A really gripping thriller. Definitely not for the faint hearted as there are some very graphic moments storyline kept me gripped the whole way through,

Like a number of other reviewers I struggled with aspects of this book, which surprised me as there were a number of positive features. Thee was, for example: a broad range of characters; the setting in rural Scotland (used to such good effect by authors Peter May and Ann Cleeves), and - at least to begin with - an engaging plot. However, this set of promising components were not fused together to make a compelling read; indeed, there were several times when I was seriously tempted to cut my losses. Nevertheless, I stuck with it out of s sense of curiosity about one or two of the leads and red herrings that were used to good effect. So, in fairness, it did just about merit a positive judgment about wanting to get to the end.

Less positive aspects of the book for me, however, were what seemed to be an excessive incidence of violence and an overly bleak rendering of the rural Scottish landscape. The main character was hard to like and strayed just too far from the reality of police procedure to have made it to a DI post. Whilst the writing showed promise in several places greater care needed to be taken to ensure that the reader did not have to struggle too often to. establish which character the author is referring to. Finally, it may be tempting to tease the reader by leaving several loose ends that might conceivably be addressed in a follow on book, but there is a limit to the patience of readers for that tactic.

Sixteen year old Robert goes missing from home one night. His body is found. He has been assaulted, murdered and left in a remote location posed as if praying to the skies.  DI Monica Kennedy and her team are put in charge of the case.  Soon other deaths are being investigated.

Along side this we meet Michael, a social worker who has reported one of his clients as missing.  Feeling that he has let the young man down by not answering an earlier call, Michael is determined to find him.

Both our protagonists appear to have secrets and regrets from their pasts and these are used to great effect to add even more to the dark and moody feel to the whole of the book.  Along with the remote and rugged setting this really is a book to curl up with.

I liked both the main characters very much.  Yes Monica has her issues like a lot of fictional detectives that make her a bit stand offish, but I felt she was a character that I would want to find out more about in following books.  Michael is an endearing character that plays as much of a part in the solving of the case as the police do and I thought the two 'investigations' worked well along side each other.

The story line is dark with some unpleasant scenes in places but not overly so and I really enjoyed the way the landscape, wet weather and remoteness were used within the story. I found it well written with lots of detail and an interesting new police procedural to try.  I look forward to meeting up with Monica again next month in the second novel, Dark Waters, which I will be reviewing on July 9th.

Very interesting mystery set in the Highlands. I'm hoping this is the first of a series as I'd like to hear more about DI Monica. Still a couple of loose ends so fingers crossed. Lots of plot twists and red herrings here with interesting characters.

What a great book to start what will hopefully become a series of crime novels. A gruesome, chilling and compelling read that keeps you hooked until the end. Kennedy is an intriguing character for Halliday to develop and the crime scenes were well thought out. The whole book is gripping up to and including the twist at the end.

From the Shadows is one of those books that throws a lot at you, and you can’t help but become immersed in the world described. It’s not pleasant reading, but it’s a tense experience.
Our story really begins with the discovery of a body of a young man. A serious attack, and the autopsy reveals the boy has had a stone lodged in his throat. DI Kennedy (as the main investigator) is our focus, and we get enough snippets to know her back-story is an intriguing one. Perhaps as the first in the series we’re not told everything, but certainly enough to know that Monica Kennedy has a little more to her than meets the eye.
Set in and around the Scottish Highlands, this beautiful setting forms a macabre backdrop.
Nobody is sure what they’re dealing with. The boy who was found was at home, fine, and had then disappeared by the morning. Before long, we’re starting to see links with other disappearances.
There’s a lot of characters involved, and some suspects are set up as quite deliberate red herrings. We get the voice of the killer but very little to identify them until late on. There’s evidence of police corruption, and Kennedy has to rely on some rather unconventional methods to get results.
Suffice to say there’s some parts that could have been refined but this was a solid introduction to a new character, and definitely had me keen to read more.

Perhaps a little biased as I stayed in Inverness for ten year in the 80/90's and still visit regularly so recognise the places mentioned. Introduction to Monica Kennedy and her team in what appears to be a planned series of book featuring them. Cracking story that grabbed me right from the start and had a right few twists along the way. Here's to many more Mr Halliday.

