Wednesday 29 June 2011

Stealing Shadows by Kay Hooper

Stealing Shadows (Shadows Trilogy)Title: Stealing Shadows  
Author: Kay Hooper  
Series: Bishop/Special Crimes Unit (book #1)  
Next in series: Hiding in the Shadows

My rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis: Cassie Neil is a psychic who helps the police capture killers until the day she makes a mistake and feels compelled to live a quieter life. Unfortunately, Cassie's new home is being stalked by a murderer but no one believes her until the bodies start piling up.

Review: Well-written with several twists and turns to keep you guessing.

The plot appears to be your typical serial killer fare but the climax turns out to be quite a shocker. For once, I was unable to guess the killer even though there are definitely sufficient clues. This might be because I was distracted (in a good way) by the romantic and paranormal aspects of the story.

The psychic elements are believable perhaps due to the fact that a main character has his doubts concerning the heroine’s abilities. He is eventually convinced by the evidence and becomes a staunch believer, thereby mimicking the readers experience and allowing for suspension of disbelief.

The primary romance builds slowly but develops into an intense and captivating relationship. Cassie is extremely strong willed and keeps herself at a distance, which can be irritating at times but is clearly consistent with the nature of her psychic abilities. Ben is attractive and sensitive but not without his own flaws, which he must overcome to save Cassie’s life.

The development of the minor characters is one of the details that draw you into the story because the women, who are easy to identify with and care about, are potential victims while the men are possible suspects. One of the few flaws in the book is that the killer’s motivation is not sufficiently developed and it would have been better to have more information about what makes him tick.

Overall, this is an entertaining and suspenseful read and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

3 comments:

  1. Great review! I read this book a couple years ago and absolutely loved it! The entire series is really good, and steady paced. :)

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  2. I've never heard of this series but I want to check it out. I like that a few seem to be written already. Come to think of it, I've read very few paranormal mysteries but I am feeling the mystery bug. So I'm more interested than I might have been last week. Great review.

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  3. I loved this book! I read it a long time ago and couldnt stop thinking about it. When i finally tracked it down I had to have it. Then i just found out that it was a series and i fully intend to read the rest. Call me late i know but im here now so look out. LOL. I liked Cassie's character throughout the book. She wasnt one of those women who fall over the first guy they see and she wasnt a crybaby for lack of better words. It was quite an intriguing read.

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