“The victim was his friend. So was the murderer.

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 . . .”

Hello and a very warm welcome to the blog. Today I am delighted to be sharing my eighth 20 Books of Summer review with you, which is for The Shadow Friend by Alex North. The Shadow Friend is published in hardcover, audio and digital formats by Michael Joseph books today (9th July 2020). Wishing a very happy, if somewhat slightly different, publication day to the author and the publisher. I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Shadow Friend but that has in no way influenced my review.

The Shadow Friend is one of my most eagerly anticipated books of 2020, without a shadow (see what I did there!) of a doubt. I loved (LOVED!) The Whisper Man so much. Expectations were high. But, as is normally the case (with me, anyway) because I was so looking forward to reading The Shadow Friend, I kept putting it off. Would it be as good? What if I was left feeling disappointed? Would life ever be the same again?! Oh, the pressure! I needn’t have worried. I thoroughly enjoyed North’s latest book.

Paul Adams had a traumatic childhood when his friend was savagely murdered by two other teenagers. The murder went down in the annals of history, as the killers were convinced that by doing what they did, they would be rewarded by being whisked away from this life to a fantasy dream world. Crazy, right? But immediately after the murder one of the teenage killers, troubled Charlie Crabtree, vanished without a trace and hasn’t been seen since. Now, 25 years later, history is repeating itself and more teenagers are copying the murder in an attempt to disappear just like Charlie. Paul can no longer hide from the past and has to confront the guilt he carries for what happened that fateful day twenty-five years ago. But someone doesn’t want Paul back in Gritten Wood…

Creepy, chilling, twisty and everything I had hoped for. North has done it again and given readers a compelling, character-driven mystery which I was more than happy to lose myself in for a number of hours. I really liked Paul from the get-go. Putting likeable, normal people in the most ominous of situations is something this author absolutely excels at. I also really liked Detective Amanda Beck but I was a little confused as to why she didn’t search for similar murders pre-dating the Featherbank killing (the eagle-eyed among you may have spotted that Featherbank is the town the Whisper Man tormented all those years ago!), and had to rely on Paul to drop that particular bombshell. But what do I know about modern-day policing?! (Only what I read in crime novels, dear reader 😂.)

There was one particular twist in this book which took my breath away and I loved it. I really took to the plot as the science behind why and how we dream is something I find really interesting. I remember keeping a dream diary at the same age as the teenagers in this book. Not to the same end, thankfully, but I felt I related to some aspects (for the record, it wasn’t so I would disappear and there was absolutely, definitely, categorically no murder involved).

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Shadow Friend and The Whisper Man are both cracking reads. There’s such a chilling edge to both books and for that, they get top marks from me. I’m excited to see what this author comes up with next. Creepy, compelling and so very entertaining from start to finish. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review an eARC of The Shadow Friend. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Shadow Friend by Alex North was published in the UK by Michael Joseph on 9th July 2020 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Foyles | Waterstones | Book Depository | Add to your Goodreads Shelf |

Alex North was born in Leeds, where he now lives with his wife and son. He studied Philosophy at Leeds University, and prior to becoming a writer he worked there in their sociology department.

Author Links: | Twitter |