An interesting and enthralling story with many twists and turns. I was thoroughly engrossed whilst reading the book and could not put it down. Definitely recommended.

Another new writer to me and another new cop to enjoy. DI Monica Kennedy lives and works in the Inverness area, which is portrayed brilliantly by the author as wild and uninviting. In this first novel in the series she is charged with finding the killer of teenage boys and the search leads her into frightening situations and violent encounters. At the same time she is trying to raise her young daughter. Monica is an interesting cop, and I look forward to further novels in the series.

Good story set in the highlands. First in what is likely to be a series. A great debut Novel from G.R. Halliday

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC, I have enjoyed reading this book.
This is the first book in the DI Monica Kennedy series, which is set in Inverness and the Scottish Highlands. The characters are extremely interesting, the three main police officers are all flawed in different ways. The storyline is about the disappearance of young men and when the bodies are autopsied a Black Stone is found in the throats of each of them.
The storyline is extremely clever and there are many twists and turns and misdirections, until as a reader you begin to wonder who is the killer and who are the victims.
Highly recommended.

This is a very good debut novel set in the Scottish Highlands and featuring DI Monica Kennedy She is called to investigate the disappearance of two teenage boys. The narrative is told between Monica and Michael, a social worker, and left me slightly confused at times. There was plenty of atmosphere in the book, giving a good sense of the beautiful setting but the conclusion left me a little confused. A very good start to a new police procedural series. My thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.. reviews on Goodreads and Facebook.

From the Shadows by G. R Halliday is the debut novel by the author and the first book in the DI Monica Kennedy series.
Sixteen-year-old Robert comes home late and his dad is strict with him. He is sent to his room to be never seen again. His mutilated body is found in a remote part of the Scottish Highlands with a stone stuck down his throat. DI Monica Kennedy is set to lead her team in the investigation, and she put herself wholehearted into this investigation. In more so, than being mother to her 4-year-old daughter Lucy, who is with her mother most often. But, is on her mind most of the time. When another body turns up and another kid has disappeared Monica knows she has a serial killer on her hands.
This is a good start for a first book in a new police procedural series and quite different to others I have read. I liked the descriptions of the moors and the remoteness of the Scottish Highlands. But I found it hard to like any characters in this book. Not even the protagonist DI Monica Kennedy and the comments made about her size. What was that all about? It didn’t make the story any better. Also, at first, I found it hard to get into this book. I thought I would give up but as I just got pas the half way mark it got interesting. A great start but I think it needs some improvements.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Vintage for a copy of this book.

This book is a good police investigation book. I enjoyed reading it but I didn't relate to the characters maybe it's with it being a first one hopefully if there is more in the series I would read them. I found it hard following the story. Thank you to NetGalley author and publisher to my arc copy for a honest review.

GR Halliday's debut is a welcome addition to the Scottish Noir crime fiction genre, with its melancholic and morose atmosphere that hangs heavy throughout, set in the Scottish Highlands and Inverness. 16 year old Robert Wright disappears from his home, only for his mutilated, tortured body with a stone thrust deep down his throat to be found posed in a remote part of the Highlands. Leading the police team is DI Monica Kennedy, a rather tall woman, a single mother, with 4 year old daughter, Lucy, whom she barely sees but is constantly in her thoughts. Her mother who shows a touch too much interest in Monica's cases, looks after Lucy. Michael Bach is a guilt ridden social worker, with a traumatic past, desperately worried about about one of his missing clients, 17 year old Nichol Morgan. With a murder investigation on her hands, Monica knows the police have no resources to devote to finding Nichol, so she breaks procedure by telling him to find Nichol as she gives him his client's laptop.

Matters escalate when a second body of a another young boy with the same MO is found in a remote location by a loch. Monica's ambitious boss, Superintendent Hately foists on her a Dr Hamish Lees, a criminal psychologist, an arrogant man with certainties that Monica is highly doubtful of. Interspersed in the narrative is the watcher, a highly intelligent presence, operating several steps ahead of the police. Monica and Bach are faced with a case that throws ups ever increasing dangers, with the likes of Owen MacLennan and Don Cameron. The police team are not immune from the tragedies and horror that engulf the investigation where it appears there are more victims than the police were ever aware of in the past. With a boss that is too focused on one suspect, Monica is forced to operate below the radar until it all ends up in a blood soaked thrilling finale that has me avidly anticipating the next book in the series.

