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In The Victim's Shadow
On a cold San Francisco evening, Amber and Katherine Winters, a mother and daughter modeling team, stop at a corner store after work for some much-needed ice cream and is instead met with an action from a desperate man that will put an end to Amber’s life, and forever scar Katherine. That desperate man is Spencer Simon, a man out of luck, with no job and no place to live. Rejected from yet another job, at that same corner market, Spencer is surprised to find himself pulling out a gun instead of the change for his cup of coffee. He is even more surprised when the cashier throws the money at him. When the gun fires, killing the beautiful model as he is trying to flee, Spencer doesn’t know what to do-except run, leaving five-year old Katherine crying over her dead mother. Twenty-seven years later, Katherine is all grown up, and Spencer has a son who, forced to grow up under his father’s soul-consuming guilt, is bitter over having lost his childhood. Chad focuses his hatred on Katherine, whom he blames for his problems, and devises a plan to make her suffer as much as he has. Katherine has now become a successful lawyer, with a longing in her heart for something special: a child. When Chad attempts to enter Katherine’s life, she is unimpressed and easily dismisses him. This only angers Chad more, causing him to devise another plan. Chad learns of John Wheaton, the man Katherine is in love with, and upon seeing the strength of their bond, reacts in anger over Katherine’s happiness and attacks John, leaving him for dead and Katherine facing another loss in her life. Meanwhile, in an attempt to appease his guilt and in some way show his son that he loves him, Spencer sits back and watches as his
414 pages, Paperback
First published January 23, 2015
2 people are currently reading
368 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Schwimley
20 books84 followersI am a reader and an author. I love entertaining people with stories that are rich with characters. When I'm not writing or reading, you can find me sewing. I love to visit the ocean or the forest and would prefer to camp out in a cabin over a hotel room. I highly value my readers, and I very much a family person.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 3, 2015
I had forgotten just how much I enjoy reading suspense/mystery genres. In The Victim's Shadow brought everything back. And after a long time, I found myself despising a character so much - Not because it was poorly developed. On the contrary, the character was so real, that at times I felt like circling my fingers around his throat and strangling him! Yes, Chad Simon brought out the demon in me! I can't believe I started off the review by writing about the antagonist!
Victoria Schwimley not only crafted her characters well, she gave them importance. She made Katherine and Peter Winters characters likeable, beautifully portraying their father-daughter bond.
“I’m afraid, with your standards, Katherine— I’ll be haunting my grandchildren from the grave just to communicate with them.” - Really laughed out loud at this :-)"
John Wheaton is the best friend we all want to fall in love with. The maturity and shyness displayed between both Katherine and John were remarkable to read. I kept looking forward to their time together.
As much as I enjoyed the main characters, I couldn't help smiling and hoping for Beth and Jack. They need their own story! (Hinting here!)
If you enjoy romance and danger, then this book is a must read. It has all the elements required for a good romance and suspense novel. A page turner, you won't want to miss In The Victim's Shadow. The writing is impeccable!
Victoria Schwimley not only crafted her characters well, she gave them importance. She made Katherine and Peter Winters characters likeable, beautifully portraying their father-daughter bond.
“I’m afraid, with your standards, Katherine— I’ll be haunting my grandchildren from the grave just to communicate with them.” - Really laughed out loud at this :-)"
John Wheaton is the best friend we all want to fall in love with. The maturity and shyness displayed between both Katherine and John were remarkable to read. I kept looking forward to their time together.
As much as I enjoyed the main characters, I couldn't help smiling and hoping for Beth and Jack. They need their own story! (Hinting here!)
If you enjoy romance and danger, then this book is a must read. It has all the elements required for a good romance and suspense novel. A page turner, you won't want to miss In The Victim's Shadow. The writing is impeccable!
March 27, 2016
The characters are well developed and believable. The plot and subplots are very entertaining and engaging, and many nights, in lieu of sleep, I stayed up reading this book.
I adored the friendship between Katherine and John that blossomed into romance so sweetly. I enjoyed the bond between Katherine and her assistant Beth. And the warm relationship between Katherine and her father melted my heart.
