This is quite an exciting thriller, the premise being that two bodies are discovered in the Scottish Highlands, and it transpires both have been dismembered before death. We then follow Annabelle, a young woman off on a driving trip, who is made to crash by the sudden appearance of a young girl. When she wakes up, she is a prisoner and the nightmare begins.

DI Monica Kennedy is an appealing character, although there is an element that she wants everything - a high powered career as well as time to care for her young daughter. There is a slightly supernatural air to the daughter, as she appears to 'see' things that we know are happening elsewhere.

Overall a very entertaining read, a real page turner. I'm not sure I completely believed that Annabelle could recover from her injuries quite as well or as quickly as she apparently did, but the suspense is really built as the 'doctor' comes to see her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and Harvill Secker for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book confusing throughout and I’m not a fan of horror which the story definitely overlaps into. If you enjoy graphic and gory descriptions you will no doubt enjoy the whole read more than I did. I think I chose badly rather than there being actually much wrong with the book. You can’t please all of the people ...

This is a dark and disturbing tale. You are aware from the beginning that you are going to have an uncomfortable journey. You follow the police investigation, led by DI Monica Kennedy, as the gruesome discoveries are made but also glimpse some of the other victims. You share the horror which Annabelle feels first hand. The story is claustrophic and complicated and at one point, I did wonder if the truth was actually going to emerge.

The other interesting aspect of the story lies around the lives of the police, particularly Monica. You learn about her homelife and family and see that for her, her job has some challenges. It seems she has some demons of her own to come to terms with. I read this as a standalone, but in fact it is the second novel featuring Monica. However, I found it totally satisfying. Tautly written with a masterful plot, the story is not for the fainthearted.

In short: Dark deeds- one to read with the lights on!
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book

This is the second book in the Monica Kennedy series by G.R. Halliday and I must say that it was a fascinating and thoroughly compelling read.

In Dark Waters the opening chapters immediately lured me in. On a break from the Major Investigation Team, DI Monica Kennedy receives a call from an agitated Detective Superintendent Fred Hately - a drowned and dismembered body has been found by some fishermen. Kennedy rounds up her old team, DC Connor Crawford and university graduate DC Ben Fisher. Media specialist DC Maria Khan is an addition to the team. As Monica starts to figure out the identity of the murder victim, another dead body with the same grisly MO turns up.

Annabel is driving, too fast, on a mountain road in the Inverness area when the appearance of a young girl on the road causes her to swerve and crash. On waking from a concussed sleep, she finds that she is being looked after by Marcus, who makes reference to a 'doctor'. Scott is camping in woodlands nearby and sights a little girl after hearing noises outside his tent during the night, but is never seen again. Monica soon realises she is on the hunt for a serial killer.

The narrative was imparted from Annabelle and Monica 's perspectives in this nightmarish and exceedingly creepy read. In Dark Waters the well constructed plot is a real bone-chiller and the setting of the Highlands has been used to great effect, creating a haunting, bleak and sinister atmosphere. With grit, suspense and intrigue in spades, the reader learns something about the highly personable and efficient Monica and her personal life. Very highly recommended!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Random House Vintage/ Harvill Secker via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A good noir with a great setting and a gripping plot. I liked what I read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The main problem I had with this book is that it's way more horror than it is crime thriller. And it's mediocre horror some of the time as well. I mistakenly once watched the horror film 'The hills have eyes' and this book gave me the same sickening, grubby feeling. You know the one where you wish you could take your eyeballs out and give them a good wash - yeh, that one.

So, confession time - this is the 2nd book in the DI Monica Kennedy series and I have not read the first. This story does stand up on its own, although it refers back to the first book so often, that you'll find yourself irritated by it. It's enough to know that our main character has already had one very traumatic case, and some subsequent time off, so this case throws her back in the deep end.

There are some moments in this book that are particularly visceral. (Think limbs being removed...) I am not particularly squeamish, although if I am going to be given gore, I want the book to be creepy enough to justify it. For me the narrative around the gore just wasn't strong enough. I felt the evil characters perpetrating these crimes weren't fleshed out enough to really be horrifying. Also the contrast between these moments of horror and the procedural police investigation are quite stark. It felt jarring and the investigation moved really slowly.

