15 January 2022

Review: A LONG SHADOW, H.L. Marsay

  • This edition on Kindle (Amazon.com)
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08D6JR8FC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tule Publishing (May 13, 2021)
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 148 pages
  • Chief Inspector Shadow #1

Synopsis (Amazon.com)

Old sins cast long shadows…

When the bodies of a young, homeless girl and a girl who disappeared thirty years ago are found on the same day, residents in the historic city of York are aghast. It seems unlikely the two cases are related, and yet some of the same players knew both victims. As Detective Chief Inspector John Shadow and his eager new partner, Sergeant Jimmy Chang, dive into their investigation, they uncover a complicated web of pop stars, pub owners, shopkeepers and old school friends who each have something to hide.

John Shadow is a man of contradictions. A solitary figure who shuns company, but is a keen observer of all he meets. A lover of good food, but whose fridge is almost always empty. He prefers to work alone and is perpetually trying to dodge his partner, who’s full of energy, modern ideas and theories.

But as the two men gradually learn to work together to solve the case, it’s clear that the past is never as far away as you think.

My Take

A new contemporary police procedural series set in York, a new pair of detectives to get to know.  I enjoyed this first outing. The plot came together well towards the end, the characters were well drawn and the scenario believable. Detective Chief Inspector Shadow is a bit curmudgeonly, his offsider Jimmy Chang a "modern boy", technologically-savvy, and keen to make an impression. There are two pathologists who appear frequently and contrast well with each other.

I have been to York a few times and enjoyed walking around the city.

This was a relatively easy read, and really a novella in length, and I will be reading #2 in the series.

My rating: 4.4

About the author
H L Marsay has always loved reading detective stories and promised herself that some day, she would write one too. “A Long Shadow” is the first book in her Chief Inspector Shadow series. Fortunately, living in York, a city full of history and mystery, she is never short of inspiration. When she isn’t coming up with new ways to bump people off, she enjoys red wine, dark chocolate and blue cheese – not necessarily together!
On the rare occasions when it isn’t raining in North Yorkshire, she can be found tramping across the windswept moors with the five men in her life - two sons, two dogs and one husband!

From Fantastic Fiction - the series so far

Chief Inspector Shadow Mystery
   1. A Long Shadow (2021)
   2. A Viking's Shadow (2021)
   3. A Ghostly Shadow (2021)
   4. A Roman Shadow (2022)

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