I truly enjoyed the pacing of the story and the well-written characters. This book took me by surprise. It kept me interested throughout the story and I needed to see what was going to happen. I would recommend this story to all thriller and who-done-it lovers.

In The Shadow Writer, the lines between friendship and obsession begin to blur between Graye and Laura in this novel. Thrilling and suspenseful! Great story.

This is exactly the kind of thriller that I love to read! Here is a summary of my experience with this book:

I love that this starts out sweet and innocent. I think I could be best friends with Graye.
Ok, here comes some darker elements. It's starting to get good. I think I've got a handle on what's going to happen.
Oh man, I've read past bedtime. I must go to bed or I'll be good for nothing tomorrow.
It's lunchtime - 30 minutes to read. Yes! Wait, what just happened? Oh my god, I have to go back to work! No! No, no, no!
Ok guys, I brought dinner home. Make sure you clean up after yourselves. I've got some important work to do, so tell your Dad if you need anything.
Ok, back to the story. Yep, ok. I see where we are going now. I thought it was going to be the other way, but I get it now. Ok, wait. Wait a minute. Wait. A. Minute.
Let me clean these glasses and think about that for a second.. Where is my ponytail holder? Why is it so hot in here?
Oh my gosh!
No, no, I can't help you right now, go find your Dad.
I just need 30 more minutes! I have to find out how it ends.
Just 10 more minutes!
Oh man! I did not see that coming! Whew!
That was an excellent book and now I'm exhausted.

Please do yourself a favor and pick up this great thriller. It just sneaks up on you.

This book just didn't call to me the way others in this genre have. I just couldn't get involved in it and didn't want to finish it.

Author Eliza Maxwell spun such an ingeniously complex web of mystery in The Shadow Writer that it took the last third of the book to unravel it in the climax!

This story takes the phrase “nothing is at it seems” to an entirely new level. Practically every character has a unique backstory and a closet full of secrets. Some secrets are revealed as we go along, but the most secretive secrets are saved (or should I say savored?) for later in the story.

Much like the other Eliza Maxwell novels I’ve read, this is a dark story. The further we get into the meat of the story, the darker it becomes. And just when you think things could not possibly get any darker – they do!

**The Characters of The Shadow Writer**
Graye Templeton and Laura West are the two protagonists. Graye is an aspiring novelist with a dark and secretive past. Laura is a very successful book blogger. The only thing they seem to have in common is Laura’s husband – a successful novelist, who is also Graye’s idol and mentor.

Each woman has her own supply of ambitions and problems. However, when Graye accepts a position as Laura’s assistant, a string of events is put in motion that could not possibly be predicted (or stopped), culminating in murder.

Eliza Maxwell gives us some very brief looks into Graye’s earlier life, but that did not prepare me for what comes later. (That’s a good thing.)

**Audio and Technical Aspects**
I’ve heard that you should never go to Alaska on your first cruise because it’s one of the better cruises. That’s how I feel about this audiobook. This was my first audiobook, but I have a hard time imagining anyone doing it better than narrator Karissa Vacker did in this story.

The audio was amazing!

Technically, the audio was well-balanced. It was free of any background noise. Further, the narrator’s enunciation was perfect. And then there were the voices! Oh – the voices!

Not only did Vacker change the pitch to differentiate characters, she also gave each character a unique voice. I very much enjoyed that!

The pacing of this novel is noteworthy. I think it takes a real talent to draw out a climax as long as Maxwell did here. But it doesn’t get boring! Just when things seem to die down, there’s another reveal to keep the reader FULLY engaged.

This is one of those stories where I didn’t see what was coming. I wasn’t even looking in the right direction! But once I finished and looked back, I saw the events of the story in an entirely new and original light.

I enjoyed this story very much!

The Shadow Writer, by Eliza Maxwell
BY MERRYCI@YAHOO.COM · PUBLISHED MAY 24, 2019 · UPDATED APRIL 29, 2019

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A Twisted Tale…
Graye Templeton is a writer. Unpublished so far, the young woman is thrilled to start a new job working for successful book blogger, Laura West. Laura is married to a popular author. Seems a perfect fit, right?

Behind the public life they reflect, trouble is growing. Right in the middle of it is Graye. Once hired to be Laura’s assistant, her efficiency thrives, though her personality still seems weak or shadowed.

