The gripping new psychological thriller from the bestselling author of Richard and Judy Book Club Pick and major Netflix movie The Whisper Man 'Hugely atmospheric and deliciously creepy' Alex Michaelides, bestselling author of The Silent Patient 'A surprising and moving finale that will live long in the memory' Daily Express _______ THE VICTIM WAS YOUR FRIEND It was just a silly game to start with. Paul never really believed in it. He never dreamed Charlie would take it so far. SO WAS THE MURDERER For twenty years, Paul's tried to put his past behind him, but now his mother is dying, and he can't run any longer. But home isn't just full of bad memories. It's also the last place anyone saw Charlie alive. And Paul starts to wonder if Charlie might come back to finish what he started . . . _______ 'Alex North has outdone himself. The Shadow Friend is the work of a writer who is an absolute master of his craft' Jane Casey 'Absorbing, headlong reading . . . As with all the best illusions, you are left feeling not tricked, but full of wonder' New York Times 'Echoes of the chilling Slender Man myth' Crime Monthly Praise for Alex North 'The best crime novel of the decade' Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of Thirteen 'First it's spooky. Then it's scary. Then it's terrifying. And then... well, dear reader, proceed at your own risk. An ambitious, deeply satisfying thriller - a seamless blend of Harlan Coben, Stephen King, and Thomas Harris. My flesh is still crawling' A. J. Finn, no.1 bestselling author of The Woman in the Window 'Alex North has achieved the seemingly impossible. The Whisper Man is a thriller that is both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking. Mesmerising and masterful' Mark Billingham 'A dark, creepy, thriller with a huge amount of heart. Damn, but Alex North can write!' Stuart MacBride