IN SHADOW Gordon Lawrie 

Although this novella is set in Edinburgh and is crime fiction of sorts, In Shadow is as 'different' as its central character in many respects. The character is inspired by a Ukrainian writer with whom Gordon Lawrie has worked during the Russian invasion.

By day, Sam Cooke and Edinburgh flatmate Rachelle work as 'Customer Services Officers' pretending to work in call centres but actually working from home.

But whereas Rachelle is obsessed with sex, and 'horizontal exercise', Sam is asexual and gender-neutral – and goes unnoticed by everyone. Sam also has ambitions to be a crime reporter, and a series of events present unexpected opportunities to discover the range of Edinburgh’s criminal activity.

Meanwhile, Sam also develops a working relationship with a dishevelled police detective sergeant, 'DS Andrew', and their partnership proves mutually beneficial.

In Shadow was published in 2025. It's available as an ebook, and in print on Amazon.

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