Mysterious

From the beginning there is a mystery about both women, a sense that both have a different agenda than the one presented. Laura, whose thoughts seem to linger somewhere deeper than expressed, and Graye, the quiet one who feels no one sees her, yet dreams of success. There is an edge to them.

Graye hopes her novel will be well received by Laura. Laura hopes her marriage might revive. Meanwhile the man that changed everything for Graye has been released from prison.

Little shadows of truth hidden in the words of a manuscript reveal an abused past. Abuse can come in many forms, all can change a person forever.

The Shadow Writer is disturbing story that keeps you tense, with the sense that something worse is about to happen. And it does.

Lives intertwined in strange ways, characters who seem to be grasping for something just below the surface. The feelings that threaten to cause harm. And that is from most of the characters. Is anyone real?

Every step brings back memories from Graye’s past. Where will it lead? It is very twisty and intriguing, a story that will at times leave you holding your breath. If you like a psychological thriller, you will enjoy this one!



Book Description:
SYNOPSIS:

Every writer has a story. Some are deadlier than others.
Aspiring author Graye Templeton will do anything to escape the horrific childhood crime that haunts her. After a life lived in shadows, she’s accepted a new job as protégé to Laura West, influential book blogger and wife of an acclaimed novelist. Laura’s connections could make Graye’s publishing dreams a reality. But there’s more to Laura than meets the eye.

Behind the veneer of a charmed life, Laura’s marriage is collapsing. Her once-lauded husband is descending into alcoholism and ruin and bringing Laura nearer to the edge.

As the two women form a bond that seems meant to be, long-buried secrets claw their way into the present, and the line between friendship and obsession begins to blur, forcing each to decide where her loyalties lie. Running from the past is a dangerous game, and the loser could end up dead.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Eliza Maxwell
Eliza Maxwell is the author of The Widow’s Watcher, The Unremembered Girl, The Grave Tender, and The Kinfolk. She writes fiction from her home in Texas, which she shares with her ever-patient husband, two impatient kids, a ridiculous English setter, and a bird named Sarah.

An artist and writer, a dedicated introvert, and a British-cop-drama addict, she enjoys nothing more than sitting on the front porch with a good cup of coffee.

Connect with Eliza

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

I want to thank everyone involved for me receiving an arc of this book. My apologize for my delayed review it in no way reflects negatively on this book at all because I loved it.
The Shadow Writer is a complex labyrinth of lies, manipulation, and characters that may or may not be guilty of heinous crimes or be victims of horrific family dynamics. Who's really to blame once the dust settles and the blood stops flowing? The murder mystery party at one point in The Shadow Writer reinforces the notion that no one is to be trusted when the crime game is afoot. Everyone has an agenda, a motive, an alibi. Pinpointing the protagonist in this story is not easy, probably by design. Actually, each person's role shifts around a bit, depending on the point of view, making it difficult to determine who to trust, who to believe, who to like, and who to despise. The protagonist in any story is meant to be flawed, but can those flaws balloon out of control and cross over into the unforgivable? Does that mean that person has really been the antagonist all along? The Shadow Writer overflows with questions and clues, yet watching the mystery unfold is exhilarating, with the suspense swirling around you and buffeting you toward that next chapterr
It takes immense talent to weave such a complex tale that won't completely befuddle the reader because of the mosaic of characters interconnected by chance or by force and the plot filled with twists and turns and surprises around every corner. Eliza Maxwell definitely has that talent because The Shadow Writer mystifies, intrigues, tantalizes, and entertains, expertly providing the reader with plenty of reasons to keep turning those pages. Who is Graye Templeton? Does she even know? Is her identity blurred beyond redemption, or is it crystal clear and neatly compartmentalized? Who is actually authorized to tell, and even finish, her story? Graye is a puzzle for the reader but even more so for herself. You may find yourself lost in these pages but it is worth it. I felt like this was a beautiful game of who done it and I needed to know why. Graye is so interesting that I think she may be a mystery to herself and the reader until the very end.

This book is mostly definitely one of the most emotion stirring I've read in awhile. The characters come to life. the back stories are real and bring the current events to a surprising ending. As you read, you will find yourself sitting a little straighter, turning the tv off, and telling everyone to leave you alone as you wait with breathe held to see what happens next. I enjoyed this book so much, I now have to go see what else Eliza Maxwell has written.

