The Shadows: A Novel (25 page)

As with the writing of any novel, I owe a large debt of gratitude to a vast number of people—in this case, especially, my editors, Joel Richardson and Ryan Doherty, without whom this would be a very different book. Their expertise and patience are second to none and massively appreciated. Thanks are also due to Cecily van Buren-Freedman, Emma Henderson, Grace Long, Ellie Hughes, the rights team at Michael Joseph, and literally everybody else in publishing I’ve had the good fortune to meet and work with on this book and the last. Some writers get lucky on that level; I feel utterly blessed.

A huge thank-you to my awesome agent, Sandra Sawicka, and to Leah Middleton, Guy Herbert, and everybody else at Marjacq.

Thank you also to the reviewers, bloggers, and readers who have picked up my work and taken the time to say kind things about it—you’re all hugely appreciated. To the wonderful staff at The Packhorse, Briggate, and the Bower’s Tap in Leeds for putting up with me typing away in the corners. To my friends and family. And to the crime-fiction community as a whole, especially Colin Scott for keeping me sane and being ridiculously ace.

Last of all, thank you so much to Lynn and Zack. I couldn’t do any of it without you, and so this book is dedicated to you once more, with so much love.

Founded in 2017, Celadon Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers, publishes a highly curated list of twenty to twenty-five new titles a year. The list of both fiction and nonfiction is eclectic and focuses on publishing commercial and literary books and discovering and nurturing talent.

ALSO BY
ALEX NORTH

The Whisper Man

ALEX NORTH
is the internationally bestselling author of
The Whisper Man.
He lives in Leeds, England, with his wife and son, and is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name. You can sign up for ebook updates
here
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1. Title Page
   
2. Copyright Notice
   
3. Dedication
   
4. Prologue
   
5. Part One
   
6. One
   
7. Two
   
8. Three
   
9. Four
   
10. Five
    
11. Six
    
12. Part Two
    
13. Seven
    
14. Eight
    
15. Nine
    
16. Ten
    
17. Eleven
    
18. Twelve
    
19. Thirteen
    
20. Fourteen
    
21. Fifteen
    
22. Sixteen
    
23. Seventeen
    
24. Eighteen
    
25. Nineteen
    
26. Twenty
    
27. Twenty-One
    
28. Twenty-Two
    
29. Twenty-Three
    
30. Twenty-Four
    
31. Twenty-Five
    
32. Twenty-Six
    
33. Twenty-Seven
    
34. Twenty-Eight
    
35. Twenty-Nine
    
36. Part Three
    
37. Thirty
    
38. Thirty-One
    
39. Thirty-Two
    
40. Thirty-Three
    
41. Thirty-Four
    
42. Thirty-Five
    
43. Thirty-Six
    
44. Thirty-Seven
    
45. Thirty-Eight
    
46. Thirty-Nine
    
47. Forty
    
48. Forty-One
    
49. Forty-Two
    
50. Forty-Three
    
51. Forty-Four
    
52. Acknowledgments
    
53. Also by Alex North
    
54. About the Author
    
55. Copyright
    

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

THE SHADOWS.
Copyright © 2020 by Alex North. All rights reserved. For information, address Celadon Books, a Division of Macmillan Publishers, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.

www.celadonbooks.com

Cover design by Will Staehle

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Names: North, Alex, 1976– author.

Title: The shadows / Alex North.

Description: First edition. | New York: Celadon Books, 2020.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020002697 | ISBN 9781250318039 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250771902 (international, sold outside the U.S., subject to rights availability) | ISBN 9781250318022 (ebook)

Subjects: GSAFD: Suspense fiction.

Classification: LCC PR6113.O85 S53 2020 | DDC 823/.92—dc23

LC record available at
/2020002697

eISBN 9781250318022

Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at
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First U.S. Edition: 2020

First International Edition: 2020