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?
Tara is a crime/psychological thriller author from London, UK. Turning 30 in 2015 propelled her to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a writer.
In the Shadows is the author's solo debut novel published in March 2016. She has also co-written with New York Times bestselling author, M.A Comley - The Caller and Web of Deceit.
Tara Lyons signed a two book deal with Bloodhound Books in August 2016. They will publish the next two books in the DI Hamilton series in 2017.
When she's not writing, Tara can be found at a local Wacky Warehouse stuck in the ball-pit with her young, energetic son.
Sign up to the author's mailing list for exclusive news, sneak peek previews and giveaways: http://eepurl.com/bN2KoH
IN THE SHADOWS by Tara Lyons is her debut novel and is a must read for all crime, psychological thriller fans. This book came highly recommended by Goodreads author Mark Tilbury, and must say that I immediately downloaded the book, and started to read…and what I uncovered was a brilliant gripping tense terrifying read. I loved it! Thank you so much Mark for reviewing this novel and putting it out in the forefront.
I love reading psychological crime thrillers…the hunt and mind set of the serial killer, and this book delivered! I never thought I would enjoy reading it so much.
The opening prologue from the killer is riveting and will grab your attention right away.
THERE IS A KILLER IN THE SHADOWS
“I watch her every move. I listen and linger undetected. I know she’ll slip up soon, and that will be my opening to strike and crush her life. I will extinguish her forever. I’ll be the one in the spotlight again. But I can be patient. For now, I’ll watch from the shadows.”
Detective Inspector Denis Hamilton and DS Lewis Clarke are assigned to the case with dead young women, brutally murdered turning up all over the city of London. There is no DNA evidence.
“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.”
Grace is horrified to learn that the victims were all friends of hers. Why? Someone she knows! She is spooked.
I liked the interaction between the detectives and my heart went out to Grace for all the emotional anguish she went through. I found the characters real and well flushed out.
This book will have you guessing until the end. I thought I had it figured out…but then another twist and shocker ending.
Tara Lyons is a name to watch and an author with great potential. Don’t miss out read this book. Highly recommended. An easy 5-Star rating.
Tara Lyons is a well respected author in the literary circuit and I can certainly see why. Her debut book "In The Shadows" came highly recommended to me by many and it really is a cracking tense and gripping thriller. I wish I had read this sooner as I've had it on my bookshelves for a while and always been drawn by the fabulous hair-raising cover. Young women are being murdered by a serial killer lurking 'in the shadows' and I really enjoyed the involvement of the theatre as part of the plot line and found this a really original idea. I love it when the serial killer is written in the first person as they always seem more creepy and menacing to me and this killer certainly had me freaked out. Professionally and well written this book had my attention hooked from the first brutal and intriguing prologue. Once started I really couldn't put this down - an excellent story with great believable characters and with a killer twist at the end. I seriously recommend this book to lovers of British crime and wouldn't hesitate to read more by Tara, in fact her new book has just been published "No Safe Home" the second in this DI Denis Hamilton series and I look forward to reading this soon too.
In the Shadows (apart from reminding me of one of my all-time favourite songs, In the Shadows, by The Rasmus) is a great psychological crime thriller featuring a ruthless serial killer. Pick up this book when you have plenty of time to read, as you won’t want to put this one down.
As someone who is not a huge fan of crime and police procedural novels, I’m pleased to report that this book doesn’t focus too heavily on the police procedural aspect, but focusses more on the characters and in some cases, their psychological state, which I love.
I found the plot fast paced and exciting. I loved the mix of characters, and by half way through I had chosen three potential suspects for the serial killer. I changed my mind so many times, my head was in a spin. The question is, did I get it right in the end? Ooh, that would be telling.
I felt myself becoming more on edge as the story approached its end, and I loved the way the story concluded.
A few days after I had finished reading this book, my friend Claire Knight suggested I read the prologue again, and wow, I’m so pleased I did, as it took on a whole new meaning. I definitely recommend reading the prologue again once you have finished this book.
I highly recommend this to fans of psychological thrillers and crime novels. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next, as this was a great debut novel.
I would like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and wish her success with this and any future novels.