The writing itself is actually quite strong (I know, I've been really negative up till now - but here I mean the style of writing), and this is clearly an author that can write. Most of the police team were well defined, distinct characters, especially the protagonist. The best part of this book was the descriptions of the remote Scottish landscape. We really get the feeling for how desolate and isolated it is, and how unforgiving an environment it is.

Ultimately, however, this was a book that really wasn't for me. I wasn't expecting quite so much horror, from what is billed as a crime thriller. But if you;re after a more gory Detective thriller, then this might be right up your alley!

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for this preview copy in return for an honest review.

Dark Waters is published on 16th July 2020 by Random House UK, Vintage Publishing

My thanks to Random House U.K. - Vintage Publishing/Harvill Secker for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Dark Waters’ by G. R. Halliday in exchange for an honest review.

“When she still had all of her arms and legs, Annabelle liked to drive. And it was while she was on one of her drives that she made the first mistake.” - opening of ‘Dark Waters’. Clearly this is not a cosy mystery folks!

Last April I reviewed the eARC of G. R. Halliday’s debut, ‘From the Shadows’, featuring D.I. Monica Kennedy and set in Inverness and the Scottish Highlands. I found it an excellent example of Tartan Noir.

‘Dark Waters’ follows suit with a very dark and grisly case for Monica and her team. Only brief plot details though as a taster in order to avoid spoilers.

Annabelle enjoys driving, especially in the BMW M4 that was a late 21st birthday present from her dad. She has come up from London to the Scottish Highlands for an escape. As she speeds along a deserted mountain road, she is forced to swerve and crashes her car. She wakes in a dark, damp room and is startled by a voice that says: ‘The Doctor will be here soon’. Clearly sinister!

DI Monica Kennedy has been on leave for six months and now returns to her first Serious Crimes case - the discovery of a dismembered body in a dam. Then a few days later another victim, also dismembered, is discovered. Monica knows she is on the hunt for a ruthless killer.

The narrative viewpoint shifts between Monica and Annabelle in short, fast paced chapters. Be aware that some scenes were quite gruesome.

This proved another addictive crime thriller and I read it in a single day.

The series’ trend for condiment-named pets continued as added to the ginger cat, Colonel Mustard, Annabelle is constantly concerned about the welfare of Mr. Pepper, a Pomeranian, that she walks for an elderly neighbour. Given her circumstances I think she’s deflecting.

I certainly am adding this series to my list of must-read police procedurals and look forward to more cases for DI Monica Kennedy.

Dark Waters is the second instalment in the Detective Inspector (DI) Monica Kennedy series set in the stunning surroundings of my favourite place on earth, the Scottish Highlands. This is a potent mix of the crime thriller, police procedural and horror genres and is gritty as well as gruesome. After the near catastrophe that happened in her previous case, forty-something single mother Monica has taken a break from MIT and has accepted a transfer to the traffic division but after eighteen years experience investigating serious crimes this is more than mundane to her. Luckily, she receives an almost panicked call from Detective Superintendent Fred Hately who informs her that they've just discovered a dismembered body at the site of a hydroelectric dam near Beauly. Kennedy then assembles her old team in order to begin investigating and identifying the male victim and the circumstances of his demise. Then a second body with the same nausea-inducing MO is found.

Annabelle is speeding along a road connecting Inverness and the West Coast in her BMW when she is startled by the sudden appearance of a girl in the middle of the road causing her to swerve and crash into a nearby tree. She awakens from unconsciousness to find herself trapped in a dark and dingy place with a man named Marcus who mentions the elusive ’doctor’ who will be ’treating’ her. Canadian Scott also sees a young girl whilst camping in a remote area and is never seen again. This is a nightmarish and unbelievably creepy read with a spine-chilling plot and where the setting of the Highlands is used to great effect creating a bleak and deeply sinister atmosphere. It is one of the most terrifying books I've ever picked up and there is grit, suspense and intrigue aplenty throughout. We learn more about the highly likeable Monica and her personal life too. Highly recommended but not for the faint-hearted! Many thanks to Harvill Secker for an ARC.

