A review by tessa_talks_books
The Shadow Girls: A Natalie Lockhart Novel by Alice Blanchard

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The Shadow Girls by Alice Blanchard is a thrilling police procedural with an equally compelling personal story. Detective Natalie Lockheart is trying to solve multiple cases while trying to deal with her feelings over multiple men - sound messy? It is but in only the best ways.

I loved how much was going on in this story.  It was never boring though sometimes a bit confusing because multiple cases means even more characters than normal and trying to keep straight who was connected to who and how could be a daunting task. But I wouldn’t change how compelling all the different cases kept the story because it also kept the pace fast.

I also loved how compelling Natalie’s personal story is and how it ended up intertwined in the cases she investigated.  Her personal life is very messy but that just made it fascinating.  Almost as fascinating as the town this takes place in.  Burning Lake in upstate New York has quite the history and that plays in so well to the story.  The history of witches, occult activity, and a popular Halloween destination all worked so well with the story and the mysteries.

This is the fourth and I believe last book in a series or at least at a pivot point.  It can easily be read as a stand alone but I have a feeling you will enjoy it so much more if you read the series in order, especially since it’s only four books.