‘Outstanding… Grips you from the start to the end till the end amazing characters and outstanding police thriller highly recommended

I had never read anything by G.R. Halliday and, in fact, think this might be his debut novel. His setting in the Highlands, with its vicious weather and unforgiving landscapes is perfect for a police procedural which features such horrific, graphic murders. Apparently he became interested in mysteries through his father, who must have been a policeman. He obviously loves his homeland, which he portrays so well.

The story is quite convoluted and there are lots of characters to keep tabs on, which I felt made it quite hard going at times.

I enjoyed the writing and the setting, , but really found the amount of killing and bloodshed rather overwhelming.

I would have like to know a bit more of Monika Kennedy's back story. Maybe that will be revealed in later novels. If they are all this bloodthirsty, though, I am not sure that I will want to read them.

I tend to write reviews in my head when I’m reading a book and the one for ‘From the Shadows’ changed multiple times. At first it was “2 stars, badly written, DNF”, then it was “3 stars, competent but painfully familiar”, but towards the end it was “4 stars, this is actually really good”. It’s fair to say then, that ‘From the Shadows’ is a mixed bag. Ultimately though, it was good enough that I’m eager to read GR Halliday’s next book.
The plot revolves around the abduction and murder of a teenage boy and the investigation of that crime by police detective, Monica Kennedy, and a social worker, Michael Bach. It took me some time to get into the book. The beginning has some good parts, the details of the abduction are chilling, but something about the prose really turned me off. The middle third worked better for me, but is a bit convoluted. The book is too long at over 450 pages and I think this is where the editor’s knife was needed most. Fortunately, the final act is really gripping. A book that had seemed like an also ran finally found its feet. Plot and character development suddenly clicks into place and the result is great. A book I’d almost given up on became one I couldn’t put down.
I’m not sure why the book was such a rollercoaster for me. Looking back many of its strengths were clear from the start. It’s set in northern Scotland and Halliday makes good use of the location. Everything feels suitably remote and windswept and that lends the book a desperate atmosphere at times that works well. It has two strong leads in Kennedy and Bach. They are very different in many ways, but similar in their complex mix of determination and self doubt. The depiction of the villain and his crimes works well too, he is mysterious and his insanity is convincing enough to be genuinely disturbing. I think perhaps the problem is that the market for this kind of thing is so massively crowded at the moment that any book really has to shine to lift it’s head above the herd. ‘From the Shadows’ does that at times, but maybe not often enough.

DI Monica Kennedy and her team set about solving a series of murders in the Scottish Highlands. Two young men have been murdered and left posed in remote places in the Highlands. The connection between victims is black stones left with their bodies.
Michael Bach is a social worker trying to find Nichol Morgan, a client. Michael seeks Monica's help.
I gave up on this book numerous times but did finish it. I found the frequent authors jibes about Monica being like a man, tall with big feet tiresome and unnecessary.
The formatting was appalling, inconsistent use of upper case letters, lack of spacing and at times switches between characters were unclear.
The plot was good, just very, very slow.
I thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and author G R Halliday for a copy of the book to review.

This is the first book in the debut series of D.I. Monica Kennedy.

It is set in Inverness, Scotland and I loved how it was so atmospheric and the setting was so well described.

It follows DI Kennedy and also social worker Michael Bach, which I found to be a great character and hope that will be featured in future books!

It was very suspenseful and I really enjoyed the plot. There were some very graphic descriptions that may be too much for some readers. This killer is twisted so, be ready for some gruesome stuff!

I wasn’t thoroughly impressed with the ending and also didn’t enjoy some descriptions about DI Kennedy and her height as I found them repetitive and overall didn’t really make a difference to the plot.

Overall I found this to be a great debut crime book and will definitely want to read more books by this author.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage Publishing for an advanced copy of this great debut novel in exchange for an honest review

Great example of classical diversions from straight plot expectations - every time I had decided that I now knew exactly who the killer was, he - or she, I even wondered about the DI at times - turned out to have an cast-iron alibi or was found dead. A feminine Rebus ? Maybe not, but definite echoes of Perez or Vera. I've just heard that the other Halliday title I requested has turned up so I have a treat in store.

