Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

From the Shadows by G. R. Halliday is a gripping thriller that introduces a compelling new series lead. Detective Inspector Monica Kennedy is called in when a body is found on the coast of the Scottish Highlands and is determined to find out who is behind the murder. Social worker Michael Bach is also looking for someone whose mysterious disappearance seven days prior may be linked to the death.

The author expertly crafts a fast-paced plot filled with compelling characters, surprise twists and a page-turning narrative. G. R. Halliday’s impressive descriptive language evokes the stark beauty of the remote setting, making it come alive.

This outstanding debut is sure to leave readers on the edge of their seat, wondering what will happen next. From the Shadows is perfect for fans of mystery and suspense novels, as well as for readers who appreciate strong female leads.

This is the first G.R.Halliday book I have read but it won't be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed it as it had everything I like in a mystery - well written, police procedure and interesting characters. It was full of twists and turns and a surprising ending.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House for giving me the opportunity to give my unbiased opinion.

Monica Kennedy is an absolutely brilliant heroine and is reminiscent of Vera! Well written and thoughtful in style.

An enjoyable read with some interesting characters and an intriguing plot that keeps you guessing. Very atmospheric and rather gruesome in parts.
Probably only a 3.5*, but uprated to 4 as it's a debut.

I keep telling myself not to start any more series or I won't be able to keep up, but G.R. Halliday's debut FROM THE SHADOWS offers something different with its melancholic backdrop of the rugged and remote Scottish Highlands. It's something of a welcome addition to the noir crime fiction genre that is both eerie and atmospheric set in and around Inverness and the Highlands.

When 16 year old Robert Wright disappears in the middle of the night from his home, his disappearance at first goes unnoticed until his mutilated and tortured body is discovered in an apparent pose in a remote part of the Highlands. A black stone wedged down his throat.

Enter DI Monica Kennedy.

Monica has recently moved back to Inverness and is trying to make an impression. She has a 4 year old daughter Lucy with whom her mother is more often than not looking after her while Monica investigates her latest case. When Monica receives the call about a young boy found up on the Highland moors, she delegates her team to sift out any missing persons who might match the description. Meanwhile she attends the post mortem hoping it might throw some light on his death. The nature of his wounds and the posing of the body make Monica think that this is not the killer's first...but she has nothing really to prove or disprove the idea.

Meanwhile social worker Michael Bach is worried about one of his clients, Nichol Morgan, who has been missing for seven days. When he hears about a body found up in the Highlands, Michael fears it could be Nichol and is called in to identify the as yet unidentified lad. He is relieved to discover the body isn't Nichol and yet it raises more questions as to where Nichol could be. Michael follows a carefully laid sprinkling of breadcrumbs left by his client in the hope that he will find him safe and well at the end of the trail. But instead, Michael comes up against some characters who nearly beat him half to death but don't give him any further answers. Throughout his search, Michael seeks Monica's help along the way as officially the police just seem to dismiss Nichol as one of their many runaways.

Then another boy is found up in the Highlands, his injuries matching those of Robert Wright whom the police finally identified after his father reported him missing, Monica feels the race is on to catch this killer before he strikes yet again. Although a suspect is in her midst, Monica is not yet convinced of his involvement although her superiors are happy to lay the blame at his feet, particularly when he turns up dead having committed suicide. Or did he? Monica isn't convinced. Then her superintendent brings in a wholly untrustworthy psychiatrist to help steer their enquiries with a profile. He too seems quick to believe the dead man's involvement with that of a missing gamekeeper who knew the second victim.

As Monica and her team continue to investigate the murders, Michael uncovers some very interesting information about previous deaths and disappearances under similar circumstances. And all with a similar black stone found lodged in their throats. What is also interesting is that both the pathologist on the cases and the journalist investigating the stories Michael discovers are also dead with the latter having committed suicide. Or did she? Michael had also discovered that one of Nichol's friends had been found dead in a river some months prior and the conclusion was that he too had committed suicide. These suicides are all sounding far too coincidental for Michael's liking and he brings his findings to Monica for her to peruse.

