Wow! I was not expecting that. I wasn't sure about the move away from the 'Perfect.....' series but this was amazing.
5 stars

This is a noir crime novel with a chilling psychological perspective. It draws the reader into The Shadow Man's mind. His identity is no secret, but his thoughts are. The reader gains insight into his terrifying fantasy.

Three diverse victims have to try to escape their prison. The insights into their situations and the actions they take make this a fascinating and immersive read. A criminal psychologist and detective tasked with providing expert advice to Police Scotland form a formidable team.

This is powerful, and at times, graphic psychological suspense, the atmospheric setting adds to the suspense. Complex characters and a cleverly paced and twisted plot make this addictive.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

**Thank you Netgalley, Helen Fields, and Avon Books UK for an advanced reader copy of this book.**

The Shadow Man has taken three people. They don't know why they have been taken - only that they can't escape. Trying to escape means uncovering secrets.

I LOVED this book! The description doesn't give much away, but that's because if anything else is said, it could ruin the story. I was worried going into the book that I wouldn't like it - that it would be cheesy or easy to predict but I was wrong on both accounts.

The descriptions of the house in the book were fantastic! I kept trying to map it out in my head but it's nearly impossible. I loved Connie's character because it was like she fit perfectly into the narrative. I also loved that the book was set in Scotland.

I can't wait for another book in this series!

The Shadow Man - Helen Fields

Not a bad book, I've certainly read worse. I didn't get to finish as it expired but what I had read was ok.

I was super interested in reading Helen Field's new standalone after reading all of her D.I. Callanach crime series books. If you haven't read any of these, they come highly recommended.
The Shadow Man is another great read. There's a terrifying situation at the heart of the book, which drives the narrative forward and the book pulses with suspense. For me, another great driving force is the character of Connie Woolwine, who's an American forensic psychologist; her driven, intelligent and passionate personality is great; I really enjoyed her scenes with Brodie Baarda the detective working with her.
A really enjoyable book and highly recommended!

Jaw dropping!! A must read for lovers of creepy crime thrillers! Seriously chilling, dark and sinister.

Set in Edinburgh, Scotland, the character of Fergus Ariss alias The Shadow Man is one of the most cleverly written evil villains I have ever come across. He suffers from a rare illness called Cotard’s Syndrome which I had never heard of before reading this. What an absolutely exceptional idea to base your crime novel on.

We follow 'The Shadow Man' as he stalks the lives of Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier who will all become captives to the allusive Shadow Man. Desperate to escape they find hidden horrors as they try to escape the building they are prisoners in.

Detective Inspector Brodie Baarda and Forensic Psychologist Profiler Dr. Constance ‘Connie’ Woolwine work together on the case and there seems to be no common link between the abductions. Both their characters are interesting, they have a simmering chemistry and work well together. Connie is confident, blunt and colour vision impaired (achromatopsia) which means she only sees in shades of grey. Brodie is terribly English, refined but has a warm character.

Can they catch 'The Shadow Man' before he gets to his end-game?

This story explores a very rare and disturbing condition and the darker side of crime, fascinating characters and great pacing. Praise to the author Helen Sarah Fields and her extraordinary imagination. A recommended read and I look forward to more case solving from Connie and Brodie.

This was a creepy and dark thriller! I enjoyed the many twists and turns, I totally didn't see the ending coming - wow! If you love that creepy feeling, that suspense, you get when you read a psychological thriller, then you should read this book,

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Shadow Man by Helen Fields. I have never read any books by Fields, so this was my first exposure to her novels.

I think this may be a build up to a new series as the characters are interesting and deep and it would be a shame to have them stay in this book alone. Thoroughly found this book compelling and scary. Seriel Killer, maniac, on the loose - and he's got his eye out and for a very specific type.

This is a scary real novel and worth reading.

3.5 stars.

You know when your looking for that read that gets you on the first chapter, well this is the one. Great read and hard to put down

I've always enjoyed books from Helen Fields and this stand alone thriller is really good.
Gripping from the start.

This was a really strong, gripping, engaging thriller. Connie and Baarda are great lead characters and easily likeable. The case was intriguing and horrifying in equal measure. The only thing that I struggled with at times was the flow and pacing, I felt sometimes like the story was lagging even when enough was happening that I should have been fully invested. Therefore I didn’t find this an edge of my seat read like I’d hoped, but enjoyable all the same.

THE SHADOW MAN is a new stand-alone crime thriller novel from the bestselling author, Helen Fields of the Perfect series. This was my first read from Helen Fields and I was very impressed. This story set in Edinburgh, Scotland grabs you right from the start and doesn’t let you go.

The Shadow Man watches and familiarized himself with his victim’s lives. He had an accurate structure of his victim’s life. It required lots of patience…but he had time.

The reader follows the Shadow Man as he collects his victims. But he doesn’t keep them safe.

The novel opens with his first victim, Angela who he brutally murdered, suffocated and left for her husband and children to find. Her killer had stalked her and broken into her home, likely watching until he had the right opportunity.

Connie Woolwine is a forensic psychologist brought in from the US to help the local Scotland police with the assistance of Detective Inspector Baarda from Met Ops in London, to work on a missing person case.

What followed shortly after were three abductions. Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier are locked in a flat. They don’t know where they are, and they don’t know why they’re there. They only know that the shadow man has taken them, and he won’t let them go.

The three of them must work together to find a way to escape…from The Shadow Man.

This is a fast-paced well-written thriller which is told from the perspective of The Shadow Man, his abductees, and American Forensic Psychologist who is working with the Detective to find Elspeth.

Many thanks to the author, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley for my digital copy.

Kidnapped out of your own home. What can be more scary than that? The police has called in Baarda from the Mets and Connie from the States to help with the case of a missing woman. They quickly find out that Elspeth isn't the only one missing.
This is a very suspenseful book. You can not wait to get to next page to find out what happens to the victims.

This was a very gripping book that I read in one sitting. I was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering what, just what, will happen next!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This author always writes a great book with unique characters and storylines. I think I have read most of her books and enjoyed them all.

In this book, we follow Connie Woolwine, a American forensic psychologist is requested to assist Scotland’s MIT to create a profile of their latest crime, a murder and abduction within a short period of time. As the missing persons keep piling up, Connie uses very uncommon ways of seeing what her suspect would see, she pushes the boundaries of her job and profiles a man who seems to be kidnapping and collecting people for unknown reasons. Her contact is DI Brodie Baarda, a great match for her skill set. Connie has a very interesting way of seeing the world due to her achromatopsia, and it definitely becomes a strength to her in so many ways.

A great story, it had me on the edge of my seat. As we get to know our suspect, Fergus, we see him try to play out a bizarre fantasy with his victims and can only wonder what lengths Connie will go to to find and stop him. Great characters and such an interesting storyline, one I have not read before.

I have heard about the ‘Perfect’ series by Helen Fields but haven’t yet had a chance to read it. I grabbed ‘ The Shadow Man’ immediately I saw the ARC and now I am hooked to the author’s writing.

This story iss dark with a terrifying yet strangely captivating unsub who stalks and abducts people. I was captivated right from the first page. What are the unsub’s motives? This was the main question running through my mind as I read this book. On the hunt for the Perpetrator are Dr. Connie Woolwine, Forensic Psychologist and Detective Brodie Barda. I enjoyed the psychologist angle as it gave me the opportunity to dig deep into the dark mind of the Perp. Through this angle, I also found out about a terrifying mental condition which both fascinated and repulsed me.

This is a quite well written thriller that is fast-paced and utterly captivating. Its dark, creepy and will have you looking under your bed before you sleep. As I already mentioned, the Unsub is disturbed but yet fascinating in a twisted way. I needed to figure out how their mind worked so as to uncover the motives behind the crimes. I liked the investigators and Dr. Connie’s unorthodox methods were something memorable. I wish this was a series so that I can see this team work on another case. Twisty, shocking, captivating, fans of this genre cannot afford to miss this title.

I'm a huge fan of Miss Helen Fields' Perfect series. I freaked out when I was invited to read her first standalone novel!

I enjoy stories with Psycho killer because I find them very smart though I know it is not normal. But the way their brain really works and how they plot their killing, it is fascinating.

Like the villain in this story, Fergus Ariss. He really was like a Shadowman with his victims. Props to the main character who is Connie Woolwine, I have higher respect with psychologists.

The author's knowledge with medical conditions and law is incredible! I can't wait to read her next book soon or the continuation of her Perfect series! 😍

Thank you Harper Collins and Netgalley for the ARC!

I was beginning to think I was never going to finish this book. After getting through the first chapter I was worried I wasn’t going to like this book & I really should’ve gone with my gut & passed on this one...but I do not like starting something & not finishing. I feel like the story picked up around 50% but even still there were too many things that this book didn’t have going for it. I could not stand the main character Fergus (although I’ll give the author props for describing him well enough for me to be completely disgusted by his character), I really struggled to like any of the main characters & the storyline was super far fetched. I was curious how the story was going to progress & I pretty much stuck it out to see what happened to the victims (specifically Meggy). The ending was ok but I was hoping for a little more from the victims.

This is the second book I have read by this author. It is the first stand alone novel. I could see this book though being turned into a movie or expanded as a television series. Due to the dynamics of Forensic psychologist Connie and Detective Inspector Baarda. I liked them both. They really worked well together.

This book shows that you don't always need romance or gruesome violence to write a really good book. The storyline was great and the characters all had distinct voices as were they engaging. Even when I knew who the person was behind the kidnapping, it did not deter me or take away from this overall vibe of the story.

Fergus is an intriguing character. He is the wild card in this story. You never truly knew what he was going to do next. There may have been three victims Meggy, Elspeth, and Xavier but there was truly one superstar. Her name is Meggy. She was the youngest but the fiercest one of them all and my favorite too.

I recommend this book to mystery readers alike. You will become a fan of this author as well.

Warning!!
This book is way too dark, disturbing and gruesome for some people.
Although I did enjoy learning about new things and cases in the book.

Set in Edinburgh, The Shadow Man is Helen Fields' first standalone thriller. Having not read a book before her previously this was a bonus for me.

The plot follows an investigation by Police Scotland's MIT.
DI Brodie Baarda, an Eton-educated detectives down in London Met has been sent up Edinburgh’s MIT due to lack of staffing. Dr Constantine Woolwine, a forensic psychologist from American has been selected to aid in the investigation.

Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier have all been locked in a flat. All is not what it seems.
Elspeth is the wife of a wealthy, well to do Scottish socialite, Meggy is a twelve-year-old school kid and Xavier a unable bodied male in a wheelchair is the third kidnapping victim, but who is the abductor and why are the victims being held against their will?

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I might with it being set in Scotland. If this wasn’t an ARC or kindle I would have passed this on to a fellow cadaver fan!

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.