The threat of the mysterious and disturbed Chad Simon made me fearful for Katherine's safety and well-being. And I cringed at his every attempt to get closer to her.
My heart also ached for Beth and Jack, and I so wanted him to be the husband and father that she and Timmy deserved.
In the Victim's Shadow has all the elements necessary for a great romantic suspense novel. I highly recommend it to fans of this genre. A page turner that keeps you interested until the very last word!
I adored the friendship between Katherine and John that blossomed into romance so sweetly. I enjoyed the bond between Katherine and her assistant Beth. And the warm relationship between Katherine and her father melted my heart.
The threat of the mysterious and disturbed Chad Simon made me fearful for Katherine's safety and well-being. And I cringed at his every attempt to get closer to her.
My heart also ached for Beth and Jack, and I so wanted him to be the husband and father that she and Timmy deserved.
In the Victim's Shadow has all the elements necessary for a great romantic suspense novel. I highly recommend it to fans of this genre. A page turner that keeps you interested until the very last word!
April 7, 2015
In the Victim’s Shadow turns out to be more on the romantic side of romantic suspense which is not my favorite genre. In spite of this, Schwimley managed to keep me reading until the end, no small feat considering the book weighs in at over 400 pages. It is the story of Katherine, a beautiful and wealthy lawyer living in the penthouse of a tower downtown San Francisco. Through the book, she reaches many milestones in her life, but she is always under threat from Chad Simon, the son of the man who killed her mother. Chad feels his childhood was robbed by Katherine and her father, suffice it to say Chad is disturbed. The book has a ton of fairly shallow subplots which add to the length. Most involve memorable characters, such as Beth, the single-mother assistant with the unsavory ex-con for a boyfriend.
My biggest complaint with the book is it could have been appreciably shorter, by a third to half I’d say. The web of subplots is largely unnecessary, save for one or two for illustration. On the other hand, if you’re a fan of the genre, the length of the book might be a bonus. Where I saw many scenes of unnecessary and mundane acts, like petting the cat, taking a bath, making breakfast, on the other hand a fan of romantic suspense might see sequences of deepening into the character’s interesting lives. Another qualm I had is head-hopping. From one paragraph to the next it is not certain what point-of-view will be used. To be honest, though, the effect wasn’t that unpleasant or unsettling. Finally, my biggest potential pet peeve was unrealized: the editing (apart from length) is impeccable. There are almost no niggling errors in the typography or vocabulary to pop you out of the story. Thus, readability combined with what I suspect is a good conformation to the genre render this a four-star read. If you’re a fan of romantic suspense heavy on the romance, don’t hesitate.
My biggest complaint with the book is it could have been appreciably shorter, by a third to half I’d say. The web of subplots is largely unnecessary, save for one or two for illustration. On the other hand, if you’re a fan of the genre, the length of the book might be a bonus. Where I saw many scenes of unnecessary and mundane acts, like petting the cat, taking a bath, making breakfast, on the other hand a fan of romantic suspense might see sequences of deepening into the character’s interesting lives. Another qualm I had is head-hopping. From one paragraph to the next it is not certain what point-of-view will be used. To be honest, though, the effect wasn’t that unpleasant or unsettling. Finally, my biggest potential pet peeve was unrealized: the editing (apart from length) is impeccable. There are almost no niggling errors in the typography or vocabulary to pop you out of the story. Thus, readability combined with what I suspect is a good conformation to the genre render this a four-star read. If you’re a fan of romantic suspense heavy on the romance, don’t hesitate.
September 17, 2015
What is Chad up to? And why does he have it in for Katherine?
Katherine is a successful attorney with a wealthy father, a penthouse apartment and a near-perfect life in this romance/suspense novel by Victoria Schwimley. Near-perfect, that is, until Chad Simon oozes his way into her life. Even though the author revealed Chad's motive by the midpoint of the novel, the story held my interest to the end. The subplots moved the narrative along and the author maintained a good pace. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy some suspense mixed in with their romance stories.
