More of a 'what happened' than a 'whounnit', Shadow is a bleak portrayal of family secrets, lies and betrayal. Tailormade for fans of The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo looking for something similarly straightforwardly told but intricatley plotted, and darkly, but not graphically, realised. Far from great literature, but Alvtegen does attempt to explore themes such as loss, alcohol dependence and how the fear of lonliness can be self-fulfilling which elevates Shadow from straightforward crime.