There is a serial killer loose on the streets of London and young, beautiful women are not safe. Grace Murphy is not only dealing with the grief of losing her grandfather, but she is also dealing with horrible nightmares of blood and death. She has no idea why she is experiencing these. Her only conclusion is she must be close to the killer and she might be next.
Grace works hard each day to put her anxiety behind her but when the work day is done, alcohol is the only thing to free her mind of the sorrow and paranoia.
Seeking the help of a psychiatrist after her life continues to hit rock bottom from sadness and alcohol, Grace comes face to face with a darkness she had no idea was hiding in the shadows.
Tara Lyons....this book was really good!! Even though I did have parts of this one figured out, I enjoyed this book so much on a topic I am absolutely infatuated with. I would have never guessed this was a debut novel!! I will definitely be reading more of Miss Lyons.
A serial killer is roaming the streets of London, and Grace Murphy is worried she might be the next target. Not only are her friends showing up among the dead bodies, she's having violent nightmares about murders, and wonders if they play a role in discovering the killer. DI Denis Hamilton and his team are on the case and are working hard to find the killer before they can strike again.
In the Shadows is told from three points of view - Grace's, DI Hamilton's, and the killer's. After the recent death of her grandfather, Grace is struggling to find happiness. The closest she comes is while she's at work, where she's the assistant director at a local stage theater. There, she has Eric, the man she has a crush on, but who is sleeping with one of the other castmates. There's also her slightly creepy boss, Michael, who clearly has feelings for her. All of these people eventually get tied up in the ongoing murder investigations, and Grace continues to have nightmares. Her mother suggests seeing a therapist who can eventually do hypnotherapy to help her uncover the reason for her nightmares.
Overall, I thought this book was just okay. I felt bad for Grace, especially when her best friend continued to blow her off when she needed someone to talk to and confide in, but I also wanted to knock some sense into her. There were many times where she got drunk alone and then wandered around at night, but if you're worried a serial killer might be after you, wouldn't you maybe NOT go out alone at night? Especially not when you're completely wasted? It didn't make sense. I also liked DI Hamilton, but I didn't like the rest of the characters. They seemed selfish, shady, or just downright creepy. That said, because I didn't like them, I wasn't invested in them. I didn't care if they lived or died.
I can't quite put my finger on it, but I also felt like something was missing from the book. There were a lot of things I accurately predicted (including the killer), but one I didn't, but when the twist happened, I didn't feel any sort of shock or excitement at finally finding out who the killer was. Mostly I felt glad it was finally coming to an end. The suspense should have been there - the book had all the right pieces (the plot, and a main character who was directly impacted, and thus worried about her own life) but for some reason it felt lacking to me. The more I think about it, I think a lot of what bothered me was the dialogue between the characters. It felt forced and not at all the way people would talk to each other in real life. They were constantly using each other's first names in every sentence, and it felt stilted. For example, I'll quote a few lines of back and forth dialogue for you (I'll leave out the non dialogue pieces that come in between)
"Maria, they scare me..."
"What is it, Grace? What are you thinking?"
"I think it all began after those young women were murdered. You see, Maria, I knew three of them."
Another example a few pages later...
"Yes, I do want to carry on, Maria..."
"That's brilliant progress, Grace..."
"Thank you Maria..."
Those lines were all within the same page. No one uses someone's name THAT often in regular dialogue, and it took me out of the story when it happened (which was often).
So that said, the book was okay. I liked the plot, but didn't like the execution. This was Tara Lyon's first book published on her own, so it's possible that her writing style will develop and change over time. I'd consider reading something of hers again in the future.
In The Shadows is Tara Lyons debut novel and OMG what a debut novel it is. I absolutely loved it. Firstly I have to say what a cover this has read me written all over it. Having a copy sitting on my kindle it was just calling me to reach out and read it. And the story is just as good as the cover seriously I couldn't put this down. After starting it before I went to bed and having a late night, I ended up devouring it more or less has soon has I got up.
The story starts off with one hell of a ghastly prologue grabbing your attention right from the start. There is a killer In The Shadows can Detective Inspector Denis Hamilton and DS Lewis Clarke work out who it is with dead bodies turning up and without a shred of DNA evidence. Meanwhile Grace Murphy, fears she may be the victims next target when her friends bodies are discovered. Also having recently losing her Grandad Grace struggles with the grief. Grace begins to question if her horrifying nightmares and decides to seek help. I loved the characters in this story and feel there is more to come from them in future books maybe?
