He hides in the shadows, watching, waiting, until the time is right . . .

Mary Kendricks, a smart, pretty, twenty-four-year-old teacher, has been brutally murdered and Robert Carter is accused of killing her.

When defence lawyer, Dan Grant inherits Carter's case only weeks before the trial starts, everyone expects him just to babysit it, but Dan's not that kind of lawyer. He'll follow the evidence - wherever it takes him.

A new crime series from Neil White that reads as a great thriller with a mix of characters and lots of twists and turns for the reader to explore.

Wow! A compulsive read that was the perfect mix of crime and legal thrillers! The author had me hooked from the get go and I read it in one sitting. A pacy read, with a superb narrative - I enjoyed the fact that the authenticity oozed through the characters. Grant and Brett are given a seemingly impossible task but as a reader, I ‘watched’ with intense interest to see how the story would unfold... and I wasn’t disappointed.

A chilling, dark and addictive read - highly recommended!

A great new crime series and one which I will certainly be reading more of . This book kept me gripped from the first page to the very last page . A cracking read

I loved this book. It has everything that I could ask for, in a suspenseful mystery. This is my first book by author Neil White and he keeps me fascinated in the entire story.
Defense lawyer Dan Grant is given a case 2 weeks before it goes into trial of Robert Carter, stalking and murdering Mary Kendricks. The story appears straightforward but as Dan goes into the investigative depths, he finds many hidden plots and secrets.
Neil White is a great writer, who has written this book with a clear, well crafted plot, and his delivery is straight to the point.
Any thriller of any sorts be it action or legal, is supposed to pull the reader in from the first page itself and Neil White understands this concept. It is so evident in his writing. His main character, Dan Grant plays his part effortlessly making me his fan. And the entire credit goes to the author.
Entertaining read. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to have read this great offering. This is the first book in a new series, featuring a lawyer Dan Grant. This book stands on two feet - one in the court and one in the crime arena, and balances both of them successfully. I can see the series going places and can't wait to read the next book in the series. Recommended.

Super legal thriller, the wrong man in the dock scenario but cleverly told . With a thoroughly believable plot, excellent characterisation it rattles along with twists everywhere, a hero I hope we meet again. Excellent!

I'm going to be in the minority here but I just could not get into this book. It started off slow and there were a couple of times I wanted to add it to the dnf shelf. But I kept chugging along because this book got some rave reviews. The story did pick up in the second half of the book but I was still bored and I found the characters uninteresting. Sadly, I won't be reading more from this series.

I received a copy of From The Shadows through NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you to Bonnier Zaffre and Neil White for the opportunity.

I've been meaning to read one of Neil White's books for ages, mostly thanks to the fabulous reviews on Liz Loves Books. Now I have some catching up to do because this I really enjoyed this book. From The Shadows mixes a gripping crime thriller with a compelling courtroom drama. The author was a criminal prosecutor and this insider knowledge gives a real authenticity to the courtroom and police station scenes. The story isn't told in a linear fashion but through flashbacks, as an intriguing moment in court then switches back to the recent past. Neil White hasn't taken the perhaps more obvious route of gradually showing us the events leading to the murder however, instead we see defence lawyer Dan Grant's investigation leading up to the court case, and what an investigation it is! Originally the case belonged to a rival law firm but just two weeks before the trial starts it is passed to Dan due to "a conflict of interest" and what should have been a simple job, with the work already done turns into something far more dangerous.
Dan engages the help of investigator Jayne Brett - a woman he defended in a previous case when she was on trial for the murder of her boyfriend. Questioning why the previous lawyer was prepared to give up a high profile case leads Dan to suspect something is very wrong. Is Robert Carter really guilty? If not, why is his excuse so suspect? And who is trying to stop Dan and Jayne investigating? I have to admit to finding the start a little slow and it took me a while to fall into this book as at first I wasn't sure about the switching narrative and initially felt it interrupted the flow of the novel a little. However, as the story progressed I really appreciated what Neil White has done here. This is a book of layers; first the anticipation of the court case - what will come to light during the proceedings, and will Carter be found guilty? Then there's the investigation, why does it seem that nobody is telling the whole truth, what is being concealed and why? And finally, the actual murder itself - what really happened to Mary Kendricks? There's a delicious creeping sense of unease to From The Shadows, this is nail biting, check under the bed before going to sleep stuff that builds to a tense ending as the layers finally come together with inventive plotting and some satisfying twists and turns.
This is the first in a new series of books that will feature Dan Grant and Jayne Brett and is an excellent introduction to the characters. I loved Dan's relationship with his father, perhaps not as different from each other as they might think. There's a real will-they-won't-they frisson between Dan and Jayne, their history stopping both of them taking that next step but the attraction between them is palpable at times, this is a pairing that I really looking forward to reading more from in the future. I have a terrible record for reading series out of sequence so am delighted to have read this one from the start and can't wait to discover what comes next.

