THE SHADOW WRITER
by
ELIZA MAXWELL
Genre: Psychological Suspense / Domestic Thriller
Publisher: Lake Union Press
Publisher: Lake Union Press
Date of Publication: May 1, 2019
Number of Pages: 348
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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.
I want to make sure this review is as spoiler-free as possible. This is all you’ll read about the plot from me: I DID NOT see those turns coming! The plot is twisty and well laid out. If there were clues in the narrative, I sure didn’t pick up on them. Great job there, Ms. Maxwell!
Instead of ruining the plot for you, let’s focus on characters and writing style.
I’ll admit that when I started listening to this book, I wasn’t sure if I could trust any of the characters. And by the end, I’m still not sure. Unreliable is a great adjective for the characters in The Shadow Writer. I probably wouldn’t want to hang out with any of them. (Though, that murder mystery themed blogger weekend sounded fun!) The characters are very multi-faceted, especially so Graye. I may not have empathized with her, but I certainly sympathized for her situation by the end of the novel. Laura keeps too many secrets for my tastes. But I always support an avid reader and book blogger. I adore these quotes from Laura:
“Don’t tell anyone, but it’s really not. I love reading days. I live for them.” [Regarding of working on Laura’s day off.]
“As my father likes to say, a person writes a book out of ego, reads a book out of hope, and recommends a book to another out of love.” [Referencing book bloggers as ‘tireless champions’.]
The Shadow Writer is multi-layered, well balanced, fast paced, and told from multiple points of view. The story works well with the multiple points of view. We discover small truths (or are they lies!?!) and histories of each character through their narratives. I enjoyed how the secondary story that Graye is writing is woven into the main story line. I did occassionally struggle while listening to the audio with the changes in timeline between past and present. I do wonder if that’s more a result of my thoughts wondering while listening, though, rather than the story itself.
The narration of The Shadow Writer is respectable. Ms. Vacker does a great job with inflection and intention of the characters, especially with the creepier passages. The narration really opens up the characters in the book for me. The voices of the female characters are easy to distinguish. I was really impressed with the voices of Alex and Laura. The conversations between these two women really showcases Ms. Vacker’s talents. However, I found myself challenged in separating the voices of the male characters. True, there are not many male characters, but I did sometimes struggle with remembering which one was speaking, especially in crowd scenes.
In general, I enjoyed The Shadow Writer. The equal parts mystery and thriller kept my attention. This is the first book by Ms. Maxwell that I’ve read. Based on what I’ve read on other tour reviews, it looks like such a serpentine writing style is a trademark of the author. I’ll certainly be checking out more of her books in the future.
I received The Shadow Writer free in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to author Eliza Maxwell and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing this opportunity. I’m especially grateful to have received both an audio and print version of the novel. Quotes are difficult to pull from audio-books. Receiving a copy of the print version helped me highlight passages as I listened along.
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TWO WINNERS: Signed Copy + $25 Amazon Gift Card
ONE WINNER: Signed Copy
ONE WINNER: Signed Copy
APRIL 30-MAY 10, 2019
(U.S. Only)
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I love stories with unreliable narrators. I tend to take things at face value so knowing that what someone says might not be the truth tangles my thoughts nicely
Stephanie Jane (Literary Flits) recently posted…#WorldReads – Five Books From Wales
Then this should be right up your alley, Stephanie Jane. I take every one at face value as well, so I completely understand where you are coming from!
I really enjoyed the narrator on this book — she nailed the creepy voice! And the story! Wowza!Thanks for a great review!
Thanks, Kristine! And yes, she definitely nailed the creepy voices!