I have to say that Tara out wit my Miss marple skills just when I thought I knew who the killer was, bang there was another shocker thrown in! Very clever I have to say. This book will have you guessing until the end I can tell you that.
This is one hell of a heart racing read with some terrifying scenes I was left totally gobsmacked to be honest.This is a must read for all crime/ psychological thriller fans. You are in for one hell of a treat. This will most definitely be in my top 2016 reads. Which I am giving this 5 big massive stars.
Thank you Tara Lyons for an advanced reader's copy
In The Shadows is Tara’s solo debut novel so I was super excited to read it. I had read and enjoyed Web Of Deceit, which was co-written with Mel Comley so I was happy to read Tara's first novel. In The Shadows is a really well written book. The prologue grips you immediately as you meet the killer and get a glimpse into their twisted mind as they commit a murder. We are introduced to the main character, Grace, who is mourning the loss of her grandfather and struggling to hold herself together while grappling with her grief. We also meet Detective Hamilton, who is trying to catch a killer stalking and murdering women, yet somehow not leaving a shred of DNA evidence behind. The frustration at the lack of evidence is apparent for those tasked with investigating the murders. As they stack up, and suspects are non existent, you can feel the tension being built in the book. Since her grandfather passed away, Grace has been having awful nightmares and has been finding comfort at the bottom of bottles. In a moment of clarity, Grace takes it upon herself to do some investigating of her own, especially as she knew at least one of the victims. In doing so, the reader is made to question whether or not Grace is going to end up on the killer’s radar and if she’s putting her own life in danger too. I don’t want to say much more about the plot because I don’t want to give anything away! I really enjoyed reading In The Shadows though! It is a brilliant solo debut, and Tara Lyons is definitely an author to watch out for!
I've had this book on my kindle for a long time and I wish I had read it sooner. This is a very accomplished novel for a debut and I'm looking forward to reading the next DI Hamilton case (which is being published soon.) I thought the plot was well constructed and the ending very clever. Like some other readers suggested, I re-read the prologue after finishing the novel and it bought a whole new meaning to both the title and the cover. An excellent novel, highly recommended.
Was disappointed with this book the cover grabs you and made want to read it,It's starts off well till it got to the murders wasn't alot mentioned about the victims couldn't engage with DI hamilton.but did like grace story loss of her grandfather her nightmares,which he got help for and he ending was perdicable for me could of been a great book but lacking in alot of parts of this book would give it 3.5* rating.
I am the odd one out on this one. I didn't love it. I got to 50% and it still didn't grab me but I was that far into it that I finished but I figured it out about 30% in. I am glad everyone loved it but just wasn't a favorite for me.
What a brilliant prologue to kick off In The Shadows - a very self assured individual burying a woman never to be found! Who is this confident killer? Overconfidence tells me they'll be caught! And the suspense didn't stop after the first chapter. As the bodies drop, I just wanted to keep going to find out who would be next and the big questions of who and why!! I'm just sorry that real life got in the way of my reading time!
A stunning solo debut from Tara Lyons! Tara's writing sent me up several garden paths only for me to find huge piles of red herrings!! The story made me think about it when I wasn't reading; I just wanted to get back to it to read more and find out who the cocky killer is. It's still making me think a day after I've finished.
I was told I'd love it and guess what, I did!! I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from DI Hamilton. I'm rather excited about her forthcoming collaboration with Mel Comley if this is anything to go by (no pressure ladies!!) I can see Tara's writing fitting seamlessly with Mel's just as it did in Web of Deceit.
Massive thanks to Tara Lyons for my advanced copy of In The Shadows in return for my unbiased review.
In The Shadows is an extremely dark and chilling read. Young women being brutally murdered certainly makes for an uncomfortable reading experience.
Grace is quite a complex character. She has suffered a big loss in her life with the recent death of her much loved grandfather. She certainly seems to be taking his death very hard indeed even turning to drink to try and ease the turmoil she seems to be in.
As a mother, I had every sympathy with Graces mum. She to, is trying to cope with the loss of her father but she also has the added worry of a daughter drinking herself into a stupor when there is a crazed murderer stalking the streets.
