Item: The Shadow Of The Mole
Author: Gina

The Shadow of the Mole by Bob Van Laerhoven | Book Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway ($10 – ends 9/16/22)

A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.

Book Details

The Shadow Of The Mole by Bob Van Laerhoven
Published by Next Chapter Publishing on 02/05/2022
Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Military Thriller
Format: Audiobook, eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 420

1916, Bois de Bolante, France. The battles in the trenches are raging fiercer than ever. In a deserted mineshaft, French sappeurs discover an unconscious man, and nickname him The Mole.
Claiming he has lost his memory, The Mole is convinced that he's dead, and that an Other has taken his place. The military brass considers him a deserter, but front physician and psychiatrist-in-training Michel Denis suspects that his patient's odd behavior is stemming from shellshock, and tries to save him from the firing squad.

The mystery deepens when The Mole begins to write a story in écriture automatique that takes place in Vienna, with Dr. Josef Breuer, Freud’s teacher, in the leading role. Traumatized by the recent loss of an arm, Denis becomes obsessed with him, and is prepared to do everything he can to unravel the patient's secret.

Set against the staggering backdrop of the First World War, The Shadow Of The Mole is a thrilling tableau of loss, frustration, anger, madness, secrets and budding love. The most urgent question in this extraordinary story is: when, how, and why reality shifts into delusion?

"The Flemish writer Bob Van Laerhoven writes in a fascinating and compelling way about a psychiatric investigation during WW1. The book offers superb insight into the horrors of war and the trail of human suffering that results from it" - NBD Biblion

Source: Goddess Fish Promotions, Received from the author or publisher for review.

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Excerpt from The Shadow of the Mole

It happened as in a dream, swift and intense.

A few meters from the other bank, the ice cracked beneath Denis’s feet.

A sliding sensation, his stomach lurching into his throat.

Someone yelled.

The water underneath the ice was black.

The water seemed to throw itself at Denis and the one-legged soldier.

Afterwards, Denis would remember the episode as if a vicious animal had indeed jumped out of the hole in the ice.

Slipping, the young doctor instinctively let go of the wounded man. Hands pulled him away from the hole into which the one-legged soldier disappeared without a sound.

Denis got to his feet, helped by the hands. He stared at the almost perfect circle of oily black water. A tingling sensation in his chest. He looked up. The Mole held him like he was a child. “I was prepared to die,” the patient said with that mechanical voice, “but now I realize I have to fulfil a duty: I must tell my story. It has to be chronicled.”

Before Denis could answer, Marie Estrange slid past The Mole, holding a blanket in her hands, wrapping it around Denis’s body.

“You have to keep on moving or you’ll die of frostbite,” she said.

Only then did Denis notice that his body was trembling uncontrollably.

Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.

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Purchase Links for The Shadow of the Mole

Amazon – OneLink for every country

Bookshop/IndieBound Kobo

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Waterstones GoogleBooks Smashwords The Wordery

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My thoughts on The Shadow of the Mole

The Shadow of the Mole is a book that requires your attention. It has multiple points of view with fast-paced changes, multiple timelines, and a smattering of French. Footnotes are provided, as well as translations where needed.

The story is set during the First World War, with forays into earlier times. There is a feeling of inevitability to the story. I had a sense of unease the entire time I read the book. It felt similar to knowing something bad is coming but being unable to prevent it.

The Shadow of the Mole requires concentration while you read. This is not a book that allows your mind to wander relaxingly. You’ll want to focus on every word to make sure you aren’t missing an important clue to the Mole’s identity.

This thought-provoking tale with themes of psychology, tormented souls, PTSD, gypsies, and war will keep you reading to the very end.

The reviews for this book are excellent. Please take a look at some of them and make your decision, or just jump right in and form your own opinion.

I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!

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About Bob Van Laerhoven

A full-time Belgian/Flemish author, Bob Van Laerhoven has published 43 books in Holland and Belgium. His literary work is translated and republished in French, English, German, Spanish, Slovenian, Swedish, Italian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian and Chinese.

Four-time finalist of the Hercule Poirot Prize for Best Mystery Novel of the Year with the novels "Djinn," "The Finger of God," "Return to Hiroshima," and "The Firehand Files."
Winner of the Hercule Poirot Prize for "Baudelaire's Revenge," which also won the USA Best Book Award 2014 in the category "mystery/suspense."
In 2018, Crime Wave Press published "Return to Hiroshima," after "Baudelaire's Revenge," his second novel in English Translation.
His collection of short stories "Dangerous Obsessions," first published by The Anaphora Literary Press in the USA in 2015, was hailed as "best short story collection of 2015" by the San Diego Book Review. The collection is translated into Italian, (Brazilian) Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish.
In 2018, The Anaphora Literary Press published "Heart Fever," the second collection of short stories. With this collection, Laerhoven became the only non-American author to be selected as a finalist in the Silver Falchion 2018 Award, in the category "short stories collections."
In addition, the quality English book site Murder, Mayhem & More chose "Return to Hiroshima" as one of the ten best international crime books of 2018. Readers' Favorite rated the novel Five Stars.
In August 2021, Next Chapter published the third novel in English: "Alejandro's Lie," set in a fictitious Latin-American dictatorship. Best Thriller Book Awards winner in the category « Political Thriller 2021" on BestThrillers.com
In February 2022, Next Chapter published "The Shadow Of The Mole," the fourth novel in English.