Woman in Shadow

Carrie Stuart Parks

Jul 2021 · Sold by Thomas Nelson

About this ebook

Award-winning author Carrie Stuart Parks combines her expertise as a forensic artist with her talent for crafting a gripping story in this page-turning web of light and shadow.

A woman off the grid.

Darby Graham thinks she’s on a much-needed vacation in remote Idaho to relax. But before she even arrives at the ranch, an earthquake strikes. Then a barn on the edge of town is engulfed in flames and strange problems at the ranch begin to escalate, and Darby finds herself immersed in a chilling mystery.

A town on fire.

More fires erupt around town, and a serial arsonist sends taunting letters to the press after each. As a forensic linguist, this is Darby’s area of expertise . . . but the scars her work has caused her are also the reason she’s trying to escape her life.

A growing darkness.

As the shadows continue moving in, pieces of the town around her come into sharper focus. To make it out alive, Darby must decide if she can trust the one man who sees her clearly.

Praise for Woman in Shadow:

“Unique, witty, and hilarious, Carrie's voice shines throughout Woman in Shadow. The perfect mix of intrigue, mystery and danger, this is most definitely a book for my keeper shelf.” —Dani Pettrey, bestselling author of the Coastal Guardians series

• Full-length, stand-alone suspense novel
• Award-winning, bestselling author
• Also by Carrie Stuart Parks: Relative Silence, Fragments of Fear, Formula of Deception, and A Cry from the Dust
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Ratings and reviews

This is mystery and suspense that is well-written, with a slow pace at first as the mystery is methodically unraveled. The protagonist is Darby Graham, a young woman suffering from PTSD, who has come to the Mule Shoe Ranch to help her recovery. As a forensic linguist, she is very talented in picking out subtle clues and observing and I loved that I was learning how this skill worked as she used it. This particular area in Idaho has been subjected to various earthquakes, but the real problem seems to be a serial arsonist who is taunting the police. Deputy Bram White is introduced at the beginning, a young man who seems to be instantly attracted to Darby and who admires her love for animals when she takes in Maverick and Holly, two dogs who were abandoned by a resident who was known as the “shadow woman.” Part of the mystery is for Darby to discover the identity of this woman and where she disappeared to. Bram is focused on finding the serial arsonist while Darby is trying to find out who is creating mayhem with vandalism at the ranch. As the action and pace picked up, so did my interest and by the end of the book, I could not read fast enough to find out what was really happening. There were plenty of false leads and plot twists to tantalize me as well as real clues to be discerned along the way. The author demonstrated her mastery of weaving a good, complicated story with complex characters that was thoroughly enjoyable. The romance was in the story but was not a major part of it. There were also Biblical references that added to the story, in my opinion, since Darby has moved away from faith but still remembers certain verses. This is a clean Christian read set in a remote and breathtaking location. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Earthquake and Darby much needed vacation is gone A town newspaper getting messages from a serial arsonist after each fire. The scars are deep with the work she does as a forensic linguist. Who can she trust in this town, and keep her past in the past. Full of intrigue, suspense and good characters and plot. The author’s own expertise has come thru with an enjoyable mystery. Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion by Net Galley and Thomas Nelson

About the author

Carrie Stuart Parks is a Christy, multiple Carol, and Inspy Award–winning author. She was a 2019 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence in mainstream mystery/suspense and has won numerous awards for her fine art as well. An internationally known forensic artist, she travels with her husband, Rick, across the US and Canada teaching courses in forensic art to law-enforcement professionals. The author/illustrator of numerous books on drawing and painting, Carrie continues to create dramatic watercolors from her studio in the mountains of Idaho.