“A literary thriller and coming-of-age story set at an elite Virginia boarding school. A promising, well-crafted debut” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).Southern Living Best Books of the YearPublishers Weekly Best Summer BooksHow long must we pay for the crimes of our youth? That is just one question Christopher Swann explores in this compulsively readable debut, a literary thriller set in the … in this compulsively readable debut, a literary thriller set in the elite—and sometimes dark—environs of Blackburne, a prep school in Virginia. When Matthias Glass’s best friend, Fritz, vanishes without a trace in the middle of an argument during their senior year, Matthias tries to move on with his life, only to realize that until he discovers what happened to his missing friend, he will be stuck in the past—guilty, responsible, alone.
Almost ten years after Fritz’s disappearance, Matthias gets his chance. Offered a job teaching English at Blackburne, he gets swiftly drawn into the mystery. In the shadowy woods of his alma mater, he stumbles into a web of surveillance, dangerous lies, and buried secrets—and discovers the troubled underbelly of a school where the future had once always seemed bright.
“Fast-paced and full of unexpected turns, Christopher Swann’s Shadow of the Lions pulls readers into the dark underworld looming beneath a prestigious boys’ boarding school.” —Mira Jacob, author of The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing
“Comes alive with action and intrigue.” —The Wall Street Journal
“Swann’s tightly knit debut novel is a moving coming-of-age story with a noir twist that will appeal to readers of John Knowles’s A Separate Peace, N.H. Kleinbaum’s Dead Poets Society, and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History.” —Library Journal (starred review)
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Suspense is the hot genre right now, and this entry more than holds its own. If you like boarding school mysteries, definitely read this awesome debut.
They were waiting for the future in the form of an acceptance letter from UofV when Matthias’ best friend Fritz disappeared from the grounds of the Blackburne School. Their last encounter had been contentious and Matthias never got over the guilt or the loss.
Over the nine years since then, Matthias had reached the pinnacle of success with a published book, a girlfriend, loads of cash, and a movie contract–and lost it all. When Blackburne offered him a teaching job Matthias had to accept it, even if returning meant reopening wounds he had sought to bury.
As Matthias grapples with his new job, surrounded by ghosts of the past, he determines to follow any trail to find Fritz.
“Everybody searches for something,” ex-cop Briggs says to Matthias. “You telling me Fritz isn’t your white whale?”
Shadow of the Lions is a great read with wonderfully drawn characters, unexpected twists, and terrific writing.
A compelling book with boys’ boarding school setting, an interesting protagonist, atmosphere, coming of age, and good insights. Secrets rise to the surface, and the main mystery came as a total surprise to me. Definitely a cut above the usual psychological thrillers out there. Excellent writing and descriptions.
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was a book you don’t want to put down. It is a very “today” book, and was quite unpredictable and, to me, was a page-turner from beginning to end. I didn’t foresee the “villain” to be the person it was.
Didn’t finish it. Just didn’t grab me. If after 100 pages I am not hooked, back on the shelf it goes
Good mystery. Toward the end it became more of an action novel than I anticipated, but I enjoyed it very much. This is a typical boarding school mystery.
Set in my state, I found the settings and characters very believable, although the characters aren’t necessarily all likeable.
This book has the feeling of being a second draft at best. The writing is awkward and ungrammatical. Examples: “The sun flared out of a white sky, and a sultry heat lay on the Hill, broken only by the dry rasp from a field cricket.” Hmmm — the heat was broken by a rasp from a cricket? Or: “The lion did not budge. I removed my hand, took a last look at it and its one-eyed partner, and returned to my car.” the direct object of the sentence is “my hand.” So – he took a last look at this hand and his hand has a one-eyed partner? Sure, he was referring to the stone lion, but that’s not how writing works. Every sentence has to make sense on its own and this sentence is nonsense. Mr. Swann was ill-served by his editor.
An interesting look into the sheltered world of boarding schools. A place I have never been! The book kept my interest. I thought I had it all figured out, but I was only partially correct. Everything was wrapped up at the end, and, while it was not a normal happily ever after ending, I was satisfied with it.