"The Headlines chilled me: a senseless murder, a family haunted by one members demons. An urban legend which had sunk its claws into an innocent child and turned their life upside down. I knew immediately that this was a story I wanted to tell"

Sold! After reading that passage I knew immediately this was a story I wanted to read.

The book jumps through multiple time lines and switches to different characters perspectives but it's well written so easy to follow.

A group of young girls and a creepy urban legend about a shadowy figure who can make you special and also takes daughters. It then tells Sadie's story who disappears in the dead of night leaving behind her husband and newborn daughter Amber. Then on to a film crew documenting Amber's story a teenage girl acquitted of murder but whose murder?!

I got totally immersed in the book reading late into the night and I admit that the tall man crept into a couple of my dreams. Halfway through the book I thought I had guessed how the book would play out but the plot is full of little twists and I was left wondering to the very last word.

Even if psychological thrillers aren't your thing this is well worth the read and I'm looking forward to reading more from Phoebe Locke.

Thanks to Netgalley for the preview copy

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read my oddest of 2018 so far.
There were issues with my ARC - parts of text missing or disordered - and this meant there was some inevitable confusion as I tried to keep fixed who was the focus/what was happening. Those issues fixed, I think this will be the kind of read you’ll either fall hook, line and sinker for or you’ll be ambivalent about. I, sadly, was somewhere in between.
For me, the start of the story was not quite there. We’re expected to fall for The Tall Man story but without really being given enough detail to justify such a reaction. Throughout, the supposedly creepy references to this mythical figure felt forced. I never felt I had enough to substantiate this, feeling it was always something of a smokescreen for another story.
Some reviewers have commented on the fragmented nature of the setting. This is disconcerting on occasion, but it does make sense as we learn more about Sophie, Miles and their daughter, Amber, as she is being followed by a film crew for a documentary about a murder. Certain details hint at there being more to certain characters and the events unfolding, but it’s not until later that we get to piece everything together.

The story is compelling, with a twist straight out of a 'true crime' show, but the tension got lost in the dense undergrowth of peripheral characters and tangled plot lines.

Well, this was something a little different. Spanning several decades each centered around a particular incident or theme, we follow how something that happened back in the 90s had repercussions throughout time, right up to the present day.
Our first time line takes place in the 90s and revolves mostly around a bunch of kids who are interested in an urban myth; The Tall Man. He either wants your daughters or make them special. Spooky stuff indeed and so very believable when you are young and easily taken in. The we move forward 10 years and follow Sadie, one of the children we have already met, as she gets married and has her first child. One that, soon after the birth, she abandons as she disappears. Back in the present, we follow a film crew who is following a young girl, Amber, who has recently been on trial for murder. As we get to know her, we find out that she is Sadie's daughter and the events that led up to her being on trial have roots to where our story first started. The whole story is a merging of fact and fiction, myth and truth, secrets and lies and some very long awaiting revenge. Gripping stuff indeed!
For the majority of the book, I had absolutely no idea where we were going. But instead of irking me, I really enjoyed the feeling of confusion as I found it brought me closer to the characters who were in a similar position. It also gave the book a whole other level of spookiness as I, along with the characters, was torn between, "is it real?" or "are they being manipulated?"
It's hard to talk more about the characters without giving anything away. In fact, due to the span of the book, they do change quite a bit as the book goes on. What I can say however is that there was a fair bit of mind changing as to my feelings about how I felt about most of them along my journey with them. Most of the action revolves around the present and Amber being looked after by Greta. I found the interaction between the two of them, and the relationship that formed there to be, on the whole, quite believable. Well, up to a point, in accordance with the story! Honestly that does make sense.
Pacing was good throughout. There were lots of pace changes through the book which followed the current narrative very well. This not only kept the book balanced but also kept it fresh if you get what I mean by that! What was also good was the way that the author drew me as a reader down a particular path and then, when I was comfortable on that journey, she pulled the rug out from me and spun me onto a completely different one, all with just a relatively minor addition to the story.
The reveal when it happened was both unexpected to me and also a bit shocking. I also had to kick myself a little as, with hindsight, I should really have been a little more prepared for what I got. I guess I got all caught up in the rest of what was going on and missed the clues along the way. Kudos to the author for that I guess!
All in all, a good solid read that entertained me and left me mostly satisfied at the end. There were a few things left open to interpretation which I haven't quite got my head round just yet. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The Tall Man was a gripping, atmospheric story that kept me guessing right till the very end! A very enjoyable 4 star read!

