American profiler Dr. Connie Woolwine is everything I love in the female lead of a police procedural - smart, prickly and also vulnerable. She’s a brilliant psychologist who calls things as she sees them, which, in her case, happens to be only in black and white thanks to a childhood accident that led her to where she is today. As soon as she starts to banter with Detective Inspector Baarda to solve a high-profile abduction in Scotland with Detective Inspector I WAS HOOKED.

Connie and Baarda discover a connection between the missing woman, a previous murder and--possibly--a recently abducted child. Who is collecting people and why? The story deftly unfolds from the perspectives of the sleuth, the villain and the victims although the whole truth isn’t clear to all until the end. Gruesome and compelling, what started out a slow read turned into a “I have to find out what happens next!” type of novel.

If you are looking for a great weekend read that might just keep you awake at night, The Shadow Man is the novel for you.

(Advanced copy read courtesy of Netgalley and Avon Books UK.)

I made it through 60 pages of this book and it was a completely horrible experience. I read thrillers all the time but this one was just over the top gross and disgusting. This should be in the horror genre

Thanks for your consideration

Dorie

Since I did not finish the book I will not be leaving a review on any social media sites

Wow. This is a chilling, twisty, turny, read with a brilliant plot and characters. I’m a big fan of the author’s DI Luc Callanach series already so had high hopes for this and I wasn’t disappointed.
The plot is thrilling, and you can feel the claustrophobic helplessness of the victims. A very unusual well researched villain and a truly terrifying finale
I really like the characters of Woolwine and Baarda and I’d love to see them as the main characters a new series

I have to admit that this is the first book I have read by this author. I know, but so many cracking authors, only a limited time to read. But, on the face of what I read here, I am definitely going to check out her series.
This stand alone (maybe first in a new series) features American profiler Connie Woodwine (great name) and A DI from the Met Ops team, Brodie Baarda. They are seconded to assist Edinburgh with a rather nasty case; The Shadow Man. Chalk and cheese definitely - her brash and outspoken, him more subtle and calculating - but they each bring certain skills to the party and definitely get stuck straight in on arrival as they try to catch The Shadow Man and free his latest victims, Elspeth, Meggie and Xavier, before too late.
In between following what is happening to the prisoners, and how the police are faring, we also hear from the Shadow Man himself. This is on occasion disturbing as he is a very unwell person indeed. His motivations become clearer as the books goes on and, well for me anyway, he elicits a certain amount of sympathy for who he is and why he is doing what he does.
It's brutal and hard hitting and doesn't pull its punches. It's well written and contains believable characters. Pacing is on the whole fast but there are a few slower paced parts to rest and recuperate before it all kicks off again. And the conclusion when we got there was satisfying.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The perfect read. If I could get away with writing just 3 words here I would. Any more is superfluous.
My first book by this writer but not my last. A fast-paced, impeccably researched thriller with medical undertones about conditions I'd never even heard about (and I'm a nurse!). I loved the beginning. I loved the two main characters. I loved the way Fields made Edindurgh pop into my consciousness like a cinefilm. I loved it!

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Helen Fields, and Avon Books UK for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

After developing a strong DI Luc Callanach series, Helen Fields sets about dazzling her readers with yet another superb standalone novel. The Shadow Man is not only a great police procedural, but also pushes the genre to the limits with one of the most unique serial killers I have come across in all my years reading. Steeped with action, suspense, and some psychological chills, Fields proves that she is a force to be reckoned with when she puts her mind to it. Fans of her past work the genre in general will surely find something captivating in this piece, though it will also keep them up well in to the night.

Dr. Connie Woodwine has been called in to help work a case within Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team (MIT). An American, Woodwine brings her experience as a forensic psychologist to a baffling case and is teamed up with DI Brodie Baarda, based in Edinburgh. A woman’s found slain in her bed and the best friend who had arrived to see her is kidnapped from the driveway. Woodwine and Baarda have no idea where to begin, as the forensics are scarce and the leads non-existent.

After word comes over the wire that a teenage girl was abducted in plain sight by a gangly, skeletal man outside a library, Woodwine and Baarda try to determine if this is another abduction or an extrapolation of their own case. Still, there is little on which to go, save the eerie description by another youth. Still, it’s something for the time being.

Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location, the two victims begin to see that they are playing parts in a sick a sadistic game with a man who fancies himself already dead. His emaciated body is disgusting enough, but the ‘play acting’ he has them perform while in captivity takes things to a whole new level. He almost encompasses the role as head of a family, one that meets his every needs. As the kidnapper continues to add to his brood, his more violent side comes out, making him a threat in an entirely new way.

Woodwine and Baarda begin to piece things together, though extremely slowly. It is nothing that will guarantee solving the case, but this sliver of information could help expand the search parameters, while they wrestle to comprehend the killer’s physical and psychological anomalies. They’ll need to stay on top of things if they hope to save those who have been taken and find justice for those whose lives have already been extinguished.

I got a kick out of reading the comments made by some about how ‘pleasantly surprised’ they were to see this novel come from Helen Fields. In my humble opinion, this is Fields in and out, pushing the boundaries and bringing police procedurals to life with strong narratives and stellar characters. Set again in Scotland, the reader gets that brogue feel within the banter as a killer seeks to exact their own form of tortuous behaviour to allay their own fears.

Connie Woodwine and Brodie Baarda definitely share the spotlight in this piece, with the former’s ‘foreignness’ definitely receiving a little added focus. Woodwine’s own backstory adds something to the story, after she suffered a brain injury as a teenager and ended up as an achromat, unable to see colour whatsoever. Living her life in black, white, and shades of grey, Woodwine is able to get to the core of the case with her exceptional determination throughout the piece. Her banter with Baarda’s whose past seems much less exciting, proves to be a key element to the novel’s success. This is a duo that works so well together, one can only imagine if it will spin into a series to rival DI Luc Callanach.

By and large, the secondary characters are wonderful with the central antagonist, Fergus Ariss, proving masterful. His body is plagued with an illness that is only revealed in the latter part of the novel, though his mental rationalisations prove baffling throughout. Ariss uses those who fall into his clutches so well and creates this secondary world that readers cannot help but discover in the well-paced narrative. Ariss does well to keep the flow of the story going as he tries to build up his familial empire one victim at a time. There’s little time to rest as the story’s flavour gets deeper and more alluring as the chapters flow. Those who support both the protagonists and the antagonist find themselves perfectly placed, developed effectively throughout.

Helen Fields does a stunning job with this piece and keeps her readers locked in until the final page turn. The story begins at high speeds and does not diminish at any point, allowing the reader to see the gain in momentum as it parallels the development of the plot and ingenuity of its delivery. With short chapters to lure the reader, Fields paces herself as she drops breadcrumbs throughout, only to leave the reader wanting more. As I mentioned above, this has a series debut feel to it, though I have not heard anything about this from the various websites I’ve scanned of late. I suppose we’ll all have to wait and see what transpires.

Kudos, Madam Fields, for another great read. I am eager to see what else you have in store for your fans.

This book was an amazing read. It had everything you ask from for a thriller - it kept me engaged and interested; you got a great insight into the chatacters (especially the killer, which made this book almost perfect in my opinion). I was unable to put this book down and that is what a thriller is supposed to be doing.
I simply loved this book. The finding of the culprit seemed a bit rushed, however, so I have to cut a star for that.

I received a free ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Meggy. Elspeth. Angela. Xavier. Three kidnappings and one murder within a few months of each other. How are these crimes connected? Are they even connected? Meggy is a normal twelve year old girl who prefers books to social media. She vanishes in broad day light and detectives can't seem to figure out what the motive is. Elspeth is a loving wife, a wonderful mother but things might not be what they appear. Xavier is a athletic wheelchair bound adult going to his gym when he disappears. All 3 of these people live ordinary lives and seem to be one off scenarios. This story follows DI Baarda and Psychological profile Connie through the investigation into these crimes.

Wow! This story is dark, creepy and absolutely thrilling. The beginning of the book started out slow and was a bit confusing to keep up with but man am I glad I did. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I could not wait to find out what was going to happen to Meggy, Elspeth and Xavier! This was my first book by Helen Fields and I can't wait to devour more!

