"A chilling, creepy, and atmospheric psychological thriller that delivers twists and tension in a town haunted by a twenty-five year old murder."
Delivering a creepy premise, chilling atmosphere, and intricately built suspense, this is a satisfying psychological thriller. As a teenager twenty-five years ago Paul left town after a murder, and he heads home just as a copycat killer strikes. I completely fell for Alex North’s last book, The Whisper Man which held the most deliciously supernatural undertones and was a LoveReading Star Book. On the strength of that, The Shadow Friend jumped straight on to my list of reads I was looking forward to. Two time frames, ’now’ and ‘before’ ensure child and adulthood are very different places yet by the end of part one, the background and foreground have met and set the scene. I thoroughly enjoyed the sense of foreboding, of waiting, of understanding edging into the corner of thoughts before disappearing again. There were several surprises to be discovered along the way and the tiptoeing tension and haunting dream sequences ensured I was desperate to find out what happened. The ending was very neat and rather nicely wraps everything up. The Shadow Friend is a twisty, intriguing, and rewarding tale and has been chosen as one of my Liz Picks of the month.
| Primary Genre | Thriller and Suspense |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
THE GRIPPING NEW PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK THE WHISPER MAN
The victim was his friend. So was the murderer.
'Hugely atmospheric and deliciously creepy' Alex Michaelides, bestselling author of The Silent Patient
Twenty-five years ago, troubled teenager Charlie Crabtree committed a shocking and unprovoked murder.
For Paul Adams, it's a day he'll never forget. He's never forgiven himself for his part in what happened to his friend and classmate. He's never gone back home.
But when his elderly mother has a fall, it's finally time to stop running.
It's not long before things start to go wrong. A copycat killer has struck, bringing back painful memories. Paul's mother insists there's something in the house.
And someone is following him.
Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago.
It wasn't just the murder.
It was the fact that afterwards, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again . . .
'Alex North has outdone himself. The Shadow Friend is the work of a writer who is an absolute master of his craft' Jane Casey
'Echoes of the chilling Slender Man myth' Crime Monthly
Praise for Alex North
'The best crime novel of the decade' Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of Thirteen
'First it's spooky. Then it's scary. Then it's terrifying. And then . . . well, dear reader, proceed
at your own risk. An ambitious, deeply satisfying thriller - a seamless blend of Harlan Coben, Stephen King, and Thomas Harris. My flesh is still crawling' A. J. Finn, no.1 bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
'Alex North has achieved the seemingly impossible. The Whisper Man is a thriller that is both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking. Mesmerising and masterful' Mark Billingham
'A dark, creepy, thriller with a huge amount of heart. Damn, but Alex North can write!' Stuart MacBride
The Shadow Friend features in the following genres: Thriller and Suspense, Crime and Mystery, Liz Robinson's Picks of the Month, Fiction, Recommendations
The Shadow Friend is available in Paperback, Hardback
The Shadow Friend was written by Alex North and published by Michael Joseph an imprint of Penguin Books Ltd
The Shadow Friend has 357 pages