The Tall Man by Phoebe Locke

A super summer psychological chiller, which I feel will be enjoyed by fans of Paula Hawkins, or Gillian Flynn. The novel hinges around an urban myth about The Tall Man, a shadowy, figure "who takes daughters." Phoebe Locke skilfully uses different narrators, time periods and devices to slowly reveal the tale of The Tall Man, Sadie, and her daughter Amber Banner.

In the 1990s, Sadie and her school friends are captivated and consumed by the myth of The Tall Man. Their fear and fascination have disastrous consequences.

Ten years later, whilst at college, Sadie meets and falls in love with Miles Banner. She becomes pregnant, and they marry. Despite her determination to be happy, the shadow of The Tall Man lurks in the corners of their lives, then shortly after the birth of their daughter, Amber, Sadie disappears, leaving Miles to raise their child alone.

In 2018, we come across Amber. She has acquired worldwide notoriety and fame in the wake of a murder she appears to have committed, and we are given a glimpse into her life through the eyes of Gretta, a young executive working on making a documentary about Amber Banner and the murder.

It sounds like a lot of flitting about, but it works. Phoebe Locke has skilfully woven all the threads of the story together to create a very impressive debut novel. I can't wait to see what she does next.

Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy of this book.



#TheTallMan @phoebe_locke @Wildfirebks

Throughout reading this, I kept getting Slender-man vibes.

I am unsure if the author loosely based the Tall Man character on this but that was the vibe I was getting when I read this.

It was a creepy read.

I didn’t and still don’t really know how to feel about the characters.

None of them was particularly likeable, definitely none of them were relatable.

Sadie was the least likeable one. I thought I would feel a bit sorry for her but then the twist towards the end of the book and that was pretty much it for me.
Amber was just an odd character in general. I don’t know how much of that was her just being a teenager though.

I think the biggest thing to take away from these type of stories is how easily susceptible some kids/teens are to these type of urban legends/horror story characters. We have seen that with the 3 girls associated with the big Slender-man case and it is definitely easy to see in this.

I was going to mark this as four star but I found the ending to be abrupt and to be honest, not good. I don’t want to put spoilers in my review but I don’t understand how suddenly Amber was in Sadie’s corner and believed in Tall Man. There wasn’t a gradual build up to it. It just was.

I didn’t love or hate this. I am a little indifferent and besides the basic storyline I am unsure if I will actually remember this read in a month’s time.

Read and reviewed courtesy of Netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy.

This book started off quite creepy and I was expecting a horror or a dark thriller but unfortunately as it went on it didn't emerge into either. It jumps about from different time periods a lot but i think it needed that to keep the pace. I did find it slightly boring in places and I did see the ending coming.
Overall it was an okay thriller but I think from the blurb I was expecting something a bit more creepy.

This was one of those titles where the synopsis just grabs you! I loved the sinister undertones that the blurb delivers. The title reminded me of the slender man internet meme and turned out to be just as creepy! I love an unsettling story and this lived up to my expectations. It quickly shot to the top of my to-be-read pile and when it was over I was sad that it wasn't going to be continued as a series.

THE TALL MAN is addictive and unforgettable. The development of the characters was brilliant, this is more of a slow-burning read that builds up the layers resulting in a truly spine-chilling ride. Locke skirts the periphery of the horror genre with this one. Those books that are as much horror as they are thriller seem to be really catching my imagination of late.

The timeline does change throughout the book which can be a little confusing until you get used to the style and layout. I feel that this is a fairly unique psychological thriller that will easily captivate lovers of the genre. A taut read that is narrated by several different people. The ending was a pretty explosive moment, I loved it!

I managed to read this one in a day, I just adore it when a book gets into your head. It is definitely not a bedtime read! I hope Locke writes in this same vein in the future, I would definitely be up for trying another of her books.

I would like to thank Phoebe Locke, Headline and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This superbly creepy supernatural (or is it?) tale takes place over three separate time lines. In the current time frame there is Amber Banner, 18 years old and recently acquitted of murder, being followed by a TV documentary crew. Two years prior to that we have the events leading up to the infamous incident, and many years before that is the story of 13 year old Sadie (Amber's mother) and her friends, at a time when things started to go seriously wrong. To give away any more would be a crime in itself!