**Huge thank you to Avon UK, Helen Fields and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review!**

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gritting book

a hard hitting nitty gritty book

people were disappearing at first its was the transient people, who nobody would miss but then a high profile woman was abducted at first a ransom demand was made but it turned out to be a hoax...but the woman was still missing

then a young girl was abducted outside her school...

were the two cases related or separate incidents

like how this book was written and cant wait for the next one in this series...as i suspect there will be one.brilliantly written and just on the right side of being gruesome

This is the first book I have read by this author. I really enjoyed the back and forth between the police/ forensic psychologist and the victims.

listened to audiobook The Shadowman by Helen Fields who is quickly turning into my go-to author. Another fabulous read with brilliant characters I do hope we’ll see again. This is a definite recommend.

How much did I love this book. It is my first Helen Fields and I am itching to read more.

The writing was superb and kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through.

She was sympathetic to the characters and I found myself empathising with the main protagonist. She told the story with heart and soul and I just couldn’t put it down.

I cannot think of one bad thing to say. It was just brilliant.

Highly recommended, 5 stars from me.

I loved Connie every step of the way. She was feisty, sarcastic and the cheeky come backs and statistics she came out with were funny. Her and Baarda worked well together and I loved their friendship and partnership. The plot line was an interesting one, but found it too much of a slow burner and not enough action or dialogue. I preferred certain chapters as they flowed better and wasn’t as much descriptions in them. Hope Connie comes back in another book.

Thanks goes to net galley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Helen Fields has fast become one of my favourite authors and whenever I see a new book of hers, whether it’s part of the DI Callanach series or not, I jump at the chance to read it. The Shadow Man is described as a stand-alone thriller and is certainly a great introduction to anyone who has not read her work before.

The key thing that I love about Helen’s writing is that she manages to achieve the perfect balance between a gory and interesting crime with a twisted villain and a human police force with well-drawn characteristics. The Shadow Man is no different, Fergus is a scary villain, described by eyewitnesses as ‘Skellington’ and rotting from the inside out. It’s perhaps even scarier that we are given his name from the offset – there’s no mistaking who the villain is in this case. We also get a good insight into our victims, particularly Elspeth and 12-year-old Meggy. I liked Meggy in particular, she is feisty but she feels realistic for her age, something that I have seen other authors fail at when choosing the tricky lower teenage years to portray.

That moves us on to the police department, in this case American psychologist Connie Woolwine and London DI Baarda. Connie is a fascinating character who is not afraid to be brunt and psychologically profile everyone she comes across. She also has a fascinating backstory which is slowly revealed and has resulted in her having Achromatopsia (complete colour-blindness or inability to see colour). I loved Connie and think she is a fantastic main character, although I felt DI Baarda was a little less fleshed out as a result. Although this book is billed as a standalone I hope we get to see more of them working together in future.

There are some really scary moments in this book particularly towards the end with a terrifying standoff. The descriptions of both the villain, his fantasy and his house really made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and will stay with me for a long time after putting the book down.

Overall, The Shadow Man is a terrifying read which hooked me from the outset and stayed with me long after I put the book down – another triumph for Helen Fields! Thank you to NetGalley & Avon Books UK for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all would like to say thank you to netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

I enjoyed this book I found it fast paced the characters were portrayed very well and lots of description I loved Connie. It was physiological I didn't want this book to end and did not expect the twist and turns.

This is a ripper of a story but, more than that, this book is a masterful demonstration of character development and effective dialogue. I really enjoyed seeing how the two protagonists gradually revealed more of themselves to one another and how the imminent threat influenced their interactions. Loved the characters and hope to see more of them together.

How is it that I have read two books that take place in Edinburgh this year out of the three books I've read? I think 2021 is telling me it's time to return to my favourite city in the world. If you love the city, you will find yourself sneaking through the little closes and wynds along with the main characters of this thrilling novel.

Edinburgh features in this book as a full-fledged character and I love that.

The plot outline sounded dark and mysterious to me, and I'm happy to report that that's the vibe that the novel serves. The story itself is a bit different from the outline, but not in a bad way.

The story is about a man who lives in the shadows and kidnaps people from the streets of Edinburgh. We follow a police officer and a forensic psychologist as they try to uncover the mysteries surrounding this case.

