Shadow Play [Hardcover]

Katherine Sutcliffe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1991

Publisher's Weekly Aside from heated love scenes and references to homosexuality, Sutcliffe's (A Fire in the Heart) baffling novel set in 1870s Brazil reads more like a dated adventure yarn for boys than like the historical romance it purports to be. Sarah St. James's father, governor of British Guiana, committed suicide when he lost his own--and investors'--money in a failed attempt to steal rubber-tree seeds from Rodolfo King, a plantation owner who tortures his workers and holds them as virtual prisoners. To carry out the seed scheme, Sarah engages Morgan Kane, a crude American adventurer, and Henry Sebastian Longfellow, a Putumayan pygmy raised as an English gentleman. Each man bears a personal grudge against the patraop. 289 . The odd threesome begin what seems an interminable trek through the Amazon jungle, where they battle snakes, fire ants, alligators and other hostile wildlife. They are swept over a waterfall and find members of their entourage decapitated. Eventually the team finds and corners King, who yells, ''I grow weary of these adolescent games.'' By then, the reader can only agree.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Avon; Book Club / BCE edition (1991)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000FHDOKQ
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,274,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!, January 14, 2006

By 

Emma Hathaway "E. Hathaway" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow Play (Paperback)

Love the sexual tension and passionate relationship between the hero and heroine!
At first I just skimmed through the book, reading passages here and there to get an idea of what the story's about. The hero seemed a bit crude at first, and a lil rough around the edges...
But when I actually sat down and read the novel, Morgan's story really touch my heart. It's clear that he loves sarah very deeply and passionately... bordering on obession, I'd say...

Morgan is... let's see... a bit on the mean side. He rages and
has a tendency to grab/shove/squeeze/slam people. He yells at sarah a lot and has a habit of stalking and staring at her from afar... And even though he tries like hell half the time to avoid her, he just always seems to seek her out in the crowd, and watches her when he thinks she's not looking. And he just loves sarah so much. She...gives him a reason to live, I'd say.

Morgan also has a tragic past of being abused, molested, abandoned, tortured, and betrayed... So you can get a pretty good idea why he is the way he is -a bit on the rough and crude side... but never evil like King, who seems to share a common past.


Sarah is a sweetheart... a bit naive when it comes to matter of evil and danger...but stubborn as hell. No matter how tough things get, she grits her teeth and bears it all. One heck of a gal.

Sarah is ... a bit confuse when it comes to Morgan. She's really attracted to him, but she's scared to accept his love because that would mean giving up everything she's ever heal dear, everything that is stable and safe in her world.
Throughout the story, however, you can see how she matures and emotionally grow. Her experience with danger and death teaches her that there's more to life than social repectability and a titled husband... I love the person that she's become at the end...

Somethings I did not particularly like about the novel was the disturbing details about how King tortures and kill his slaves... it made me kinda nauseous, so I don't know if that's a compliment to the writer for successfully getting her point across, or what...lol...
I also wish the ending was a bit more climatic... I kinda wish King would die a horrible, painful death... lol ... Sorry if that's a bit blood-thirsty. You'll know what I mean when you read the book.

For some reason I kinda feel like the book is incomplete somehow... mostly the story between Morgan and Sarah... I didn't really see how Morgan went from someone who didn't think Sarah would ever love him, to someone who feels he's worth something (IF he indeed undergoes that spiritual realization in the end) I didn't really see that... Miss Sutcliffe kinda left out that part, I think...

Anyway... this one's a keeper folks. You won't regret buying it.
Incredible sexual tension... very passionate and deep in a way not many novels can compare with...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth finding, December 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Shadow Play (Severn House Historical Romance Series) (Hardcover)

I have now read two of Katherine Sutcliffe's books, this one and "Notorious" and they are both way above average. "Shadow Play" is a breathtaking story of unrelenting passion and bravery. It's a page-turner and it stays with you long after you've finished it. Morgan Kane is a hero you won't forget. "Notorious" is also a cut above average. Ms Sutcliffe's writing, character development, dialogue and plots are really excellent...so far. Can't wait to read another of her books.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A DEFINITE KEEPER, May 2, 2000

By 

SHARON H. BRYAN (STUART, FL.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow Play (Paperback)

I HAVE JUST FINISHED READING SHADOW PLAY FOR THE THIRD TIME. THIS IS THE KIND OF BOOK THAT GRABS YOU FROM THE START AND JUST GETS BETTER. I REALLY ENJOY A BOOK WHEN THERE IS A GOOD PLOT, LOTS OF ACTION AND CHARACTERS WITH DEPTH. SHAWDOW PLAY HAS ALL THE ABOVE. THE AMAZON (THE MAIN LOCAL OF THIS STORY) IS GRAPHICALLY DESCRIBED BY MS. SUTCLIFFE. THE CHARACTER, MORGAN KANE,IS WHAT I LOOK FOR IN A HERO: STRONG AND SEXY AS HECK YET VULNERABLE AND STRUGGLING WITH ISSUES FROM HIS PAST. THE FEMALE CHARACTER, SARAH, IS NOT ONE OF THOSE WEAK WOMEN THAT SOMETIMES BECOME BORING. SARAH VENTURES IN THE AMAZON WITH A CREDIBLE DETERMINATION. THE LOVE INTEREST KEEPS BUILDING AND YOU KNOW EVEN THOUGH SARAH IS ENGAGED TO ANOTHER, AND MORGAN FEELS HE IS UNWORTHY OF LOVE, THAT THESE TWO ARE GOING TO MAKE THE PAGES SIZZLE. I ALWAYS ENJOY A ROMANCE THAT KEEPS YOU READING AND KNOWING THE LOVE SCENE COULD BE ANY PAGE BUT THE CRESCENDO IS THE LURE. SHADOW PLAY DOES THIS WELL. MS. SUTCLIFFE IS A GIFTED AUTHOR AND I THINK SHAWDOW PLAY IS ONE OF HER BETTER BOOKS. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ALL ROMANCE READERS.