Shadow Woman

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Summary: Jane Whitefield guides you to enlightenment as Shadow Woman
Review: This is the third in a series (and the last?) of books about Jane Whitefield, descendant of Seneca Indians, living in upstate New York. Jane "guides" people who are in need of disappearing in life. Her previous adventures have taken her all over the US helping children and adults who need to get away from some unsavory situation. In "Shadow Woman" Jane takes Pete Hatcher from his casino job and Las Vegas lifestyle to safety after he feels threatened by his crooked employers. And, Jane marries Carey MacKinnon, her long time friend and lover. Jane determines that she will no longer be a guide, taking up her new role as a doctor's wife. However, an out-of-the-blue call from Pete Hatcher makes her break her promise and she leaves home to guide Pete to safety one last time. This time, however, her extraordinary efforts are thwarted by three very clever bad guys (well not ALL guys) who infiltrate her very private life to track her. A thrilling ending in the mountains where Jane gets to test her mettle and her Indian instincts will leave the reader breathless. Thomas Perry's novel is a must for those who like a little substance with their mystery. My only beef with the book is that Jane seems too quick to adopt a very traditional role as wife. And, her decision to end being a guide would seem to preclude any more titles. Say it ain't so, Mr. Perry!

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Summary: Incredible plot, amazing details, one of the best in series
Review: This was my first Thomas Perry novel, and what an initiation! I can't recommend his novels enough, and I thought this one was incredibly well done. As far as intricacy of plot goes, I think this and the first one, vanishing Act, were the best ones. The way he interweaves Jane and the runner's interaction with one of the stalkers at the same as Cary's interaction with the other one, is brilliant. It will keep you breathless til the very last page. And seriously hoping that Jane won't quit!

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Summary: Wow!! Jane's travels will keep you Spellbound!
Review: This was the first Jane Whitefield novel that I read and I'm certainly going to get the other two, pronto! The pace is certainly frantic as she attempts to keep her client alive. Start this book early in the day, as you sure will not be able to put it down. It's a Page Turner!-- Bob Davidso

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Summary: Not Perry's Best
Review: Thomas Perry is a terrific writer, and I greatly enjoyed the first two entries in his Jane Whitefield series, but SHADOW WOMAN was a disappointment to me. The book suffers from long stretches of tedium and some serious lapses in plausibility. The two villains, supposedly ultracompetent supercriminals, seem amateurishly inept at times, and the good guys' narrow escapes often owe more to luck than skill. An awful lot of time is spent on Jane's marital problems, which might have been more interesting if we could figure out why she married this guy in the first place. Readers unfamiliar with the Jane Whitefield series would be better off reading VANISHING ACT and DANCE FOR THE DEAD, both of which are solid, five-star thrillers that show Perry at the top of his game.

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Summary: Thomas Perry, why did you do it?
Review: Why did Thomas Perry turn the third novel of his entertaining series into a second rate romance novel? I could have done with a lot less of the character's agonizing over her marital obligations and a lot more of the action and suspense that made the first novels fun to read. I will pass on any more of this series that comes my way.