Dark Waters is the second novel in G R Halliday’s police procedural series featuring DI Monica Kennedy and if you have read From the Shadows, be warned, this one is every bit as disturbing. The heavily mutilated bodies of two very different men are discovered in the Highland district where Inverness based Kennedy operates.  Although officially seconded to traffic at her own request after the traumatic events related in the earlier novel, Kennedy is asked to take the lead role in the case as the only available senior officer.  Both victims are missing limbs and the indications are that they were alive when these body parts were removed.  

Intercut with the story of the investigation is that of Annabelle, a young woman with a fast car in search of a stretch of road on which to test it out. When the inevitable happens Annabelle wakens to find herself strapped to a bed and being administered to by the ‘weird’ Marcus who alternatively uses the promise of the presence of the mysterious ‘Doc’ to reassure her and threaten her.  The story then becomes both one of investigation and of a race against the clock to save Annabelle from the same fate as the earlier victims, although it is some time before the police realise this.

Like so many leading characters in modern crime novels, Monica Kennedy has a fractured past that haunts her current work: in her case problems that are linked by both a difficult family background and the repercussions of a previous investigation. I don’t feel that Halliday handles this aspect of the novel particularly well. There are too many hints and nods in the direction of what has happened to Kennedy in the past and Monica herself dwells on it pretty much all the time, but the reader never really discovers in any detail what those problems have been.  The character and the story are strong enough to stand on their own and I found that I was simply being irritated and distracted by the constant references to the leading character’s own traumas. The same was true of the suggestions that Monica’s young daughter, Lucy, is in someway prescient and able to provide insights into current cases through her dream world. The story doesn’t need that.  I did wonder if I was seeing the influence of James Oswald’s Tony McLeod novels here, but Oswald‘s point is surely a more universal one to do with the force of evil that will always accompany human desire for power and wealth. In Dark Waters the supernatural element seems added on rather than integral to the whole ethos behind the created world. Will I go back for a third novel? I’m not sure. Halliday writes well and plots well, but there is work to do on maintaining focus I think.

With thanks To Random House UK Vintage Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book.
Another brilliant instalment in the DI Monica Kennedy series. Had me enthralled from the first chapter. Quite dark in places but absolutely loved the storyline. Scary to think such sinister things can occur in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland. But remember, it’s only a story !!!
Can’t wait for the next instalment from this brilliant author.

Well written but I am afraid this was too graphic for me.. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

Annabelle has gone for a drive when she swerves to avoid a girl and crashes her car. She awakens not in a hospital but somewhere far scarier. DI Monica Kennedy is investigating the disappearance of two men after remains are found. Could there be a link and just what is going on at that remote location.

This is book 2 in the series and having read book 1 I was looking forward to this. It did not disappoint. It's a very dark and twisted story but well written. The plot is steady and builds to a brilliant dramatic end. The story switches between Monica and Annabelle which worked really well. The ending was so good and finished the story well. I love Monica though and Crawford is a brilliant partner for her to be teamed up with. Another great addition to the series and I look forward to more.

This book surprised me. I felt it was a slow but fascinating start it certainly built up to a tense finale.
DI Monica Kennedy and her team , particularly Crawford and Khan, really stood out to me I hope I can read more books that feature them in the future.
I liked the two separate storylines building alternately through the book, I felt it added to the tension. You have no idea when the story starts of where it is going but the stories start to blend nicely together.
Great book , definitely need to go back and read the first book because Monica Kennedy and her family are intriguing.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Vintage for the ARC copy of this book.

*shudders*

*whispers out side of mouth* I think there’s something wrong with this author...

Yet, what does it say about me that I’d read it all over again?! Well, maybe not straight away. A drink (or two) of the alcohol variety would be needed first, me thinks! *snorts*

I was honestly starting to wonder if I needed the help of an old priest and a young priest... *shrugs*

You may laugh, but I’m being serious here. Pfft!

D.I. Monica Kennedy returns in her most chilling case to date (and it’s only flipping Book 2). Note to self: never, I repeat, NEVER drive along any private roads in the Highlands – that is all!!

The storyline reminded me off two films that unsettled me as a teenager. I’m worried it’ll give too much away if I mention them here so all I’m going to say is come and find me when you’ve finished, and we can discuss. Coz, frankly, I think free therapy sessions should come with this book – *sings* justsayin’!