This is the first book I have read by this author, but I will definitely be seeking out more. Maxwell has an intuitive grasp on manipulation and lies which unfold in her writing. I liked that this story had a realistic ending.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

For some crazy reason when I first started this book I was not expecting much. Even though I have loved this author’s work before I didn’t hold a lot of hope for this book. I have no idea why because it’s now in my top ten favorite books. From the beginning to the end this book held my attention. Made me want more. Made me want to know what was coming. What happens next. Who exactly is Graye/Grace. Why is she the way she is. Then wham, I got almost to the end and it all came together like you won’t believe. All the answers to who did what and why. What happened to little Grace that made her so afraid and timid all the time. What exactly in her life made her who and what she was.

This book is truly a very good thriller. It held me on the edge in so many places. Made me cry in so many places. I really truly liked Graye/Grace. I think she was a victim of circumstances starting at a young age. The abuse, neglect, hatred all made her become the woman she was.

The characters are so well developed and likable with the exception of a couple. I did not like David West at all. I loved his wife Laura. I liked Sister Margaret but she also made me a bit mad in a couple of places. She had her reasons for what she did though.

This book is like a book within a book. It is a story about a child who is a grown woman and it’s about a grown woman who was once a child. A child who needed to be held and loved. She wanted a friend. A true friend who would not leave her.

This book will definitely give you lots of emotions. It will make you wonder about what you are reading and keep you wanting more. Eliza Maxwell has written a beautiful story that will haunt you for a time to come. Make you feel for a child lost.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Lake Union Publishers for this ARC. It’s my review in my words and my thoughts.

It’s a 5 star book by far. I loved it and HIGLY recommend it.

I don't know how I've missed this author, but I plan on reading her other books after having read this exceptional psychological thriller. This story centers around Graye Templeton, a young woman who after having survived a nightmarish childhood and witnessing the murder of her mother, wants nothing more than to have her story published. She becomes the assistant to a very influential book blogger and wife of a famous author, Laura West. As the two women become friends and Graye gets closer to having her dream become a reality, their lives begin falling apart and then there's the murder that changes everything.

“You can’t hide forever, Grace,” she hears him call."

This is the fourth book I’ve read by Eliza Maxwell and it is true to form with her writing talent for crafting a story that is out-and-out perfection. Eliza’s books are always memorable, but The Shadow Writer tops them all so far.

This is an emotional, suspenseful, powerhouse of a story that you don’t see coming at all in many regards.

It is not often a book can take you on the meanest, baddest roller coaster ever built. After reading The Shadow Writer, I felt like I’d just finished simultaneously riding every roller coaster I have ever ridden.

The Shadow Writer is a suspenseful story with multiple unexpected twists and turns that left me breathless and nearly gasping along with each chapter, especially towards the end of the book. It is a story that is dark to its core, yet has light at the end. The story weaves around the questions of who is Graye Templeton and what created her? It further weaves around Sister Margaret, who cared for Graye as a child, and Laura West, a blogger who Graye sought out to help her get Graye’s career started. How all three lives intersect is mind-blowing.

The Shadow Writer takes you along shifting chapter character/narrator views. Thrown into the mix of chapters are the words of a manuscript that secretly holds important clues. The changes in chapter narrations skillfully carry the story to an ending you’ll not believe or see coming.

How does Eliza craft these stories that leave you so emotional? That answer is as mysterious as her stories, but she truly has a gift. The best part of her talent is that each of the stories she writes is memorable.

The Shadow Writer is another haunting story that’s not to be missed if you love being taken for a ride that will leave you breathless, guessing, and shocked until the very end.

Thank you, NetGalley and Eliza for the opportunity of an ARC of The Shadow Writer.

I loved the unusual premise of THE SHADOW WRITER.

This is the first book I have read by Eliza Maxwell. It was an emotional, suspenseful and powerful story that totally took me by surprise. It had so many unexpected twists and turns that almost made me breathless! The plot which was so expertly written took me along a mind-blowing journey together with the inscrutable main character. This novel was astonishingly unpredictable and if thought-provoking psychological thrillers are your genre of choice, then I highly recommend THE SHADOW WRITER.

A well earned five stars!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Most books typically end with everything neatly wrapped up, all questions answered. However, sometimes the mystery tapers off, with the sad reality that lives are ruined or lost, memories are dealt with through storytelling, and some answers open up doors that are better left closed.

The Shadow Writer is a complex labyrinth of lies, manipulation, and characters that may or may not be guilty of heinous crimes or be victims of horrific family dynamics. Who's really to blame once the dust settles and the blood stops flowing?

