The Shadow

James Patterson teamed up with Brian Sitts to revive one of the most recognizable pulp heroes of the twentieth century. The Shadow first appeared in radio dramas in the 1930s and quickly moved into magazines and novels, where the character of Lamont Cranston, a wealthy man with the ability to cloud the minds of his enemies, became a fixture of American crime fiction. Patterson’s version brings the character forward in an unexpected way.

The novel opens in 1937, with Cranston and his ally Margo Lane in danger from a cult led by his oldest enemy. Without giving too much away, the story then jumps almost a hundred years into the future, to a New York City that looks nothing like the one Cranston knew. The Shadow has to figure out who he is in this strange new world and what enemy is still hunting him. The setup is pure Patterson in its forward motion, with short chapters and quick scene changes that keep the pages turning.

Long time fans of the original Shadow stories will notice the changes. This is not a faithful period piece, more of a reimagining that uses the character’s powers and core mystery as a starting point. Sitts handles a lot of the action sequences with confidence, and the futuristic setting gives the writers room to invent without being tied down by the original mythology. Readers who came in expecting another standard Patterson thriller may be surprised by the science fiction elements, but those who go in open to the genre blend will find a brisk, entertaining ride.