Shadow Man: Smoky Barrett, Book 1

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