The Shadow Friend by Alex North

Author: Alex North

Title: The Shadow Friend 

Publisher:   Michael Joseph

Published: 2020

Pages: 366

Genre: Mystery Thriller 

 

     The victim was his friend. So was the murderer. Twenty-five years ago, troubled teenager Charlie Crabtree committed a shocking and unprovoked murder. For Paul Adams, it's a day he'll never forget. He's never forgiven himself for his part in what happened to his friend and classmate. He's never gone back home. But when his elderly mother has a fall, it's finally time to stop running. It's not long before things start to go wrong. A copycat killer has struck, bringing back painful memories. Paul's mother insists there's something in the house. And someone is following him. Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago. It wasn't just the murder. It was the fact that afterward, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again . . .

     Recently I seem to be going through a lot of suggested books in my to be read pile. I guess I'm really lucky in the sense that my friends who read not only read some really great books but know me well enough to throw me titles they know I will love. So While The Shadow friend is a title that was new to me it comes from an author I have heard of before. Though to my shame, I have yet to read, his first book The Whisper Man has been lost in my to-buy list for far too long. Honestly, at this point, the list system is more anarchy based than anything else, But I fear I digress back to the matter at hand. 

     There is something about reading books on your home ground. Whilst much like most other readers a great many books I digest are from the U.S I'm now trying to make more of an effort to read more homegrown authors. And when it comes to Alex North I feel like I hit gold, and am once again deeply thankful to the person who suggested it to me. Quite often when it comes to British crime novels that is an image that pops into your mind of a certain kind of detective and crime dealt within a very British way. Now don't get me wrong I have and still do greatly enjoy such novels but sometimes it's great to read something in a different vein. 

     In some respects, The shadow Friend to me feels like it has much more of an American feel to it. Maybe as I said before it's because, for the most part, British crime novels tend to be very much detective-driven. It is only really in recent years that that mold seems to be breaking free. To me, this allows for a whole new world of possibilities in the stories being told. North's style is one that drawn down deep into that dark other world. It's creepy tentacles wrap you in its icy embrace and force you to see what took place all those years ago. I can see why this book seems to splay out over several different genres of writing. Whilst there is something very familiar about the world in which it takes place it does seep out into the world of horror at times that is more than capable of inducing you to go close the curtains of these dark winter nights. 

     He has spun a yarn that to this reader at least is very reminiscent of the satanic panic of the nineteen eighties and also to some extent the real-life murder case of Devils Knot. It is something that seems perfectly plausible when in the grip of some fevered nightmare. It is a narrative that gripped me and would refuse to let me go. Each time I put the book down to have to go do something I could not wait to get back to it a delve back into its secrets. I'm always a fan of crime novels that air on the side of brutal murders and blood-splattered walls. And here North did not fail to deliver, but I think he did it in a way that didn't seem like he was arbitrarily killing off people so as to up the body count and shock his readers. Everything that is done within these pages is carefully thought out and executed with the right amount of flair as to feel those cold fings playing at the back of your neck. 

     Now you may be mistaken for thinking from what I have written before that this is a book just about bloody murders. But I think it is much more than that, firstly it is about secrets. Those pesky things that can eat away at everything they touch and twist the paths we set out on till we can't see up from down anymore. I can't help but feel secrets really end up protecting those that they were supposed to. And secondly, this is a book about friendships. We all like to think that as of this moment those we call our closest will forever be in our lives. But sadly this is not always the case, things can happen that will tear apart those bonds and leave all we thought we knew in taters.

     So this is a book I could talk about endlessly, it ticked so many boxes for me and one I enjoyed so much. To say this book is dark would not be an entirely unfair statement to write, the topics to which it relates to and what our poor heroes go through could leave you in no doubt of this statement. But it also has a great deal of heart. There are people the despite all truly care for one another. I for me it is this which lifts it up just ever so slightly from its dark world. It shows that no matter what there is light in the world. And it is through these people that make life worth the living. So in these dark winter month, you should definitely light the fire close the curtains, and grab your self a copy of The Shadow Friends