The murder mystery party at one point in The Shadow Writer reinforces the notion that no one is to be trusted when the crime game is afoot.Everyone has an agenda, a motive, an alibi. Pinpointing the protagonist in this story is not easy, probably by design. Actually, each person's role shifts around a bit, depending on the point of view, making it difficult to determine who to trust, who to believe, who to like, and who to despise. The protagonist in any story is meant to be flawed, but can those flaws balloon out of control and cross over into the unforgivable? Does that mean that person has really been the antagonist all along? The Shadow Writer overflows with questions and clues, yet watching the mystery unfold is exhilarating, with the suspense swirling around you and buffeting you toward that next chapter.

It takes immense talent to weave such a complex tale that won't completely befuddle the reader because of the mosaic of characters interconnected by chance or by force and the plot filled with twists and turns and surprises around every corner. Eliza Maxwell definitely has that talent because The Shadow Writer mystifies, intrigues, tantalizes, and entertains, expertly providing the reader with plenty of reasons to keep turning those pages. Who is Graye Templeton? Does she even know? Is her identity blurred beyond redemption, or is it crystal clear and neatly compartmentalized? Who is actually authorized to tell, and even finish, her story? Graye is a puzzle for the reader but even more so for herself.

Whether you figure things out early or you constantly wonder what's coming next, The Shadow Writer is more than riveting because the narration shifts around; the snippets of the fairy tale drop clues like breadcrumbs; and the main characters are often baffled, angry, and determined to trick the reader at every turn with their constantly changing temperaments. Who's the bad one here, and who's the victim? Sometimes they are everyone.

If you like a good mystery that doesn't reveal its hand too soon, The Shadow Writer is for you. Prepare to read it quickly, but try to savor it. Allow yourself the pleasure of appreciating unique characterization, a well-crafted plot, and obscure circles of mystery that do eventually open up and reveal their justification, all in good time.

The Shadow Writer
by Eliza Maxwell


Kindle Edition, 348 pages
Published May 1st 2019 by Lake Union Publishing


Goodreads synopsis:
Every writer has a story. Some are deadlier than others.
Aspiring author Graye Templeton will do anything to escape the horrific childhood crime that haunts her. After a life lived in shadows, she’s accepted a new job as protégé to Laura West, influential book blogger and wife of an acclaimed novelist. Laura’s connections could make Graye’s publishing dreams a reality. But there’s more to Laura than meets the eye.
Behind the veneer of a charmed life, Laura’s marriage is collapsing. Her once-lauded husband is descending into alcoholism and ruin and bringing Laura nearer to the edge.
As the two women form a bond that seems meant to be, long-buried secrets claw their way into the present, and the line between friendship and obsession begins to blur, forcing each to decide where her loyalties lie. Running from the past is a dangerous game, and the loser could end up dead.


***

5 Stars

This book was really messed up. This story messes with your head until you don’t know which way is up.

It is told from many different points of view changing from chapter to chapter. In a way the author didn’t play fair because as we see through Graye’s perspective most of the time, it is her truth of reality we see. By the end, we realize that her truth of reality and actual reality isn’t really the same thing all the time.

This was a really convoluted story about a girl from an abusive background trying to move past it in the only way she knew how… through the written word. Her early fascination with David West’s groundbreaking novel made her sure that was her path as well… stardom…. being an author who was well renowned.

The pieces of this puzzle takes a long time to figure out as we wind through the book. Everything isn’t as it seems or as the person speaking in the chapter sets forth says it is. I felt a little deceived in that way when all was revealed at the end. And my original wondering about how young a killer can be in the beginning did indeed feel like I had foretold what would soon happen.

Great book. But be prepared to be deceived.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Loved this book!!! It wasn't what I was expecting at all. So many twists and turns. The book was a mystery/suspense without the reader even realizing it. There was so much I believed to be true and just went along with the story and then bam!!! The truth is revealed and I never saw it coming. I loved everything about the book- the characters, story and writing style. I enjoyed getting to know Laura and Graye an felt like I knew them until I really didn't. Some people can just hide their crazy better than others. After meeting Alexis, was their really any hope for Gracie??? I would have loved to be at the murder mystery dinner.

Definitely recommend the book . It had me hooked from the first until the very last page. Can't wait to read more books by the author, I absolutely loved The Widow's Watcher and The Grave Tender.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Shadow Writer follows Graye Templeton formerly known as Grace Thacker, a little girl who witnessed her sister and her sister’s boyfriend murder her mother. After the trial is over, Grace is taken under the wing of Sister Margaret. Today, Grace is Graye and a graduate student at Cornell University.

