S.K Tremayne does it again. An intense, creepy psychological thriller set in the cold and bleak terrain of Dartmoor in Devon. S.K Tremayne always paints the scenery in a particularly masterful way, making you shiver with the chill as you read, and feel the remoteness even if you're sneaking a few chapters on the busiest commuter train home.

Kath has been in a car accident and comes out of a coma having lost some of her memory. Her husband and daughter both appear to be acting strangely towards her and she can't quite pinpoint why. There is secrecy and suspense surrounding the accident - and Kath feels like she is being watched.

Living in a remote location on Dartmoor, Kath tries to work out what exactly happened to her whilst also dealing with strange goings on in and around their home. Kath slowly begins to get her memory back and discovers that something more sinister is going on...

I loved the Ice Twins and couldn't wait to read this book but it honestly didn't grip me the same way that the previous books did. I think it was because it took me a long time to get into the title, but once it got going it was a brilliant read.

I did love that the story had a really unexpected ending!

S K Tremayne has created an atmospheric page turner which brings Dartmoor to life with a well hidden ending.

This book started off very slowly but built up to a good story. Chilling in places but a worthwhile read

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is a great thriller set in Devon and in certain parts quite spooky. I struggled at the beginning as it was very slow but carried on and in the end it turned out a good read.

S.K. Tremayne has hit the mark again with Just Before I Died. A gripping story full of tension,one moment my pulse was racing and the next I had goosebumps. Tenderly written scenes describing Kath’s heartbreak watching her daughter struggling with symptoms of ASD. The descriptions of Dartmoor were so detailed and atmospheric I almost felt I had been there. I raced through this book and read late into the night, and yet didn’t want it to end.

One of my favourite authors that never fails to deliver. From reading the ICE TWINS as the debut novel I always wait in anticipation for the next. And as each book comes I’m never disappointed.

Just before I died is amazing. Very well written and in the style I love from this author. A cracking read.

A dark and chilling thriller set in the heartland of the Dartmoor, that slowly builds up the suspense with a superb twist.

I enjoyed S.K. Tremayne’s previous books so couldn’t wait to read this one and it didn’t disappoint.

Again, this is a dark, eerie psychological thriller set in a rural part of the UK. This time it’s the desolate Dartmoor. The atmosphere and setting Tremayne describes is again like it’s own character, dominating the story with it’s oppressive creepiness.

Throughout the book we are told Kath ‘had an accident’ and she is in the process of recovering. It is clear however that there is more to what happened, and everyone around her seems to know more than she does. I especially loved the character of Lyla, Kath’s daughter.

If you enjoy gothic style thrillers, you will love this.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not my usual genre but will be on the lookout for more of the same.

Will recommend the author to friends and family, and eagerly await more material

This was a beautifully written thriller that had me on the edge of my seat all the way through. I felt as though I was on Dartmoor from the descriptions and was fascinated by all the 'witchcraft' which was clearly well researched. Quite frequently one reads that a book has a 'twist you won't guess' but quite frequently I've guessed it fairly early on... not so with this one. Superbly done!!

It must seem quite weird to say how overjoyed I was to read 'Just Before I Died' by S. K. Tremayne. Not quite a title which might inspire joy but read on! I had an early childhood in North Devon and although I have visited Dartmoor many times, nothing has evoked it as strongly as the masterful descriptions by S. K. Tremayne. I read the novel in the heat of a Canarian summer and for me to shiver over the descriptions of the moor's mists and fog takes some doing! I think I've witnessed an ammil but in Lathkill Dale, Derbyshire. It was so magical, every leaf, twig and branch was adorned with tinkly, twinkling ice and so, so beautiful. Tremayne's description brought it to mind instantly. Moving on from luxuriating in the writing style, we must consider the story itself. It managed to meld a lot of beliefs and practices with the landscape in which it was set. It fascinated, teased and horrifed in a very realistic way leading to a page turning climax. You probably are thinking by now that I liked the book, well I loved it and feel very privileged to have been given the opportunity to have reviewed it through Netgalley.

Psychological fiction is not something that I've read often, of which this story is, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like NetGalley as it brings me to read books by authors that I wouldn't ordinarily, and I'll be reading more by this author. The story is immersive, and the atmosphere on the remote areas was created brilliantly, just the right amount of creepiness and intrigue. I hate it when books don't wrap all of the characters up at the end, this one did so perfectly, including the supporting characters. I didn't see the twist coming and I cried at one part near the end. I appreciated the way her daughter was portrayed, it was very accurate, and Lyla was integral to the interest within the story.

