An eerie atmosphere yet again. This isn't the first book of S.K Tremayne that I have read, and yet again I loved it and it hit all the right places!!

Why did you do that to me Mummy, don’t you love me?

Kath lives with her husband Adam and daughter Lyla in a desolate stone longhouse deep in Dartmoor National Park. She likes her life the moors are beautiful, if bleak and she counts herself as happy, even if they struggle with money, and work, and her daughter's shyness.

But one day Kath wakes up from a coma, with a vague memory of a near-fatal car accident. She hugs her daughter close, likewise her husband Adam. But there’s something wrong. Adam seems furious with her and Lyla is acting evermore strangely. They should be delighted to see her alive, snatched from certain death. But they won't meet her gaze

Then Kath learns that the car crash wasn't an accident, and her whole life collapses into a world of panic, and danger

A truely tense physiological thriller near the end of this dark story. I love the descriptions of the Dartmoor moors with the thick fog and the gorse burning. Very atmospheric. Very descriptive. Totally enjoyable in the dark sense. You know something is coming, coming for YOU!! Another good novel by S K Tremayne. I've also enjoyed The Ice Twins and The Fire Child. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a review.

Just before I died by S K Tremayne is a dark, spooky thriller set in the moors of Dartmore.
This is a slow burning story with a little suspence.
Kate has been in a car accident and has lost some of her memory. Her husband and daughter are both acting strangely towards her and she has no idea why. There is a secret surrounding the accident and Kate has a feeling she is being watched.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Just Before I Died, I was gripped from the first few pages. Full of twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout.
Well worth a read.

This book had a bit of a slow start and I almost did not persist with it, but I am delighted that I did as it was well worth reading through the slow introduction and build up, to get to the brilliant main part of the story and rest of the book.
Kath, is married to Adam and they have a 9 year old daughter, Lyla, who has traits of autism. They all live together out in the wilds of Dartmoor. The landscape of Dartmoor features heavily in the book and acts as a great setting for the mood and atmosphere of the storyline. Kath is recovering after a car accident where she suffered memory loss.
With the help from her brother’s wife, Tessa, who is a psychologist, Kath tries to remember what happened to her on the night in question.
A brilliant book full of twists and turns and one which must be read to the end to find out what exactly happened with Kath on the night of the accident.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I almost didn't persist with this book as it was quite slow and the overly lengthy and frequent descriptions of the landscape aggravating. However, the piecing together of the jigsaw of lost memories was satisfactory. Far more warmth from the female characters - the men were rather one dimensional. It was OK but don't race...

I really enjoyed The Ice Twins so approached this book with great expectations. And I wasn't disappointed! What starts out as an unfortunate accident soon turns into something much darker. Tremayne is good at atmospheric scene setting and with strong characters and a twisted but convincing plot, this is a genuine page turner.

It's difficult to know whose narrative may be trusted. It soon becomes clear that something sinister is going on and the atmospheric and creepy Dartmoor setting adds to the tension. Katy, the central character suffers memory loss after a car accident and is desperately trying to put her life together. Her husband is cold and insular and their daughter is gifted and different. As her memory returns, it's clear that things are far from normal.

There are moments of real terror and the final twists caught me totally off guard. Chilling and gripping.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.

Just Before I Died.

Chilling psychological suspense.

Moody and atmospheric Just Before I Died proceeds at a slow burn gradually building up the tension and menace unit its final, terrifying conclusion.

Kath Redway has returned to the family she loves in her isolated home on Dartmoor after a horrific accident left her almost dead in a freezing river. Her memory of the events leading up to the accident is gone. Rather than being the caring, welcoming husband she knows, Adam is surly, angry and remote while the behaviour of Lyla, their troubled daughter is becoming more and more disturbing.

What did happen that day? As flashes of memory emerge, SK Tremayne leaves crumbs of clues but we are never quite sure just who or where the omnipresent feeling of evil and witchcraft come from as the ground constantly shifts. Events past and present swirl around in a maelstrom of confusion disturbing and ominous.

As secrets are exposed we think we have got to the core of things but there are many twists and turns before we are given the final denouement.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins and SK Tremayne for my arc of Just Before I Died.
This book is a super spooky thriller tinged with the macabre and it is is done so well.
Kath has always thought her life was quite ordinary, like she was quite ordinary. Not like her husband Adam, gorgeous Adam the heartthrob in a park ranger's uniform. Adam who rescues trapped tourists, takes care of the animals and loves Kath for a reason Kath can't quite fathom. Then there's her daughter Lyla who they both know is ASD but refuse to have statemented, but lately her behaviour has become increasingly abnormal. Following a car accident which left Kath trapped in a lake, out on the desolate moors of Dartmoor, Kath begins to feel increasingly isolated as she tries to piece together her memories of the night of the accident.

I steamed through this book unbelievably quickly it was such an engrossing story full of anticipation and moments of true horror. I was so frightened at times! I really didn't figure it out until right near the end! Even then it was so horrifying I think it will stay with me for a while. Extremely cleverly written.

I raced through this spooky read set on desolate Dartmoor. Kath lives with her husband Adam and daughter Lyla. Kath wakes up after a car crash in hospital and can’t remember anything. Adam is furious and upset and Lyla their autistic daughter is acting even more oddly than normal.

She learns she brought the accident upon herself and she questions everything she thinks and does. She’s determined to unravel the mystery no matter what. That she could do the unthinkable to her family shocks her to the core. Her daughter keeps telling her she’s seen a man on the moor watching them…

I just loved this fast paced and atmospheric tale which had an ending I for one would never have guessed at! Really recommend.

