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Caitlyn Lynch

Book Review: From The Shadows by Neil White


From The Shadows is a clever legal and psychological thriller set in the north of England, set against a backdrop of a former mill town slowly regenerating itself. Switching back and forth from present-day events at a murder trial to the recent past, the book follows solicitor Dan Grant as he is suddenly handed a murder case just two weeks before trial that appears on the surface to be a slam-dunk against his client.

Dan isn't so sure, however. The circumstances of his getting the case are enough to arouse his suspicions that everything isn't as it seems on the surface, and with the help of private investigator Jayne, he sets out to discover if his client really is as guilty as he appears.

I really liked both Dan and Jayne, and my romance-loving heart was a tiny bit disappointed that the chemistry between them wasn't explored, but then this isn't a romance. It's a thriller, and an excellently done one as I was still puzzled over what had actually happened right up until the big reveal. The story gave us just enough glimpses inside the mind of a disturbed stalker to keep everything thrilling, while following Dan and Jayne as they slowly piece clues together to reveal the truth.

The only issue I had with this book might be nitpicking, but the fact that not one single character was described as other than white seemed to me frankly unrealistic in today's multi-cultural England, and could have added a further dimension to the story with the inclusion of racist themes - Jayne as a black woman would have been really intriguing, for example.

I have to say that was something that occurred to me afterwards, though, and it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story at all. I'm happy to award From The Shadows 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.

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