Woman in Shadow by Carrie Stuart Parks is a fantastic mystery story and has the suspense level of a thriller. It has the feel of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None – the kind of story where a murderer is on the loose and you as the reader have no idea who it is. No one is safe. Everyone is trapped in one place.
Darby Graham is visiting the Mule Shoe ranch under false pretenses. She’s there to find out what’s going on at the ranch. Strange things are happening, driving the tourists away and wreaking havoc on the ranch. But the situation turns dangerous as Darby and police officer Bram White realize the sabotages are turning deadly.
The thing I love about Carrie Stuart Parks’ novels is her quirky and intense characters. Darby’s complicated past plus her unusual profession as a forensic linguist makes her intriguing. She’s the underdog, and her determination will make readers fall in love with her. Same for Bram – his struggles make him that much more likeable.
The suspense in this story is over-the-top. I love action, and this book brought the intensity. At some point readers will suspect every single character as the culprit. I had no idea which characters would be alive in the end, let alone who the villain was.
Overall a fantastic and enjoyable story.
Overall Rating:
5 stars (I loved it, couldn’t put it down)
Suspense Rating:
5 stars (Non-stop edge-of-your-seat suspense from start to finish)
I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.