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Katherine is a successful attorney with a wealthy father, a penthouse apartment and a near-perfect life in this romance/suspense novel by Victoria Schwimley. Near-perfect, that is, until Chad Simon oozes his way into her life. Even though the author revealed Chad's motive by the midpoint of the novel, the story held my interest to the end. The subplots moved the narrative along and the author maintained a good pace. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy some suspense mixed in with their romance stories.
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2015
I enjoyed this book. There was a good combination of romance and danger. The author did a good job bringing out the conflict in the antagonist-Chad. He desires the protagonist, Katherine, and is jealous of her boyfriend yet at the same time hates her and wants to destroy her. Katherine has her own internal conflicts, which the reader could relate. I would have liked to have read more on sub character Beth. She had her own story and conflict that maybe the author could make another book.
March 13, 2015
I laughed and I cried
Nice character development with a general story twist I had never read before. Excellent courtroom dialog I thoroughly enjoyed. Good writing and an easy read. This will interest you if you enjoy suspense, crime novels and romance all rolled into one.
Nice character development with a general story twist I had never read before. Excellent courtroom dialog I thoroughly enjoyed. Good writing and an easy read. This will interest you if you enjoy suspense, crime novels and romance all rolled into one.
May 6, 2015
Starts out a bit choppy then becomes a smooth composed success.
January 29, 2016
Overall, a well-written, enjoyable read, with a well-developed plot.
July 27, 2017
STORY-LINE IN THE VICTIM'S SHADOW BY VICTORIA SCHWIMLEY:
In The Victim's Shadow by author Victoira Schwimley, the reader finds a suspense filled romance. Amber Winters lost her mother to violent when a child; without leads, the police never caught the culprit.. Never receiving closure of her mother's murder affected Amber greatly . Amber, a successful attorney, lives a life of luxury, as her father's wealthy and she's wealthy in her own right. However lately, she felt dissatisfied with her life. She's feeling her internal biological clock ticking. As the next anniversary of her mother's death approaches strange things begin to happen; she turns to her best friend.
John, an attorney in the same firm and Amber's best friend, secretly felt more for her. As a result, John recognizes Amber's unease; someone's messing with her mind and life. A psychotic stalker has Amber in his sights. My suspense romance book reviews of In The Victim's Shadow follows.
CHARACTERS, PLOTTING, DEVELOPMENT:
Author Victoria Schwimley filled In The Victim's Shadow with intrigue, suspense, and romance. Stalked by a psychotic deranged man, fueled by revenge and jealousy, Schwinley created a first-class villain in Chad. As Schwimley developed the character of Chad, I found him a scary man. With a personality filled with hate, Chad hides his true character as best he can from Amber. However at times of stress, he reveals his true nature; Chad's temper sits on the edge of explosion and he erupts often. Chad's a crude rude man raised in an atmosphere of uncaring and poverty. I can not reveal the reasons for Chad's mental instabilities without spoilers. Needless to say, the turn of events will surprise the reader.
Amber and John, although wealthy and privileged, have caring hearts for the underdog, their friends, and family. Schwimley skillfully introduced the romance between them; including very tasteful love scene which did not include erotica, explicit, or graphic sex. This is a sweet romance between best friends as they realize they want more than friendship. Each have strong personalities; John's the perfect love interest for Amber. Each are classy, articulate, and successful.
With many plot threads to bring together and weave into a solid book, Schwimley wove the plot threads together and masterly leads the reader through this action packed story. I found the pace of story correct for the length of the book and the characters well-developed. Schwimley also added in tidbits of faith into the story-line. Schwimley demonstrates how past events affect many lives. The reader views this story from the prospect of the victim and culprit. After I started this book, sleep was the only thing which had me laying it down. The suspense, intrigue, and mystery, kept at high peak, had me reading long into the night. The inventive way Schwimley introduced Chad into Amber and John's life made his crossing their path seem normal.
In Chad, the reader finds not only a first-class villain, he's also intelligent in a crude way, angry, sneaky, street wise, and bordering on insanity. You will love to hate him and wish for his demise. He is far beneath Amber's class and his dreams of the future ridiculous. With an explosive surprise ending with multiple revelations, I sat on the edge of my chair as Amber learns the reasons behind Chad's madness. An epilogue brings closure to this intense story. I closed this book with a sigh of satisfaction for a story which held my attention from the first page, characters I came to love and a story which me kept intrigued. Kudos Ms. Schweinley, kudos for a job well done.
