Review | The Shadow Friend by Alex North

Twenty-five years ago, Paul Adams befriended the elusive and strange Charlie Crabtree. Then Charlie committed a heinous murder before disappearing. Now, Paul has returned to his hometown to care for his sick mother. But when copycat murders similar to Charlie’s pop up, Paul has to face his past and find out what happened the night Charlie disappeared.

It’s a promise you have to make, and one you must do your best to believe in, because what else is there?

It’s going to be okay.

Yes, I think about that a lot. How every good parent says it, and how often they’re wrong.

Dark and atmospheric, The Shadow Friend is a haunting tale about friendship, memories, and loss. It takes some time to set the pieces but I was fully invested by the end. This is a coming-of-age drama and a murder procedural, and I thought both storylines blend seamlessly.

The flashbacks to Paul’s teenage years show in stark terms the highs of friendships and the lows of peer pressure. The eccentric Charlie introduces Paul and his best friend, James, to dream diaries and lucid dreaming. Even though he disliked Charlie and full of skepticism, Paul couldn’t help but be pulled in. I found the lucid dreaming scenes effectively creepy! The aftermath of a terrible murder and Charlie’s disappearance ended up affecting Paul until now. While he believes the past should be forgotten, he starts thinking differently when he feels watched in his old house. The book also shows Paul’s estranged relationship with his mother. This relationship is tinged with longing and regret, and I thought the book hits every emotional beat without resorting to sentimentalism.

Detective Amanda Beck first appeared in The Whisper Man as a supporting character. Here she is the lead detective in the murder of a teenage boy reminiscent of the Charlie Crabtree case. Her path is on a collision course with Paul and it was interesting to watch both of them searching for the same answer. There are a couple of surprising reveals that I didn’t see coming, and I appreciate the author’s sleight of hand in handling the story.

The slow pace in the first half of the story, unfortunately, affected my enjoyment. I wish Paul is a bit more solid as a character, as I didn’t really grasp his personality beyond his trauma. I also wanted to know more about Charlie as he is the catalyst to everything that happened.

If you’re looking for a creepy read this summer, The Shadow Friend would be a great choice!

CW: suicide, violent scenes

I received a digital copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review purposes. The Shadow Friend is released as The Shadows in the US.

About the author: Alex North

Photo by Max Bender