaining a complex plot with interesting and somewhat mysterious characters and plenty of action. The story is also very topical, with mention of events that actually happened in 2016, as well as references to doxing, use of Twitter as a source of breaking news and a source for personal attacks and defamation, and the Panama Papers. The story focuses on Russia and the powerful people around Putin, as well as issues involving Ukraine, Chechnya, Russian oligarchs, corruption, and money laundering.
I want to read the previous novel, as well as the third book in the series.
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