Have read this author before so was interested in reading his latest. Very slow going though. The language of the book was heading towards the US and that winds me up. A good premise (although one that has been done before ) and didn't quite come off. Didn't really connect with "Hannibobs" or any other "bobs". The area in the book I do know very well and while I appreciate authors not wanting to specify actual places I would much prefer it if they made the place up completely. If the place is real then it should stay real with actual place names and be geographically accurate.
A bit of a miss but will give this author another go

3.5

The Stanhope is an isolated unique hotel located on Dawzey Island off the Essex coast. Hannah works at the hotel but she is tormented, trapped by guilt and fear especially of the Blackwater River which flows around Dawzey. Following an incident earlier that summer Hannah has developed a phobia, a genuine terror of the water and as the novel unfolds it’s clear that Hannah needs to fear more than the water. The story is told by Hannah in the present day and her sister Kat in the past which pieces together the riddle, the puzzle and the enigma of the events of last summer.

The novel starts well with the use of short sharp staccato sentences to convey the emotions especially of Hannah. The premise is good and Hannah‘s phobia does feel real though it’s hard to connect to Hannah herself. There is a strong supernatural element surrounding the drowning hour which adds a chilling atmosphere, it’s certainly creepy and ghostly in places reinforced via tarot cards which I especially like. This is a very intriguing conundrum which bubbles to the surface well.

The isolation of being cut off from the mainland adds to the feeling of claustrophobia which also flows through via the hotel itself. There are also some good images which further add to the sensations and there are some suspenseful moments.

However, the book does prevaricate and drifts a bit like the surrounding waters as we are given a lot of background and description of guests which slows the pace. Some of the dialogue is a bit silly though I get that it’s sister language but it’s also rather toe curling. The solution when it comes has a more earthly feel than I am expecting and it does seem to arrive and depart somewhat abruptly.

Overall, this is a mixed read with some strong and enjoyable supernatural moments but the buildup may be too slow for some readers.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins/Harper Fiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This is the fifth novel I have read by author Sean Thomas and have always found his books a little hit or miss for me personally. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this one as much as ‘The Ice Twins’ and personally found this one interesting but not exciting. The tagline with the book states ‘unputdownable’ but I found it very easy.

Hannah is trapped on a small island where she works for an hotel covering the PR side. has been ‘trapped’ on a small island where she works in PR for an exclusive hotel. She still feels a sense of guilt from the tragic drowning that occurred on the hotels big opening and still holds a fear of going in the water. The only way off the island is to cross the water so her phobia means she is trapped.

The book failed to capture my imagination and by the end of it I had little interest in how it was going to finish. Disappointing but I know from previous books by this author is capable of a lot more.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been waiting in anticipation for this authors new book and it didn’t disappoint.
Hannah has been ‘trapped’ on a small island where she works in PR for an exclusive hotel. Racked with guilt over a tragic drowning that happened on the hotels grand opening, she now has a phobia with the black water surrounding the island. With a water taxi the only way off, she relies on therapist’s to over come her fear. But is time running out?
Events of the fatal night are gradually revealed and I did really have to suspend belief that there was no way Hannah could leave the island. I did find the first half of the novel travelled a bit slowly for me but the second half more than made up for it as I devoured it in one afternoon.
It had a very menacing feel, slightly gothic and supernatural but it all worked well for me. I thought I had the gist worked out at about 75% but I was completely wrong!
I don’t really want to say more as I feel the book worked so well for me as I had no idea of the general storyline.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

An ok book which was a bit of a slow burner for me. Have read the author’s previous books & enjoyed them. Thanks for the opportunity to read & review this book.

An intriguing take on the locked room mystery - this time it's an island - and a deliciously creepy atmosphere I settled in to read this book with high hopes.

Hannah initially makes for a wonderful unreliable narrator; her memories of the night of the tragedy are tangled up in the confusion of grief and PTSD, and there is mention that she knows more than she is letting on about what happened that night. This seems to be forgotten as the book progresses.

Hannah's sister Kat is central to the book but she lacks any depth to define her, (beautiful, tarot reading, spoiled brat?) so when we learn of her experience on the night of the party there doesn't really seem to be a reason for it.

Tangled up in the story of the tragedy is a distracting sub-plot that involves Hannah's Mum and the previous owners of the Stanhope, and another sub-plot that involves a very dark income stream at the hotel. I didn't feel that any of this really came together in a satisfactory way.

I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

An incredibly atmospheric thriller, that kept me guessing all the way through. The island is described so beautifully but also so sinisterly, and I could imagine being Hannah, being trapped on the island. I loved the way the mystery unravelled, with the chapters with Kat in the past. It felt like a spooky, terrifying treasure hunt of a story. I felt like I wanted a little more information from the reveal, more about what had happened, what the outcome was. It kept me completely gripped though.

A slow buring suspense that was well written with a compelling sotyrline and well developed charcaters and an interesting setting and issues that made this for a original read in many ways. I thought that there was a chilling and creepy atmosphere to this book but I think it would have worked better with a faster pace in the story, but that is just my opinion and I am sure this will work for a lot of other readers.

Atmospheric Suspense…
A beautiful island hotel, The Stanhope, sits surrounded by the Blackwater Estuary. A grand reopening and Hannah, the organiser, watched with pride and more than a sense of trepidation - the treacherous tides are renowned. As Hannah sits out the winter on the island, her trepidation has been replaced by an abject terror and a firm phobia. Does anyone know what really happened in The Drowning Hour? Is Hannah safe? A slight departure from the norm for this author in this suspense with deftly drawn cast of characters and which succeeds in being both atmospheric and chilling.

I was curious to read this having enjoyed two books by SK Tremayne (The Ice Twins and Just Before I Died) much more than his other two.

Two sisters, Hannah and Kat. Hannah has a severe phobia of crossing water which is a real problem as she lives and works at a luxury hotel, on an island. Kat is an outgoing party girl with a new, rich boyfriend seemingly every other week.

SK Tremayne in good at writing creepy atmospheres, and once again this book creates a creepy atmosphere. The character writing is good for Kat and Hannah. I was less involved with the plot. We learn that Hannah's phobia was triggered by a past traumatic event, which is eventually revealed.

I've read quite a few books set on islands recently, with characters trapped by the tides or the weather but found the phobia premise quite original, if not fully convincing. Having read some other deeper psychological thrillers which really get into psychological conditions I found Hannah's phobia a little bit of a gimmick to create an original premise.

Overall, sorry, to say I found it slow and a bit of a struggle.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK

This book was very dull and I honestly felt like giving up on it on numerous occasions. However, I persevered and was left awfully disappointed. I have read previous books by this author and had higher expectations.

This has quite an intriguing premise and it did carry me quite far into the book to see what happened. The last few chapters did disappoint, however, when the horrible truth about the drowning was revealed. The setting was quite atmospheric but I did not feel engaged with the main character.

#TheDrowningHour #NetGalley
A good suspense read.
Surrounded by the Blackwater estuary, The Stanhope hotel sits on a beautiful remote island. Tonight is the grand reopening, and organiser Hannah watches the guests with pride. But as drinking descends into debauchery, drunken revellers wade into the water, unaware of the treacherous tide at The Drowning Hour.
They are never seen again. Tormented by a terror of water, Hannah is stuck on the island over winter. Whispers about That Night begin to circle.
Someone knows what really happened in The Drowning Hour and Hannah isn’t safe…
I loved her The Assistant but was a little bit disappointed when this story turned out to be like a ghost story. Although I loved it and definitely recommend everyone.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advance copy.

This was a DNF for me at 70%.

To get that far into the book, there were obviously some things that kept me going, but I put it down due to lack of interest so many times.
It just didn't hold my attention for long, so I gave up.