Book six in a series that consistently delivers, what the reader wants and has come to expect. These stories rapidly unfold in a manner that drags the reader along with it. You are faced with no option but to run with it and I would expect most readers to devour it in one or two sittings. This is not gung-ho action for action’s sake it is much more thoughtful than that. The author doesn’t shy away from tackling difficult themes and subjects. In When Shadows Fall he addresses a current and very real problem of modern society, that of toxic masculinity, incel behaviour and wider misogyny. That he manages to tackle it in a thoughtful and sensitive way within such a thriller is a clear demonstration of his skill as a writer and storyteller. In a rare quiet time for the Policing Standards Reassurance Team, Max Craigie is visiting his wonderfully blunt aunt (a great cameo) when an old friend gets in touch. He is a helicopter pilot working in rescue and has concerns about a fall that is written off as an accident. After a bit of digging, he has found more and Max, trusting his friend’s judgement, agrees to have a look. Commonality is found, they are thirty-something blond women, trying to reinvent themselves after failed relationship by ‘bagging Monroes’ and climbing. Easy to discount as foolish inexperience but the team quickly comes to believe it is much more. They have a killer, possibly more, who hate women. The killings and their aftermath are scary in their simplicity of their execution, making them convincing and believable. Another author might have made them more visceral, which is expected in the serial killer trope, but I think he’s judged it right, less can be more and what we are left with is unpleasant enough. The motivation is clear in the hatred, but this being the twenty-first century there is more to it, and this is the bit that will get readers thinking the most, it could be happening, perhaps not in this way but something similar. The structure is familiar, with Max and Janie being the investigators in the field. They have a great rapport, in the buddy cop tradition and it is their chemistry that provides the glue that holds it all together. Potty mouth Ross is the boss who smooths the way for the (at times) maverick duo by pulling strings and having the ear of the top brass. He may be brash and insensitive at times, but he is a great boss to work for. Norma is the team’s analyst and does her best to keep Ross in check when required, something she does forcefully this time. The ‘scene stealer’ once again is retired spook Barney, striking a blow for dour Yorkshiremen, tab smokers, geeks and tea drinkers everywhere. Barney it seems gets to deliver the best quips. Max is still struggling to balance his total dedication to work with that of a proper family life with Katie, who by now is heavily pregnant with the birth imminent. This provides the emotional conflict for Max, along with the pressure of making sure that he is there for the birth! Working the case makes him realise what he has to lose, adding to his determination to not only solve the case, but also protect his wife and child. For him the stakes are about to increase significantly. The most thoughtful part of the story is when it is pointed out to Ross that two of the team are women and how the trauma of investigating a killer of women is affecting them. Initially taken aback he pauses to reflect and moderate his behaviour. This is beautifully judged, managing to be thought provoking without detracting from what makes Ross himself (and the reader wouldn’t want him to change too much).