Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I was pleased to be approved for Helen Fields new book and have really enjoyed her DI Callanach series.

I really, really enjoyed this book. The two main characters were very likeable, had believable background histories and had to work together to find a missing person and investigate a murder. I thought the book was very well written, had lots of suspense and a great plot line with plenty of twists in it. It engaged me from beginning to end and I think it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year. I loved the brief appearances from two characters from the DI Callanach series. I think this is a stand-alone book although I am hoping that there will be a follow on featuring these characters. Just loved it.

I really enjoyed this story. New characters and an excellent story..creepy but fascinating. Hopefully more from baarda and connie to come!

Well written psychological thriller, however I found it really hard to empathise with any of the characters, those investigating were rather clinical and cold. I adore the DI Callanach books but this I struggled to read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

Wow!! Like a punch in the mouth, this dark psychological thriller grabs you from the first page and doesn’t give you a moments rest until the last page. Her characters are wonderfully developed and the taut story line makes this a book that is hard to put down. Another smash hit by Helen Fields!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

4.5 stars
The Shadow Man is a thriller set in Edinburgh. We are introduced to Dr Connie Woodwine, an American forensic psychologist and crime profiler. She’s been asked to work with DI Brodie Baarda on a kidnapping case. Connie is also interested in a recent murder case, and she adds her own unusual investigation methods into the mix.

When more kidnappings occur, the pressure to solve the case shifts gears; Connie offers a theory which seems bizarre, and which she just has to prove before time runs out for the victims.

I liked Connie, with her flaws and her brazen personality; she acted unexpectedly and it worked well with the story. The narrative goes back and forth between the police investigation and the kidnapped characters. Some of these parts were particularly brutal, but no more so than what has come to be expected in this genre of fiction. The story moves at a good pace, and the build up to the ending had a twist which I hadn’t seen coming.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and I am still able to say that I can happily recommend her to readers of police crime fiction, or those who like books set in Edinburgh and who don’t mind a bit of gruesome content.

A man believes he is dying, rotting from within, but before he is reunited with his mother, he wants to prove to her that he has his own lovely family. So he kidnaps a woman, girl and man to be his wife, child and brother.

Dr Connie Woolwine has been brought to Edinburgh from America when a woman is killed in unusual circumstances, which puts her forensic profiling skills to the test as she works with DI Baarda to find the killer before his latest kidnap victims meet a grisly end.

Gripping throughout, well written and very pacy, this was an exciting read. By making the reader sympathise with the killer, we find him even more frightening than if we just saw a stereotypical psychopath. Excellent.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting and I liked the characters. It kept me guessing and I just had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next.

I also liked the ending.

A new standalone novel by Helen Fields. The Shadowman collects his victims to to help fulfil his delusional world. Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier are the latest victims and stay strong to keep one step ahead of the Shawdowman. DI Barca and brash American forensic psychologist Connie Woodwine team up to help work out the mind and identity of the Shadowman before it’s too late for his victims.
An easy to read in one sitting book, and I enjoyed the fast pace and disturbing tones to the characters.

A very clever plot, this really kept me guessing, and was a hard book to put down. I was totally absorbed by this book. Amazing read which I would recommend to anyone.

I got so into 'The Shadow Man' that for the first time in a really long time I got so creeped out by a book that I had weird nightmares and was convinced someone was coming up our stairs in the dead of night.

At first I wasn't at all sure if I would even manage to get into the story or like the characters. The lead partnership of Baarda and Connie was interesting but a bit cold and clinical. They felt quite distanced from me as a reader, but the more I read the better their characterisation became until I am now desperate to read another book about them. I don't even really know why. Their relationship was full of great banter and sass with a good deal of respect too, but it also seemed that there weren't any specific events that could be put forward as concrete evidence of development. Development was happening but not explicitly.  So the ending was both a surprise and not at all a surprise.

