Many thanks to V.P. Morris for a review copy of ShadowCast, a psychological thriller which follows protagonist Dakota Kilroy as the mystery of her childhood best friend’s disappearance resurfaces and consumes her life.
In the vein of both Stieg Larsson and Gillian Flynn, Morris recognises the importance of a solid, watertight plot in such a novel, and delivers. As is often the case in books of this nature, there is a semi-substantial ensemble of characters to keep track of, which makes it all the more important for the author to have a solid handle on the architecture of the plot, and understand how to incorporate the main players throughout the narrative. Morris does this with a skill both deft and effortless, even weaving in some clever perspective-switching devices, and at no point did I feel bogged down in the details of the deepening mystery.
Being an obsessive plotter myself, and having a fanatical fascination with the role arrangement plays in an author’s work (in the same way one can get lost analysing the element of arrangement in compositions from Bach to Tool) this book satiated my desire for a well-oiled machine of a story, where each constituent part played a vital role, and contributed to a cohesive whole that was at once rewarding and exhilarating.
Oh, and the end absolutely rocks.
Thanks again for the opportunity to review this brilliant book! Excellent job. Check out ShadowCast now.