Lady of the Shades is the first foray into the exciting world of adult fiction by the acclaimed teenage horror writer Darren Shan.

Those familiar with Shan’s style will notice some fairly obvious similarities with his older works, namely the use of first person and the all too compelling plots that he somehow manages to keep whipping out of nowhere.

The book is about a man named Ed. An American author with a mysterious past. Ed has travelled to London in order to find the inspiration for his latest horror book and is trying to prove to the world that the paranormal does in fact exist and the ghosts that constantly dog his every move are not a figment of his own deranged mind.

The story seems to find itself full of unusual twists and turns, some of which seem fairly obvious in places but then turn out to be unbelievable jaw droppers, though at this point it I really should point out that one or two are just down right silly.

Whilst it might not set the world on fire in the same way a Steinbeck or a Dickens might, it has to be said that the pages simply keep on turning. This book is going to make you emotional, it will envelop you into it’s world, and once Shan has seen fit to spit you out of it, you’re going to be itching to jump back in.

Now I only had an advance copy of the book to review so I can’t say definitively that all of what I read made the final print, which by the way is out in shops now. But what I will say is this. If you only read one Shan book, you simply have to make sure this is the one. With it’s heart breaking love story, supernatural twists and violent turns, this book is definitely going to show that Shan has just what it takes to contend with the grown ups.