The Killing of a Shadow

De: J.F. Hilley

Narrado por: Moniqua Plante

Staff Sergeant Alexandra Foster, a small-town girl from Missouri, arrives for deployment to Kabul, Afghanistan. She makes new friends and enemies, but most of all, she faces the reality that not everyone in the world is free. The torture, rape, and murder of young women in the country are rising due to one man. He’s known to commit these crimes against women and then hide for months in the shadows until he reveals himself again. Will Alex have the courage to face the shadow head-on or will her own shadows send her to an early grave.

©2022 Jennifer Hilley (P)2024 Jennifer Hilley

Compelling story

Please check trigger warnings. This book contains suspense, action and thrills and in between, a love story. But it also includes scenes in graphic detail of violence, mental and sexual abuse of minors, torture and murder. Certainly not for the faint hearted. The author is very descriptive in her writing and reels you into the story of mystery, intrigue and suspense, all happening within the Afghan borders. A very compelling story told mainly from the point of view of the FMC Alexandra (Alex); But we get third person and multiple POVs to pull you deeper into the story. Definitely good storytelling. My only negative was the pacing of the story. There was even pacing for most of the book, except for maybe the last 15%. Alex's role was the bada$$ female superhero in that part, so it was thrilling to read, but there was so much happening in that short space, that it felt rushed, like things were tossed in there at the last minute. Overall, it was a really enjoyable and compelling listen. The narrator did a fairly good job of bringing this story to life in a solo narration.

I received a free audio code from the author for the audiobook and this is a voluntary review.

how brave Alex was!!

love this book I started it and could not stop reading/listening to it. Can't wait for the next one.

love strong female lead

The characters were written in such a way that even never having been military it was understandable. The imagery was strong and powerful. Enjoyed it and will be listening to the next

gritty

Trigger Warnings: Rape 🚨, Domestic Violence ⚠️, Abuse 💔, Violence 🔪, Trauma 😔

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I loved The Killing of a Shadow! ⭐️4.25 stars⭐️ It was a good book—gritty, emotional, and action-packed. There are a lot of triggers, so please read them beforehand, but it wasn’t as dramatic or descriptive as I initially expected.

One of my absolute favorite moments was Alex’s confrontation with Captain Marcs. The tension was crazyyy 😬 as she stood her ground, refusing to be intimidated 👊. It was such a defining moment in her fight for respect in a male-dominated space, and it had me hooked from the start 📚✨.

Then, the final showdown with Asim Barzan Majid? THAT WAS INSANEEEEE. 🔥 The perfect culmination of Alex’s strength 💪 and resilience 🛡️.
But what really kept me turning the pages (because I do love me some romance) 💖 was the slow-burn with Liam. Their connection was so subtle yet deeply meaningful 🫶—he supported Alex without ever overshadowing her independence 👏. The balance of action ⚔️, emotion 💖, and romance 💋 made this book unforgettable.

I’ll definitely be getting physical copies of this book 📚, and I’m so excited to read the sequel, The Shadows Return! 🎉 Both books are available on Amazon 🛒 and Audible 🎧, so if you love a mix of action ⚔️, romance 💖, and resilience 🛡️, definitely check them out!

Shoutout to @jfhilley for creating such an intense and unforgettable story! ✨📖

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The vulnerable but yet fierce Alex

"Men like him never triumph."

Evil men will never triumph; especially with a badass heroine like Staff Sergeant Alexandra (Alex) Foster around to protect us against them. The action fueled character driven The Killing of a Shadow, by military romance thriller author J.F.Hilley, is a finely tuned suspenseful satisfying revenge story that is a ready made movie.

When Alex arrives for a year long tour in Afghanistan she realizes no amount of training can prepare you for the turmoil, danger and heat of the war torn country. Fortunately her team consists of men who become her brothers, like the young Tate; though Liam is definitely not her brother. The chemistry between them is hotter than the country's desert.

Unfortunately, she captures the attention of the abusive misogynistic Captain Marcs, whose inner thoughts include, "the power he feels when he hits a woman is like nothing he's ever felt before."

Alex tolerates him because he has chosen her to go undercover to kill the murdering racist sex trafficker known only as Shadow. But when Marcs becomes as unhinged as the infamous Shadow, Alex must find the strength to finish both of them and get revenge for herself and all the women these men think they can own.

The uniquely talented voice actress Moniqua Plante has this quiet tone to her voice that is calming for storytelling but during high pressure scenes her intense change in tone heightens Alex's emotional turmoil.

From the start you're pulled into the story, rooting for the vulnerable but far from weak Alex. This writer is killing it and is in no one's shadow.

I received a copy of this audiobook from the author for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Couldn’t put it down

Great story. Can’t wait for the sequel. This book should definitely be made into a movie. Blockbuster.