This is my first book by Melanie Raabe, a German author who has written several thriller novels. This story caught me right at the beginning, opening with a decision to disappear and a need for vengeance. This story deals with some serious stuff: stalking, alcohol abuse, gaslighting, gun violence, death, grief, suicide, fatphobia, transphobia, bod shaming, bullying, and domestic abuse.
Norah Richter just moved to Vienna looking for a fresh start. A new job, a new city, no boyfriend, no pets. Just her and her potted plant. Unfortunately, within days of her moving in, a homeless woman stops her and gives her a foreboding warning. She will kill a man named Arthur Grimm on February 11 at the Prater of her own volition. Thankfully, the woman is super specific so it should be easy to avoid the Prater on February 11. Not to mention, Norah doesn't even know an Arthur Grimm. Suddenly, Arthur Grimm is everywhere; she is seeing his name, her coworkers are talking about him. And a number she doesn't recognize starts to text her, a number that seems to know an awful lot. As Norah investigates Arthur Grimm and why she might want to kill him, it causes her to face what happened to her best friend when they were teenagers, something she's been running from for a long time.
This book moves pretty fast, it starts with a vow to destroy Norah and moves pretty quickly into a premonition by a woman on the street. It wasn't particularly hard to follow but I felt that it was full of loose ends. The person making vows at the beginning is never really touched on again, but I think it's supposed to be Norah's childhood best friend. The first chapter has Norah feeling like she's being watched, but nothing ever comes of it. I never really felt connected to Norah, she was very impulsive and yet strangely placid when her friends acted strangely. The story has an interesting ending, something I didn't find predictable but I also didn't find particularly believable.
I'm giving The Shadow by Melanie Raabe 3.5 out of 5 stars. I didn't dislike the book but I didn't love it. I am glad that Norah finds some closure at the end, able to move past the tragic end of her best friend and find some of the justice she was looking for as well.
I don't believe Melanie Raabe has a current website, but you can check out her instagram at https://www.instagram.com/melraabe/?hl=en.
Pairs well with a nicotine patch and blanc mange.
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