American horror writer Ed travels to London to try and seek inspiration for his newest novel. While there, he meets the mysterious Andeanna, and it is only after falling for her that he discovers she is the wife of one of London’s most dangerous crime lords.

Ed is constantly surrounded by ghosts, and although he acknowledges they’re most likely the workings of a delusional mind, as his adventures in London continue, he begins to wonder where reality ends and the paranormal begins.

While the first half of the Lady of the Shades is a bit slow moving, if you power through you are more than rewarded in the fast paced and suspenseful second half. While, as with most mystery novels, I found myself able to guess the ending before I got there, Shan was talented enough to make me second guess myself enough to continue to be intrigued until I hit the last page. The novel is full of dramatic revelations and out-of-the-blue twists.

The ending is, quite frankly, a little bizarre, but it fits the crazy story. The whole novel is a bit like a roller coaster ride, it’s definitely not your standard A to B plot.

While Lady of the Shades is a dramatic crime novel, I can’t help but feel that a lot of fans of the genre won’t enjoy this unorthodox addition. But for those who are looking for something out of the ordinary, with a traditional crime novel at its heart, Lady of the Shades will not disappoint.