Reviewed by Craig Sisterson
Twenty-five years ago, Paul's friend Charlie Crabtree brutally killed their classmate - and then vanished without a trace.
Paul's never forgiven himself for his part in what happened. He's never gone back home. Until his elderly mother has a fall. It's finally time to stop running.
It's not long before things start to go wrong. His mother claims there's someone in the house. Paul realises someone is following him. And, in a town many miles away, a copycat killer has struck.
Which makes him wonder - what really happened to Charlie the day of the murder? And can anyone stop it happening again?
I've been a fan of Alex North's storytelling since before he was born. While the pseudonymous scribe of dark and disturbing thrillers made a great first bow with last year's THE WHISPER MAN, I'd already enjoyed several great crime novels from the man behind the (pen) name.
This second Alex North thriller continues the high standards that have run through the entire resume. It's an unusual take on a 'main character returns to their hometown, bad things happen now, entwined with a mysterious past, secrets and dangers come to light' sort of storyline that isn't uncommon in the crime genre. North delivers something fresh, disturbing - and to be fair, that may sit a little uneasily with some readers given its flirtations with the supernatural or things a little 'out there'.
THE SHADOW FRIEND soaks in a creepy, spooky atmosphere as Paul Adams returns to the small English town of Gritten for the first time in 25 years. A quarter century ago a brutal murder occurred there; one of Paul's school friends was killed by two of his other classmates. Boys that Paul had hung out with a lot over the previous months, a quartet led by the troubled and charismatic Charlie Crabtree. A boy who seemed to believe that if they all trained themselves, they could dream lucidly, giving them unknown powers beyond their drab lives in a drab town.
Teenage fun to pass the time, or something far more dangerous?
The latter, as it turned out. Paul's world was rocked when one friend died, another of the gang of four was sent to prison for the murder, and ringleader Charlie disappeared. Was he still out there, haunting the town and those who remembered? When a similar killing occurs in another town, just how much influence does long-lost Charlie Crabtree have? A killer who believed in lucid dreaming...
Candidly, I think THE SHADOW FRIEND may divide readers a little more than THE WHISPER MAN. I really enjoyed it, soaking into the atmospheric tale and enjoying where North lead us. I wondered (even worried) how far down the supernatural track we might go, but overall felt the balance was good. Creepy, spooky, yet believable too. Other readers may struggle with certain aspects. The storyline bounces between past and present, building to some gut-wrench moments.
Another fine tale from a very fine storyteller, whatever name he uses.
Craig Sisterson is a lawyer turned features writer from New Zealand, now living in London. In recent years he’s interviewed hundreds of crime writers and talked about the genre on national radio, top podcasts, and onstage at books festivals on three continents. He has been a judge of the Ned Kelly Awards and the McIlvanney Prize, and is founder of the Ngaio Marsh Awards and co-founder of Rotorua Noir. You can heckle him on Twitter.
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