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norahs_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
S.K. Tremayne did it again. I really enjoyed the assistant which was my first book by them and I really liked that one.
I was scared Just before I died wasn’t going to be as good as that one but I was surprised.
This book starts out, not too slow but not too fast either. Tremayne does a fantastic job at giving you this eerie feeling of the surroundings and vibe of the book. It’s really thrilling and you are immediately transported to where the characters are.
Once I picked this book up I could not put it down. I read seventy pages yesterday and today I finished the last 300 pages in one sitting. It’s that good.
After the first kind of plot twist the story started to slow down for me a bit. I sometimes lost a bit of focus but after a bit it picked up and I got so infested. Especially with the ending. Often with books, especially mysteries and thrillers I find the ending unsatisfying. With this one I didn’t have that. I really liked the last part of the book. It was the perfect amount of eerie, creepy and weird.
Overall if you are looking for a good thriller I would definitely recommend this one and the other books S.K. Tremayne has written.
luciearan's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, tak tohle bylo úžasné čtení.
Dokonalá atmosféra Darkmoorských blat, perfektně propracované postavy, které vás chytí za srdce a strhující příběh. Kéž by se mi takový kniha do rukou dostala častěji. Vřele doporučuji.
Dokonalá atmosféra Darkmoorských blat, perfektně propracované postavy, které vás chytí za srdce a strhující příběh. Kéž by se mi takový kniha do rukou dostala častěji. Vřele doporučuji.
indiamelly's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
emohring's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
kookaburramoose's review against another edition
2.0
I actually quite enjoyed this book; the story was quite intriguing and many of the characters were interesting and well written. However I’m now sitting here with a queasy feeling - almost like I’ve been fondled by a stranger on the street; you know that infuriating, terrifying and humiliating feeling? And why do I feel this way? Well, for starters I’m a bit sick of the “female who is [insert something about hysteria, post partum, depression, amnesia] and must therefor be an unreliable narrator - since she’s a woman” narrative.
But what really really grates me about this is the way men treat their wives - and the woman’s inner monologue about how her husband is right to want to punch her through a wall; she did after all seemingly attempt to commit suicide - which of course means she’s in a mental state where it’s ok to threaten, belittle and psychologically abuse her - that’ll surely teach her, right? I’m actually getting MORE angry while writing this.
It’s ok to depict abusive relationships in books of course, I even think it can be good in some instances because it can help others get out of similar situations by realising WHAT abuse can entail. The depiction in this book however made it seem like it was no problem that Adam was a broody, angry, spoiled shit with every right in the world to hate his wife an calling her slurs since she did the unforgivable and supposedly attempted to end her own life. Which, by the way, she kind of didn’t.
What actually happened doesn’t even really matter if you ask me, because a person who supposedly reaches a point where they attempt to end their own life doesn’t need hate or contempt or cruelty thrown at them at all.
Also, the fact that Adam was seriously so angry about Kath potentially cheating on him, as though that was the most awful thing that had happened to him ever (remember the part where his wife drove of a cliff?); even though he himself had an affair during their relationship. With Kath’s mum. That’s ok of course because he is a broody, handsome Heathcliff type who lives on the moor and is brooding killing sheep because he is a toxic shit. So it’s ok that he cheats, duh. His wife however? How dare she!! And when it turned out she was actually sexually assaulted this was all just brushed under the rug of course.
I was ANGRY when I finished the book and Kath was babbling on about how she and Adam would be together forever; I was thinking the only logical way to end the book would be for them to split, not least because he was being an abusive shit to her. Don’t even get me started on the brother who cheated on his wife. I was thrilled at how Tessa basically told him to F off; but at the end it became apparent that this would also be forgiven to some extent.
I loathe the idea that someone reads this and thinks this kind of interaction is in any way ok in any relationship; IT IS NOT.
Read for the surprisingly good story, and the surprisingly kind depiction of someone on the spectrum; avoid for the blatant abusive husband whose only comeuppance are some measly burn-scars, which no doubt make him even more Heathcliff brooding and handsome, and probably cover up the ugliness of his personality even better.
But what really really grates me about this is the way men treat their wives - and the woman’s inner monologue about how her husband is right to want to punch her through a wall; she did after all seemingly attempt to commit suicide - which of course means she’s in a mental state where it’s ok to threaten, belittle and psychologically abuse her - that’ll surely teach her, right? I’m actually getting MORE angry while writing this.
It’s ok to depict abusive relationships in books of course, I even think it can be good in some instances because it can help others get out of similar situations by realising WHAT abuse can entail. The depiction in this book however made it seem like it was no problem that Adam was a broody, angry, spoiled shit with every right in the world to hate his wife an calling her slurs since she did the unforgivable and supposedly attempted to end her own life. Which, by the way, she kind of didn’t.
What actually happened doesn’t even really matter if you ask me, because a person who supposedly reaches a point where they attempt to end their own life doesn’t need hate or contempt or cruelty thrown at them at all.
Also, the fact that Adam was seriously so angry about Kath potentially cheating on him, as though that was the most awful thing that had happened to him ever (remember the part where his wife drove of a cliff?); even though he himself had an affair during their relationship. With Kath’s mum. That’s ok of course because he is a broody, handsome Heathcliff type who lives on the moor and is brooding killing sheep because he is a toxic shit. So it’s ok that he cheats, duh. His wife however? How dare she!! And when it turned out she was actually sexually assaulted this was all just brushed under the rug of course.
I was ANGRY when I finished the book and Kath was babbling on about how she and Adam would be together forever; I was thinking the only logical way to end the book would be for them to split, not least because he was being an abusive shit to her. Don’t even get me started on the brother who cheated on his wife. I was thrilled at how Tessa basically told him to F off; but at the end it became apparent that this would also be forgiven to some extent.
I loathe the idea that someone reads this and thinks this kind of interaction is in any way ok in any relationship; IT IS NOT.
Read for the surprisingly good story, and the surprisingly kind depiction of someone on the spectrum; avoid for the blatant abusive husband whose only comeuppance are some measly burn-scars, which no doubt make him even more Heathcliff brooding and handsome, and probably cover up the ugliness of his personality even better.
lkhbbbb's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
nickmasters's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very enjoyable psychological thriller.
The pace at which the plot revealed itself really added to the suspense and couldn’t have been more perfect.
To complement the storyline we are also treated to some great descriptive writing on Dartmoor and its surroundings. The description of the moor and its beauty and antiquities really brings the place to life. I couldn’t help google a few of the descriptions just to see them for myself (and to mentally plan a trip for the future).
Thanks you NetGalley and HarperFiction for a review copy.
The pace at which the plot revealed itself really added to the suspense and couldn’t have been more perfect.
To complement the storyline we are also treated to some great descriptive writing on Dartmoor and its surroundings. The description of the moor and its beauty and antiquities really brings the place to life. I couldn’t help google a few of the descriptions just to see them for myself (and to mentally plan a trip for the future).
Thanks you NetGalley and HarperFiction for a review copy.
anawilson05's review
Gals at bookclub said there was too much animal cruelty for me to cope with
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
lisam0183_bookworm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Kath lives on Dartmoor with her husband, Adam and their daughter, Lyla. She has woken from a coma, as she drove her car into a large lake. Was it suicide or an accident? As memories start to come back, Kath begins to suspect everyone and feel really unsafe.
There was a lot of mystery to this and it was so easy to suspect everyone that was linked to Kath and for different reasons. It took a very dark turn towards the end, which I didn't see coming.
There was a lot of mystery to this and it was so easy to suspect everyone that was linked to Kath and for different reasons. It took a very dark turn towards the end, which I didn't see coming.