From the Shadows

wow, what a novel! I loved every minute of it, it was well written, interesting and full of plot twists! The characters were well fleshed out and I enjoyed my time reading it.

If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. RECOMMEND IT!

DI Monica Kennedy is investigating the murder of a young lad and helping a local social worker, Michael Bach, with the disappearance of one of his young clients. When more bodies turn up the whole investigation gets to close to home and lives are in danger.

Being from Inverness then I am instantly intrigued with books set in the Highlands and this was beautifully written. The landscape and weather were on point and the characters were believable and intriguing. Can’t wait to read a sequel! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

An interesting and enthralling story with many twists and turns. I was thoroughly engrossed whilst reading the book and could not put it down. Definitely recommended.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC, I have enjoyed reading this book.
This is the first book in the DI Monica Kennedy series, which is set in Inverness and the Scottish Highlands. The characters are extremely interesting, the three main police officers are all flawed in different ways. The storyline is about the disappearance of young men and when the bodies are autopsied a Black Stone is found in the throats of each of them.
The storyline is extremely clever and there are many twists and turns and misdirections, until as a reader you begin to wonder who is the killer and who are the victims.
Highly recommended.

Scotland is cold in the winter and clear skies let you see the stars. Young boys are murdered and posed in death and left with a piece of rock within them. What can thus mean and what is it leading to?
Monica is on the case and gains help form Michael. A dark, well written book that is a gripping read throughout. Characters are well written and the plot twists to the end. Enjoy!

There is definitely something about the vast expanse of the Highlands in Scotland that makes it quite possibly the perfect setting for crimes like the ones featured in this book. The fact that everything is so remote creates that eeriness that people can disappear and potentially never be found.

This book follows two lead characters: Monica Kennedy, a Detective Inspector juggling the pressures of a demanding job and raising a young daughter on her own, and Micheal Bach, a social worker struggling with his own inner demons whilst at the same time trying to help young adults work their way through life.

These are two very different characters who collide in the course of a set of gruesome murders both with a vested interest in finding out what happened. Despite them being unlikely acquaintances in their own round about way they actually seem to work really well together and it was an enjoyable read to experience the investigation from both their point of views.

There is a really good twist at the end of this book concerning an unlikely character and really created that little ‘wow I didn’t see that one coming’ moment. This is a book I would definitely recommend for anyone who likes police procedurals or who likes to read along with an investigation trying to solve the clues.

I was drawn to this book by its setting in Inverness & the Highlands as it is an area I am fairly familiar with. That might have been what made me pick it up but it wasn't what kept me reading!

A young lad disappears from his bedroom & is found miles away posed in an almost ritualistic fashion with a stone wedged in his throat. DI Monica Kennedy fears that this may not be a one off killing. Michael Bach is a social worker who is fast approaching burnout. He is searching for one of his clients who seems to have vanished. The police don't seem very interested but he can't seem to shake off the conviction that Nichol's disappearance is suspicious & he worries that this is another young life he has failed.

Divided into the days the case takes & switching from Monica to Michael's perspective with some confusing additions from 'the watcher' this is a fast paced police procedural. I really enjoyed it and I hope there is more to come in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this five star book.