Like From the Shadows, Dark Waters is an unputdownable read, and I wish I could say that I read it in one sitting... but, alas, no – I was so unnerved at times that I had to have a wee break. Talk about making the hair on the back of your neck stand on end!

I’m doing a really crap job of selling this book to you, aren’t I?! *snorts*

Dark Waters is dark, chilling, and addictive crime read. Plus, you all know how much I love it when history is woven into a story. What a spin this one takes – jeepers! (Apologies *hangs head*, I have no idea where that jeepers came from.)

Monica proved yet again why she is such a fascinating multifaceted character, the developing relationships with her colleagues, more tantalising teases of her backstory, her mum and little Lucy. I didn’t want to say goodbye (but I’m scared of what’s coming next, lol).

Thank heavens it’s the light nights just now – if this were the winter months you can guarantee my house would be lit up like Blackpool Illuminations tonight. G.R. Halliday, you have a lot to answer for!!

Roll on Book 3!!

I knew when I read the first book, From the Shadows, that this series had real promise so as soon as this the sequel appeared on NetGalley I couldn’t resist requesting immediately and I was not disappointed. Halliday has kept all that made From the Shadows such a great read and come up with something even better.

The story picks up a few months after the events of the first book with DI Monica Kennedy and the rest of the team still trying to come to terms with everything that happened. When a dismembered body is found however Monica is called to the scene and finds herself back on the hunt for another serial killer. At the same time it seems there may be something or someone hunting unsuspecting tourists who wander into remote areas alone.

It’s an incredibly dark and creepy read with a few moments which could easily come from a horror film, think Deliverance or Wrong Turn. I do love a creepy tale but even I found myself checking all of the doors and windows in my house to make sure no one could get in. I wouldn’t describe it as a fast paced or action packed read but there’s a real tension to the story that makes it very difficult to put down.

Main character, Monica Kennedy makes for an intriguing main character. I wouldn’t necessarily describe her as likeable or relatable but there’s something about her determination to get to the truth and her love for her daughter you can’t help but admire. In this outing we also get a little more of her backstory, her relationship with her parents and her father in particular seems to be on her mind a lot. It feels like there’s some real character development and I found myself wanting to know more about her.

I also very much enjoyed the sections from the point of view of kidnap victim Annabelle. Her fear at her captivity and the mystery around where she is and what is going to happen to her makes for compelling reading. I did have my doubts around whether I liked her at the start, she seems quite superficial, but I found myself really admiring her and rooting for her. She has such determination to escape and to survive no matter what.

The real highlight of this story was for me however the setting. The beauty and the wildness of the Scottish Highlands are used to full effect by Halliday. There’s a sense of isolation and remoteness that adds to the dark and chilling atmosphere. I loved the use of the small and insular communities who live by their own laws and don’t welcome strangers. There’s no technology, no internet or social media and barely any phone signal. In some ways it sounds like the perfect escape from the modern world but if you’re alone and need help it’s terrifying.

Similar to my thoughts on the first book though I do feel like Dark Waters would benefit from a few lighter moments to balance out the darkness. I can understand why the author decided to keep the tone the same throughout, there’s not really a lot to laugh about in kidnapping and murder, but it’s just so unrelentingly dark. Even when Monica is spending time with her family or when she’s in the car with Crawford there’s no lightness and I think it really needed it.

I also would have liked a little more background on Crawford, Fisher and the new member of the investigative team. We do find out a little more on Fisher this time around but it’s not quite enough to make him feel like a fully rounded character. I felt like we got to know more around victim Annabelle.

Despite these minor niggles though I thought this was a great read and one I’d recommend to anyone looking for a dark and atmospheric murder mystery.

Monica Kennedy #2
set in the Scottish Highlands. Monica is working on some mundane cases after the trauma of the last case. But she,s been called in to investigate a body that's been discovered with the limbs missing. There's also Annabelle who is missing.