This may not be a perfect debut, the author dwells a little too assiduously throughout on Monica's height and the ending is a trifle too fudged. However, it is terrifically compelling, packed with plentiful suspense and tension, and with some wonderful characterisation. I liked the inclusion of the cat, Colonel Mustard, along with Michael's IT geek, Henry, and the flawed but determined DC Connor Crawford. Both Monica and Michael have suitably dark backgrounds with trauma, and a Monica that can make truly troubling decisions. All in all, this is a brilliantly chilling beginning to what promises to be a stellar series set amidst the background of the stunning Scottish Highlands. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Random House Vintage for an ARC.

A very good procedural, entertaining and engaging.
I liked the plot, the cast of characters and loved the wonderful setting.
The book is chilling and you cannot put it down.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Random House UK and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A good police procedural book introducing us to Detective inspector Monica Kennedy. I liked the way the story was told by two different perspectives. Set in the beautiful Scottish Highlands, it made the book atmospheric and I loved the descriptive quality of the authors writing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for my copy.

I have to say I quite enjoyed this as a debut novel for a new series. It was quite different from the usual murder/thriller books and of course being up in the Highlands of Scotland added to the murky tale.

I’m not sure that I gelled with the characters that much, the police seemed a little hillbillyish and it was Monica who did all the work.

I must add though I did find the authors continual jibe at her being like a man and tall with big feet wearing, there was no need for that.

My thanks to the author and netgalley for the ARC.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I love Police Procedural books and this was fantastic, based in Inverness. Fingers crossed that this becomes a series. Highly recommend

From the Shadows is a solid police procedural with some horror elements. The writing sucked me in and plunged me into a sinister world set against the bleak backdrop of the Highlands. I enjoyed watching the investigation come together from different angles. Some of the characters I loved - Henry, Michael and Colonel Mustard, but I really disliked the main character who comes across as shallow. I recommend this book and want to read more in the series for myself despite Monica, because I want more. I'm looking forward to the sequel to get more answers.

There's a good story in there. It was challenging to read the arc on my kindle without proper formatting and punctuation, so I think the actual finished book would be a more straightforward, focused and more relaxed read.

I must admit I was confused with some of the plot threads though, although this could be because of the challenges reading with the formatting, so the finished book wouldn't have these issues.
Thank you for the review copy but I ended skimming as I couldn't pull myself into the world as I was always thinking about where the sentences ended, where paragraphs should be, the punctuation etc.
I'll check out the finished book as there's certainly intrigue and promise here.
I won't post a review as it wouldn't be fair, but I'll definitely look out for the published version and read/review then.

Apologies again for not being able to battle though it and wish the author every success.
I had to give stars to leave this review, but they are not reflective on the writer's work.

The basic story was different and intriguing but it was made confusing by the erratic use of upper case letters and lack of . spacing so that the switch between characters was sometimes unclear

Great book. A real page turner. Took a little while to get started, but once the confusion with the many characters in it ,it was well worth ploughing on.

D.I. Monica Kennedy heads up a team to investigate an abduction and murder of a teenage boy.She comes across several previous cases that allude to the one she is involved with . With the help of a social worker who is looking for a missing client is on the trial of a dangerous serial killer.

Looking forward to reading more from G.R. Halliday .Anything like "From the Shadows" then they have sure winners here.

Police thriller set in the Highlands. A scary psycho thriller with lots of twists and surprises. Strong lead detective who got there eventually.

This is a dark story set in the Highlands of Scotland. Monica, the lead detective seems a misfit, she lives with her very young daughter Lucy who also spends lot of time with her grandmother, Monica's mother, while Monica works.
I enjoyed the story but found certain aspects of it less believable including Monica's attitude towards the care of her daughter
The story centres around initially, one boy, who goes missing, Monica links up with his social worker who feels guilty as he missed an appointment with him. The story twists through historical cases of boys who were killed in mysterious ways. During the course of the hunt there are several red herrings, a police psychiatrist appears dubious, there is a violent killer who holds Monica responsible for much that has gone wrong and Monica's own upbringing in a rough housing estate in Inverness features too.
I found the end slightly disappointing as I didn't feel it was really resolved however I enjoyed the writing and will read another by the author

Fans of the police procedural may well enjoy this book. The horrific murders of teenage boys are investigated in Northern Scotland. I didn't feel any empathy with Monica, the lead detective; and found her low self esteem and body image quite irritating. How could anyone wear a pair of boots one size too small? And the lack of calital letters completely threw me at first. I thought it might be because it was narrated initially by a teenager, but it continues! This did make reading more difficult; how could anyone write a book like this? There are too many good books out there to spend time reading this one, unfortunately.

16 year old Robert comes home late, goes to his room, and is never seen alive again.

Social worker Michael has a missing teenage client..

Monica Kennedy is hunting a murderer. Will Michael find his client before she finds the killer?