A chilling serial killer book, with a fabulous main character. I really love the fact that Monica Kennedy is so different from many detectives. She's an Amazon - at over six feet tall. As a bit of a short ass , I find it intriguing to get some insight into how she percieves herself because of her height. I think women do this to themselves regularly. However, I digress - Kennedy is also a single parent with secrets regarding her baby's dad, her own upbrining and her relationship to people on the less savoury side of Inverness.

The concept of young boys having their home invaded by a mysterious killer who abducts them kills them and then poses them in a ritualistic manner is chilling. The killer is given an added chill factor by being seemingly all-knowing.
I love the way Kennedy isn't afraid to follow her instincts , even if that involves enlisting help from other quarters.
her team are also appealing - her boss DCS Hately (what a name) is pushy and that's exciting as Monica finds her own ways to push back.
From The Shadows is skillfully plotted,with just the right amount of tension, a few red herrings and some brilliantly odious characters. Thoroughly enjoyable.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The first chapter of this book really sets the scene for the entire story, which has a creeping, insidious sense of horror throughout. DI Monica Kennedy is investigating the disappearance and murder of teenage boys in the Scottish Highlands, while trying to balance her own personal life and the past that she has been trying to escape from.

A bit of a change from the usual maverick detective trope, I thought this was really well written. A good mystery, with lots of twists and turns, going right up to the end, and a great resolution! I got the impression that the book could have ended with a number of different characters being the culprit, which I thought was interesting. I also really enjoyed the setting , I love the Scottish Highlands and the setting almost felt like another character. The books has finished in such a way that it leads naturally to a sequel, and I honestly can’t wait to read it.

This was a dark, gritty, vivid story and I felt that the characters and the plot were very well written and believable. Monica is described as being a particularly tall woman (around 6ft), and I thought the author really captured her awkwardness around how that felt, down to the boots she wore, and it really helped to contribute to her sense of otherness and isolation from her colleagues.

A great read, would definitely recommend!!

Set in the remote highlands of Northwest Scotland "From the Shadows" involves paedophilia and child murders. There is talk of this being the first of a series presumably all may involve DI Monica Kelly who works on the cases. There is also an exceptionally committed social worker who takes his duty to his clients to extraordinary levels. I found it difficult to really relate to Monica and for her to have any chance of becoming a "Rebus", Halliday has a lot of character development to do, That being said this is still an enjoyable read with lots of pace and excitement all set against the vividly described, and often bleak, Scottish mountains.

What a dark crime debut this is! The setting of Inverness and the Scottish Highlands adds to the atmosphere - the bleak moors so well described. Many remote crofts and homes. The subject matter is dark and perhaps not for the faint-hearted. The twists and turns add to the tension.
DI.Monica Kennedy stands out in many ways as a lead detective - not just her height but her history, her attention to detail and her determination to solve the mystery rather than accept things at face value. A fascinating start to a new series. Looking forward to reading the second in the series, Dark Waters.
Many thanks to Netgalley/G.R. Halliday/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

D I Monica Kennedy is the star of the really good thriller. Set in the highlands of Scotland this book featuring the DI, a misfit social worker and several bodies is a week. You can feel yourself in this book with the atmospheric descriptions of surroundings . I love the characters and I'm sure we'll see much more of DI Kennedy in future books.
There are several twists as you would expect however this is a gripping tale and the ending was a surprise for me. 09/10.

Two young men have been killed and left posed in isolated spots in the Highlands. DI Monica Kelly is investigating. The only link to the two victims are black stones left with he body. Michael Bach is a social worker desperately trying to find a client of his, Nichol Morgan. Nichol has left clues for Michael about another young man who had died, classed a suicide by police, but who seems to be a victim of the same killer.

Almost gave up on this book several times but persevered to the end. Good enough story just very very slow. Didn’t find the main character, Monica, likeable at all and the fact that she was tall for a woman was mentioned far too often.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House and G R Halliday for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy of this book.

The first book in what promises to be an excellent series centred around DI Monica Kennedy. Monica and her team set about solving a series of murders in the Scottish Highlands. All the victims mysteriously disappeared and are found dead in unusual circumstances. It soon becomes apparent that these aren’t the murderer’s first victims. Kept me guessing until the end. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more in this series.