Reviews: Shadow Hunt (9)
“A nail biting start to the series!”
(Paperback)
*Shadow Hunt” is the first in a new series from the talented Tom Bale.
Three years ago, CID officer Joe Clayton, lost everything - his family, his police career and life as he knew it. After an undercover police operation went disastrously wrong, he was forced to take a new identity, and picks up work whenever and wherever he can. However, he knows that whatever he does, wherever he goes, he has to watch his back, because the bad guys will never give up searching for him.
Joe’s living in the UK, on the tiny south coast island of Terror's Reach, and is employed as a bodyguard for ruthless business tycoon, Valentin Nasenko. Joe’s job is to guard Nasenco’s wife Cassie and their new baby, Sofia (Cassie also has a young son, Jaden, by a previous partner) but her husband has no interest in Jaden whatsoever.
I’ll let the rest of the synopsis speak for itself, but be assured, if you choose to read Shadow Hunt, you’ll be in for a real rollercoaster ride. Tom Bale rips into the story from the start and doesn’t let up, creating an atmosphere of complete terror, resulting in one action packed scene after another. A terrific, nail biting start to the new series - can’t wait for the next!
“Good”
(Paperback)
A very good action packed thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. Loved the premise and the author pulled it off. A good cast of characters that are well drawn and I can't wait to see how they grow in future books. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this review ARC.
“Fast moving thriller”
(Paperback)
The second Tom Bale book I have read. This book was originally written in 2009 as Terror's Reach and this newly revised edition has been substantially updated and streamlined by Tom who has been a full time author for 15 years now. This is quite a common thing these days with some authors when they commit to new publishers they return to some of their previous work and improve and republish. This book for me was a quick to read, fast moving thriller. Recommended. Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.
“excellent start to a series”
(Paperback)
Shadow Hunt is one of those thrillers that grabs you by the collar from the first page and refuses to let go. Tom Bale introduces Joe Clayton with the kind of bruised humanity and quiet resilience that makes you root for him long before the bullets start flying. He’s a man living in the wreckage of a life he once knew, forced into the shadows after an undercover operation shattered everything he cared about. And yet, when danger comes calling, he steps forward without hesitation.
Terror’s Reach is a wonderfully atmospheric setting—sun‑drenched, isolated, and simmering with the kind of tension that tells you something is very wrong beneath the glossy surface. Bale uses that heat to full effect, letting the story build from a slow, uneasy hum into a full‑throttle siege that feels both cinematic and intimate. When violence erupts, it’s fast, chaotic, and frighteningly plausible, and Joe’s instinctive shift back into the role he once excelled at is as compelling as it is heartbreaking.
What really elevates the book is the sense that nothing is quite what it seems. Loyalties blur, motives twist, and every chapter peels back another layer of danger. Joe’s fight to protect the people around him becomes a fight for his own survival, and Bale keeps the tension tight right up to the final pages.
If you love the grit and moral complexity of Reacher‑style heroes, Joe Clayton will be right up your street. Shadow Hunt is sharp, breathless, and utterly addictive—a brilliant start to a series I’m already eager to continue.
With thanks to Tom Bale, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
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