We also follow the victims & the perpetrator, which in my opinion takes away from the suspense a little bit because we as the reader as basically omniscient. Fields does manage to slip some surprises in.

I didn't like the psychologist, however she was true to herself. It did bring forth a couple of great dialogues that I wouldn't have wanted to miss.

I think some of the scenes of this novel will stick with me for a long time to come. Let's just say it's not for the faint of heart. The fact that you're propelled into the narrative of the victims at time is not an easy read.

I recommend this read if you're into dark thrillers, it's not much of a mystery but it's still a pretty wild ride.

Anyone familiar with my taste in books knows I prefer my thrillers a bit on the darker side.
Careful what you wish for…this is one over-the-top, wicked read!

“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of man? The Shadow knows.”

The shadow man has an agenda. He’s on the prowl for the perfect victims to meet his objective. What is that you may ask? Come on now, you know I can’t tell you...that would spoil the fun!

Connie is a forensic psychologist brought in from the US to aid the local Scotland police. Connie is no wall-flower and her methods are let’s just say, out of the ordinary. But yet I loved her! She’s tough as nails and won’t hesitate to go toe-to-toe with anyone.

Can her expertise help find The Shadow Man before time runs out?

This was my first read from Helen Fields and jumped at the chance to read this one. I am thoroughly hooked and planning to go back and read her series which looks equally chilling!

A buddy read with Susanne that left us in opposite sides of the bookshelf! But that made it even more fun to read!

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK

Good premise but just did not deliver for me. Did not enjoy the writing style or relate to the characters. Sorry found it hard to get to the end. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

“She wished he were just a monster. There were rules for those… But there were no rules that would keep you safe from him.”

All the stars for this spine-tingling thriller!

What a thrill ride this was! Deliciously dark, sinister and addictive, this was like a twisty rollercoaster I didn’t want to end. From the start there’s a chill in the air and a lingering sense of dread, leaving you in no doubt what kind of read you’re in for. And with all the elements of a thriller that make my dark heart sing, I couldn’t get enough. I devoured this book; staying up until ridiculous o’clock, unable to resist the lure of breathless anticipation; reading until the author delivered her spectacular coupe de grace.

"He pressed the handkerchief to her lips. A cotton kiss in the dark."

Helen Fields is a crime fiction powerhouse. She was already on my must-read list thanks to her spectacular DI Callanach series, but with this standalone she has become a crime writer to shout about and recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre. She gives you everything you could want in a dark and gritty thriller: visceral, chilling prose, shocking twists and turns, plenty of heart-stopping moments, and fantastic characters, including a villain that makes your blood run cold.

I really liked Connie. She’s intelligent, fierce and straight-talking, with a dash of quirkiness that spoke to my inner weirdo. She is so fabulously written, with such a rich backstory that I really felt like I knew her. Her achromatopsia was a fascinating aspect of her character that I loved reading. I liked how it changed her perception of people and the world around her. In fact, I think my only complaint about this entire book is that it isn’t the start of a series and I won’t get to join Connie as she solves another case.

As much as I liked Connie I think my favourite character was young Meggy. She is a little firecracker and I loved her strength, bravery and ferocity. It gave me hope that just maybe she might survive her abduction. I loved the contrast between her and Elspeth and the way it showed it isn’t always the people you expect who take charge and fight when in those kinds of situations.

"Death had arrived. He might be wearing jeans and a denim jacket, but there was no mistaking the lack of humanity in that gaze."

Fergus, aka the Shadow Man, is suitably vile and chilling, The descriptions of him are so vivid I felt like I could see him in front of me. Ghoulish and predatory, he silently stalks his prey from the shadows; waiting for the right time to strike. He is masterfully written, with the author capturing every shade of his character; from darkest, despicable evil, to charming and feeble, that evoked some sympathy alongside the abhorrence. Calculated, organised, methodical and manipulative, he doesn’t follow the normal rules of a kidnapper which makes him harder to predict and apprehend and Connie must think outside of the box to capture him.

Scalpel-sharp, eerie, captivating, and dripping with suspense and heart-stopping tension, this is a page-turner full of red herrings, shocking reveals and so many twists you’ll get book whiplash. DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK! And, to Helen: PLEASE consider writing a follow up. I need more Connie!