From the Shadows is the first in a series of procedurals set in the west of the Scottish Highlands and centred around DI Monica Kennedy. Originally published in 2019, the novel forms the basis of the ITV adaptation, The Dark, which begins airing on 12 July 2026 and looks suitably atmospheric. From the Shadows has been republished now to tie in with the show, and GR Halliday must be buzzing.
This is a rugged part of the United Kingdom, beautiful but unforgiving. Wet, cold, windy – it’s the kind of environment that shapes the people who live there. Folk are hardy but used to isolation, and communities are close knit. The further away from Inverness you get, the more insular the communities become. It is, therefore, an especially difficult place to practice for professionals whose job is basically to enquire in to other people’s business.
When we first meet Monica Kennedy, she is at a crime scene. A body has been found close to The Minch, the body of water which separates the mainland from The Outer Highlands. A teenage boy has been placed in an unnatural position looking out to sea. His corpse is naked and with evidence of repeated, sadistic beatings prior to death. The autopsy will subsequently reveal bite marks amongst the bruises, and that a stone has been forced down the victim’s throat.
The scene looks staged to Kennedy. There is more going on here than just the disposal of a body. If she can intuit its meaning, get into the psychology of the killer, then she will be halfway to solving the case.
Meanwhile, Michael Bach, a children’s social worker, is concerned about a missing client. Nichol Morgan is 17 and disappeared several days ago. No doubt a cause for concern, but doubly so for Bach. Chronically disorganised, he missed his last scheduled appointment with Morgan. Already on his last warning at work, Bach’s practice is far from satisfactory, displaying a laissez-faire attitude to mundane but necessary tasks whilst becoming over involved with clients for whom he should be taking a more controlled, boundaried approach. He can’t afford to take the blame if something happens to Morgan.
The police are aware of Morgan’s disappearance, and Bach is relieved to hear from Kennedy that Morgan doesn’t fit the description of the dead boy.
The next day, the victim is identified as Robert Wright, and the father insists he last saw his son two nights ago before bed. If his father is telling the truth, Robert must have left his bedroom sometime that night. Was he abducted or did he go willingly, perhaps to meet his murderer?
A second killing occurs in short order – the duration of the novel only spans one intense week. Again, the victim is a teenager, again the crime scene contains the same bizarre elements, strengthening Kennedy’s view that there is a ritualistic element to the murders. The similarities indicate that the killer must be the same person in each case. Is there a serial killer at work in the Highlands?
Halliday lives in the Highlands, and his knowledge of and love for the area comes through in his writing. From The Shadows is a dark, gritty novel, and the author’s evocative description of the countryside adds to the brooding atmosphere of the novel. There are moments of shocking violence and antagonism between Kennedy and her team are all in the best traditions of British hardboiled crime writing.
Reading From the Shadows, I found there were too many instances of exciting plot lines arising which eventually fizzle out and go nowhere; an arrogant forensic psychologist and the possible involvement of two Scottish crime families were two examples of particularly promising avenues which were introduced then dropped, though they may return in future novels. I was frustrated by the eventual solution to the case. The killer’s motivations weren’t fully explained and I didn’t understand the personal significance to the killer of their compulsions.
However, police procedural lives or dies on the strength of its detectives. Plotting, and everything else that goes into a crime novel are obviously important, but the characters must work. From the Shadows is tagged as a DI Monica Kennedy novel, and thankfully, in this respect, Halliday has knocked it out of the park. My return to the series will be down to her. Much of the book is told from Kennedy’s perspective and as you read you’re privy to all her thoughts. She’s fierce, perceptive and dedicated, but also vulnerable and insecure about her appearance –ungainly due to her considerable height and large feet.
She is further conscious of how she is perceived by her fellow officers. Kennedy has returned to the Highlands following a spell in Glasgow and there are tantalising hints that her personal judgement is not as sound as her professional.
The second novel in the series, Dark Waters, was published originally in 2020 and is being republished in September 2026. A third novel, Under The Marsh, will be published in January 2027.
For a cosy take on the Highlands, see Murder in the Scottish Highlands by Dee MacDonald.
Point Blank Crime
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CFL Rating: 4 Stars
