Genre: Thriller

Koontz and Patterson fans, here’s one you won’t want to miss.  Cody McFadyen’s debut thriller, Shadow Man, will have you double- and triple-checking your locks and windows each night! 

FBI Agent and serial killer specialist Smoky Barrett had a successful career and was well-known for her talent in solving cases, until one horrible night of violence took her young daughter and husband from her and left her wounded and scarred, both inside and out. The story opens six months after this tragedy, and we see Barrett trying to pick up the pieces of her life and trying to decide if she can go back to work.  She receives word that a life-long friend of hers has been brutally murdered, and this prompts her to get back in the game.  The hunt is on for a man who thinks he’s a direct descendant of Jack the Ripper and intends to play a game of cat-and-mouse with Barrett, committing murders until she catches him.  He even sends her computer video files of the horrific crimes.  Barrett must find the killer before his crimes become more personal.

This novel is definitely not for the squeamish.  McFadyen’s descriptions of several murders left me sickened and shaky; however, don’t lose faith in the author to bring you some relief near the end!  Well-written, fast-paced and enthralling, this book is one you won’t want to miss if you love thrillers.  If you’ve read it and feel the same, drop a comment, or tell us about another thriller or author that may appeal to crime/thriller readers. (This book contains explicit language and violence.)

Like it? Read the sequel: The Face of Death