I actually had worked out quite early on who was behind the murders, though I was in two minds at times. Even though I had worked out who it was it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story at all as I still didn’t know the reasoning behind it.
The author had me totally gripped from beginning to end. It’s one of those novels that readers will struggle to put down once started.
A highly enjoyable read and look forward to reading more by the author.
Many thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Having read book 3 first I was looking forward to reading the first book. Ms Lyons, has a brilliant new series to develop. Looking forward to reading the second one now, and hopefully the fourth soon.
Discovering emerging, new, talented authors and their books is one of the things I love most. And so when I was lucky enough to be offered an early advanced review copy of this book, I jumped at the opportunity.
How would you feel or what would pass through your head, if your friends start being murdered one by one? You'd be terrorised, thinking that you're probably next on the list, no? This is what Grace Murphy is faced with in Tara Lyons' debut novel 'In the Shadows'.
Grace's loving grandfather has just passed away and she's overwhelmed by grief. She simply can't cope. Not even her mother can comfort her. But unfortunately Grace's misery doesn't end there. A hooded monster is lurking the streets of London killing young women in cold blood. Watching the news, Grace is horrified to learn that the victims were all friends of hers. Who is this murderer? And why is he targeting her friends? Given her link to the other victims, it must be someone she knows too!
DI Denis Hamilton and DS Lewis Clarke of the MET police lead the investigation into the murders. These two are quite an interesting, likeable pair of police officers. I liked the way the author portrayed the whole team's effort in trying to solve this case with realistic questions and assumptions. But the killer is shrewd and it won't be an easy task. Apart from bloodied, broken corpses, no forensic evidence is ever found at the scene of the crime. How will they ever find who this killer is?
Well, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The author kept me guessing from the terrifying prologue till the end. I thought I had figured out the killer's identity early on in the book, but hell no, the author soon pulled the carpet from under my feet, when my primary suspect was eliminated! I was left baffled. Then who is the killer? This question kept me reading as I was intrigued and I had to read till the end for the answer. To say I was left open-mouthed is an understatement. I wasn't certainly expecting that twist!
This book is very gripping with some very tense, terrifying moments and I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did. I was kept glued to my kindle and practically devoured it in one sitting. From now on Tara Lyons is a name to watch. This author has great potential and I'm sure she will award the reading community with many more fabulous books. Now I just hope this isn't the last we've seen of Hamilton and Clarke, but something tells me that will not be the case.
With thanks to the author for an ARC of her debut thriller.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
First and foremost, I have to say that for a debut novel ~ this book kicked ass! I was nervous and excited at the prospect of reading this book because I had become friends, through THE Book Club, with the author prior to knowing she was…well….going to be an author! EEEEEEEEK!!
I was over the moon when Tara contacted me and asked if I would beta read this book -My answer: Hell yeah! I was even more excited to find my name in the acknowledgements. So a HUGE thank you to Ms. Lyons for making me one happy CrimeBookJunkie!
The plot of In The Shadows intrigued me from the start. The author had the #KillerHook I always look for in the first few pages, so I knew I was in for a treat. Set in London, the story-line was well paced with a great build up. I devoured this book within a day. The descriptions of each scene was brilliant and reminded me of the time I lived in London. The reader can easily find themselves pulled into the pages as the story unfolds.
A few themes are sprinkled within the story. There was loss, feelings of betrayal, Mental Health, vengeance, and justice to name a few. Red-herrings lead the reader into believing one thing, only to later be thrown off track again. The sign of a great read indeed!
And not surprising, I found the author’s writing to be very similar to her co-writer of another series, the amazing M.A. Comley. So any readers of the Justice series or the D.I Sally Parker series will not be disappointed. But don’t be fooled, as Ms Lyons definitely has her own unique style of writing and she should be viewed as the up and coming writing-star that she is!
The characters in this book are relateable. There is a depth to them that makes you feel instantly like you are embarking on a disturbing journey with them. A few characters stood out to me: Natasha for one! A solicitor, smart, free-spirited friend of the main character, Grace Murphy. Natasha comes with a bit of a twist…but no spoilers…needless to say I was floored when it was revealed! #SuchATease
Grace is a great character! The reader really feels for her and the turmoil she is going through following the death of her grandfather. Her torment doesn’t end there though. She is plagued with strange dreams as her close friends are being murdered around her. There is certainly more to this character and I hope we have not seen the last of her!
