Shadow Lives by Neil A White is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller with loss, betrayal, revenge and danger.
Matt Latham is an Australian foreign correspondent and a reluctant spy for ASIS (Australian Secret Service). When the money is right and there is a story to find, Matt will travel anywhere, often putting himself at risk.
Matt accepts an assignment to interview a Russian billionaire in Kharkiv. As Matt and his interpreter Katya approach the club where they are to meet the Russian, Matt’s phone rings. Katya goes on ahead as Matt takes the call. An explosion at the club leaves Matt in hospital and Katya dead.
On waking up in hospital Matt struggles to remember his name, let alone what he was doing outside a club in Kharkiv. As his memory returns, he decides to travel to Katya’s Ukrainian village to pay his respects and meet her parents. There he discovers Katya has been leading a double life and searching for her missing younger sister, Nadiya.
Matt questions the bombing. Who was the target? Was it the Russian billionaire? Katya? Or, did someone want him dead? And, who was responsible and why was Katya killed?
Matt decides to search for Nadiya, entering a dangerous world of double agents, drugs, human trafficking and illegal arms shipments.
In Matts own words “Was what I searched for: redemption? For failing to protect Katya? Would finding Nadiya set the world to right? Or was I doing the only thing I knew how: running down a fascinating story with no regard for the characters involved, just like the cynical, unemotional bastard I’d always been? For once in my life, though, I found myself caring, not just about a story. I cared about Katya and doing whatever it took to track down her sister. Of course, this commitment had yet to be tested.”
Matt is a fantastic character, flawed, but has a great sense of humour and has his own family life problems. He is constantly putting himself in danger as he joins the pieces of the puzzle.
I feel I have to warn you — don’t start this book if you have other things to do because they won’t get done! I was so captivated and invested in Matt’s safety and the outcome of his search that I couldn’t put this book down.
I can’t wait to go on Matt’s next assignment!
A selection of Beauty and Lace Club members are reading Shadow Lives by Neil A White. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
I love to read, any book on any topic. I now love ebooks as they are easier to store, I was running out of bookshelves! My other interests are family, gardening and our beautiful King Charles spaniel dog who is my reading companion.
Thank you Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read Shadow Lives by Neil A White.
I absolutely loved this story.
This is a well written thriller that keeps you turning those pages to find out the next twist.
Matt Latham is an Australian foreign correspondent and a spy for ASIS.
Matt is a complex character but with a hear of gold.
He gets himself in all sorts of sticky situations.
This is my first Neil A White book but it definitely won’t be my last, time to go searching for his other books.
Highly recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Matt Latham, intrepid Australian foreign correspondent, working wherever he’s called, cannot miss the opportunity to find out the true cause of the death of his latest interpreter, Katya Fomina. They were both injured in a bomb blast; Katya fatally and leaving Matt with both physical and psychological injuries. He sets out determined to find the root cause of the deadly blast. As a result he uncovers the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Katya’s younger sister, Nadiya.
Shadow Lives by Neil White, definitely has all the ingredients of a great thriller. Mystery, international relations, espionage, drug and human trafficking! Once you begin this journey with Matt you will be unable to put the book down.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to more from Neil White. Hopefully Matt Latham can eventually settle into a mundane Australian lifestyle, like the rest of us! No! I think he would find that way too boring! Can’t wait for his next adventure!
This was my first book of Neil A White and I loved getting to know about Matt Latham. I found there were times I had to chuckle at the way things were phrased and I found Matt easy to like. He tends to stumble his way though things and just hope for the best and at times that goes his way and other times not but either way he makes the best of what he is dealt at the time.
There are lots of twists and turns in this story that will keep you on your toes and not wanting to put the book down to go to bed or to head to work so be warned.
I enjoyed this book so much that I will 100% keep my eyes open for more from this writer.
Shadow Lives is an intriguing spy thriller, centred around the main Australian character Matt Latham who is both a journalist and spy for Australia’s secret service.
It’s action-packed and very typical of this type of genre.
‘Some things were worth fighting for, no matter the cost.’ This page-turner is full of near-misses for Latham as he strives to complete his mission.
While he’s not as smooth as a typical Bond-like spy, Latham is incredibly like-able.
If you enjoy these types of modern-day international crime tales, you’ll love the fast-paced nature of this one – I certainly did.
What a fast-paced, enjoyable read! Matt Latham, an Australian journalist with links to secret service, follows the trail of a sex-trafficked Ukrainian woman through different countries, risking his life and witnessing several killings. Russian oligarchs, MI5 and various individuals are very invested in putting a stop to his investigation and he doesn’t know who to trust.
Despite the sometimes grim and confronting scenes in the book, it’s written with a wry humour and the self-deprecating wit of the protagonist is a real feature. I thoroughly enjoyed Neil A. White’s writing style and the fast-paced and realistic adventures Matt faces.
Thank you Beauty & Lace and Echo Publishing for the chance to read and review this highly recommended book.
Recommend to all lovers of spy/thrillers. A devastating story interspersed with the prerequisite corny comments of the protagonist of this genre. This helped keep a disturbing tale a little more easy to read.
I must admit, it is the first novel I have read written by a man and it was absolutely enjoyable!
I loved the way Aziz expressed his words, I found myself laughing at his ways as I thought it was amusingly clever writing being it was sprinkled throughout a story of death, emotion, power, corruption and revenge throughout the book and wouldn`t hesitate to read another book written by Neil A White because it had a bit of everything.
Matt went on such a journey, willing to find the answers to who was involved to the end. Matt`s character had to push through even though the corrupt people tried to push him down to stop investigating further but he was determined and it felt like a real battle to the end.
A remarkably written book, the events and tragedies felt so real and it made me think of how some of these similar underworld-type people get away with what they do in the real world.
I highly advise you to read this gripping book if you haven`t already as Neil has now got a top spot in my favourite reads.