Couldn't get into this book. However, think that's because it just wasn't my type of book. Still well written and others would enjoy I imagine

I enjoyed this book but have to admit it did seem sometimes like lots of basic thrillers I have read before.
Clever twists and turns and an interesting similarity to a recent real life murder ( I won't say which ) so that piqued my interest early on. Probably not my favourite read of the summer but a good "beach" book I would say.

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.

This legal thriller is about the murder of Mary Kendricks and the man accused of murdering her. Dan Grant, the lawyer who inherits this case from another lawyer friend, recruits his investigator, Jayne, to help look into this crime since it's only 2 weeks until trial. What they uncover puts all their lives in jeopardy.

Welcome to book one in the Dan Grant legal thriller series! What a great start to the series. We get a good feel for the two main characters, Dan and Jayne. While I do wish that sometimes having a man and woman work together wouldn't automatically put them in a maybe romantic or sexual relationships, I did like both of these characters. The opening scene with Jayne made me snicker and we realize that she is a damaged soul trying to find some peace with herself .. and the only person she really trusts is Dan, who took her on after helping her in her own case in the past.

This is a well thought out book and you can see how the author brings his own experience as a criminal lawyer and prosecutor to his writing. As a legal assistant in my day job, I always find legal thrillers quite interesting and especially when they're well written and/or researched. This book is moderately paced and I did find a little lull as I felt some things were a tad bit repetitive, but you know what, that's law for you! The last 10-15% ramps up a bit and pulls the entire book together. Highly recommend for those who like legal thrillers in the vein of Law & Order. I look forward to continuing this series.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

This is the first book I read by this author, and the first in the Dan Grant series.

Dan Grant is a defense attorney who is given a brutal murder case, two weeks prior to trial. The previous lawyer is hiding something, (my view: the murder has more than a passing similarity to a high profile murder case a few years ago). The trial is a given, the man in custody has admitted his guilt, but Dan believes there is a cover up going on and with his side kick Jayne Brett, sets about uncovering the truth.

After a slow first half setting the scene the story takes off about half way through, and keeps the pace until the end. This is well written courtroom drama, and I have no hesitation giving it 4 stars.

I am not an experienced reader of crime or courtroom fiction but this one strikes me as something out of the ordinary. That is in terms of the depth of knowledge the author brings to the workings of our judicial system. I found it all fascinating. The characters are interesting, too. Not just the two main ones, but plenty of the rest of the cast come across as real people, horribly flawed in some cases, but perfectly believable. Dan and Jayne are terrific creations, I liked them both very much and hope this is just the beginning of a relationship, professional and otherwise, that I can follow in future books.

A bit of a niggle. A scene reported early on was reminiscent of something I’d read about a real-life murder trial in recent years. I couldn’t put it out of my mind for the rest of the novel and it rather got in the way of my following the twists and turns of the plot. I still can’t decide if that was deliberate.

From the Shadows, by Neil White, is the first novel in a new series that follows defense attorney Dan Grant and his investigator/will they or won’t they love interest Jayne Brett. Part crime thriller and courtroom drama, White weaves a seriously addicting and dynamic plot with stellar characters.

When Dan and Jayne inherit a case defending a man accused of murdering a 24 year old school teacher weeks before trial, everyone around them expects them to ride the case to an obvious guilty verdict. However, Dan is not that type of lawyer. Going back to the evidence and re-interviewing the witnesses, Dan and Jayne find themselves following a path that becomes dangerous.

I really liked the original perspective of this one; it sort of reminded me a little bit of the television show Suits; smart dialogue, sassy characters and intense plot lines. I loved the variation away from the typical police procedural and the fact that we were able to see an inside look into how an attorney prepares for trial. White, when he isn’t writing books, is a prosecutor and this very obviously shows throughout his narrative. Everything feels so realistic.