The three time lines are expertly woven together and the parallels become clear as we progress. The author does a fabulous job of building tension and maintaining the suspense at all times, and we are never really sure whether The Tall Man is real or not, or if it's all in the heads of the characters. There is resolution at the end, but just enough doubt is left.

I loved the way that all the characters have something which is revealed during the course of the story, and the many surprises along the way, some making me gasp out loud as I read. For example, we do not learn until close to the end who it is that Amber killed, and even later until we find out the circumstances. This I thought was extremely cleverly done. Brilliant atmospheric and writing!

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, I read many great reviews about the tall man, it sounded like my cup of tea and I wasn't disappointed it is an eerie captivating read.

The Tall Man is undoubtably a thriller packed with mystery and a fair helping of suspense. However, I failed to connect with the main characters and I also felt that the mysterious circumstances of the original murder were far too late being revealed. I don’t think I’d recommend it.

This is a very creepy thriller about the legend of the tall man, who lives in the wood and takes children. Believe it or not this will give you chills and make you think twice about taking a trip to the woods, especially if you have daughters !!

The story is about the Banner family. Sadie, the Mum, believes the tall man is after her daughter Amber and will do all she can to protect her, even if that means leaving her. Miles, the Dad, is left to bring up their daughter alone, will he be able to protect her ?

The story jumps from present day 2018 to events in the past. In 2018 a documentary is being made about Amber, who has been on trial for murder. But whose murder ? And what led to this outcome ?

There are lots of twist and turns and plenty of creepiness within the pages. A great book that will keep you hooked from the very start.

A must read if you love creepy thrillers ........ just remember to keep an eye out for the shadows and the Tall Man, you never know where he may appear !!

Thank you to Headline Wildfire and NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Solid 3.5*
Where to start? The words that spring to mind when I reflect on this book are; riveting in parts, spooky, unusual, weird, confusing, scary.

It's a ghostly tale that took me the first 25% of the book to work out what the heck was going on and it jumps about a lot.

The story is one of childhood fears, secrets, bogeyman, urban legend and family.

The premise of The Tall Man is always lurking throughout the book.....

Thanks to net galley and the publishers for an advance copy.

Despite an interesting and promising beginning this book was ultimately a huge let down for me and, to be honest, a struggle to get through. I was expecting a creepy thriller but all I seemed to get was a lukewarm murder mystery with a family drama. Not for me. Sorry.

It took me quite a while to get through this which is quite unusual for me but sadly I think that says it all. I wasn't hooked enough in the first few chapters and it never picked up the pace. The story wasn't particularly engaging and I didn't particularly like any of the characters.

2 stars.

Definitely a page turner. The characterisation in this book was very good and the twist even better!

I was looking forward to reading this book, I came across it quite by accident and thought it looked a good read, So much so I put it to the top of my TBR.

Unfortunatly it didnt really do it for me. I found that the first 90% a big mish mash of repetativeness leading me down a path that I had no idea where I was going and then BOOM the last 10% the story was told.

Its not a bad book by any means, I didnt think about giving up at any time and the story was a good one it was just the execution and structure of it that I had a problem with.

A good story but ultimately a frustrating read.

Taking note of the recent Slender Man internet meme, the Tall Man tells a slow and ever increasing unsettling story across 3 different timelines.

This is executed confidently by Phoebe Locke and does not overuse the Tall Man story as a way of creating a modern-day horror character but works on a couple of levels by trying to capture the feeling of that slow creeping and movement you see out the corner of your eyes as well as displaying how actions can have repercussions for years to come.

Highly recommended

This book started off well and had a good premise. Sadie finds herself pregnant at a very young age and just after the baby is born she runs away leaving her boyfriend holding the baby. Then 16 years later she returns and just slots herself into their lives again as though nothing has happened. Which is what I couldn’t get my head round. Why he would let her do this. I couldn’t read much more of it after this as it just didn’t sit right with me.
There was also a present day time frame featuring Amber the daughter who has committed murder but the reader doesn’t know what she’s done. I read about 50% and it still didn’t become clear and I wasn’t that bothered about finding out