BOOK REVIEW - The Shadow Man by Helen Fields

 Assalamuaikum dear readers!

I hope you are doing well with your beloved family💗

Book Cover

Synopsis

Review

'The Shadow Man' by author Helen Fields is undoubtedly good. I guess I finally found my favourite writer for English fiction books. After reading the synopsis, we will know this book's genre is crime, as it tells us about three people who have been locked in a flat, kidnapped. The book has 382 pages, which I can say is quite thick, and I managed to finish reading it in less than 2 days. The plot gets better in the end.

        Firstly, the book really hooks me when there is a scene where Ms. Connie meets several men in an alley. They touch her buttocks, but Ms. Connie defends herself by twisting the man's arm and warning him. I got goosebumps. I can guess that she is such an inspirational and brave woman. She is actually a profiler from America who was sent to Edinburgh for a case about murder. It started with a woman (a mother) who is dead in her own bed, terribly murdered. Then the case goes on with kidnappings around the town. First Elspeth, then Meggy, and lastly Xavier. The police don't know the links to why 'he' kidnapped them.

 

        Mr. Baarda is one of my favorite characters, along with Ms. Connie. They are a perfect match for the work. Mr. Baarda is a police officer who helped Connie with the case. It is a happy-ending crime story. I was amazed by Ms. Connie's ability to diagnose the murderer's state of mind, whether he was conscious of what he was doing or not.

 

        The language can be easily understood, but yeah, it's normal to not know some of the words. That's why we read, so that we can enhance our vocabulary.

        I love how compact the novel is; every chapter is important, and you don't feel like you are wasting time reading it. I learned something, especially about Cotard's syndrome. I've never heard of that, but they say it has three stages (I'm not going to explain; you can search it on your own because I don't want to spill the beans😂)

        It's hard for me to describe the ending of the stories. If I were in Ms. Connie's shoes, I wouldn't dare to do that, but she did. Which I can praise her for; she is again brave, strong, and intelligent, even when it involves risking your life.

        Anyway, the moral of the stories, which I can personally conclude, is to 'never give up'. I know it might be traumatizing to be kidnapped by a stranger, but in this book, if three of them give up too quickly, they might not be alive. So in terms of our lives today, never give up until you are dead. Allah stated in the quran 

وَٱلَّذِينَ جَـٰهَدُوا۟ فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمَعَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ 

And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allāh is with the doers of good. (29:69)

        If you fail an exam, don't blame your teacher or the subject. Learn to look at our weaknesses and do our best next time. Maybe we lacked attention in class or did not finish the homework given. Look back at what you've done and why you got the result. You are your own savior, so don't disappoint yourself by doing something that won't benefit you in the future. Study hard and play less. It is definitely going to pay you back twice. Trust the process and be the best. Every time you wake up, say to yourself that there are amazing things waiting for you to discover them. You just need to lift your a*s up and start taking action😂

Haha enough for motivation, I'll give this book 8/10!

As you might not know, I am a huge fan of crime stories, especially if they are related to law, forensics, or the police. If you liked this book, I recommend watching Partner for Justice 1 and 2 (the Korean series); it'll definitely suit you.