Grace’s mother is also a character I was drawn to. She is supportive and an enabler of sorts. She appears to be fighting a losing battle as Grace turns to alcohol to fight her demons. Michael creeped me the hell out! Eeeewwwww! My skin crawled every time he was mentioned. Denis Hamilton was also added depth to this story as the Lead Cop in search of a killer. And finally Maria..she is Grace’s psychiatrist and Holy Bloody Crap folks…what we learn is mind blowing!!
So expect the unexpected from this author! I was more than pleasantly surprised and cannot wait to not only read her collaborative efforts with the fantabulous M.A. Comley, but also her own efforts in the future!
Tara Lyons delivers a mixture of murder & mayhem with just the right amount of psychological thrills to mess with your mind. I have added Ms Lyons to my #NewAuthorsToWatchOutFor list and highly recommend you grab yourself a copy of this book STAT or you may find yourself left behind #InTheShadows!
This story was an absolutely solid 3 stars for me, but it didn't wow me.
The story-line was really good and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened, but I didn't enjoy the style of writing. I found it was the kind of book where the story and what happened were what kept me going rather than the descriptions and the writing being really good.
Whilst this book didn't keep me gripped and didn't have me feeling like I couldn't put it down I would say that it was still a good read overall. It gives you the information you need to be able to get the point of the story but there isn't a lot of what I call 'padding' - but I am pleased I read it and would say that if psychological crime thrillers are what you are into then do read this book as the story is scarily chilling.
Simple writing style but very bone chilling story. 3 stars.
In The Shadows is an excellent debut from the very talented Tara Lyons, I knew from the prologue where the killer describes the first killing this would be my kind of book. There is a brutal murderer stalking the streets of London, and whoever is committing the murders leaves no clues or DNA evidence, So it’s up to Detective Inspector Denis Hamilton and his team to unravel the clues and catch a killer. Grace is dealing with the loss of her beloved Grandfather, and when she realises the woman who are dead are linked to her, she falls deeper into despair. 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.
As the body count rises and it becomes apparent there is a serial killer on the loose the investigation intensifies, the police find themselves no nearer to finding the killer, and the tension is palatable as Hamilton and his team become increasingly frustrated with the case. Unusual in a crime read the investigation team’s characters aren’t fully developed so you don’t really get to know them, but I think this works in Tara Lyons favour as it left me wanting more. Grace the protagonist is a very complex character, and one who adds depth the plot.
In The Shadows is delivered in short snappy chapters, which makes for an easy read it’s cleverly plotted and highly original with plenty of twist and turns, and although I guessed the killer towards the end of the book, it didn’t distract from being a damn good read! In my opinion Tara has done her job well, she captured me from the epilogue and I nearly read the book in one sitting, as I found myself captivated by both the writing and the plot. I will certainly be adding Tara Lyons to my list of “to read” authors and I’m also going to pre-order her forthcoming collaboration with Mel Comley The Caller
My thanks to shell baker over at Crime Book Club and author Tara Lyons for my review copy in exchange for a honest review
One reviewer said “made no sense” and I have to agree. As of page 125 I couldn’t figure out why Grace was even part of this book. Her grief was ridiculous, her grandfather had been sick long enough for her to say goodbye, and she was nothing but a drunk, she guzzled wine like it was simply glasses of water and raised hell with her mother at every turn. Then the wine wasn’t enough so she started guzzling vodka right out of the bottle.
Grace WAS the main female character in this story but I couldn’t stand her. We’ll just call her the lush of the story for lack of anything else. I like a main male and female in a story but not this kind of female. By 65% I found myself skimming just to get away from her.
Ok, I reached the end and I can honestly say "I did not see that coming!" I’ve read other books like that but they were never drunks. It made Grace very unlikable, and hard to feel sorry for her. I have a question that’s really driving me crazy but to ask it would give away the whole story, and there’s no figuring it out on my own. Bummer.
No passion, no desire, no sex in this book and the F-bomb was used 20 times.