The opening chapter grabbed my attention and kept it there until the end. The scenery and the locations the author mentions are beautiful and they are well described. This is another quite grey read so it's definitely not for the faint hearted. The storyline is complex with a dark and gory feel to it. The chapters are told alternately by Annabelle and Monica's perspectives. I recommend that you read the first book in this series before you read this one as you need the backstory.

i would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and the author G.R. Halliday for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

On the blog I do like to move from genre to genre. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. I’ve a soft spot for books that hover on the edges. Crime we tend to think either of Holmesian logic puzzles or social commentary but sometimes the gory fascination with bad things that happen to people mean cases easily move across to horror. There is a rich seam of authors crossing the boundary John Connolly, Phil Rickman and Carol O’Connell come to mind. In Dark Waters we return to the Scottish Highlands for another nightmarish case for DI Monica Kennedy and her team only just recovering from the events of From the Shadows.

Six months from the last case DI Kennedy has been taking a sabbatical from the more serious crimes – taking time in the traffic department and trying to spend more time with her daughter Lucy. But a horribly disfigured corpse is found in the waters of a Highland dam; then another is found on the hills and it becomes clear something evil is out there. DI Kennedy is required once more. Meanwhile Annabelle an English woman visiting family decides to take her care on a remote mountain road for a spin…crashes…and finds herself severely injured and trapped awaiting a mysterious Doctor’s ministrations. She can hear his other patients too.

This story feels very much towards the horror end of a crime novel. Halliday’s Highlands are dark, wild and filled with places the laws of society don’t seem to apply. They seem to attract people who relish allowing their wilder sides to play. Whenever the team leave Inverness it feels like they’re in a different and more dangerous world. Gangs, thugs and monsters can all play here – and probably be all three at once. The mood of this novel is dark and oppressive. It is not a comfortable read. A big part of that is spending time with Annabelle and her entrapment in a dark and unpleasant cell and seeing her confined to a bed severely injured. Halliday does a great job of painting this woman’s life and we see her as a lost soul trying desperately to regain the confidence to read. Her scenes tend to be the most chilling and worrying.

Outside of the cell we get once more to see DI Kennedy in action. She is a fascinating character – literally standing out in a crowd with her six foot two height but also that she doesn’t seem to fit any world comfortably – police or her own local area. In this story we get to understand more of her childhood and her relationship with her father. This draws dark parallels with other characters and starts to make the case quite poignant for her too as she tries to set old ghosts to rest. I also liked in the story that we see the previous book’s traumatic ending was not forgotten. Kennedy’s team themselves are carrying the wounds of the book and we see them all act out of character. Only one book in and we already know how they should behave is a good sign of a new cast bedding into a series. One other stranger element which feels like this could be a growing thread is the eerie behaviour of Kennedy’s daughter Lucy who seems to see and dream things that she should have no awareness of. At the moment this makes the story hover on the verges of the supernatural and I’m intrigued if this is an eventual avenue for the books that may also explain some of the nastier elements lurking out in the mountains.

The tone is grim and almost hopeless as the team take steps into some very dark places. It does feel like another world in certain scenes and the finale is particularly heart racing as we realise what the true face of the horror involved is. Halliday has mixed in various old legends and crimes for the area and made it feel very textured – you’re walking into places and people with a past. Not everyone is willing to share either.

I think a book very much for those who enjoy their crime bordering horror. Strange imagery and characters who feel more like nightmares than villains abound, and the location really amplifies that feeling. Its an impressive two books to date and I’m intrigued what the long-term plan for the series and DI Kennedy will reveal as more secrets I suspect lie in waiting.

This was even creepier than the first book, which means it was an automatic amazing read for me.

DI Monica Kennedy is back, after taking six months of ‘normal’ work, needing the break from her last case. She’s spent more time with her daughter Lucy and tried to push the events of the horrific investigation out of her mind.

Unfortunately, there’s a mysterious dead body and her boss needs Kennedy back on the case.

I really enjoyed seeing Kennedy in her element as DI again and was surprised by how happy I was that she still had Crawford as her partner.

She wasn’t the only one having a rough time though and it appears Fisher is going through some things as well. With everyone dealing with their personal lives in the background, the case takes precedence. There’s another body, there’s something fishy about it all and Kennedy senses that things are more connected than they appear.

I loved that this was another dark and gritty Scottish Highlands crime noir. Halliday has it down to a science already after only two books. There’s such a creeping darkness and an almost supernatural element to it that my dark heart was leaping with joy.

