The Shadows

by Alex North

[kimbacaffeinate]

Paul Adams returns to his childhood home when his mother has a fall. He left when he graduated and never looked back. Events surrounding Charlie Crabtree made Paul want to forget. But coming home stirs up memories and questions.

The second narrative is that of Detective Amanda from Featherbank, whose investigating a ritualistic murder performed by two teens. Her investigation leads her to Charlie Crabtree and eventually Paul.

While the story dragged in places, or perhaps I was impatient and frustrated by the audio player, the flashbacks were atmospheric with supernatural-like elements. I found myself asking if Charlie was dead. Childhood Paul and adult Paul aren’t much different, and he struggles with seeking answers and trying to forget. What he finds in his attic and the questions from Amanda raise questions. Combined with eerie threats and disturbances, North raised the hair on the back of neck.

The storyline was suspenseful as the past met the present. North brought it all together and made events feel plausible. Something is definitely wrong with the water in Gritten, and I for one won’t be visiting. If Paul is smart, he’ll take the next train headed north.

“Red hands, red hands, red hands everywhere.”

John Heffernan did a stellar job as the voice of Paul. He had to perform them both as adults and young teens. His voice was believable and enhanced the overall tale. John’s narration was perfect for me at 1.3x

Hannah Arterton was the voice of Amanda and she captured the young tenacious detective. Hannah naturally talks fast and each time her narration began I had to adjust the speed. I listened to her at 1x, something I never do. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer