4.5 stars

I enjoyed this a lot. A proper classic spooky story of a group of teenagers going camping and starting to mysteriously disappear.
The difference here though is that it is set on the Devon moors in South West England. A place very close to my heart. The fact that that area of the UK is already well associated with the supernatural just makes things extra creepy and extra real.

The story switches between timelines allowing the reader to slowly put the pieces together to work out exactly that happened. Just as one timeline is getting super suspenseful we get thrown into another time making this little book impossible to put down. I do love a good tease.

I feel like the "reveal" was maybe done a tiiiiny bit early but with such a short book I can see why it was done. I just would have liked the mystery to have been a little bit longer. Honestly, I would love the whole thing to be longer. I didn't want it to end.

Overall, an excellent debut and I can't wait to read more from this author!

I don't really read much mystery or horror, but the cover and the description were appealing. I did enjoy the plot and writing, and I know my library patrons will, too. I have ordered several copies already.

Thankyou to NetGalley. Unbound and Sam Haysom for the opportunity to read a copy of The Moor in return for a review.
Do you enjoy creepy stories? Then I think you will enjoy this book. It was spine-tingling creepy. I am very hard to please, especially where horror novels are concerned, but I enjoyed reading The Moor. It sent chills down my spine and I had to read this book in one sitting.
Would definitely recommend The Moor and look forward to reading more from this author.

A surprising book in that this wasn't what I was expecting at all. This is not a ghost story, but something else entirely, with the folklore mentioned in the blurb coming into play once in the first third of the book. As mentioned in other reviews, this is slightly disappointing as, around the half way point the story takes a completely different direction to the one expected.

The way in which the story used different perspectives and timelines was effective, as it demanded your attention and concentration throughout. However, this is definitely a book of three parts; the first third was an effective build up with atmosphere, well thought out characters and brilliant story telling. The last third was also brilliant as we head towards the climax. Although not as atmospheric as the first third this certainly provides a worthy ending that is satisfactory if a bit rushed. However, the middle third (shortly after the big reveal and the following scenes) were, in my opinion, boring and missed the plot pacing that had been so effective at the beginning of the book. It should also be noted that this section is particularly heavy on the abuse of animals which had appeared earlier in the book so just to make people aware of that.

I was glad I pushed on to the end of the book, as it was worth it. However, I do think that it needs to be made clear that this is not a ghost story, this is something else entirely and is perhaps suited to those who prefer more gore in their horror stories. Otherwise a fairly good read.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review

Good spooky read that will keep you guessing. Haystrom doesn't reveal exactly who is narrating the story for some time, which adds to the mystery and tension. Good vacation read, but not perhaps if you are camping ...

American werewolf in London? Maybe, you will have to read it! I did and i loved the paranormal and the survival aspects! Good mystery, I got a Jane Harper sort of feel. Very entertaining story! Thank you!

Thank you to Netgalley and Unbound for a free e-arc of this book for a fair and honest review.

When I read the synopsis and started this book I thought it would fall towards the horror category but unfortunately this book fell a little flat for me in this area. I felt it was more of a suspense thriller than anything else with a couple of spine tingling moments; primarily in the first quarter of the book.

The story itself is told from multiple POVs and newspaper clippings. The thing with this book was it was a little hard to follow who's narrative you were reading as there is no heading at the top of the page stating and you had to figure it out for yourself from which characters were and weren't mentioned. I found the character of Gary to be a horrible bully and couldn't relate to him at all; I know there's always one person like that at school but they aren't popular or really well liked.

I was also a bit underwhelmed by the perpetrator and it was never really explained what it was or where it came from; it was just stated and that was that.

The sections of the book that are involved on the moor are atmospheric and creepy and shows what a great writer Sam Haysom is but I think he took a curve I didn't see coming or wasn't expecting and this disappointed me.

Other may enjoy this book more than I did and I would recommend reading it if you like suspense and thrills more than horror itself.

Sorry, but no. The beginning was pretty nicely done with those newspapers and then switching to 13 years later, however after that it just get way to confusing and also boring. Our MC finds the need to flashback. Oh hey, Tim, well we met this and that way, oh back to camp, oh yes and my grandma, oh camp, and back to Mr. Parker, and back to camp.
Gary was just wayyyyyyy to urgh, mean, and a bully. I frankly don't get why these guys are hanging out with him.

But the story about the girl/woman and what happened to her was pretty exciting, though dear lord people are dumb. :|

So this one has one of those hoping around the timeline things, plus it is told in the POV of the teenagers. We know at the beginning one of the survivors as it starts with him in 2015, then it goes back to 2002 and the start of the camping trip to Rutmoor. 

I feel like I can't say much without giving away a key point so this is a brief review.

Small group of boys, four of them are friends, though at times I am not sure why. The other boy is the son of the coach that is taking them camping, they are new to the area and so Tim doesn't have any friends and the four boys are not really his friends but kind of include him.

While at their first night camping around the campfire they start talking about the spooky things that happened in the Moor. Then the man tells them what he has heard around town about the witch and what happened to her. It's a good scary ghost story for a camping trip till things start going wrong. When they wake up one of the boys is gone. Now he was mad at the others so it was logical to think that maybe he took off ahead of them but when another goes missing it's a little harder to convince the other boys nothing is wrong. 

It has a bit of a nod to Stephen King and was very atmospheric tone and I thought it was pretty face paced as I finished it pretty fast. I thought I had it figured out and I kind of did but I still got a bit of a shock at the reveal. I do think I wish it would have a bit more about the supernatural aspects of this story. I wanted to know a bit more about the what and why of it. I also seen the end coming but felt it was very abrupt. It was like this is what happened, the end. So I was left kind of wondering a bit more about the supernatural part. 

That being said I really did enjoy the story and would try something else from this author in the future.

Sam Haysom’s debut novel works on many different levels and is very quite impressive. Starting off steering the audience in one direction and then realistically changing it to something else really pays off in this spine tingling journey.

The novel is written in the third person and jumps back and forth between two time settings which works very well in the overall construct of the story. The newspaper clippings/stories are a nice touch and works very well as a plot device that adds instead of distracting.

The characters are very well drawn and lift the story that could have easily become a two dimensional representation which the author successfully stays away from. It is also worth noting that the dialogue between the younger selves and the older selves works exceedingly well with an ear for the vocal patterns of the younger characters very effective.

The story gives clues throughout with the overall supernatural setting that makes the reader an active participant whilst reading. With unexpected plot twists and turns, keeping me on my toes, I relished every plot point and overall essence of this novel.

This is a top rated novel that caught me by surprise and if this is the beginning of the author’s career, I can’t wait to see what they have in store with their next instalment. Exciting, scary but kept in a realistic setting with supernatural twist, this novel is a real hidden gem that will not disappoint. If you are looking for something a little off kilter with good characters, spine tingling sensation and a fantastic plot, you can not go wrong with The Moor.

"The Moor" is an entertaining and easy-to-read scary novel. Four 13-year-old boys and one adult, the father of one of the boys, go on a weekend hike in the moor. On the first night, the father tells a scary story that causes nightmares among the boys. But even in reality, things are going somehow wrong. The first night, one of the boys disappears. First, the others assume that he just hiked forward. But then another of the boys disappears.

The story is told on multiple time levels and multiple POV. Horror stories are always tricky. The resolution is often a problem. Here, the author does not make the mistake of expanding his story too much or of searching for plausible explanations. He tells a straightforward horror story without much adornment and explanations. The atmosphere is dark all the time. The horror is real and present. "The Moor" is a precise and gripping horror story which makes you flying through the pages.

This started out really well for me. I did not see where this was going. I was expecting a creepy horror story but I got a disgusting creature feature. This was just not for me. I think if the author went in a different direction I would have loved it. Where the book went seemed almost juvenile.

I normally don’t read this genre, but The Moor was a great one to pick up. The setting was a big draw for me initially. Overall Good read!

(WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers.)

I never thought as I started reading this one, that I’d get so much enjoyment out of it. It took me by surprise; one of those moments that make this hobby so worth it. It all began with clippings from newspapers, written in a way that suggested they were merely pieces of a puzzle. Indeed, that set my mind ablaze with theories that wouldn’t subside throughout the entire book. I loved how it gave me a new perspective over the characters, how they interacted with each other, and in general how they were presented. Haysom was clever enough to give enough of a tease that pulled me in, made me want to know more, and I very much appreciated it. As I believe it, this is a debut novel, yet I wouldn’t have guessed. Many of the pitfalls new authors fall into – such as a lack of sufficient editing and typical horror tropes that are almost painfully overused at this point – were largely absent, giving an almost fresh take.

The atmosphere of Rutmoor, of how utterly miserable and arduous the travel became, it created vivid imagery in my head, and induced a very strong aversion to hiking. I can now say it’s not something I want to do ever, in my lifetime. Honestly, the dynamic of the hiking group was a highlight; it had that pinch of realism to it. Each individual offered something unique with their personality, and like any real life circle, they all differed and even clashed together. Sometimes it was ugly, other times sweet, but most of all, their friendships were authentic. My favourite had to be Tom; undoubtedly the most sensible of the lot, followed by Matt and James. Even despite the young age of each, I was still able to relate. Yes, there was some immaturity – pretty much what you’d expect from teens, but it wasn’t to the extreme.

The format of the plot struck me as quite different, in that rather than waiting until the end to reveal the big twist, it was just after fifty percent that it came into play. I can’t say it was unexpected – in fact, I had my suspicions much earlier, but I adored it regardless. You see, I much prefer when the direction of the story changes so drastically from my initial assumptions. If it’s done well, like it so wonderfully was in this case, then I feel like I’m kept on my toes, like I don’t have time to even look away. The question of survival played a significant part, as due to the parallel running chapters of present day (2015 to be precise), those that endured the horrors of the moor were made known, thus it was not the matter of who’s going to survive, but how do they survive.

The only thing that I found quite awkward, was the continual switch of past / present tense in the style of writing, however I understand it was used as a tool – to obviously convey the period of time, and perhaps even to alleviate confusion. Nevertheless, it was a bit of a challenge to get used to it.

In conclusion: I considered it a great story, and to be completely truthful, it soared above my expectations. With a slow beginning of character and atmosphere building, the story exploded into a creepfest that kept my attention. My applause goes to Haysom, and his impressive debut novel.

Notable Scene:

The rabbit’s body was a mangled pulp of flesh, bone and hair. Its eyeless, earless face stared up at him from the grass. Patches of drying blood lay on the grass around it.
From somewhere behind Gary, a tree branch snapped.

© Red Lace 2018

The Moor is a fast and creepy read set mostly on a weather beaten Moor where mysterious disappearances abound, a bit like a British Bermuda triangle. We follow a group of boys on a camping trip that goes horribly awry, then years later one of the surviving members returns to finally lay his ghosts to rest.

The writing is tense and atmospheric, Sam Haysom does a brilliant job of bringing the moor to vivid haunting life. The tale is dark and scary, the characters matching the setting leaving the reader with an off kilter feeling of menace.

This is a grim mythological piece of storytelling that will pull you into it’s dark heart. The kind that plays on your mind in the early hours. Sleep with the lights on!

Recommended.

THE MOOR had such great potential beginning and alternating with newspaper clippings of young teen disappearances from a national park with a dark history, but unfortunately fell flat and short of my expectations.

The evil presence was easy to depict early on in this teen field trip....really would have liked more on ITS history, and segments of the storyline were just too similar to others of its kind.

Great setting though, and this short easy read did keep me interesting enough to find out how it all played out, but a bit too hokey and not much scary here for this horror lover.

2.5 Stars with a round-up to 3.0 for the unexpected _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Unbound for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Like many areas of life in the past few decades - ever since the birth of the internet and then, later, social media - publishing has been going through a tumultuous period. Long established business models have been thrown into flux. Are traditional publishers fit for purpose? What about literary agents? Certainly some, like the ever impressive author Mark Dawson, have turned their backs on the lot and carved out lucrative careers in self-publishing.

A problem with self-publishing however is how does one separate the wheat from the chaff? When anyone can publish a novel, how does one know whether it’s any good and professionally edited, or just thrown out there? How can one separate the budding Mark Dawsons from those who just aren’t any good?

An alternative model to both traditional publishing and the pitfalls of self-publishing might be crowdfunding and that’s where an intriguing new service called Unbound comes into play. Basically, authors pitch their novel to Unbound. If Unbound think they have merit, they then put them up on their site for readers to crowdfund. The money raised goes to the cost of professionally producing the books - editing, proofreading, cover design, etc - and as with any crowdfunding campaign, those funding the novel get various rewards, such as a special first edition.

Intrigued by this idea, I found one of their titles - The Moor by Sam Haysom - on Netgalley, the review service I use and decided to give it a read. Was it any good?Had Unbound done its job and found a gem?

Well yes, they have.

The Moor follows a group of boys - Gary, James, Tom, Matt, and newcomer to their school Tim - on a camping trip in Rutmoor National Park with Tim’s dad, Mr Stevens. Rutmoor has a bit of a reputation, people having gone missing and died in mysterious circumstances. Mr Stevens is a charming man and the other parents love him, he’s also a skilled hill walker, hence them readily agreeing to entrust their children in his care. Sat around the campfire one night, the conversation of the Moor’s reputation comes up and Mr Stevens tells them all a gruesome ghost story which sets them all on edge. As the trip continues unpleasant things being to occur.

The novel is told from various characters point of view, it also switches between the time of the trip, when the boys were aged 13, and the present, where the surviving boys are adults. As the novel progresses, we gradually learn which of the characters survived their outing to the more, what happened and why.

Sam Haysom tells his story with aplomb. The characters are well rounded and this is a spooky and creep tale which will have readers turning the pages quickly, wanting to know what happens. This is a really good debut horror and it’s no surprise to me that none other than Owen King, Stephen King’s son and a horror writer in his own rite, has recommended The Moor.

In fact, so impressed was I by The Moor, that on the strength of this novel I’ve got involved with Unbound and pledged money to one of their titles in development. If they can find author’s like Sam then they might well be a worthy addition to the publishing landscape.

So, I'll start by saying that the back and forth timeline here kind of bugged me at first. It wasn't seamless for me. However, once I got used to that, I was all in.

The book has shades of Stephen King. It's very atmospheric and it's got a kind of a slow build. It doesn't truly feel like horror...until it does.

Once the author lets us in on what's really going on in those woods, it's hard and fast horror - and I didn't want to look away from the page.

And as for the ending? What a terrific surprise that was!

I'll happily read the author again!

A tense and atmospheric novel, with skilful handling of multiple perspectives and a genuinely unexpected twist.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise sounded hones, but I just didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. The folklore part just seemed to be thrown in there without any reason, except that it was a campfire story. Usually with folklore, it ends up being something close to the story to make it appear cohesive. The bad guy in this one just came out of left field. And no really backstory on who he was or what made him like that.

I think the story would be really great if it were fluffed out some more. It needed more detail.