From the Shadows: Dan Grant and Jayne Brett, Book 1

I loved this book. It has everything that I could ask for, in a suspenseful mystery. This is my first book by author Neil White and he keeps me fascinated in the entire story.Defense lawyer Dan Grant is given a case 2 weeks before it goes into trial of Robert Carter, stalking and murdering Mary Kendricks. The story appears straightforward but as Dan goes into the investigative depths, he finds many hidden plots and secrets.Neil White is a great writer, who has written this book with a clear, well crafted plot, and his delivery is straight to the point.Any thriller of any sorts be it action or legal, is supposed to pull the reader in from the first page itself and Neil White understands this concept. It is so evident in his writing. His main character, Dan Grant plays his part effortlessly making me his fan. And the entire credit goes to the author.Entertaining read. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

All hail the first in a new British legal thriller starring Dan Grant, and what a firecracker it is!If someone would have said I’d have enjoyed reading anything about courtrooms I’d have said, “no, you’re alright thanks,” except for the occasional Perry Mason episode it wouldn’t be my first choice of entertainment. So it’s a damned good job I was familiar with Neil White’s writing from reading his crime thriller “The Domino Killer” or I probably would have passed on this one, and THAT would have been a huge mistake!I was mightily impressed by just how much the aspects of case preparation and court procedure intrigued me – the truth chasing, deciphering the witness testimony, the late additions of ‘forgetful’ interviewees, alongside lawyers’ etiquette and conduct both in and out of the court room.Forget pages of endless paperwork and lengthy 'lawyer talk', the time just flew by as I was reading. From the Shadows excels when representing the demands placed on a defence lawyer with integrity and it genuinely kept me on the edge of my seat. What makes you suspect someone isn’t telling you the whole truth and everything but the truth? What if your appraisal of the evidence is off the mark and your case fell apart along with your client’s life? More importantly, what have you actually achieved if you succeed and the guilty go free? So many questions, so little time face Dan Grant, a lawyer with a moral compass directing him to places he may regret visiting.Grant is the last hope for some and has earned a reputation for providing legal assistance with a conscience, both inside and outside the courtroom. Occasionally his work is shrouded in a mystery that is impossible to unravel, like this case involving a ‘creepy’ bloke accused of murdering a young woman in her bedroom was literally thrown to him like a hot potato after a rival law firm stated ‘conflict of interest’, plus there was only two weeks to the trial date.With the help of his freelance assistant, a previous client he defended after she killed her abusive boyfriend in self-defence, they uncover witnesses who are too reluctant to talk to the police because of their personal ‘experience’ of them or for a gut feeling that Dan and his assistant cannot pin down, until it steps out From the Shadows.Conflicting facts and maintaining chameleon-like social skills to adapt to people from all walks of life is emotionally and physically demanding, especially when the only thing you can believe is that your client is holding something back. But that doesn’t mean they are not entitled to have representation to convey their version of events before a jury. After all, what if ‘the whole truth’ hasn't been revealed yet?This story shows anything can be waiting in the shadows. Tremendous work, Mr White – I loved it!

This isn't a 'gripping thriller that will keep you hooked to the end'- it's average. It took me some time to read because I was not enthralled. The writing isn't bad, the plot idea is good but interpretation is laboured and at times the book dragged itself along.There's a murder in a shared house (Mary)and Dan Grant, solicitor, is defending the alleged offender- Robert Carter. The case was not Dan's at the outset; it was passed on to him by a friend who gave no real explanation as to why. Dan uses Jayne Brett, a defendant in a previous case, to verify facts and seek out witnesses who have been overlooked by the police. However, there's a cover up, witness intimidation and another murder so that the case against Carter is not as 'cut and dried' as it seems. This is the basis of the thriller.The characters are not developed well enough. The climax is expected. A fair account but not an author I'd be rushing to read again.

From The Shadows is the perfect mix of crime fiction, legal thriller and ultimately the choices people make that impacts their lives. I have long been a fan of the authors writing style and whilst this may differ from his other work, it is just as good!Dan Grant, defence lawyer and Jayne Brett, private investigator are the unlikely duo faced; with the monumental task of prime suspect Robert Carter’s, defence in just two weeks. A case the no one wants and appears to be doomed to fail.The chapters and scenes that depict the stalking from the voyeurs, point of view, are eerie and gave me the shivers. The very idea of being watched, stalked and followed, is seriously creepy. But the writing sets the pace for the nature of the plot and how it will all unravel.Robert Carter doesn’t do himself any favours. He appears as a loner, who becomes infatuated with various women, despite having a wife and young daughter at home. He admits to being at the scene of the crime and a bloody finger print is used as evidence against him. He is a hopeless man, with a hopeless case and the odds are stacked against him! But there is something Dan just can’t let go, what if Carter didn’t do it?The evidence and testimony is conflicting and with several external characters coming across as suspicious. I was forced to ask myself, is Dan on to something here? Is Carter innocent?To find out the further details of the case, the suspect and the lawyer determined to make a difference. You will have to buy the novel. 4*

It’s very rare that I give a 5 star rating to a book but it’s the only one I could give after following the twists and turns of the plot!I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Dan Grant, the defence lawyer taking on a case from a friend in another firm with just 2 weeks to go until the trial began.With those involved dropping like flies or trapped in a spider web of fear and intimidation, Grant follows an increasingly dangerous trail to try and establish what really happened the night his client was accused of murder.The characters felt so real they could have stepped off the page and told me their stories themselves. This is the first book by this author I’ve read but it definitely won’t be the last!

This marks a welcome return to form for Mr White, whose early books featuring journalist Jack and his partner policewoman were excellent and prompted me to check out everything he has written so far. It's a shame that series ended because he has never scaled those heights since. But at least his new character featured here, lawyer Dan Grant, with his sidekick investigator Jayne Brett, is a far better bet than the brothers from Manchester who were the central characters in his previous three books and failed to convince or impress me. Here, the action is back in a small Lancashire town, as were the early books, and they benefit from that and the author's vivid description of an area with which he is as obviously familiar as I am. As with some of the best books I have read, the surroundings are so well described that they almost become a character in their own right. As a lawyer by day and writer by night, Neil also obvously knows his legal stuff and that comes across throughout, possibly with perhaps too much detail on occasions. The characters are also well rounded and he leaves the reader wanting to know more about them, which for me wasn't the case with the Manchester brothers. Also check out chapter 15, which is one of the creepiest pieces of writing I have ever read - well done Neil for that. But I don't think the switch to a new publisher has done Neil any favours. Whereas the previous three books certainly were to be seen on the shelves of the major supermarkets, so far that hasn't been the case here and with it also absent from the major bookseller chains I have checked out so far, I had to seek out the book via Amazon because I really wanted to read it. What about attracting the casual fan? There are also far more literals than I would expect and don't get me started on the only page numbers being central at the top of every page. Whatever happened to the bottom corner of each page - they have long been there for a reason, so why move away from practicality? I look forward to the follow-up, but I hope these points can be addressed before it appears.