Monday, October 22, 2012

Review Day: Shadow Man

Welcome to the Shadow Man blog tour!  As part of the tour, I decided to write a review of the book.  See where the tour will stop next here.

Title: Shadow Man
Author: Mark Murphy
Rating: 5 stars

Book Blurb:

There is a devil in the night, silent and invisible, moving in the dream realm between life and death. And he's coming for you.

Savannah surgeon Malcolm King had a perfect life—a loving wife, devoted daughter, and a thriving medical practice. But when a random airport parking lot hit-and-run links him to a dead body in a Florida hotel and an acquaintance is found dismembered and stuffed into a garbage bag, Malcolm finds himself on the run as a suspected serial killer. But he's no murderer. 


Or is he?



Who is the mysterious Thin Man who lurks at the edges of his vision? Are the ravens that crowd the skies overhead a warning of impending doom - or do they exist at all?

With the help of Seminole tracker Billy Littlebear, Malcolm tries to untangle the web of clues left behind by a mysterious chameleon-like killer known as the Shadow Man. But will he be too late?

The Shadow Man is a complex, atmospheric thriller in the tradition of Stephen King. Darkly evocative and relentless in its twists and turns, it dares the reader to put it down - even for a minute.
(end)


My Review:
A heart-pumping, down-right gut wrenching mystery/thriller/suspense novel that should be sold next to the big names of suspenseful fiction.  My goodness!  I was anxious and nervous for the main character!  I read this long book in about one and a half days, loving every second of it.  This novel is what nightmares are made of..the killer who can't be caught, the main character who does everything to clear his name but can never catch a break, a family torn apart, and brutal murders that even the most *seasoned* of murder investigators couldn't handle.
Mark Murphy has an intense writing style that sucks you in, holds you for ransom and doesn't let you go until the story is over.  It's very memorable, every single part of this book will stick with me.  The characters were perfect, just enough creepy and just enough innocence.  Mark also wove in twists that I never felt coming, but they also didn't *smack* you in the face.  The twists were strong but subtle - a perfect balance for this book with all the other drama occurring.  Like most books and movies, there is a clear rise, turning point and fall... but with Shadow Man, I felt like it just kept rising and rising and rising.  I didn't know when the turning point would hit, allowing the ending to begin.  I love that in a suspense novel.  It keeps your guessing about what's coming next.

I highly recommend this book to anyone (over the age of 18 due to graphic content) who loves murder mysteries, especially Koontz, King and G. Flynn fans.   You will love this one!  Such a stunning novel.  I can't wait to see more from Mark!

Purchase your copy of Shadow Man from...
About Mark Murphy:
A physician currently living in Savannah, Georgia, Mark Murphy is also a lifelong award-winning writer. In the midst of a busy medical career which included several academic publications, Dr. Murphy’s decision to attend the Iowa Summer Writing Festival led to the inclusion of a short story, "The Funeral," in a 2004 collection of works entitled O! Georgia! A well-received regular newspaper column in the Savannah Morning News followed. The Shadow Man is his first novel.

Learn more about Mark and Shadow Man on Facebook, Twitter, Savannah Book Festival website, Mark's blog and Mark's website.  Happy Reading!

2 comments:

Tribute Books said...

Hilary, I can tell you really enjoyed this one. I can feel your enthusiasm coming through in your review. Thanks for all of your awesome comments about Mark's book.

HilyBee said...

I was hoping it came across. :D