The Shadow Writer

[b:The Shadow Writer 41821478 The Shadow Writer Eliza Maxwell https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553705428l/41821478.SY75.jpg 65268006]I want to thank everyone involved for me receiving an arc of this book. My apologize for my delayed review it in no way reflects negatively on this book at all because I loved it. The Shadow Writer is a complex labyrinth of lies, manipulation, and characters that may or may not be guilty of heinous crimes or be victims of horrific family dynamics. Who's really to blame once the dust settles and the blood stops flowing?The murder mystery party at one point in The Shadow Writer reinforces the notion that no one is to be trusted when the crime game is afoot. Everyone has an agenda, a motive, an alibi. Pinpointing the protagonist in this story is not easy, probably by design. Actually, each person's role shifts around a bit, depending on the point of view, making it difficult to determine who to trust, who to believe, who to like, and who to despise. The protagonist in any story is meant to be flawed, but can those flaws balloon out of control and cross over into the unforgivable? Does that mean that person has really been the antagonist all along? The Shadow Writer overflows with questions and clues, yet watching the mystery unfold is exhilarating, with the suspense swirling around you and buffeting you toward that next chapterrIt takes immense talent to weave such a complex tale that won't completely befuddle the reader because of the mosaic of characters interconnected by chance or by force and the plot filled with twists and turns and surprises around every corner. Eliza Maxwell definitely has that talent because The Shadow Writer mystifies, intrigues, tantalizes, and entertains, expertly providing the reader with plenty of reasons to keep turning those pages. Who is Graye Templeton? Does she even know? Is her identity blurred beyond redemption, or is it crystal clear and neatly compartmentalized? Who is actually authorized to tell, and even finish, her story? Graye is a puzzle for the reader but even more so for herself. You may find yourself lost in these pages but it is worth it. I felt like this was a beautiful game of who done it and I needed to know why. Graye is so interesting that I think she may be a mystery to herself and the reader until the very end.