Release Day Review: The Shadow Writer by Eliza Maxwell

Genre: Psychological Suspense / Domestic Thriller
Publisher: Lake Union Press

Every writer has a story. Some are deadlier than others.

Aspiring author Graye Templeton will do anything to escape the horrific childhood crime that haunts her. After a life lived in shadows, she’s accepted a new job as protégé to Laura West, influential book blogger and wife of an acclaimed novelist. Laura’s connections could make Graye’s publishing dreams a reality. But there’s more to Laura than meets the eye.

Behind the veneer of a charmed life, Laura’s marriage is collapsing. Her once-lauded husband is descending into alcoholism and ruin and bringing Laura nearer to the edge.

As the two women form a bond that seems meant to be, long-buried secrets claw their way into the present, and the line between friendship and obsession begins to blur, forcing each to decide where her loyalties lie. Running from the past is a dangerous game, and the loser could end up dead.

  

**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**

I've read every book written by Eliza Maxwell, even though she writes the type of stories that I usually don't read that often. However, I have become a fan of her writing and her great story-telling abilities. She really knows how to grab and put me on the edge of my seat. Her stories are suspenseful, mysterious and dark. They are unpredictable and you'll always get hit by a twist that you don't see coming. So when I started reading The Shadow Writer, I was expecting to feel the same way I did with Eliza's previous books. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The book started really interesting and I couldn't wait to figure out what was going on. Graye Templeton came across as very timid and awkward, but I like that in my characters. Laura was the opposite, and I liked that she warmed up to Graye right away. 

However, I didn't really feel a connection with either characters. The story didn't feel complete, and it kind of jumped from scene to scene without it feeling finished. What I mean by this is that it felt like we only got to see part of the story. I just needed more to connect to the characters and to feel a certain way about them. My disconnect to them, resulted in not really caring what would happen to them. But I was still interested in seeing how the story would develop. It was mysterious and I wanted to figure out what was going to happen. However, when the secrets were uncovered it didn't hit me as hard as I would've wanted to. I really enjoyed the plot but I just didn't feel like it was executed to its full potential. Regardless of not loving this book, I still look forward to Eliza's next book.

Eliza Maxwell lives in Texas with a patient man, two impatient children and a bird named Sarah. When she's not working on her next novel, she stays busy trying to keep her children from some future therapist's chair. 

You can reach her at theelizamaxwell@gmail.com.

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