Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers discussion

Hello fellow Crime, Mystery & Thriller readers,

Welcome to our discussion about The Shadows by Alex North , your discussion leader is Alisha.
___________________________________________
about spoilers

Please note: If you have not finished reading the book spoilers are permitted in this discussion from the start. If you would like to use the spoiler formatting it can be found on the top right of the comment box in the "(some html is ok)" menu.
___________________________________________


Summary

You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile--always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet--and inspired more than one copycat.

Paul Adams remembers the case all too well: Crabtree--and his victim--were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together. But now his mother, old and senile, has taken a turn for the worse. Though every inch of him resists, it is time to come home.

It's not long before things start to go wrong. Reading the news, Paul learns another copycat has struck. His mother is distressed, insistent that 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 afterward, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again...

I'm looking forward to this one, I really liked The Whisper Man by Alex North.

I haven't read an Alex North as yet but I did pick up my copy of this books at the library yesterday.

I’m excited for this book! I love me a good creepy story!

Such a good book - I flew through it! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

I started listening thus afternoon.

I loveddddd this one I can’t wait for more Alex North.

Just finished it! It was really great. I haven’t read The Whisper Man but I am getting it in the mail soon.
I was thrown for a loop with this and left with some unanswered questions as well. I will wait to see what others say - no spoiling

I'm so pumped for this one. I've read The Whisper Man by Alex North so i have incredibly high expectations from this one as well!!!

I am so glad this is the December pick! I've been meaning to read this one for awhile!

Just finished this today. It’s very twisty, which I like, but all those twists ended up leading to a resolution that was weak and pretty unbelievable. Everything from entering the woods to the escape to the suicide after a setback of … a sprained ankle? The disappointment was deeper because up until then the book is stellar. This is a good writer who produced a bad wrap up. I do want to read his previous book to see if I want to keep him as an author to follow. I found many aspects of this book excellent and don’t regret reading it. But the author got so clever that he backed himself into a couple solutions that were too much for me to swallow.

I am just shy of 1/2 done, I hope to make more of a dent today. My curiosity is definitely piqued.

Ive just started it and loked his style.of writing. @Peggy Im dreading the end now. There have been quite a few books, recently like this where the ends a complete disappointment.
Fingers crossed.🤞

Finished the audiobook today, despite all the positive reviews, it just wasn't for me (I found it rather depressing than chilling).
The storyline is original, and could be creepy and interesting, but it just didn't grab me.
I see a lot of positive reviews about another book by this author, The whisper man, that makes me curious.

Hello Monica, I also did not care for The Shadows (actually I did not finish reading the book I just skipped to the end).

I have read The Whisper Man which I read first and I did like that book.

Hope this helps.

I didn't see the ending coming, the killer was not even on my radar. I enjoyed this one but I like dark, creepy books.

I finished this one yesterday. Sort of a mixed bag for me - I do love North’s writing style, but the story became so convoluted at the end and hard to believe that it lost me. It did have really depressing overtones that outshone the horror elements - like Paul not having come home to visit his mom for 25 years despite her having been a wonderful mother…yikes. I found the idea of (view spoiler)[sharing a dream and conjuring an entity through that to be very interesting and inventive. It was almost easier to suspend disbelief and get on board with that happening than to swallow the series of events that was eventually explained. (hide spoiler)] Still a pretty good read but it didn’t get me all the way home.