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

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.

So tired of all the bullying....

I've only made it this far because I love Angus King's narration but I'm not sure even that is enough anymore. The MC is ok but almost every single other character is despicable. Elliot and Struan would absolutely be fired for their bullying and violence towards fellow officers as well as suspects. I mean I'm sure there is a certain amount of underhandedness that goes on in any police force but the suspension of disbelief being asked for here is just too high. It's too bad too because the procedural part of these stories and the mystery is pretty good. I don't want to dislike the characters in the books I read. The reason that series like DCI Logan, DCI Grimm, and Inspector Gamache are so popular is because the reader wants to spend time time with all of the characters. I want to know what has been going on in their lives since the last time I met with them. They work with cohesive teams who aren't all out for themselves and constantly keeping secrets.

Mr. James - if you want to keep this series going build a team around DI Marshall that everyone likes and who we want to know more about.

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.

Take my money now !

I’m ready for 2024. Can wait for the next in series. What a fantastic story.

Good listen

One of the better authors consistently, interesting, Angus King as a lot. it’s nice to have normal murder mysteries without torturous serial killers. And I do this mostly for myself, so I remember if I like the book or not and a 15 word minimum is barely doable.