She Treads Softly: Double Shadow

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Double Shadow

Double Shadow by Andrew Ludington
4/21/26; 288 pages
St. Martin's Press
Splinter Effect #2

Double Shadow by Andrew Ludington is a highly recommended time travel/historical fiction novel. This is the second novel in the series, following Splinter Effect, featuring Robert "Rabbit" Ward.

Rabbit Ward is a chrono-archaeologist who travels through time for the Smithsonian on sponsored expeditions to the past to secure precious artifacts moments before they are lost to history. But in this outing he travels to Jerusalem in 68 CE, to help save his now ally but former adversary, Helen. She is in hiding after being framed for a murder, so she turned to Rabbit to help find Einar Eshek, a murderous thief in first century Jerusalem. Rabbit and Helen determine that Eshek is thief, but also a murderous psychopath. Tension rise due to the search but also because Jerusalem is preparing to go to war with Rome.

This is another well-written historical fiction time travel adventure. Expect many historical details while reading, which will be appreciated best by those who enjoy detailed historical fiction. There is also plenty of further character development of relationships introduced in the first novel.

Personally, I'd recommend reading the series in order, first Splinter Effect, then Double Shadow, because of the continuing character development, histories, and the continuing relationship between Rabbit and Helen. The first novel also explains the time traveling procedures and along with all ethical archaeological considerations involved is traveling back in time to collect historical artifacts before they are lost. This is an imaginative action story, but is mostly a historical fiction novel.

Double Shadow is a great choice for those who are following the series, and anyone who enjoys history and the idea of a time traveling archeologist should start reading reading it. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.