Kate’s 2¢: “The Shadows” by Alex North

“The Shadows” by Alex North

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   Well done! This story plays on children’s fears of the dark, deep woods, knives, bullies, and parental abandonment.

   One of the many homes my parents, brother, and I lived in, was a ranch-style home with a short backyard edging a forest. There were crows in the dark forest, a narrow path that led back to the family’s ancient burial ground of the original owner of the former estate, and it all made my 8-year old self feel creepy.  My brother and his friends used the large wooden crate my parents new chest freezer came in, to make a fort just inside the forest. They used to spend warm summer nights there, so my friend and I wanted to try it, too. It was fortunate that mom left the backdoor light on, because we didn’t last long out in the fort.

   “The Shadows” brought a lot of my own childhood memories to the forefront. So much so, that I didn’t read this story before bedtime.

   John Heffernan and Hannah Hartinen did a wonderful job of alternately reading sections of the story to move it along forward, but also provide the back story. 

…I have never liked pseudonyms. Be open and honest about who you are and pleased with your accomplishments, otherwise we’ll wonder what you’re hiding.

   Alex North was born in Leeds, England, where he now lives with his wife and son. The Whisper Man was inspired by North’s own little boy, who mentioned one day that he was playing with “the boy in the floor.” Alex North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name.

   Alex North is actually a pseudonym and his real name is unknown. North has actually published books under a different name prior to this, but has not released that name publicly. North keep his identity secret has added to the mystique surrounding him and the intrigue surrounding his stories.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The shadows DB99568

North, Alex. Reading time: 9 hours, 7 minutes.

Read by John Heffernan. (and Hannah Hartinen)  

Suspense Fiction

Even when they were teens together in a small English town, Paul Adams knew there was something wrong with Charlie Crabtree. It’s been twenty-five years since Crabtree disappeared after committing a shocking murder that inspired more than one copycat, and Paul is back home. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.

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