What then ensues is a race to uncover the murderer before he claims another victim...this time with Monica in his sights.

I quite enjoyed FROM THE SHADOWS which is part police procedural and part thriller...which is always my favourite kind. The setting of the remote Scottish Highlands gives a chilling and atmospheric feel to the story and the reader feels that remoteness of the dense black night where many a person could find themselves lost forever in the mountainous terrain. It gives credence to the feeling of being alone...particularly as mobile phone signal is so patchy out there and one is cut off from everyone and everything.

The story is told in the third person from Monica and Michael's perspectives throughout with the occasional inclusion of "the Watcher". As it is in the third person, we learn that the watcher is male with the constant reference to "he" or "him" when alluding to himself. Had these chapters been in the first person narrative his gender would have added more of a mystery...though it was fairly obvious that it was going to be a male villain. Still...it could have provided an interesting red herring with maybe a female luring the victims out at night...teenage boys...a femme fatale...hormones and all that. But that's just my opinion.

As debuts go, FROM THE SHADOWS is a page turner from the beginning though I did find the pace slow down a little in the middle before picking up again towards the end. Some of the loose ends at the conclusion were a little too loosely tied up and the explanations somewhat vague by the end. And yet one of them does offer the promise that it may be followed up in a future installment...maybe? The other secondary characters of DCs Fisher and Crawford left a little to be desired as both fell into my own suspect pool at one point or another. It is also apparent that Monica doesn't really like either of her colleagues but I was glad to see she didn't follow the same lead as other protagonists in her position and become unlikable bossy bitches. She kept things professional which made her an appealing character. One thing I found missing was the usual banter that goes on between colleagues...the gallows humour which I always appreciate (probably because I have a similar dark humour) as it adds a little contrast to what is essentially a dark and tense narrative otherwise.

I liked Monica and I liked Michael. Both are interesting protagonists with pasts that are just begging to be delved into. I hope Michael features in further books in this series as he makes a welcome addition and distraction. The one thing that did grate on me was the constant reference to Monica's height. I was only a couple of chapters in when already it was becoming a thorn in my side. Yes, she is tall. Yes, she is very tall. No need to keep referencing it throughout 413 pages.

The highlight for me is by far the atmospheric setting of the remote Scottish Highlands which creates a very dark and chilling atmosphere. The wilderness, the barrenness, the remoteness, the emptiness...it is seriously chilling. The beauty, the tranquilness, the isolation and the danger...it is the perfect setting for such atmospheric thrillers and I look forward to more from this author trekking me up into the Highlands once again.

Overall, FROM THE SHADOWS is an enjoyable atmospheric read that is chilling and thrilling with the potential for the characters to develop in further installments. As a debut in a series, I think it shows real promise and I will certainly look out for more to come.

Perfect for fans of dark, intense and atmospheric crime thrillers.

I would like to thank #GRHalliday, #Netgalley and #VintageDigital for an ARC of #FromTheShadows in exchange for an honest review.

Twists and turns galore with this very entertaining read. I was gripped from the beginning and enjoyed it until the end. Recommended.

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a fabulous debut. Well done to the author. This book is eerie, creep and thrilling. I was hooked all the way through. A recommended read. Looking forward to the next one.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

fans of vera will love this book

'From the Shadows' introduces an interesting new protagonist into the Scottish noir genre in the form of DI Monica Kennedy, an experienced detective and single mother who has recently returned to her hometown of Inverness to be closer to her mother and provide further support for her four-year old daughter.

When the mutilated body of a teenage boy is discovered, Monica is soon thrown into a dark and twisted investigation - one that results in her crossing paths with social worker Michael Bach who is on the hunt for a missing boy.

Whilst the case was gripping and the writing excellent, I really struggled with the graphic depictions of violence and the bleak tone of this book. A melancholic atmosphere hangs over the novel - very in-keeping with the tartan noir genre but it made this a little to dark for me personally.