What I really loved was the description. There were a few occasions when I stopped and re-read a sentence just because the descriptions were just so different and refreshing. There were none of the usual cliches and more of a clinical use of words. They created great images, especially those relating to Fergus. I could picture his skeletal frame so clearly. The bones poking at the skin. 

The multiple narrative voices were also a great tool. They kept the plot interesting giving new perspectives. Essentially it was quite a simple main plot but with lots of movement and character based development all of which was held together by the different narrative voices.

I'd say around the 50/60% mark I did want something a bit more dramatic to happen to pull my interest back in again as it had in the early chapters. It just needed a halfway boost to the main plot.

In comparison the ending was really impactful. It didn't seem like a HEA was a given so I was super on edge through reading. I also loved the 'cliffhanger' ending. I would love to read amother in the series immediately just to get some closure!

📖BOOK REVIEW📖⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#theshadowman by @helenfields_author @avon_books @netgalley

This book was excellent. The first stand alone by the author and already I want it to be a series please, please 🙏

As I’ve found with all of this authors other books, it grabs your attention straight away and doesn’t let go till the last page. The story is interesting, unusual, gripping, really fast paced with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

I absolutely loved the main characters, investigative duo forensic psychologist Connie Woodwine and Brodie Baarda from the Met Ops Team - they made such a good team! They really brought some humour in a pretty dark and disturbing book! I also really liked the appearance of a character from the authors main series, it made it feel very homely like you’d just snuck into another part of the police department for a while!

Overall an excellent fast paced gripping thriller of a ride! Definitely would recommend this one!

➡️for synopsis

Thank you to author #helenfields #avonbooks and #netgalley for allowing me to read this one early!

Out February 4th 2021

-Emily

This was one of the best psychological thrillers that I have ever read. It was gruesome and macabre and so full of twists that I read the whole book and kept getting surprised. The villain was from a horror story and the victims were true innocents who did not deserve their treatment at his hands. Connie, the psychologist on loan to the Edinburgh Police Station is intuitive and so smart that she scared me at times. Detective Baarda was smart but he was not as strong a character as Connie. The strong female protagonist was a perfect foil for the very crafty and evil kidnapper. The story moved along at a very fast pace with new characters introduced intermittently to add to the story. I read numerous books at the same time,and this was the book that kept drawing me to its pages. I just really wanted to know what was going to happen next to little Meggy, Elspeth and Xavier. Each of these victims has difficulties before they are kidnapped, so their backstories were just as interesting as the main tale. All in all, this book was well worth reading and I was sad to see it end. I really want to read more about Connie and her talent to read people and situations and Baarda and his relationships. Fans of suspense thrillers will really enjoy this book!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

The first stand alone novel by one of my absolutel fav’s - Helen fields. Fair to say I bloomin’ love the perfect series so I was so excited to get an advance copy of this one! The shadow man abducts people and keeps them in his home. But why? This story delves into the mind of a mentally unwell individual so is pretty dark but as expected it’s so well done! The American profiler Connie and DI Baarda are both interesting and likeable characters who make a great pairing and I really hope we get to see more of them! Excellent writing style, captivating thriller and an original plot 👏🏻 thank you for the arc!

"When your sole intent was to survive the next hour, consequential thinking wasn't the priority."
" They were still alive. There was still hope. While they were crying, they were breathing."

That Helen Fields is my favorite author when it comes to crime/ thrillers is already a known fact.
What I like about her writing is that it's just so "matter-of-fact"-ly. If you're not watching yourself, you'd end up thinking what you're reading is based on real life events... although it wouldn't be completely aberrant to believe so given her choice of topics.

The Shadow man, just like her previous books in the DI Callanach series, reveals everything from the beginning. You know who did what, you kinda almost know why they did it and you know who must find them and what's at stake. What follows is a game of cat and mouse, the criminals and police/detectives caught in some kind of a macabre dance ( can't get Saint-Saëns out of my head).
Why I say macabre? Because Helen never shies away from gore, from violence, from cruelty. Found this the hard way in Perfect kill and it's here too.