Halliday’s writing style makes the chapters fly by and soon you’re reading this book at 3:30 AM and needing to know how it all ends.

There have been two bodies, but there are more victims, and as they find out that this one is connected to them in a way never expected, Kennedy takes on the clock to try and save the latest victim.

Absolutely loved Kennedy’s resolve and her inner reflections on her past as she deals with the case.

This was better than the first book, but after watching Deliverance and then reading this, I think I’ll be staying far away from remote areas.

You also may want to keep a light on to fall asleep with after reading this in the dead of night lol.

Perfect Scottish crime noir wrapped in a delightfully addictive and dark package.

4.5/5 cups of coffee from me, thank you to Vintage and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion as part of this tour!

4.25 Stars
Annabelle has come to the Scottish Highlands to escape, as she speeds along a deserted mountain road, she is suddenly forced to swerve. The next thing she remembers is waking up in a dark, damp room. A voice from the corner of the room says ‘The Doctor will be here soon’. Scott is camping alone in the Scottish woodlands when he hears a scream. He starts to run in fear of his life. Scott is never seen again.
Meanwhile DI Monica Kennedy has been called to her first Serious Crimes case in six months – a dismembered body has been discovered, abandoned in a dam. Days later, when another victim surfaces, Monica knows she is on the hunt for a ruthless killer.
This is the second book in the series & what a series this is turning out to be, dark, chilling & utterly engrossing. I love Monica who is recovering from her last case & she’s once again joined by DC Conor Crawford and DC Ben Fisher who are presumed to be fine after the last case but they are both still recovering and a new member DC Maria Khan joins the team. I loved the book & felt drained when I’d finished it, whilst I totally understand the darkness of the book I would have liked some lighter moments & it’s not a book to read late at night
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

There is nothing that will prepare you for the full force and dark atmospheric of Dark Waters by GR Halliday. This book will sweep you off your feet and carry you on a disturbing journey where every detail matters in the fight for survival…

Halliday is a master storyteller and since his debut novel From the Shadows, his skill level has increased tenfold. Dark waters is darkly captivating without flourish or artificial methods because Halliday’s writing style draws you in by using the vivid elements into this world to influence how the reader reacts.

Halliday is clearly remarkably familiar with Inverness, the location for his novels, and is able to use that for full artistic effect. The dense forest it fells oppressive and almost alive, claustrophobic which Monica herself feels as she is looking for clues, the dark caves and deep burrowing tunnels are hellish in appearance…

And all these elements marry together beautifully through the plot of the story, resulting in a dark, suspenseful, and eerie story that made my heart beat so much faster (I actually noted on page 63 that I’m forgetting how to breathe and my heart is racing). The story is told mainly from the POV of DI Kennedy, but occasionally to flick to other character’s perspectives, usually Annabelle, and I think it added so much more to the story to almost know what is happening, but not really giving you anymore and increasing suspense. The pacing is brilliant, slow in places to build the momentum, then your heard is going wild with so much anxiety for the characters – I almost screamed at them a few times out loud!, and the short chapters will keep you turning the page.
Also, the cogs moving the plot forward have logical sense and I did not sense any artificiality to get the story from A to B, instead the characters moved it all along beautifully.

In Dark Waters we get to know more about Monica’s team, delve deeper into their lives, all with purpose and meaning. It is clear that Halliday has been doing his homework and knows plenty about Police procedures and investigations. Made me chuckle a few times as in true detective style, nobody is bothering to take their radios with them and it made me stupidly happy that some typical thriller/horror clichés were considered for 0.5 seconds, then dismissed and did the rational thing! YESSSS!!!! 🙌 I love it when characters are not being dumb for the plot.
Some of the characters in Dark waters are unbelievably well written, their psychology and motivations making awful sense even in their madness. I really appreciate the efforts that Halliday put into creating believable madness.

Omg, I enjoyed this book so much and by that I mean: I felt every single emotion, I was drawn into the atmosphere of the novel and I got scared… a lot.
I thoroughly recommend this book, you can read it without From the shadows, however it would be far more enjoyable as certain aspects of the character’s emotions would make a lot more sense.