If you’re someone looking for your next mystery suspense thriller, then Eastern Shadows by Peter Nordgren, set in the mystery-steeped Thailand, is a novel that you’re going to want to check out. Full of intrigue that will draw you in, Eastern Shadows details the story of a young woman’s mysterious disappearance and the fallout that takes place after. Beware, though, some are willing to kill to keep their secrets…secret.
Eastern Shadows catches readers’ eyes with a cover that depicts a nighttime scene from Thailand. At the top of the cover are small orbs that represent the stars in the sky. As your eye is drawn down, you get the “light pollution” of the big city as author Nordgren gives readers a city skyline that paints the background with city lights. You see towering skyscrapers with some tropical trees sprinkled in.
As you come forward in the cover, author Nordgren gives readers powerlines that further emphasize the urban elements of Eastern Shadows. To the right of the cover is what appears to be a shadowed statue or temple. While in the foreground is what appears to be a small motel with a single light on, with the name of it in Thai.
Eastern Shadows kicks things off with a hotel owner and manager trying to check on a young woman in one of the rooms. It seems rather mundane, but author Nordgren is delicately setting the stage for something more coming just around the corner.
Part of you will think that the young woman he’s trying to do housekeeping for her room might be in trouble. But author Nordgren moves Eastern Shadows forward and indicates to us that, as far as we know, she’s not. In this first chapter, we’re introduced to one character who will play an important role later, and Ploy Soikham. The young woman who will soon go missing and be the focus of Eastern Shadows.
As Eastern Shadows moves forward, author Nordgren introduces us to the character who will be the focus and driving character of the story, Shane Morris. Shane is an out-of-work journalist hoping to finally catch a break with an interview that he has scheduled for the day we meet him. While his “working” lunch doesn’t pan out the way that he hopes, he does land a job opportunity.
Sumali, the owner of The Lotus, is concerned about her missing daughter, Ploy. The pieces of the puzzle are starting to make themselves known. We can definitely say that things are starting to get interesting.
Sumali offers Shane an employment opportunity that he’s hard-pressed to turn down, and he knows it. Sumali believes that something terrible has happened to her daughter. Shane, on the other hand? He thinks that this is going to be a quick search and find, which will turn into a nice paid-for vacation. What he discovers…things are more complicated than they seem.
As Eastern Shadows progresses, author Nordgren whisks readers out of the United States all the way to Thailand. There, we move around the country with Shane as he gradually begins to learn that things are not what they seem. What actually happened to Ploy? Where he once thought that this was going to be an easy thing…is proving to have its many hidden dangers.
Eastern Shadows is told from the third-person POV, and it moves at a slower pace as the story progresses overall. Throughout Eastern Shadows, there are bursts of drama that push the story to pick up the pace. Then things slow back down as the drama gradually rebuilds, as Shane finds himself in various chaotic and typically dangerous situations.
Now, what murder mystery suspense novel is complete without some bodies dropping? Well, author Nordgren gives us exactly that. Wherever Shane goes, trouble is quick to follow. Intending to meet up at a statue with someone who has information at dusk? Think someone is going to turn up dead? You’d be right! Think that Shane is going to cross paths with some people he shouldn’t have? You’d be right again!
When it comes to Shane as an overall character, readers may not find him to be the most likable, but he comes off as a flawed character who is realistic. We think that readers will appreciate Shane’s dogmatic determination to find Ploy and to find out what happened to her. There are “red herrings” along the way, but while he gets distracted here and there, his unrelenting persistence is admirable to say the least.
Eastern Shadows is set in Thailand and visits a number of small towns/cities and big cities. However, if you’re looking to really be steeped in the overall atmosphere of the “Land of Smiles,” you’ll find yourself disappointed. Eastern Shadows focuses primarily on Shane’s quest of discovering what happened to Ploy and staying alive. It would have been nice to get more of the atmospheric feel of this distant location, but that’s not how things play out with this particular novel.
The way that Eastern Shadows flows is an ebb and flow like the tide. As the tide comes in, the drama builds. Once the drama has played out, the tide flows back out. But don’t let that make you complacent with this book. The closer that Shane gets to the truth, the more that things are going to get ramped up. The latter quarter of the book will really bring the drama, the tension, and a healthy dose of suspense.
Wondering if you’re going to get all the answers you’re looking for? Yes, and no. You’ll be left with questions as to what happens next with certain characters. Ones that you hope meet their downfall, well, most will. Others? Well, karma may have to wait for another opportunity to take a bite.
When it comes to the ending of Eastern Shadows, you’re going to be left relatively satisfied with how things play out. You’ll have answers for the majority of the key players in the novel. The big question that will loom will be whether Eastern Shadows is a standalone novel for author Nordgren or whether Shane will become a private investigator and continue down similar paths as this one. Only time will tell.
If you’re a reader who enjoys twisted suspense novels set in foreign lands, then you honestly can’t miss with Eastern Shadows. Gritty, suspenseful, and a nice balance of light and dark concerning humanity, Eastern Shadows will take you on quite the ride as you strive to find the truth.
Pros:
- Interesting storyline
- Unique characters
- Suspenseful
- Overall satisfying ending
Cons:
- Lacks Thailand’s unique atmosphere
- There were places where details could have been left out that would have allowed the story to flow faster.
Scribble's Worth 