⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Author: Alex North
Published: July 7, 2020
Pages: 336
Goodreads rating: 3.79/5
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Synopsis from Goodreads:
You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile–always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet–and inspired more than one copycat.
Paul Adams remembers the case all too well: Crabtree–and his victim–were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together. But now his mother, old and senile, has taken a turn for the worse. Though every inch of him resists, it is time to come home.
It’s not long before things start to go wrong. Reading the news, Paul learns another copycat has struck. His mother is distressed, insistent that there’s something in the house. And someone is following him. Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago.
It wasn’t just the murder.
It was the fact that afterward, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again…
My Mini Review:
This book left me craving more of this genre. Also, I figured my usual bright aesthetic could never do it justice, so I present to you my backyard (pictured above), where I’m frequently visited by bears (mainly they like to eat from my trash), and all sorts of forest animals. Maybe that’s why the creep factor in this book was so bad for me? It was not a very long leap from Alex North’s Shadows to my own world. Plus, we all knew a kid like Charlie…
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I did a bit of the audio and a bit of the hardback. The plot was engaging, and the small twists had me hooked. I liked this one and The Whisper Man equally, though I’ve heard people say they liked Whisper Man better. Apart from the suspense, I always enjoy North’s take on the different sides of parenthood. I usually find myself comparing my own parenting style to the ones of the parents presented in his books. I admired Paul’s mom and the way she defended her son so passionately when he was interrogated for a terrible crime. She never doubted him for a second. I highly recommend this one to all Mystery/Thriller fans, and if you can do the audio book even better!
Dee’s Reading Tree 