THE GRIPPING NEW PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK THE WHISPER MAN

'Hugely atmospheric and deliciously creepy' Alex Michaelides, bestselling author of The Silent Patient
'A surprising and moving finale that will live long in the memory' Daily Express
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THE VICTIM WAS YOUR FRIEND

It was just a silly game to start with. Paul never really believed in it.

He never dreamed Charlie would take it so far.

SO WAS THE MURDERER

For twenty years, Paul's tried to put his past behind him, but now his mother is dying, and he can't run any longer.

But home isn't just full of bad memories. It's also the last place anyone saw Charlie alive.

And Paul starts to wonder if Charlie might come back to finish what he started . . .
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'Alex North has outdone himself. The Shadow Friend is the work of a writer who is an absolute master of his craft' Jane Casey

'Absorbing, headlong reading . . . As with all the best illusions, you are left feeling not tricked, but full of wonder' New York Times

'Echoes of the chilling Slender Man myth' Crime Monthly

Praise for Alex North

'The best crime novel of the decade' Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of Thirteen

'First it's spooky. Then it's scary. Then it's terrifying. And then... well, dear reader, proceed at your own risk. An ambitious, deeply satisfying thriller - a seamless blend of Harlan Coben, Stephen King, and Thomas Harris. My flesh is still crawling' A. J. Finn, no.1 bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

'Alex North has achieved the seemingly impossible. The Whisper Man is a thriller that is both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking. Mesmerising and masterful' Mark Billingham

'A dark, creepy, thriller with a huge amount of heart. Damn, but Alex North can write!' Stuart MacBride

About the Author
Alex North was born in Leeds, where he now lives with his wife and son. He studied Philosophy at Leeds University, and prior to becoming a writer he worked there in their sociology department. The Whisper Man was a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller, and is being published in more than 30 languages.

Reviews
Alex North has outdone himself. As terrifying as a great horror novel, as unpredictable as the best type of crime novel and above all beautifully written, The Shadow Friend is the work of a writer who is an absolute master of his craft. I couldn't begin to guess how the story was going to end but I enjoyed every second of the journey -- Jane Casey
If you liked The Whisper Man, you'll love this. Alex North has crafted a second novel which is just as gripping as his first and even scarier. Hugely atmospheric and deliciously creepy, it's about how the past encroaches on the present, and how dreaming influences reality, until in the frightening world of The Shadow Friend, it becomes harder and harder to tell one from the other... and the nightmare takes over -- Alex Michaelides * No.1 bestselling author of The Silent Patient *
This is absorbing, headlong reading, a play on classic horror with an inventiveness of its own... As with all the best illusions, you are left feeling not tricked, but full of wonder -- New York Times
North has returned with another creepy, atmospheric tale exploring the devastating effects of childhood traumas on communities . . . Builds to a surprising and moving finale that will live long in the memory * Daily Express *
With echoes of the chilling Slender Man myth, this thriller ultimately feels like a ghost story conjured out of guilt and loss * Crime Monthly *
North follows up his sensational debut, 2019's The Whisper Man, with another terrifying spine-tingler... The complex plot shifts smoothly between past and present with numerous unexpected twists. An overwhelming atmosphere of doom and disaster hovers over the perennial darkness of the nearby woods. This heart-pounding page-turner is impossible to put down * Publishers Weekly *
The layers of deception make for a chilling read * Woman & Home *
A chilling read * Woman's Weekly *
Included in 'The Week's Best Books - The Creepy One' * Heat *
A chilling and deeply psychological read * Woman & Home *
Included in 'The Hot List' * Inside Soap *



Book Information
ISBN 9781405936248
Author Alex North
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 257g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 22mm