Review copy was received from NetGalley, Purchased. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Shadow Friends by Tess Gerritsen Narrator: Hillary Huber
Series: The Martini Club #3
Published by Brilliance Audio on August 25, 2026
Genres: Thriller
Length: 8 hours, 49 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: NetGalley, Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon,Ā Audible
When a renowned disease expert and Russian defector dies mysteriously during a global affairs conference in Purity, Maine, the tight-knit band of former spies in the Martini Club once again sees their quiet coastal retirement interrupted by international intrigue. And when a housekeeper at the conference hotel is found murdered, Ingrid Slocum sees chilling links to a disastrous mission that nearly killed her three decades ago.
Desperate to uncover the truth, Ingridās drawn back into the game by a magnetic ex-CIA colleagueāand former loverāwho was with her on the long-ago doomed mission. He convinces her to join him, and together they head to Amsterdam to track down her would-be killer.
Ingridās frantic husband Lloyd and Maggie Bird are close behind, but a clandestine network of assassins is intent on stopping them. Forced to question every allegiance, the Martini Club must rely on the skills they tried to leave behind. Because in this game of revenge and deception, the past never diesāit just hides in the shadows.
I am continuing with The Martini Club series and I really enjoy the characters.Ā The Shadow Friends varied from the first two books in the point of view. Previously, Maggie was our view into the world and stories, very much the main character.Ā She still plays a big role here but we also get the views of Ingrid and a bit of the villain.
Ingrid is running a conference of scientists at a local hotel and conference center.Ā One of the scientists who defected from Russia many years ago ends up dead.Ā Then one of the hotel restaurant servers is missing. Another server is suspected because he is Russian. Jo is frustrated with the state police, and federals coming to investigate and the Martini Club.
Then Ingrid disappears.Ā The federal people want to talk to her. Lloyd is frantic.Ā The Martini Club gets to work on all the possibilities.Ā Maggie gets a brief text asking her to watch over Lloyd, so she gets roped into his efforts.Ā They find Ingrid’s car andĀ learn she probably went to Amsterdam.Ā Lloyd has no field experience but just barges into things and nearly gets Maggie and himself killed. He puts Ingrid on the Russian radar as well.
Eventually the Martini Club tracks down Ingrid and they work to locate the killer, who she crossed paths with in the past.Ā Ingrid ends up being bait for the killer but then Maggie is abducted as leverage.Ā It’s a scary situation even with the group and their friends working the case.
I like all the characters but I was frustrated with Lloyd here because he made bad decisions and wouldn’t listen to those with experience.Ā Jo felt uncomfortable with some of the things they did but also understood that they were saving lives.Ā Things have changed at the agency and the changes are not necessarily good ones.
I really love the way they have experience and contacts and work an investigation. Jo is becoming a regular in their group and they trust her.Ā I hope for many more fun adventures.
Narration:
The series does have the same narrator throughout the series.Ā Hillary Huber is a well known to me and favorite narrator.Ā I definitely know it is her voice. I was comfortable with all the male and female voices except Lloyd. He sounded too high and kind of whiny, but his character was being that way a bit.Ā I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Hillary Huber
Hillary has recorded over 500 audiobooks spanning many genres. She is a multiple Audie Award finalist – including Best Female Narrator, multiple Earphone Award winner, Voice Arts Awards winner and one of Audiofile Magazine’s best voices. Hillary has a BA in English Literature and is a voracious reader and listener. Raised in conservative Connecticut and hippy Hawaii, she has unique perspective. She splits her time between Santa Monica and New York. Most of that time is in a 4×4 padded room. Er…booth.
About Tess Gerritsen
Internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.
Ā While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction and in 1987, her first novel, Call After Midnight, was published. It wasĀ just the first of 31 suspense novels that sheās written over a 36-year writing career. Ā SheĀ also wrote a screenplay, “Adrift,” which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Ā Tess’s firstĀ medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her novels have hit bestseller lists ever since.Ā Among her titlesĀ areĀ Gravity, The Surgeon, Vanish, The Bone Garden, and The Spy Coast.Ā Her books have been translated into 40 languages, andĀ more thanĀ 40 million copies have been sold around the world.
Ā She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon). Critics around the world have praised her novels as āPulse-pounding funā (Philadelphia Inquirer), āScary and brilliantā (Toronto Globe and Mail), and āPolished, riveting proseā (Chicago Tribune). Publishers Weekly has dubbed her the āmedical suspense queenā and Time Magazine named her novel The Surgeon one of the best mystery/thriller novels ever written.
Ā Her series of novels featuring homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles inspired the hit TNT television series “Rizzoli & Isles,” starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander.
Ā She is also a filmmaker.Ā She and her son Josh produced a feature-length documentary, āMagnificent Beast,ā about the ancient origins of the pig taboo. It aired on PBS channels around the country. Their previous film, āIsland Zeroā, was a feature-length horror movie that was released in 2018.
She lives in Maine.
| Rating Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Plot |
|
| Writing |
|
| Characters |
|
| Narration (Audio) |
|
| Overall: | |
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
- Sunday Post – 23 August 2026 @caffeinatedreviewer.com @readingreality.bsky.social @kimbacaffeinate @readingreality - August 23, 2026
- š§ Shadow Friends by Tess Gerritsen @tessgerritsen.bsky.social #HillaryHuber #BillianceAudio #LoveAudiobooks #KindleUnlimited - August 22, 2026
- Read-along & Giveaway: Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped by Annette Marie āŖ@annettemarie.caā¬ #CrisDukehart āŖ@tantoraudio.bsky.socialā¬ #Read-along #GIVEAWAY #LoveAudiobooks #KindleUnlimited @TantorAudio - August 21, 2026
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 26-Audio
- 26-COYER
You are reading so many good sounding series! I wish I had more time to try them, this one especially š
Thanks Tammy. I do love series especially if I can read them all somewhat together.
Iām starting this one, hopefully tomorrow. Glad you loved it, Anneš
Enjoy!
This sounds like a great series! Lloyd sounds frustrating (and reminds me of a coworker, haha). I hope the series continues to go great for you. Happy reading!
Thank you Sarah. This is the last book out for now. But I’ll continue reading the series if it continues from here.
This looks good. I’ve read all of her Rizzoli & Isles books and loved them.