Just before I died by S K Tremayne is a dark, spooky thriller set on the moors of Dartmoor.
This is a slow burning story with a little suspense. Kate has a feeling that she is been watched! Lots of twists in this book that keeps the narrative flowing and the reader quickly turning the page.Recommended.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

A sense of unease runs through this book from the beginning. I felt that the story was padded out a little with too many descriptions of Dartmoor as I found it very slow. I almost gave up and with the twist at the end I was not totally convinced of the plot. A little too far fetched? That being said it was very a atmospheric read. A good story to read snuggled up on a cold winters night!

I loved The Ice Twins and although I didn't enjoy the author's second book quite as much I thought I'd try this and I'm so pleased I did. It is so beautifully written and the story flows perfectly. Thank you.

Well, that was an epic last 20%!! I was going to give this 3.5 stars, until I got to the last fifth of this book, now its a solid 4 stars! That twist was insane!! I loved it!

You can tell that Tremayne has done his homework here. The Dartmoor beauty shines through the pages. So much detail, that you feel like you are there on those windswept moors, trudging through those bogs and taking in the natural beauty.

I am Devon born and bred, so when I realised this book had so much Devon in it I was definitely going to read it. I love connecting with a book in that way - where you know the place that is being talked about. It makes you feel a bit more involved, like this book was written for me.

The writing style is easy to read, it flows well, and I found myself being swept along with the the story because it was not a hardship to physically read it.

The characters are all well fleshed out. Lyla is a lovely little character to read about. Again there has been a good amount of research into the traits exhibited by Lyla and her undiagnosed aspergers.

So we start our story on Dartmoor. Kath and Adam are married with a daughter, Lyla. Now usually in there, you'd put 'happily married', or something along those lines, and they are happy, according to Kath, in the first part of the book. Then we get into the nitty gritty of what the story actually is. Kath was involved in an accident- she skidded on some ice, and her car went nose first into the reservoir, where she nearly drowned and was in a coma for a little while. While Kath has some brain damage, she is luckier than most and only has, hopefully short term memory loss. Well, that is what Kath believes happened....

Adam is having a hard time dealing with Kath since the accident, and Kath has no idea why. After an episode in the forest, Adam decides it is time to get Kath's sister in law (the psychologist) over, to explain to Kath what actually happened that night....

I enjoyed reading about the beautiful landscape, understanding the roughness of the moors, and as a backdrop to the story, it worked wonderfully. I would read another book by this author just because of his detailed descriptions of the surroundings.

The story has a good pace for most of the book, we slowly uncover bits and pieces about what happened that night up at Burrator. Perhaps it gets a little slow in the middle, but by the end we have definitely picked up pace and I raced through the ending! It was intense, scary, thrilling. I could feel my heart beating faster and in fact looked at my FitBit and as expected my pulse was around 99bpm :)

THAT TWIST! :)

Kath awakens from a coma to discover she's been in a car crash which almost claimed her life. Suffering from severe memory loss, she's unable to recall events leading up to the accident. Horrified to learn it was a failed suicide attempt and unwilling to accept life had become so unbearable, she searches for the truth. Who is the mysterious man on the moor and why is he watching? Kath's family is now in grave danger.

Just Before I Died is a creepy and atmospheric psychological thriller set on Dartmoor in the remote English countryside. The author paints a vivid picture of a bleak and windswept landscape where winters are long and life is harsh.

Whilst the plot was excellent, it could be argued the pacing suffered at times due to the detailed descriptions, but, on the other hand, the descriptions are what sets this book apart. Finding the right balance to suit every reader would be an almost impossible task.

As the book progressed, so did my growing sense of unease; something here was terribly wrong. I was gripped and slowly sinking into a murky puddle of family secrets and betrayal. The twists and turns were brilliantly executed and the final reveal was oh so shockingly good! This book is definitely a slow burner but deserving of a place on anyone's shelf.

* My thanks to S. K. Tremayne, NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with a copy of this book.

This was a slow read and I almost gave up. I felt there were too many descriptions of Dartmoor, as though the story was about the area rather than the people so when the twist did come it seemed a little far fetched to me.

I've read other books by this author and enjoyed them so I think this was just too slow for my own preferences rather than a bad book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the book.

Very atmospheric, brooding and dark Dartmoor is indeed a character in this book - in fact after Kath it is Dartmoor itself that is the focus.

A little slow but really quite scary, a similar feel to the Ice Twins so if you like being scared this is one for you !

A good read - possibly a Christmas holiday read by the fire