A Shadow on the Door

DI Rob Marshall Scottish Borders Police Mysteries, Book 4

By: Ed James

Narrated by: Angus King

The shadows are deep...and the door is closing.

In the heart of the Scottish Borders, Gary Hislop is expanding his criminal empire and his lethal grasp is tightening around the area. But as he opens his Kelso hardware store one morning, a sudden attack on him sets off a chain of events that even he couldn't predict.

Enter DI Rob Marshall and his team. As Marshall delves into the incident, he finds himself ensnared in a web of deceit, where every alliance is suspect and every door casts a long shadow. The organization protecting Hislop is impenetrable and, within Marshall's own ranks, trust is a rare commodity.

Familiar faces may conceal dark secrets and newcomers to the team might be driven by agendas of their own. As the case unfolds, the question becomes not only who attacked Hislop, but who inside Marshall's own team is leaking vital information to the underworld?

With time running out, can Marshall rally his team to uncover the truth? Will he unearth the betrayal within and bring the guilty to justice?

A Shadow on the Door is a pulse-pounding police procedural that will keep listeners on the edge of their seats, unable to turn away from the mystery that lurks behind every corner. In a world where no one can be trusted, one man must fight to reveal the truth. The shadows are deep, and the door is closing. Can you solve the mystery before it's too late?

©2023 Scott Cullen, Ltd (P)2024 Scott Cullen, Ltd

This Author Has Potential

I'm now listening to Book 4 in the DI Rob Marshall series after starting with .5 False Start. I probably wouldn't have continued, but as I listen to books the narrator is equally as important to me and Angus King is very good at what he does. That being said...the production value on these books is not as meticulous as other series that King has voiced. There has been more than one editing goof...where 2 takes were included one after another of the same sentence...just messy, lazy editing.

The stories have all the makings of a Grimm or a Logan...but the clarity is missing. It's almost feels like James is auditioning ideas for characters in front of his audience, but what that means is that as the reader/listener it's difficult to build our own relationships with the characters. Elliot/Andy/Andrea is so over the top in her obnoxious traits that it's difficult to believe she's a grown up let alone an experienced police detective. Marshall is the only clearly defined character, but even he has moments of identity crisis. Focus on the relationships we care about...Marshall and Kirsten...Jenn, Thia...even Rakesh who has now been shipped off to professional standards was a more fully developed character albeit not consistent. Elliot could be someone we care about, but right now she's a caricature.

I want to keep following this series, but some polishing needs to happen in order for me to stick with it. Just pushing out content is fine as the genre has people hungry for more...but for the longevity of a character we have to be able to relate...that's why Harry Grimm and Jack Logan are as successful as they are...we feel we know them and that's because they seem real and relatable.

Bizarre woke interference with story

Plot is ok, performance of narrator is awesome. But why the tedious virtue signaling and attempts to normalize the sexualization of children and gender dysphoria? It has nothing to do with the plot. Just an author being a woke bully. Unfortunate.

Best in the series so far

I only started listening to Ed James recently, and I am pleased to say that I am liking this series better with each title. I like the characters, who are complicated people at times, the way real people are. The pacing of information as Marshall and his colleagues race toward justice is handled well. Angus King's narration is pure perfection. This book is my favorite in the series so far, and I am ready to dive into the next one.

Satisfying All Round

Angus King as spot on as ever. New characters to liven the personal lives of the team. A troublesome new team member to pique the interest. And an involving plotline with lots of twists and turns. I’ll be back for more in 2024.

Excellent continuation of story in a series

Character development, complexity of story , new characters added and good mystery with really likable protagonist