Overall, I feel like this was a brilliant start to a new series and will anxiously be awaiting the next novel. 4/5 stars.

Thank you to Bonnier Zaffre for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.

Here is book one in a new series from Neil White. This is my first book by him and it was a great crime fiction read! Murder, police investigation, and a lawyer that won't idly sit by like everyone wants him to, because they all believe his client is guilty of murder.

He is hiding in the shadows - watching you, waiting for his moment. He sneaks into your home when you're gone, hiding under the bed to watch you sleep at night until he decides to strike. Mary Kendricks is a smart, young teacher of just 24, and she has been brutally murdered. Robert Carter has been accused of killing her. Defense attorney, Dan Grant, has been given Carter's case only weeks before the trial date. Since everyone "knows" Carter is guilty, they simply expect Grant to just babysit him until the trial date. Grant is not one to sit by like this, he is determined to defend his client and will follow the evidence.

His investigator, Jayne Brett, helps him look into the case. They begin to uncover the truth and learn there is a lot more to this case than meets the eye. Will they have to go outside the system in order to find more evidence and defend his client?

This was a great thriller - some courtroom drama, murder, and police investigations thrown in together made for a fast paced read. You can tell that White has extensive knowledge on the topic, between research and being a prosecutor himself. The characters were great and the development was just enough for the reader to be drawn in for the first book in a series. I'm excited to learn more about Dan and Jayne in future novels!

Overall, if you want an action packed courtroom thriller, then this is the next book for you! A solid start to a new series.

I give this one a solid 4/5 stars!

Twists and turns. The murderer keeps changing throughout. Enjoyed very much. I would recommend to anyone that likes mysteries and thrillers.

From the shadows by Peter Treymayne.
He hides in the shadows, watching, waiting, until the time is right . . .
Mary Kendricks, a smart, pretty, twenty-four-year-old teacher, has been brutally murdered and Robert Carter is accused of killing her. When defence lawyer, Dan Grant inherits Carter's case only weeks before the trial starts, everyone expects him just to babysit it, but Dan's not that kind of lawyer. He'll follow the evidence - wherever it takes him.But as Dan and his investigator Jayne Brett look into the case, they discover that there is more to it than meets the eye. In order to do their jobs they need to push the limits of the system, even if it means putting themselves in danger. Together they will get to the truth - whatever the cost . . .
This was a good read with good characters. Little slow but read it. Didn't expect that. 4*. Netgalley and bonnie zaffre.

From the Shadows
Author: Neil White
Publisher: Zaffre

Mary Kendricks is brutally murdered, and Robert Carter is the man accused of killing her. Mary’s roommates tell the story of how Robert stalked Mary, harassed her everywhere she went. But Dan Grant and his investigator aren’t as sure as everyone else is that Robert is guilty.

Dan Grant is hired to defend Robert; it doesn’t matter to him if his client is guilty or not. Dan believes in justice and intends to make certain Robert gets it. He sends out his investigator, Jayne Brett to find the evidence he needs to put doubt into the minds of the jury. He has only two weeks to put together a defense that will help Robert Carter walk free and find the real killer.

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The characters and story in Neil White’s book, “From the Shadows” are very realistic. The story in and of itself is a page turner and will leave readers breathless in anticipation. The story line is easily followed but a bit convoluted at times. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and enough action to satisfy even the most hardened suspense devotee.

Jayne is a great character filled with emotion and fear. Her past keeps interfering with her now, and her future. The fear she lives with daily won’t allow her to keep still for long. Death is a part of her past, and it isn’t so much that she is running from that past, as it is that she is running from the fear she has of her actions. Is she a killer, and if so, could she do it again?

Dan’s memories of the past help him keep grounded but also gives him concern. His sense of justice is amplified every time he walks into a courtroom or gets a call from a correctional facility. He is the attorney anyone who is accused of a crime hopes they have. The remaining cast of characters all have eccentricities that delight and frighten readers all at once, from those who have a lackluster concern for the murder of one of their own to those whose only concern is themselves.

This book is fast-paced and easily read in one sitting. The writing is professional, and the flow is excellent. Readers of suspense and thrillers will be drawn to this book. “From the Shadows” is recommended and will entertain as well as surprise.