Land of Shadows

A Detective Elouise Norton Novel

By: Rachel Howzell Hall

Narrated by: Je Nie Fleming

Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

"A fresh voice in crime fiction. Fast, funny, heartbreaking and wise.... Elouise Norton is the best new character you'll meet this year." (Lee Child, New York Times best-selling author, on Rachel Howzell Hall's Land of Shadows)

Along the ever-changing border of gentrifying Los Angeles, 17-year-old Monique Darson is found dead at a condominium construction site, hanging in the closet of an unfinished unit. Homicide Detective Elouise "Lou" Norton's new partner, Colin Taggert, fresh from the comparatively bucolic Colorado Springs police department, assumes it's a teenage suicide. Lou isn't buying the easy explanation.

For one thing, the condo site is owned by Napoleon Crase, a self-made millionaire...and the man who may have murdered Lou's missing sister, Tori, 30 years ago. As Lou investigates the death of Monique Darson, she uncovers undeniable links between the two cases. But her department is skeptical.

Lou is convinced that when she solves Monique's case she will finally bring her lost sister home. But as she gets closer to the truth, she also gets closer to a violent killer. After all this time, can he be brought to justice...before Lou becomes his next victim?

©2014 Rachel Howzell Hall (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“A fresh voice in crime fiction. Fast, funny, heartbreaking and wise...Elouise Norton is the best new character you'll meet this year.” —Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author

“Spellbinding. Gritty. Original, complex, profound, and riveting. This is a voice you have never heard--and will be unable to forget. Prepare to be blown away.” —Hank Phillippi Ryan, Anthony, Agatha, and Mary Higgins Clark Award–winning author

“A hard-hitting tale of a modern, complex Los Angeles. Well-written and deftly paced…a story that stays with you after the last page is read.” —Gary Phillips, author of Warlord of Willow Ridge

New Crime Fiction Series

I really enjoyed the first book of this new series! I heard an interview on NPR with black, crime fiction writers and thought I would research their topics. I was looking for a crime series that would keep me entertained and this hit the mark extremely well. I also had to admit, that I had not read many black authors in this genre and was excited to delve into a book with a different perspective. As a first book in a detective series the author did a great job introducing and developing the detective and her partner. It is set in LA and you should definitely give this a try. I've read many detective series over the years and this one is not trite, but also easy to get into. I enjoyed the plot, the twists, getting to know Elouise, her partner, family and friends. I'm starting the next one, which is what I was looking for. I also listened to this through Audible and the performer was FANTASTIC. As the book progresses there are more and more characters and she creates a new and believable voice for each one. I was very, very impressed and it made the book even more enjoyable.

GREAT READ!

LOVED IT! Awesome book, loved the narration, personality and all the perfect tones & inflections.

book one

this is book one and I'm ready for the whole series. hopefully it goes in detail just like this one did and the story continues on

A Detective Story that Has it All

'Land of Shadows' is the first installment of the Detective Eloise Norton series, written by author Rachel Howzell Hall, and centers on the main character's hunt for a vicious killer of underage Black girls in Los Angeles, California.

It received my 5-star rating for its pacing, balance between main and secondary character perspectives, coherent timeline transitions, and hard-boiled sleuth psychology.

I especially enjoyed Hall's expert character development, giving the reader a chance to get close to Detective Norton by patiently revealing layers of her unraveling interior life, piece- by-piece.

Hall humanizes the the detective through a variety of dialogues between herself and the people she interacts with throughout the story including her newly transferred partner, loyal and savvy best friends group, her nefarious husband, the criminal perpetrators proclaiming their innocence at every turn, and the shadows of the past still haunting her.

If you're looking for a thriller with heart, 'Land of Shadows' is for you. I look forward to seeing what the author has in store for Detective Eloise Norton in the next installment titled 'Land of Ashes'.

Lou doesn’t give up

The author created a determined character who turned homicide cop after losing her sister 25 years ago. I was sometimes taken aback at Lou’s dark humor and bounce back optimism in the face of circumstances in a current case that so closely paralleled that of her own sister. She was clearly coming to terms with the state of her marriage as well. Her banter felt a little light here. But I could also hear in her words “what other choice do I have other than to keep going?” Lou was also driven by guilt for failing to stay with her sister that fateful moment. This element was mentioned but not fully addressed or resolved. I liked her feminist take on the female characters being flawed but not blamed for being sexual, greedy, practical or imperfect humans. Overall, it was a good mystery with a great narrator.

I’m hooked

Was looking for a couple of good detective authors and stumbled on Hall. Loved the first one. And the performance by Fleming kept me engaged on the story.

Twist and turns galore.

This book is involved. There are so many twists and turns it keeps you guessing. A little too violent for my usual reading pleasure...... But very good read of very surprising resolution........

Great main character interesting story

I love how the protagonist is not only a black female but also isn’t a twenty something year old. She’s tough but also has flaws, which make her interesting. The whole story was a nice read. Will definitely check out more by this author

WOW!

What a wonderful surprise! I stumbled across this book almost two months ago and decided to pass on it. Boy was I wrong! This book was a great listen. I plan to listen to the entire series. I thought I knew who the killer was, but then the real killer was revealed. I didn't see that coming at all. The narrator is new to me. However, she did an amazing job 👏!! She didn't just read the book she actually performed. Her voice transition were so smooth you would think, there were multiple narrator's. On to book two.

Listen!

Great characters. Narrator is outstanding.
Plot allows for listener to follow clues, without being too vague or too obvious.