Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Multi-layered plot with great characters
Cons: None
The Bottom Line:
Couldn't put it down
Had to know what happens next
Which means great thriller
Shadows of the Past
Nick Barrett has returned to Charleston , something he swore he would never
do. His memories of his time there aren't pleasant. His mother abandoned him
when he was ten and left him to be raised by an uncle and aunt who didn't love
him. Then, four days after he eloped with the love of his life, he lost part of
his right leg in a car accident and was driven from the city alone.
Nick actually never planned to return, but that was before
he received a note encouraging him to return and dig up the truth about his
mother. The chief of police who looked into her disappearance is about to die,
and Nick must hurry if he wants to learn what that man knows. With an all
expense paid trip and some proof that will keep him out of jail himself, Nick
boards the plane.
But things aren't going to be that easy. No one wants to
talk to Nick. He can tell these people are hiding something, but the truth has
been buried a long time. Nick is also seeing old friend and foes like his
cousin and his ex-wife, bring up long forgotten memories and hurts he might be
better off forgetting. He even begins to find himself rethinking his
relationship with God. Can he find the truth? Will it be worth it in the end?
Sigmund Brouwer is a master storyteller, and this book is no
exception. I was grabbed from page one and couldn't put the book down. The
story is like an onion. When one layer is pealed off, it only creates more
questions to be answered. It stalls slightly in the middle when Nick reaches an
impasse with the other characters who refuse to tell him any more. But that
doesn't last too long before things again pick up for the riveting climax. As
always in Mr. Brouwer's books, the spiritual aspect is well done and adds to
the story instead of slowing it down.
It took a little while for me to figure out who all the
characters were, but they soon sorted themselves out, partially because they
are so well drawn. The heroes and villains each have strengths and weaknesses
that made me care about them. I was so emotionally invested in the story; I had
to know how it ended.
The writing in the book is excellent. I felt like I was
right there with Nick ever step of the way. The story switches from the present
to various times in the past seamlessly. It even adds a sense of melancholy to
the events, creating a mood that befits the story.
I stayed up way too late several nights in a row to read
just one more chapter. Out of the Shadows is highly recommended.
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