As to the narrator: Craig Beck was good. He did the female voice barely ok but all the males had their own voices so you knew who was talking. I would definitely listen to him again.
Thank you to TBC and the author of this book who gave me a copy in return for an honest review. Psychological crime is my favourite genre and this book covers the psychological aspect perfect but scarily as we see in to the mind of a serial killer as they leave a trail of bodies gaining in confidence with each murder through London City. Along the way we meet a range of characters such as the Met detective team frustrated to the core with no DNA evidence to go on and no witnesses. And Grace a character who is drinking heavily and plagued with terrifying nightmares who has recently lost her Grandfather and struggling with the grief of that suddenly hugely paranoid that this killer has worked their way through her closest friends and that they could they be coming for her?. A few times I thought I knew who the murderer was but then changed my mind but finally got it right with a few subtle clues. There are some red herrings and the story moves with greatly built suspense and pace through the twists and turns. This is the kind of book you put down but worms it's way right in to your mind and you keep thinking about it for a long time after. A brilliant debut novel by this very talented rising author.
I really don't like to leave negative views but I'm struggling to find anything positive to say. Half way through i realised why I felt like it read this before, the characters are a bit of a rehash from the Lorna Simpkins series. The book to me felt that zero research had been done, predictable and effortless. Not for me im afraid.
I read alot of crime fiction especially police procedural and it seems that every 5 minutes another crime series pops up so I wasn't expecting the lovely surprise that In The Shadows brought, especially as it's a debut novel.
With characters that you can relate to, a well structured plot and obviously researched topics, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and admit to not working out who the Killer was until towards the end.
This is a gripping and well written debut and I will definitely be downloading the next in this series.
Well .. That was a Good 1st Book in the DI Hamilton Series ..never saw the Result Coming ..would like to know more about Hamilton and his crew ..But I guess the series will tell me all i need to know ..A Great start Tara
Lots of murders happen and we follow the detectives as they investigate. We also get into the life of the protagonist, a girl who knows all the victims and is scared she will be the next victim. She leads a very active life and knows a lot of people and moves in a lot of circles, the better to set up a long suspect list haha.
So the first part was basically showing us all this, showing the murders, setting things up and introducing us to the detectives in charge of the case and following their investigations. So this part was quite interesting.
The murder investigation also seemed quite interesting and promising. It was intriguing because they found no clues at all. No DNA, no fingerprints.
I'm not a real fan of murder mysteries or police procedurals and I have read too many books that bored me because they spent a lot of time describing the detectives in their homes taking showers and having dinner with wine and watching TV. This does NOT happen in this book, to my relief. The author doesn't delve deeply into the personal lives of the detectives, which was a HUGE relief to me because I prefer to read about the lives of ordinary people, not those of police personnel.
Twisty, well-thought-out plot where almost everyone that the heroine knows is suspect at some point, making it hard to guess who the killer is. This also confounds the police detectives as well. And makes you scared that at any moment the killer might attack the heroine, since she hangs out with a lot of people and no one knows which one of them is the killer.
There seemed to be a lull when the detectives reached a stalemate due to the lack of evidence, but it picked up near the end. At last there was a break in the case, and that is where it got interesting again and things started happening and jumping again. Won't tell any more in order not to give any spoilers haha.
It's a really good book. The best thing was the writing. Tara Lyons really writes well. When someones does the same thing twice in the same paragraph, she takes cares to describe this same action using 2 different verbs and to describe each time the action is done a different way. She shows us how characters feel by showing us what they do, not telling us what they are feeling.
Really good descriptions of places too, where she tries to vary her vocabulary and never use the same word twice. (Sorry, I just read a very boring book just before this one where the author only seemed to know 2 words and used these same 2 words over and over again.) Exciting dialogue, sounds like real people talking.
The plotline was good too. Lots of activities and things going on to keep it from getting boring. The one thing I hate more than anything is a boring book where nothing happens and the only thing people do is take showers and drink wine. I like it when characters in books eat and take showers and drink wine. Just, not the whole book being nothing but characters eating and taking showers and drinking wine.
The storyline is resolved in this book. But it ends on a cliffhanger suggesting a new and equally exciting story coming up. I hope that is the case. Can't wait for it to come out!
