"A piercing and compelling true crime memoir by a hugely respected award-winning journalist as she recounts her career and the most high-profile case she covered."
This true crime memoir by well known and respected Scottish crime reporter Jane Hamilton sent shivers coursing through me. Her skill within this book lies not only in her matter-of-fact recounting of the murders she investigated and reported over 25 years, but most importantly, for keeping front and central the victims and their families. It is clear from the outset that the author cares, she retains compassion and integrity as she reveals her story. The case that takes up most pages within the book is that of serial killer Peter Tobin, who is suspected of more crimes than he was found guilty of committing. It feels as though a career in the police as an analyst or detective could have been just as viable as a reporter for Jane Hamilton. She asks the right questions, looks behind and beyond the obvious, and keeps to the path of fairness and decency, particularly when spending time with Tobin’s estranged wife and son. True-crime stories and investigations can be fascinating, we must never forget though, the ending of life, not just of the victims, but also their families and friends. The missed chances that are proven here are absolutely heartbreaking, guilt is felt by those left behind, whether intimately connected, the investigating police, or a passerby. There is a huge responsibility for decent courageous reporting, and it feels as though you are bearing witness to it within these pages. Gripping and oh-so powerful, Hunting Shadows creates an ache of sorrow, for what could and should have been.
| Primary Genre | Biographies & Autobiographies |
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Hunting Shadows is a gripping true crime memoir by Jane Hamilton, one of Scotland’s most experienced and well-known crime journalists. The book chronicles her decades-long career reporting on some of the country’s most harrowing and high-profile criminal cases - with a central focus on the chilling investigation into serial killer Peter Tobin.
Following Tobin’s arrest, she was one of the first journalists to question whether his crimes were more extensive than publicly known. Her reporting uncovered early warning signs and disturbing patterns that would later help prompt Operation Anagram - the nationwide police operation that sought to uncover the full extent of Tobin’s crimes.
She gained unprecedented access to Tobin’s personal world through exclusive interviews with his estranged wife and son - interviews no other journalist secured. Their revelations offered rare insight into Tobin’s double life and helped reveal how a serial killer hid in plain sight.
Hunting Shadows takes readers behind the scenes of major investigations, crime scenes, courtrooms, and newsrooms. It offers a rare inside look at the world of crime journalism, the pressures of reporting under scrutiny, and the responsibility of telling the stories of victims and survivors with truth and integrity.
This book will appeal to readers of high-calibre true crime such as The Five by Hallie Rubenhold, The Journalist and the Murderer by Janet Malcolm, and I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara.
Hunting Shadows features in the following genres: Non-Fiction Books of the Month, Biographies & Autobiographies, Memoirs, True stories: general, True crime, Biography, Literature and Literary studies, Memoirs
Hunting Shadows is available in Paperback
Hunting Shadows was written by Jane Hamilton and published by Mirror Books
Hunting Shadows has 319 pages
£9.89