IN THE VICTIM'S SHADOW RECOMMENDATION: STARS 5
FINALLY, PLEASE NOTE:
Additionally, I received this book from the author and chose to voluntarily review the book with honest suspense romance book reviews. Lastly, book reviews of any novel are dependent on the book review author’s opinion. Consequently, all book reviews on-line and on my blog, are my opinions. No one influenced my voluntary suspense romance book reviews of In The Victim's Shadow.
In The Victim's Shadow by author Victoira Schwimley, the reader finds a suspense filled romance. Amber Winters lost her mother to violent when a child; without leads, the police never caught the culprit.. Never receiving closure of her mother's murder affected Amber greatly . Amber, a successful attorney, lives a life of luxury, as her father's wealthy and she's wealthy in her own right. However lately, she felt dissatisfied with her life. She's feeling her internal biological clock ticking. As the next anniversary of her mother's death approaches strange things begin to happen; she turns to her best friend.
John, an attorney in the same firm and Amber's best friend, secretly felt more for her. As a result, John recognizes Amber's unease; someone's messing with her mind and life. A psychotic stalker has Amber in his sights. My suspense romance book reviews of In The Victim's Shadow follows.
CHARACTERS, PLOTTING, DEVELOPMENT:
Author Victoria Schwimley filled In The Victim's Shadow with intrigue, suspense, and romance. Stalked by a psychotic deranged man, fueled by revenge and jealousy, Schwinley created a first-class villain in Chad. As Schwimley developed the character of Chad, I found him a scary man. With a personality filled with hate, Chad hides his true character as best he can from Amber. However at times of stress, he reveals his true nature; Chad's temper sits on the edge of explosion and he erupts often. Chad's a crude rude man raised in an atmosphere of uncaring and poverty. I can not reveal the reasons for Chad's mental instabilities without spoilers. Needless to say, the turn of events will surprise the reader.
Amber and John, although wealthy and privileged, have caring hearts for the underdog, their friends, and family. Schwimley skillfully introduced the romance between them; including very tasteful love scene which did not include erotica, explicit, or graphic sex. This is a sweet romance between best friends as they realize they want more than friendship. Each have strong personalities; John's the perfect love interest for Amber. Each are classy, articulate, and successful.
With many plot threads to bring together and weave into a solid book, Schwimley wove the plot threads together and masterly leads the reader through this action packed story. I found the pace of story correct for the length of the book and the characters well-developed. Schwimley also added in tidbits of faith into the story-line. Schwimley demonstrates how past events affect many lives. The reader views this story from the prospect of the victim and culprit. After I started this book, sleep was the only thing which had me laying it down. The suspense, intrigue, and mystery, kept at high peak, had me reading long into the night. The inventive way Schwimley introduced Chad into Amber and John's life made his crossing their path seem normal.
In Chad, the reader finds not only a first-class villain, he's also intelligent in a crude way, angry, sneaky, street wise, and bordering on insanity. You will love to hate him and wish for his demise. He is far beneath Amber's class and his dreams of the future ridiculous. With an explosive surprise ending with multiple revelations, I sat on the edge of my chair as Amber learns the reasons behind Chad's madness. An epilogue brings closure to this intense story. I closed this book with a sigh of satisfaction for a story which held my attention from the first page, characters I came to love and a story which me kept intrigued. Kudos Ms. Schweinley, kudos for a job well done.
IN THE VICTIM'S SHADOW RECOMMENDATION: STARS 5
FINALLY, PLEASE NOTE:
Additionally, I received this book from the author and chose to voluntarily review the book with honest suspense romance book reviews. Lastly, book reviews of any novel are dependent on the book review author’s opinion. Consequently, all book reviews on-line and on my blog, are my opinions. No one influenced my voluntary suspense romance book reviews of In The Victim's Shadow.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews