Shadow Man: Smoky Barrett, Book 1 - Softcover

Terrifically good, terrifically scary . . . very hard to put down (San Francisco Chronicle)

'This disturbing serial killer drama set in California marks a promising debut for McFadyen, who combines many conventions of the genre but with far more exquisite, intricate results than the norm. FBI agent Smoky Barrett, a haunted, complicated woman, leads a team of investigators assigned to a serial killer task force. Barrett, who escaped the clutches of a different serial killer a year earlier but lost her husband and daughter in the attack, is now tracking a madman known as "Jack Jr.," who believes he's a descendant of Jack the Ripper. He mauls women, mostly prostitutes with Web sites, then sends the videotapes of the killings to Barrett and her crew. The plot follows a typical arc, complete with some nauseating details and predictable twists. There's also a romance between Barrett and a bodyguard that seems tacked on for future installments. Yet McFadyen's writing is crisp and smart, and his scenes pack a visceral punch without being cheap or exploitative. Barrett, for her part, (Publishers Weekly)

'More twists than a bucketful of corkscrews and more gore than an abattoir on overtime...fantastic' (Kino News, Singapore)

SHADOW MAN grabs you by the throat and yanks you along for a hell of a scary ride. A spellbinding read from first page to last. (Faye Kellerman)

Coldly, stunningly brilliant. Move over Thomas Harris, Mcfadyen has brought a new game to town. (Lisa Gardner)

Really gets under your skin...sophisticated...makes Hannibal Lecter look more of a pussycat than a predator...best read on an empty stomach (Peterborough Evening Telegraph)

'Promising, pacy debut' (Bournemouth Daily Echo)

As humane as it is violent...Barrett's anger, pain and determination infuse the novel with a raw passion...it will be among the best crime fiction you will read this year (Washington Post)

A thriller which reaches down into elemental terror (Bolton Evening News)

The wildest night ride I have been on for quite a while...By the time you finish reading this book you'll be running on adrenalin you never knew you had. If you're sick of books about serial killers, SHADOW MAN is the cure. Mcfadyen's writing and characterization run long, deep and true. And, by the way, he is beyond scary. Not to be missed (Bookreporter.com)

This is just plain terrifying. If you've never read Cody Mcfadyen's chilling first novel, you're in for a treat - and if you enjoyed the book, you'll also love Megan Dodd's breathy, sinister delivery as she takes long-suffering heroine Smoky Barratt into some very disturbing places indeed.