The Shadow Killer Blog Tour and Guest Post
I’m thrilled to announce I’m hosting a guest through a collaboration with Rachel’s Random Resources.
The Shadow Killer blog tour and guest post includes a visit from author . Share on social, leave a comment for the author, subscribe for more book events, and join my email list for free stuff. Do you have the password for my freebies page? It’s Freestuff.
Book Details
The Shadow Killer
How deep can you go into the mind of a killer
Before you lose your own
Dr. Evelyn Shaw is a celebrated forensic psychologist, known for her ability to uncover the minds of the most dangerous criminals. But when she is asked to profile James Hawthorne, a cunning and manipulative serial killer, she finds herself drawn into a psychological battle unlike any she has faced before.
James is no ordinary murderer. He reveals unsettling details about his crimes—and Evelyn’s past. As their sessions progress, Evelyn’s carefully constructed life begins to unravel. Long-buried childhood traumas resurface. James’s eerie knowledge of her darkest memories forces her to question whether he is manipulating her or if her mind is betraying her.
As Detective Inspector Ziggy Thornes races to uncover the truth behind James’s crimes, Evelyn becomes increasingly isolated. The line between victim and accomplice continues to blur.
In a chilling finale, Evelyn must face her darkest fears and unravel her own connection to James’s crimes. The Shadow Killer is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the thin line between sanity and madness, manipulation and truth, leaving readers questioning where darkness truly begins.
Purchase Link – https://amzn.eu/d/2Ocgpuk
Author Bio
Catherine Yaffe is the author of crime thrillers that readers and reviewers frequently describe as compulsively readable. A creative writing student with the OU and a graduate of Curtis Brown Creative, Catherine wrote her first crime thriller, The Lie She Told in 2020. On its release it debuted in the top 10 hot new releases on Amazon, achieved number 1 in the Amazon paid chart and to date has accrued hundreds of five-star reviews.
The Web They Wove followed as the second in the Tangled Web series and was released in 2021. Again, it was received with widespread acclaim. The third book in the series, When We Deceive launched in April 2023 and flew straight to the top of the Amazon charts.
Catch Me Twice was released in May 2024, again achieving the much-coveted best-seller tag on release.
The Shadow Killer is the fifth book in the DI Ziggy Thornes series, though each book is self-contained and can be read as a standalone.
Popular with library borrowers and available in all major retail outlets, Catherine’s books have the unique ability to capture the readers imagination with fictional stories that read like true crime.
When Catherine isn’t writing she loves nothing more than gardening, horse riding and travelling whenever she can. She lives in West Yorkshire with her husband and a menagerie of animals.
Social Media Links
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CatherineYaffeAuthor/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cat_yaffe_author/
Guest Blog Post
Inside the Mind of Darkness: Why I Write About Serial Killers
By Catherine Yaffe
If you’re drawn to the dark corridors of the human psyche—the ones lined with secrets, shadows, and unsettling truths—then you’re my kind of reader. I write psychological thrillers that dive deep into what makes people tick… and what makes them snap.
People often ask why I write about serial killers. Isn’t it too grim? Too disturbing? But to me, it’s not about the gore—it’s about the mind. I’m fascinated by its complexities, its contradictions, its quiet unravelling. That interest was sparked early on. I grew up in Leeds at the height of the Yorkshire Ripper’s reign of terror. Even as a child, I could feel the fear seeping into everyday life—particularly for women. That kind of communal trauma leaves a mark.
Not long after, I stumbled upon a book my dad was reading about the Zodiac Killer—an American murderer who communicated with the press using strange ciphers and symbols. I read it in secret, gripped by the eerie intelligence behind the crimes. That was when I first started wrestling with the question: are killers born, or made?
It’s a question that’s central to my novel The Shadow Killer. Dr Evelyn Shaw, a criminal psychologist, is haunted by her own past—and by the unsettling behaviour of her brother, whose life choices clash starkly with her own. How can two people from the same family end up on such different paths? And what does that say about us?
James Hawthorne, the antagonist, adds another layer to that theme. He too has a sibling, and without giving too much away, their dynamic reflects that same nature-versus-nurture tension. It’s not just a philosophical question—it’s the heart of the thriller, driving the characters’ decisions and destinies.
And yet, the question remains unanswered. We may never know whether evil is inherited or shaped. Science offers insights—genetics, environment, trauma—but no definitive answer. That’s part of what makes psychological thrillers so compelling. We’re chasing answers we’ll never quite catch. We peer into the dark, not to be frightened, but to understand something hidden—even if that understanding slips through our fingers.
So yes, I write about killers. But more than that, I write about the delicate balance between light and dark that exists in all of us. Because sometimes, to truly know the hero… you have to meet the monster first.
Giveaway to Win a £50 Bookshop.org voucher (Open to UK only)
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for the fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.
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