I saw this book talked about in quite a few different places recently but I wasn't really sure if it would be my cup of tea. Although I had read the authors collaboration with Mel Comley and enjoyed it, I did feel slightly anxious about reading her own debut novel. However, it started to garner plenty of 5* reviews from trusted reviewers and bloggers and following a chance discussion in a Facebook group the author kindly offered me a copy to review. So, of course, I accepted just to see if it would it live up to all the hype.....and I'm very excited to say that it did!!
There is a serial killer on the loose and its down to DI Denis Hamilton to investigate who is murdering women in a very specific way, they are knifed straight through the heart and there is no DNA evidence to be found. Grace Murphy, still grieving from the loss of her beloved grandfather, realises that the victims all seem to have a connection to her in some way. She decides to take time off work to see if she can work out what the connection is and why she feels that someone in the shadows is watching her and waiting....
Let me start by mentioning that cover!! When this book unexpectedly showed up on my Kindle late at night (I was in bed reading at the time) it scared the sh*t out of me!! It's brilliantly chilling and certainly sets the mood every time you select it to start reading. The opening chapter is also an eye opener, a ruthless killer getting rid of a body that will never be discovered and it sets the scene perfectly. One of the things I look for in a crime thriller such as this, is its ability to make me feel emotions and this book did in an unexpected way-characters really annoyed me!! Grace was such a cow to her mother and her boss that I struggled to sympathise her even though I could see she was grieving badly and drinking heavily. On top of that her best friend never seems to be available for her-seemingly putting her social life before Grace. And don't even get me started on poor Valerie, having her adult daughter, who has a responsible job, speak to her like a stopping teenager! I think if I have one tiny niggle about In The Shadows, it is that we don't seem to get too much insight into the one character that I really loved, DI Hamilton. I wanted more of a feel to his home life and personality-basically what makes him tick! So I am hoping with my fingers crossed that this is just an appetizer for Denis Hamilton and we will get to meet him again in the near future.
I love this book, I love being surprised by the outcome, I love how it exceeded my expectations....I DON'T love the cover! Seriously, I am now looking forward to reading more from Tara Lyons especially if she keeps writing to this standard.
I had absolutely no empathy for the female lead zero, zilch, nada. And no truly coherent explanation for the Shakespearian display of grief towards the death of her grandfather. I mean really throwing yourself on top of the recently filled grave and sobbing into the freshly laid dirt? That is more a show for the gut wrenching loss of the love of one's life not for one of a grandfather who was a mentor and a most beloved family member to the granddaughter. The lead just didn't hold my interest 3 solid stars for story idea and cover art just not enough depth in the writing of the character personalities in the story to rate higher.
What a fantastic fast paced, page turning, well written, original thriller by new author Tara Lyons. The bodies of several women have been discovered and investigated by DI Denis Hamilton and his team of detectives, who are baffled by the lack of DNA evidence while more bodies start piling up. The main storyline centres around Grace Murphy, who is grieving over the loss of her beloved Grandfather and seems to know the victims personally, and is afraid she may be the next body to be found. Although I did guess who the killer was quite early in the book, it still did not spoil the outcome of the story for me and there was still a shocker for me to enjoy. I can highly recommend In the Shadows by this very clever new author and I look forward to reading more by Tara Lyons.
Many thanks to Tara Lyons and THE Book Club for this brilliant book.
Excellent debut serial killer thriller. I listened to the audiobook. The narrator spoke clearly and was easy to listen to. I look forward to reading more in the series.
I found this book very easy to read, I was hooked by the first chapter. There's a serial killer operating in Central London who gets braver with each murder. Hamilton and Clark are the investigating officers but their job is made difficult because there's not a trace of DNA at the crime scenes. I loved the way the story unfolded and how it was impossible to settle on one suspect. The bombshell at the end was brilliant.Thank you to TBC and Tara for the ARC. I am looking forward to future books.
This is a good read and I switched back and for with my theory of who the killer was. I was a little disappointed with the ending as it has left me with unanswered questions. With my background I know that I sometimes overthink crime books so I have rounded up 3.5 stars to 4.
Tara Lyons has nailed it with this superb thriller. I was sucked right into it from the beginning. Who is guilty of the murder of all these people. One minute I was thinking it was this person and then changing my mind the next. I really can't wait to read more books by this author.