I received an ARC through NetGalley back in 2020, but this is one of the books I unfortunately didn't review immediately at the time, and now I'm not in the right mind frame to do it anymore.

I remember this as a low-key thriller with a dash of The Strange: not the fast-action-pounding type, more a coming-back-to-small-town, slightly eerie and creepy type, with some supernatural vibes thrown in.

I just loved The Whisper Man and this second supernatural thriller from North did not disappoint. It had just the right balance for me between standard thriller and other worldly elements. I loved the idea of lucid dreaming and I thought it really clever how North took this concept to the very limits.
Besides the well paced darker elements of this book, it was also a touch emotional, which was unexpected for me. The impact of the past events on Paul’s adult life was really well conveyed to the reader, particularly the relationship with his mother.
I feel the book concluded well and overall I found it really entertaining. A great read for the spooky season. I am really looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of The Half Burnt House now!

What a great spooky read.
It was a fast paced read but was confusing at times.
Perfect for cosy autumn evenings

A great read, gripping and tense. Really enjoyed it and will look out for more from the author in the future based on this.

I loved The Whisper Man so I was desperate to read this one and it was just as compelling and addictive

The Shadow Friend is a brilliant story that takes us back in time to discover how an event from the past might impact on a similar event in the present. This is tense and full of werighty threatening vibes. From the surrounding desolation of a ghost town with nothing going for it to the evil presence that seems to haunt the surrounding woods sending shoots of roots under the town to encapsulate it in its terror. Loved it!

Brilliant book, I loved whisper man so couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one, I did prefer his previous one but this was another creepy little cracker all the same! Full of twists and red herrings and a great plot and characters, I ploughed through it in no time, cant wait for his next one!!!

A slow story that picks up pace and turns into a real page turner. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Intense, twisty and just the perfect bingeworthy thriller! If you’ve not read this one, you’ll want to add to your tbr immediately!

Another fantastic book from Alex North - I am always drawn to supernatural/spooky reads and this ticked all the boxes.

This was a decidedly average book for me. It tells the story of Paul who is called back to his childhood home to care for his dying mother, where the horrors of his past are back to haunt him. The plot was pretty pedestrian and felt formulaic, with the revelations being predictable. The ending was lacklustre and overall, I was a bit bored.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A good and well written story, a combination of horror and psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Good characterisation, lots of action, fast paced and full of suspense.

The Shadow Friend (published as The Shadows in the US) is the most recent standalone thriller from Alex North, author of The Whisper Man.

The narrator, Paul Adams, left his hometown of Gritten twenty five years ago after the ritualistic murder of his friend, a murder that he was questioned about. The main suspect, fellow student Charlie Crabtree, disappeared afterwards and hasn’t been seen since. Charlie is now an urban legend because of his interest in lucid dreaming and his belief that he could leave his body and control his dreams. Twenty five years later, somebody claiming to be Charlie has surfaced online and there has been a copycat murder. Detective Amanda Beck, who also appeared in The Whisper Man, is investigating this copycat murder in a neighbouring town and comes to Gritten after she finds out about the original murder twenty five years ago.

The book shifts between Paul’s narrative set in the past when he was at school and in the present when he reluctantly returns to his hometown because his mother has dementia and has been put into a hospice. This is a dying town in which Paul must confront his past and the guilt he feels for the choices he made. His return to his childhood home brings up memories of his community and it soon becomes clear that his mother knows more than he thought about the murders and about the whereabouts of Charlie. Charlie is a shadowy figure and we only catch glimpses of him from Paul’s perspective. Paul’s narrative is contrasted with Amanda’s who provides a more investigative perspective. Yet neither knows the exact nature of what they are dealing with.

North is one of the best authors in recent years at blending the horror and psychological thriller genres. With suggestions of ghosts as well as the ability to leave our bodes, Paul begins to question his own sanity and memories as he tries to find out what happened to Charlie. The result is a creepy narrative with some truly satisfying reveals.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow-what a book I loved it. Fast-paced full of suspense, intrigue, creepy, mysterious. Great characters, good plot. Recommended.

I absolutely loved the shadow friend ... it was a fantastic book to follow the authors incredible first book the whisper man.

Another eerie narrative by Alex North. The atmosphere North has managed to create in both of the books I've read (this one and the Whisper Man) is so much fun to experience.

The Shadow Friend felt slower and muddier and although overall it was an enjoyable read, it offered less than its predecessor in my opinion..

The protagonist of this story is Paul. He has to come back to a miserable town where he grew up when he found out that his mother is about to die. Paul hates that town for many many reasons, but mainly of what happened when he was young. This book is told from a dual perspective. Another character sharing details is Amanda, she is a detective, investigating a murder, that looks exactly like the one that happened many many years ago. Amanda has her own issues, and she is just a background character. I liked Paul as a character, he was a good kid, and he is awkward, but a nice guy. All the characters chosen in this novel are quite mysterious, and the whole book has a very depressing and gloomy atmosphere.
The narrative of this novel is exceptionally well written. The author used a dual timeline, we have the events happening now, and the events that happened when Paul was young. My favourite was the one of the past of course. I absolutely absorbed me, I was so eager to find out what happened all those years ago. The parts from the present were quieter and more self-reflecting, sharing the inner struggles but creepy nevertheless. This book is very twisty, and some of the turns really left me gobsmacked and surprised. The topics discussed in this novel were lucid dreaming, bullying, wish to belong, abusive parents, mental abuse, dementia and its effects, parent-child relationships, the influence of the internet and many, many more.
I really love Alex North’s writing style. He is amazing in creating suspense, and all the mind manipulation of the reader was truly amazing. :) The chapters are quite short, and I was engrossed in this novel, so the pages just flew by for me. The ending was shocking and very unexpected, but I did like the way this novel ended. I hope someone will adopt this novel to a film, I am pretty sure it would be wicked. :)
So, to conclude, I really liked this horror psychological thriller. The characters are very mysterious and the plot is exceptionally absorbing, layered and complex. This book left me emotionally shaken in the best possible way, and I really recommend to those, who would like something creepy.

This was a solid read but it was not as good as the whisper man.

I struggled with the beginning of this book. It took me a while to figure out what was happening and to really get into the story.

The pace was very slow. It's got a very creepy eerie vibe, which I liked. But its definitely not a fast paced thriller which will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The concept was quite cool. It was original and did give me Stephen king vibes in a way (I loved some of the SK references).

However, by the end I started to loose a bit of interest.

It was a good read but not something that will probably stick with me. It didn't really stand out as an amazing book.

Overall, worth a read if you like creepy books but nothing amazing unfortunately. I definitely perfered his first book

TW: violence, murder and suicide

A great story that’s been well written. I loved Alex’s first book and I was thrilled to hear he released another novel. Gripping from beginning to end. Will recommend to family and friends. Thank you

25 years ago Charlie Crabtree committed a shocking murder. Then vanished without a trace. Paul Adam's has never been able to forgive himself for what he feels his actions made him culpable to the murder. He hasn't been home since but now him mother is ill and he has no choice. But practically as soon as he returns there's a copycat murder. Details emerge that only a person who committed the original crime could know....

I really wanted to love this. I really liked The Whisper Man but this was just a bit...well forgettable. I found myself having to go back a lot, my attention wandered. There are a few great moments. A reveal that left me gobsmacked (worth three stars on its own) and some creepy moments. But other than that this isn't a patch on The Whisper Man.