Skip to main content

Member Reviews

I've read all of this author's books so was looking forward to getting stuck into this one. It doesn't disappoint, the setting of Dartmoor makes for a creepy atmosphere, the mystery of what really happened to Kath on the night of the accident keeps you gripped, and who is the man on the moor that Lyla keeps seeing?
I recommend this book, it's full of mystery and suspense and look forward to the author's next one.

Was this review helpful?

I liked the other works of this author so appreciate the opportunity to read another that netgalley and the publishers gave me
Ok so this an intruiging story,agree with others takes awhile to get going but I didn’t mind that ,a slow build can have a good pay off .
It’s well written has intriuge and the Male charcaters in this are rather weak and carry a sense of menace ,I wasn’t keen on the husband ,I don’t think he was right for our leading lady and though I understood to a degree his job I still found him to abuse his power a bit with the characters and the animals (only one paticular scene or two ,though second doesn’t involve him and not overly bad just didn’t like how he acted ) I understood he was angry but he struggled hard to manage and his empathy and understanding of such a complex situ was lacking .blame blame blame from him .
I liked and felt for the daughter living amongst this marriage and was a fairly good description of autism however cd have had a few more lovely factors of people who have this condition ,there were a few gems of her genius and how awesome she could be but not many ,
I was very moved and fearfull for her at times and really felt the parents anxiety over any event for her and dreaded turning the page as wanted the daughter to have happy moments
The ending was a bit of a disappointment ,yes it was good no you won’t guess it but no it’s not a who done it so to speak .
But is a good story ,just I enjoyed the previous work more
I will always buy this author though as the novels aren’t bad just this left me a bit flat ,as with a who done it u can be led to be surprised or go ahh that makes sense
In this I didn’t really have an attachment to the big bad and this made it a bit flat
It’s good though an worth a read

Was this review helpful?

I have read 2 previous S.K. Tremayne novels and loved them, especially the second novel. This one is great too.
As always, Tremayne writes in a way that truly captures the atmosphere of a place. You feel immersed and setting is used to enhance the story which is perfect.

I love the character of Lyla, and all her quirks, she was the one who really sucked me into the story from the off. I wanted to see what was in store for her, even more than the narrating characters.

Another suspenseful story from this author, full of twists and second guessing yourself. Well written, clever - a must read.

Was this review helpful?

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

It was just a patch of ice. Just a bit of bad luck. But it was nearly enough to kill Kath Redway, spinning her car into Burrator Reservoir in the beautiful Dartmoor National Park. Miraculously, Kath escapes her accident with a few bruises and amnesia. She is shocked but delighted to be back in her remote moorland farmhouse with her handsome husband, Adam, and her shy, gifted daughter Lyla. She's alive! But her family is not so delighted. Her husband is cold, even angry. Her daydreaming daughter talks ever more strangely, about a 'man on the moor'. Then, as chilling fragments of memory return, Kath realizes her 'accident' was nothing of the kind. And now her life collapses into a new world of darkness, menace, and terror.

S.K. Tremayne never fails to completely engross me in her books. Her first two books were amazing and this one was somehow just even better!! I was hooked from the get-go and read it in almost one seating! The whole plotline is dark, shocking, heart-stopping and it honestly just completely terrified me! I doubt I'll be sleeping tonight....

My heart was racing as I was reading the pages, as I felt the pure terror and even paranoia of what was happening. The main character's situation was daunting and her daughter's words and actions honestly creeped me out!

I honestly can't fault this book at all. The descriptions of the moorlands were so beautifully-written and descriptive that I felt I was actually there; the plotline was clever and just brilliant; the characters were extremely well written and an ending that I REALLY DIDN'T SEE COMING!

A very shocking and terrifying read that is guaranteed to send shivers down your spine! A MUST READ!

Was this review helpful?

Great read! A psychological thriller that had me gripped from the first, to the last chapter. Full of twists and turns that keep me guessing. The author did a great job of building the tension.

I loved the atmospheric descriptions of the moors. The characters were well developed and believable.

If you enjoy mysteries, or thrillers, this one is well worth a read.

Was this review helpful?

It must be a horrible feeling, to believe you intended to end your life and leave your child and husband behind, alone. It must even be more unsettling to suspect your own husband or brother to be responsible for the attempt on your life. But in the end to find out how your (dead) mother wasn't the loving, quirky woman you thought she was, making your life a living hell - that has to be the most disturbing fact of all. The book really brought to life the loneliness, but wonderful nature in the moors. Add to that a child, clearly autistic, with some challenging difficulties in her daily life and it makes for an intense ride and a real page-turner.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK!

Was this review helpful?

I must say I found this book dragged a bit, like walking through a Dartmoor bog. As I live close to the areas mentioned in the story, I could relate to it quite well, but it was very slow to start with and didn’t really hold my interest. However, I persevered and it did pick up speed, and all in all it was a very good storyline.

I think the author portrayed the moors and it’s people succinctly. There are some definite strange and peculiar things that go on on Dartmoor, and some of the folk that live there especially in the deep moor are definitely odd.

My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I know I’m the odd one out here but I just found this book too gloomy to enjoy. I thought at first it was going along similar lines as the recent tv programme about a boy with autism but just not handled nearly as well. To be fair this was very different though and much darker and more sinister than The Az Word but just not for me.

Was this review helpful?

I really quite liked the the authors previous novel.
So when I saw that this book was available for reviewing, I immediately jumped at the chance.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book! I always love a good thriller and I was delighted to find that Just Before I died truly delivered.
The story flows very well and is very tense and gripping, I can recommend this book to all my friends!

Was this review helpful?

I resented every interruption to my reading of this book and felt shattered when I’d finished it.

Kath lives on Dartmoor with her handsome husband Adam, a ranger, and their much-loved and possibly autistic daughter, Lyla. Kath knows that she had an accident; drove her car into a reservoir and suffered concussion. As a result, she has blanks in her memory. When she desperately tries to remember what really happened, various people tell her that her memory is wrong and that she actually tried to kill herself. She refuses to believe it and starts to distrust everyone. Is her husband lying to her; is her brother Dan also lying? And does strange, fey Lyla know more than she lets on? Why are ancient witchcraft symbols appearing around her and what is Lyla so frightened of? This is an absolutely gripping story, with an ever-present sense of threat. Dartmoor, with its grim weather, ancient superstitions and strange beauty, is as much a character as any of the humans. I raced to the end, which was worse than I could have imagined. A real page turner.

I read this thanks to NetGalley and it’s out on 9th August. I’d previously read The Fire Child, which I found equally gripping. I think Just Before I Died is even better.

Was this review helpful?

More than anything I loved the setting for this book which was perfect for the mysterious folklore background initially l found it very similar to the A Word but then it became much darker and sinister

Was this review helpful?