The novel starts with the meeting of Graye and Laura West, wife of David West, a famous author and the faculty member that Graye TA’s for. They become fast friends and Graye eventually is hired as Laura’s assistant.

From here, questions arise. Graye feels eyes on her everywhere and Sister Margaret warns her of someone dangerous possibly stalking her. Maxwell does a great job of making the fear palpable to the reader. Many, many questions arise, and Maxwell answers all of them in a very climactic ending at which point it is impossible to put the book down. You just want to keep reading to get all the answers.

I found Maxwell’s writing of deeply flawed yet realistic characters to be refreshing from the many perfect characters we read in other books. For every terrible thing a person does in the book, we also sympathize with some of the circumstances that led them to this point. To me, that is innately human, and something Maxwell does a good job of writing.

The story itself is very good. It keeps you reading and it moves quickly so you never feel like the book is in a lull.

I could see this one day becoming a feature film, and I really hope it does - it’s a great book.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Eliza Maxwell for providing me a copy of #TheShadowWriter in exchange for my free and honest opinion.

The Shadow Writer by Eliza Maxwell is a book that I will probably read again because there is so much going on in this novel that a second read would be beneficial. Graye Templeton is a woman whose childhood was marred by a terrible crime that was so notorious that her name had to be changed to protect her. She is hired as an assistant to Laura West, a well-known book blogger whose husband is a famous author. The women quickly develop a strong friendship. Upon moving to a Texas island, in a guesthouse next door to her employer's home, she soon realizes that the husband is a bitter drunk whose career is floundering. She took the job in the hope that Laura would help promote her book that she had worked on for many years. From this point there will be suspected adultery, a brutal murder, spousal abuse and mysteries galore. Nothing will be as it seems. This is a slow-boiling thriller that will easily hold your attention. The Shadow Writer is the first Eliza Maxwell book that I have read and I look forward to reading her other titles. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars
I loved The Widow's Watcher so I had really high hope for The Shadow Writer. That is kind of the down side of loving a book by an author. You end up having high expectations for the next book that you read by them. I wish I could say I loved this one as well. It ended up being OK for me. I feel like the plot had a good backbone, but the body just didn't fill out the way it could have. It just felt very unbalanced to me.

The first 60% of the book, nothing happens. The Time lines were jumpy and I had to re-read parts to figure out if I missed something. I didn't feel like I got to know the characters very well, so by the end, I wasn't really invested in them. The last 35ish% was the best part of the book. There were twists and a couple of surprises. I did call the big one in the end. I just wish the rest of the book had me as on the edge of my seat as the last 35%. I know that I won't love everything by an author, so I'm not giving up on this one. It is a fairly quick book to read, so I would recommend trying it out.

Favorite Quotes:

She signs the visitor's log, and the receptionist passes her a neon-green sticker to affix to her shirt. Proof that Graye isn’t some rogue criminal, there to ravish old ladies and steal pieces from the jigsaw puzzles.

She stares at him for a beat, struggling to remind herself of the man she knows he can be—when he isn’t being this one. It’s getting more difficult every day to bring that man to mind.

Whom you choose to be married to is your business, Laura. I decided a long time ago that love must be an evolutionary adaptation… It’s nature’s way of allowing even mediocre men to find a mate… Oh, child. How naive you are… If procreation were reserved only for extraordinary men, the species would have died a slow, sputtering death centuries ago.

A bad marriage is a forge. Once you’re in it, your only choice is to push forward and find your way out of the flames, scars and all, hopefully stronger for it… The alternative is to sit there and be burned to nothing.

She knows dwelling on could-have-been and should-have-been doesn’t change what is, but some days that’s a hard lesson to remember.


My Review:

This was a twisty, maddeningly paced, brilliantly plotted, and ingeniously written tale with a cast of intriguing and largely aberrant characters. While it was soon evident that one of the main characters was mentally disturbed as she noted concern with “losing track of what’s real and what isn’t;” I just hadn’t realized the extent or how far back the decimation went. Ms. Maxwell’s evocative writing was uniquely compelling, devastating, diabolical, and dauntingly engrossing. I was taut with tension and transfixed to my Kindle while nearly insane with impatience and driven to know every deeply buried secret past and present. I am on the hook and her devoted fangirl for life. I covet her advanced level of word sorcery and am greedily plotting to read her every word.