Fans of Ian Rankin's Rebus series or of the Vera novels are likely to find much to enjoy here - Monica is a really interesting character and the novel is very well plotted and has all the elements of a gritty police procedural. The dark tone and graphic depictions of violence mean I personally won't read any more of the series, however I'd definitely recommend the book to anyone who enjoys their dark and noir-ish police procedurals.

3.5 stars from me

I am a bit torn with this review, I absolutely loved the last book I read by this author and worry that I am doing this one an injustice. 

Ok, so, the good:

Monica is a great character.
Monica's mum is ace.
The dogged determination of the social worker was superb, exactly how you'd want a social worker to be!
A whiff of police corruption, love it.
Great storyline. Great.

The not so good (for me) although I worry this good just be a case of lockdown meh so take with a pinch of salt:

It seemed to drift a little in places.
I couldn't quite keep track of who was who.
I just don't believe a mother like Monica would put her own child in harm's way.

Don't let me put you off as I have also read a later book in the series which I gave a big fat 5 stars to, so it's probably a case of 'it's not you, it's me'.

Only one way to tell right, read it for yourself.

From the Shadows by G.R. Halliday is a very good example of a detective thriller. I was engrossed from the start and enjoyed being introduced to a new author and interesting characters. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes a fast paced thriller.

My thanks to Netgalley and Vintage for the opportunity to read this book..

This was a murder mystery set in the Scottish Highlands. The female detective has problems with her self worth and management problems with her daughter. This takes up rather too much of the story. The storyline was good but was a bit too unfinished for me.

A very well written and interesting book. I loved the characters, the plot, the twists and turns and that it was set in Scotland.

Very well paced book from the offset! Kept me gripped throughout and I didn’t guess the ending at all until it was happening!

Really liked the interweaving storylines from Monica and Michael.
However, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the whole “detective who neglects her child” storyline.

I will read the next book in this series as I did enjoy this one but... I found the repeated repetitious repeats about DI Kennedy’s height really got on my nerves. She is a tall women and every single person she meets comments on it or reacts to it or there are ducking under doors... it did get a bit much. But this is a genuinely gripping story with some nice twists and turns and the Monica character has enough depth and complexity to carry a series. Plus the Highlands and Inverness area are a excellent setting.

Several teenage boys have gone missing and subsequently turned up dead in horrific circumstances. DI Kennedy is uncertain of some of her team’s commitment. She is guilty about the amount of time she doesn’t spend with her daughter - 4 year old Lucy - and keeping her investigations separate to her home life. Her mother vicariously wants to live a detective’s life by knowing all the details.

The crimes are well plotted and the narrative well developed and although it did get a big saggy in the middle (don’t we all) there was more than enough here to keep me turning pages. The side characters - especially the rather pathetic social worker who feels he’s let everyone down - are engaging and credible. I will look for book two and give this author another chance to shine.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Every character has a psychological depth and we experience every emotional and rationalising twist in all the detectives and new police heads .. impacts on family as a result of job.
And main detective (for us), Monica .. is super aware of how she looks to others .. tall and gangly ..with a child she adores .. the crime under surveillance is a nightmare and when a father knows it's his son and the professional ID him, it calls into except it calls into question ...I find the writing itself a bit stiff!

The writing is solid and well-controlled, so I was surprised to find it hard to get going. The ominously tall Detective character has potential to bring a brooding menace, combined with strong emotional connections, so I felt I should be enjoying it more than I did. Flitting between plot scenes made me have to re-read sections (never easy on a kindle) and I have to admit feebly that I couldn't sustain to the end, so no spoiler alert here!

I really enjoyed this Scottish Crime Thriller and thought the characters were realistic. The story slowed in pace at times but built up towards the end. I would like to read more by this author.

Great read, , good believable characters, very well written, and thoroughly enjoyed. Lots of twists and turns to keep the reader interested.