“Detective Inspector Denis Hamilton is tasked with apprehending a brutal murderer stalking the streets of London – and leaving not a shred of DNA evidence. As the suspect list mounts, his frustration and pressure from his superiors intensify.

Grace Murphy, who is dealing with the recent loss of her beloved grandfather, falls deeper into despair when her friends’ bodies are discovered. Fearing she may be the killer’s next target, she begins to question if her horrifying nightmares are the key to unravelling the murderer’s identity.

How far would you go to uncover the truth? Would you venture into the shadows to unmask a killer?”

I have seen so many amazing reviews of this book that I just had to read it.  Hype can be a misleading thing, everyone else loves it…so why don’t you?  Well, that certainly wasn’t the case with this cracking debut solo novel by Tara Lyons.

A serial killer is on the loose in London and DI Denis Hamilton and his Murder Investigation Team are tasked with stopping the killing spree.  The bodies are piling up but Denis and his team are getting nowhere.  Their killer is clever and manages to escape the scene without leaving any clues behind.

Grace starts having very frightening nightmares shortly after the killings start (and only a short time after the death of her beloved grandfather).  It doesn’t help that she knows the majority of the killer’s victims.  Can her dreams mean something and is there anything she can do to help stop the killer…?

This is one very clever piece of writing.  I loved Denis; a straight to the point, no messing around, ever so slightly grumpy DI.  I found Grace hard to like.  I wanted to shake her and shout ‘you’re 31 years old, stop behaving like a spoilt child!’ at her repeatedly!  Eric was equally unappealing to me but then I’m pretty sure he was supposed to be.

I know Tara Lyons is co-writing with M A Comley at the moment (The Organised Crime Team series due out in June 2016) but I hope this won’t be Tara’s last solo effort.  I think I need more DI Denis Hamilton in my life, he’s a welcome addition.

I didn’t see the twist coming so that puts this book head and shoulders above others I have read recently.  An exciting chase for an unknown killer that takes the reveal to the very last pages and leaves you holding your breath.  A fantastic read.

Five out of five stars.

In the Shadows by Tara Lyons was published in the UK on 17th March 2016 and is available in paperback and eBook formats | amazon.co.uk | amazon.com |