Book review: Shadow Dancing by John Walker

Source: Gift from the author in exchange for an honest review
Page count: 363 pages approx.
Click here to buy at Amazon

Synopsis:
Shadow Dancing is an International Art Theft Thriller by John Walker, (a British engineer, inventor and aerodynamicist), spanning England, Italy, Greece and Egypt. It is also the story of two people, both of whom are in challenging situations, gradually coming together in love. Charles, a brilliant engineer and inventor, has designed the Shadow, a revolutionary (and on a dark night completely undetectable) new type of sailing boat. He has been struggling with an ill-starred marriage, his mother having tersely commented, "Marry in haste, repent at leisure". Amanda has been married for eighteen years, but still bears the scars of abuse by her father when she was only a little girl.
On the plus side, she has two beautiful children, Scarlett and Thomas, but her marriage explodes when she discovers her husband in their marital bed with the wife of the garage owner he works for. She leaves the Police, where she has specialised in Criminal Psychology, and joins Interpol and the British SIS.
Charles and Amanda, thrown together by circumstances and now both based in Greece, start by being Just Good Friends, and they become an effective team in the search for a priceless artefact stolen by some Italians. In due course, against all the odds, since the path of true love is never smooth, true love prevails.


I thoroughly enjoyed reading Shadow Dancing by John Walker. It was a thrilling, rollercoaster of a read which kept me entertained and intrigued from the first page. I would describe it as an intelligent thriller; reminding me of a James Bond movie meets The Thomas Crown Affair.

The plot was like a sophisticated game of cops and robbers played out in a stylish and seductive manner. I loved the main character’s inventive and creative mind and was fascinated by his creations.

I enjoyed the slow-burning relationship between Charles and Amanda and I appreciated the author’s sensitive handling of his female lead. The author gradually revealed the characters’ innermost thoughts and feelings to the reader which made it easier for me to relate to them and why they behaved in a particular way.

It was a riveting read from start to finish. If you like your books pacy and full of interesting detail, then Shadow Dancing is the book for you.