Review: Shadows of the Past by Patricia Bradley

Castle meets Christian Romantic Suspense

Shadows of the Past is kind of a Christian version of Castle, with the handsome and successful writer and the beautiful crime fighter. However, it’s set in rural Mississippi rather than New York, Taylor Martin is a college professor, not a cop, and Nick Sinclair isn’t her muse—he’s the older brother of the guy Taylor suspects is stalking her.

Dr Taylor Martin is a psychology professor and criminal profiler, a job that means she sometimes attracts the wrong kind of attention. She journeys home to Logan Point in the hope she will escape her stalker and finds herself drawn into a family argument dating back from when her father disappeared. Nick is also in Mississippi, trying to locate his brother and restore their relationship—and show that Nick hasn’t got anything to do with Taylor’s stalker.

This was a mystery within a thriller, which added layers of suspense to the plot, and had me wondering all the way through what was what. It was obvious that several characters were hiding secrets, including Taylor, but it wasn’t until the final pages that all the ends were tied up (in a most satisfactory manner, I might add). It’s a combination of strong characters, exciting plot, and a budding romance—if only Nick can get over his past, and Taylor can rediscover hers.

It’s no secret that romantic suspense is my favourite genre. Shadows of the Past is an excellent romantic suspense debut, and I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more from Patricia Bradley.

Thanks to Revell and NetGalley for providing a free book for review. You can find out more about Patricia Bradley at her website.