Publication Date: June 20, 2013
In Leaving Shadows by Eric J. Gates, the top agent in British Intelligence, code name C, is kidnapped and his organization seeks out an agency that specializes in recovering kidnapped victims. What seemed a simple kidnapping is much more and the players find themselves in a race against time. Leaving Shadows is the fourth thriller by Eric J Gates.
I am a huge fan of Ian Fleming and the 007 films. Gates gives the classic spy thriller a thoroughly modern upgrade. Leaving Shadows is a unique tale that takes the reader on an adventurous ride. At the end of the novel, there is a document that forms a pact between Eric J. Gates and the reader listing what Gates will present the reader. The boiled-down version is that he promises that his work will be unique and entertaining, and Gates carries through on the promise in spades.
Leaving Shadows contains a large cast of characters. At the start of the novel keeping up was a bit of a challenge. Gates drew the character of Bernard Trubshaw, also known as C, well. We watch him as he dances through his morning routine waiting to be escorted by SAS to his office. Bernard is very scheduled, very distant from his wife and someone who works well under pressure. Everyone else was somewhat generic and more defined by his or her place in the story. Jenkinson and Sena are overriding forces in the story and ease the reader through. Many others have the feel of a white hat and black hat character and act their role in a credit to the story but not in a sense of enhancement.
Leaving Shadows is a plot-driven tale. The twists and turns that Gates takes, serve to keep the action moving and the reader’s mouth hanging open. “If she liked the book so much why did she give it four stars on the bookselling sites,” you might ask. I gave it four stars because while I liked the novel and thought it was really unique, it was not a full-package novel for me. While I loved the beginning and ending, I felt the narrative was disconnected at points. Very operation-oriented in a military sense maintaining humor and levity but not the sense of urgency. That sense of urgency is perhaps not needed in a novel where professionals run the show but that there is a lack of consistency in this sense gives this reader pause that perhaps it wasn’t the conscious choice of the author. The mastery Gates exhibits is that with the ever-moving action, those moments were brief.
As with most plot-driven works, to comment on the plot in a review would be to give spoilers. Reading this novel was very much like watching a Bond film minus James Bond. Very cool and slick. I enjoyed it a lot.
Leaving Shadows is one of the better thrillers I’ve read this year.
If this sounds like a book for you, read an excerpt and buy Leaving Shadows by Eric J. Gates on
Amazon U.S. Amazon U.K. Amazon CA
I’ve heard good things about this book, I guess now I need to read it! Or add it to my ever growing TBR list. If anyone is looking for another good thriller, White Thaw: The Helheim Conspiracy is fantastic. A lot of science, and a great set of characters. Worth a look. It’s by Paul Mark Tag, paulmarktag.com. Thanks for the review, I can’t wait to read this one!
Thanks for the suggestion! When you’ve read this novel please drop me a line to let me know if you think I got it right. Always interested to hear what others think of a work.
Thank you for you review, Tammy. It’s much appreciated. My fifth thriller (book 2 of ‘the CULL’ series) is now available too. In these, I’ve given the vampire novel a major shake-up. No teen romance; just two female Federal Agent protagonists plus NSA, FBI, the Vatican, hidden conspiracies and rogue priests… and vampires like you’ve never seen them before.