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