Finn is an ex-cop who has lost his sight, his wife and his job, and now works as a teacher at a remote girls-only school. But his violent past is about to catch up with him. The story of what happened to Finn's wife, and how he lost his sight, is revealed gradually through flashbacks. Once the action starts in the book it turns really good and it is difficult to set the book down. There is no denying that this book was an unrelenting thriller -- well, once the action started about 2/3 in. The beginning just didn't work for me. None of the characters engaged me, and the dialogue was unrealistic. The author wrote these young girls as way too sophisticated for their age, and using expressions that went out of use decades ago. The author did a fine job of having a blind person narrarate the tale, mostly using sounds, smells and memories of images. The ending was bit of a disappointment, as it ended on a type of cliffhanger, and I don't think the author plans to write another book -- I think it is meant to end like that. It is a certain style I suppose, but I didn't care for it. ( )

This book is another example of how great of an author Piccirilli is. The story is solid and riveting. At the halfway point, things got so good that I couldn't put the book down. I was just getting off a plane during the last thirty minutes; if it was up to me, I would have sat down at am empty gate and finished the book instead of heading to my destination.

The story itself follows Finn, an ex-cop who was blinded and is now teaching English at a girl's private school in upstate New York. Over Christmas break when all but a handful of students and teachers are gone, violence seeks Finn out and forces him to confront his and others' secrets. The source of the violence is new but the ghosts from his past are not. The book follows this unveiling by alternating some chapters between the past and the present. Giving us the opportunity to see exactly how one is affecting the other.

One of the things that I really liked was how the reasoning and actions from the first half of the book made no sense; then all the puzzle pieces started coming together and it was one shocking revelation after another. It was these revelations that kept me sucked in and wouldn't let go. Well, that plus the strong, believable characters, the moody scenes and raw emotion of everyone just trying to deal with life. SHADOW SEASON is a beautifully written, intensely thrilling novel. It also should be read by every thriller fan out there. So go buy it already and enjoy! ( )

Finn is a former N.Y. City cop who is haunted by the incident that left him blind and his wife, Danielle, dead.

He works as a professor at a girl's prep school outside of New York.

The story centers on incidents during the Christmas vacation. The campus is mostly deserted. The only other male present is an Irishman named Murphy or "Murph." He has a bad shoulder and to the blind Finn, Murph ...smells like shaving lather and whiskey." Murph serves as the school's groundskeeper.

Although blind, Finn's other senses are heightened and one night during a bad snowstorm hears a person moaning. Finn follows the noise and finds a girl from the town who has been injured. Finn brings her to his room to bandage her wounds. Her name is Harley Moon and she tells him not to call the police but that he is in danger. Then Harley leaves.

The author uses flashbacks to learn of Finn and his former partner, Ray. We learn that there were a number of police officers who were taking money from a criminal named Carlyle and that Ray was included in that group. We also observe that Ray is jealous of Finn.

At the school, a number of the female students are having a party with some alcohol they have smuggled into the school. Finn is considered to be a pal and is invited. As the party progresses, they realize that one of their classmates is missing and Finn goes in search of the student.

The suspense is well done and the author does a good job in describing the difficulties that a blind person would have in getting around, in general and in attempting to save the students and himself from whoever is stalking him, or them.

An enjoyable story with Finn, a sympathetic character who shows his courage, empathy and professionalism in dealing with the young students and criminals. ( )

Finn, a NY policeman blinded by his wife's killer, is a literature teacher at a remote girls school when he is attacked by drug dealers connected to his former partner who is in prison for drug dealing. His heightened sense of hearing and smell and touch plus his amazing way of getting around with his blindness give him the tools to survive and kill his attackers. ( )