This is the first book I have read from this author and I thought the first few chapters started a bit slow and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue reading it. I am so glad I persevered as it turned out to be a great book with a good twist at the end. I liked the descriptions of the moors which was good to read having lived near there before. It also gives a little insight into mental health problems which can only be a good thing. All in all a good psychological thriller which I recommend.

At the beginning it all seems very straightforward but gets more intrieging as it progresses. No one seems to be quite what they say and all have secrets to hide. The descriptions of Dartmoor are excellent. As the suspence grows to the end and the reader thinks they have solved it comes the inevitable twist! Very good and strongly recommended.

This is the first novel I have read by S. K. Tremayne but it will not be the last. A brilliantly written novel, based on Dartmoor, with so many idiosyncrasies and stories of witchcraft. I was hooked from the first chapter and read this within 24 hours. I simply couldn’t put it down.

Kate and Adam are married with a daughter, Lyla, who is somewhere on the autistic spectrum but is a delightfully portrayed little girl and my heart went out to her on several occasions.

The story begins with Kate surviving an accident, which has left her with some mild brain trauma meaning some of her memory around the event is hazy in parts and non-existent in others. The story follows her piecing together the story and understanding what happened to her. All is not as it seems.

There are a few situations where i found myself holding my breath. There is depth and a real psychological thriller element. Who hates Kate this much?

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and S. K. Tremayne for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Must read. Absolutely excellent. Highly recommended.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This book is as bleak as the Dartmoor it describes and as unfathomable in places. It's a dark, bleak story told well and with excellent characters that you believe in and sympathise with.

Kath and Adam are a couple living in darkest Dartmoor with their daughter, Layla, who has Aspergers (or similar as she hasn't been diagnosed). Kath had an accident which has left her with little or no memory. Or, was it an accident? There are people following her and her daughter...or are there? and there is an undercurrent of angst and guilt around the marriage, the family and the strange happenings.

It's a good story, just too foreboding throughout for me and flat in parts of the telling. I like this author and wish every success for a book that is a 'must read' for those from or enjoying Dartmoor.

Another amazing book by SK Treymayne, when I saw that there was another book available, I was super excited for another creepy, dark thriller. Just before I died is set among the wild, bleak and mysterious Dartmoor. A freak accident leaves Kath with amnesia, thankful to be alive she arrives home to find that her husband is less thankful to have her back. As her memory starts to return she realises that this may not have been an accident at all.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

I have been a fan of S K Tremayne ever since I read her debut book The Ice Twins. In fact I have been sitting on my hands waiting for this book to be released since 27/12/17!!

I was immersed in Just Before I died from the first chapter and I ended up reading over half the book in one day.

Kath was married to Adam and they had a delightful daughter called Lyla who possibly had Aspergers. Shortly after Christmas Kath had a car accident and landed in the Burrator Reservoir, nearly killing her. Back at home Adam was very angry with her and Lyla`s behaviour deteriorated.

Then Kath started to experience strange things in the Dartmoor National Park. First Kath found some stones placed on a windowsill outside her office that was used to prevent witchcraft. Then Kath and Lyla find something disturbing in Hobajob`s Wood. A Dead bird was found on the floor, in the middle was a pagan circle with bits of rubbish. Including Kath`s hairbrush with hair attached and something far more disturbing. Then Lyla admitted she had seen a man on the moor who was watching Kath and wanted to hurt her.

I liked Kath who was suffering from partial amnesia as a result of the crash. I found Adam an unsympathetic character who willing to bury his head in sand about Lyla. The star of the book was quirky little Lyla. Being on the Autistic Spectrum gave her extraordinary hearing and she could remember incidents from when she was a baby. My heart broke for her when Kath organised a birthday party and none of the kids attended.

The descriptions of the beautiful but desolate Dartmouth National Park sent a shiver down my spine. The surroundings definitely increased the tension and paranoia of the story. The plot of Just Before I died was amazing with many different strands to the story. The ending was shocking, I did not see it coming.

I recommend this book, it is definitely a must read.

Absolutely loved this book. I read the Ice Twins by this author and this book was also a great read. The ending - didn’t see that coming I was in tears! A must read.

A good read and I particularly enjoyed the description of the setting as I used to live nearby. Would recommend.

A great read and not too time consuming, I read over about 4 days. The plot starts straight away and continues to make you think all the way through. There are so many twists in the story that I ended up changing my mind countless times regarding 'who done it'. Kates sanity is tested to the limit and the author makes you feel it every step of the way. It would make a great short tv series. Without giving too much away, its impossible to know who did it as you arent introduced to the character until the very end. Would highly recommend this book to anyone.

A definite must-read for lovers of psychological thrillers.

The setting, Dartmoor, is perfect. The scenery and the season, the ancient mystery of it all, combine to create an atmosphere of horror that builds to a dramatic close.

The lead character, Kath, finds herself quite suddenly and inexplicably in a nightmarish situation: her husband clearly loathes her; terrifying discoveries and events take place in and around her home; her daughter is clearly under immense stress...and Kath has no memory of the events that led to her recent near death 'accident' and no comprehension of all that seems to stem from it. Who is it that hates her so much? Who wants to destroy her so badly?

The plot here is very clever and the ending impossible to solve oneself, but we are brought to the denouement in such a way that we can't scream "unfair!" when it arrives.

I would score this a full five stars, but i think the characterisation of Kath's husband was a little weak - he was but a shallow, 2D, man for me and better development of his part - beyond the brooding Heathcliffe-type we're given, would certainly have added to the tension.

The picture she paints of their child however, who sits somewhere on the autistic spectrum, is beautiful, Your heart breaks for her in every chapter, as she struggles first with ostracism in the playground and then with the confusion and terror stalking her at home. And oh...the birthday party. Even if you have had no personal experience of autism, even if you've no child of your own, this element of the story resonates deeply and gives the novel a depth it would otherwise lack.