The Shadow man captures people, with no apparent pattern, and keeps them in his house, a house with fake, painted on windows and landscapes. The people have all assigned roles they have to not just play but live and believe for their purposes transcends reality.

American profiler Connie works alongside DI Baarda under Overbeck ( mentioning them because they're from the same universe as the DI Callanach series) and has to find him although it seems an impossible job to do.

Now, my impressions are influenced by the fact that I'm familiar with the author. I enjoyed the comfort of meeting the same writing style and the same well done plot and story.
The only "flaw" was one of the characters about whom I can't tell you much but man did she annoy me. I understood where she was coming from but it kept nagging at me, the dissonance between her behaviour and her supposed context and state of mind ( also, age. although age is both argument and counterargument here).

All in all, it was a pleasure reading this and Helen Fields remains strong on her place as my fav author in the genre. I highly, highly recommend her Perfect ( or DI Callanach) series ( though not if you're sensitive).

Oh, btw, you should know I got this book from the publisher in exchange of a review :) However, that did not, in any way, affect my views on the story.

About the author, relevant info in the matter of why are her stories always lifting off the pages:
"With a background as both a prosecutor and defense counsel, Helen Fields has a depth of knowledge about crime that lends a fierceness to her writing. From Courts Martials to care proceedings, the Coroner Courts to the Crown Court, Fields draws on her professional years for the extraordinary colour and texture that makes her writing jump off the page. "

I was dying to get approved for this book. Was so excited this morning when I got it.
It wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be I was a little disappointed. The characters just didn't draw me in and keep me wanting more was overall good but not a great read for me.

Thanks to the Author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

I don’t even know where to begin with this book except to say that it is absolutely BRILLIANT!!
My heart was racing and my palms were sweating on numerous occasions whilst reading this! There aren’t many books out there that can make you feel like you’re watching a movie but this book does does exactly that. The writing is incredible, I’ll certainly be reading more from this author in the future.

This book just had too much going on and the descriptions of trying to break through the floorboards was way too repetitive and detailed. I just could not comprehend the abductions and how Fergus process his life and that of his captors. I did like the profiler and the detective. Meggy was feisty. The whole book was dark and too weird for me. An overland of details made this book a struggle .

Another book by a fantastic author. This book is a standalone book and part of Helens current series. Full of suspense and edge of your seat reading. You will be hooked and needing to turn those pages in no time.
Maggie, Elspeth, and Xavier, find themselves thrust into something neither of them want to be a part of. The 3 of them trapped together must find a way of escaping. How or if they can survive can only be discovered by reading the book.
Occasionally you need to remind yourself to breathe, as you read just one more page, then another. You'll be

Complex mystery/thriller with good characters and intriguing storyline.Lots of twists and surprises,I hadn't a clue.

Thank you to NetGalley, the amazing Helen Fields and Avon Books UK/Avon for forwarding to me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is Helen Fields' first stand alone novel with the unlikely pairing of strong willed rule breaker and American forensic psychologist Dr. Connie Woolwine and straight laced play by the rules London Detective Brodie Baarda. They are investigating the disappearance of a young mother named Elspeth, who has been kidnapped outside of the yoga studio she frequents.

The mystery of who has kidnapped Elspeth is not one to the reader. We are introduced to Fergus Argiss early on and hear his point of view throughout the book .Fergus believes he is dying as part of Cotard's Syndrome, which is an integral part of the book. As more are taken in Edinburgh and his house becomes full, Fergus begins to unravel and starts making mistakes.

The Shadow Man can be very graphic in some parts and is not for the faint of heart. There is not your typical "All tied up in a bow" ending but it I was very satisfied with it. If I had one complaint, it is in listening to Connie speak, her language is one of a Scot and not one of an American, using phrases such as "boot" instead of trunk or "eat a curry".

I thought this book was amazing and I can't wait to read more Helen Fields!