I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from The Tall Man. I wasn't sure whether this was one of those books that might give me nightmares, but thankfully it didn't do that. The legend of The Tall Man is scary in itself, but the story overall is more one of dynamics between family and friends, and the spectre of The Tall Man and the effects of having it hanging over you.

There are three strands to the story, two of which are more prominent than the third. There is Sadie and Miles in 2000, a baby on the way but with a shadow looming over them. Sadie leaves her husband and daughter rather than lead them into danger. Then there's 2018, when a film crew is following a teenage girl, Amber, who has been charged with murder. The other strand is earlier, from 1990, and focuses much more on The Tall Man.

The legend is one of sacrifice and it definitely has a creepy feel to it. But I felt it was almost secondary to the main story which is one of dealing with the repercussions of getting sucked into believing in the legend.

I was gripped by this book from start to finish. It jumps around between the different strands and because of this the story unfolds gradually. I thought it was obvious what had happened only for me to be proved wrong. The author does a good job at the slow reveal and I really had no clue what was going to happen until it actually did.

The author also tells us of The Tall Man without leading us into ideas of whether it's real or not. Is it an urban myth? Yet, can it be so when so many people have experienced it? Who knows, but throughout the book I thought it could quite possibly have been plausible but also quite possibly just a story that people have bought into. After all, the dark corners of our minds can make us quite susceptible and can lead us into even darker places.

I really didn't take to Amber. I'm not sure I was supposed to. She was portrayed as manipulative and sneaky. I enjoyed the sections where Sadie featured best of all, possibly, as I said before, because of the family/friend dynamics surrounding her storyline. I also liked Greta, who is one of the people working on the film. She's possibly the nicest character in the whole book.

I thought The Tall Man was an accomplished thriller, a clever and sinister read. You'll like it if you enjoy books with a hint of the supernatural and stories about legends.

Immediately the sinister tone is set as the documentary team ponder over their latest project: coverage of the eighteen year old girl who has just walked free from a murder trial. Immediately I thought of the trend for real life crime docudrama and my interest was piqued! Urban legends, children being snatched by a strange man this had all the hallmarks of a sinister and terrifying tale!

At first the multiple timelines were a little confusing but once I got my head around them they worked well and served to relate the tale of what led to 18-year-old Amber facing trial for murder. The plot was not fast paced and some might find the pace a little frustrating if they are looking for something a little more #WhamBam! Lots of descriptive narrative gave it atmosphere and authenticity but I felt at times that some of it could have been cut out. It was an unsettling read rather than a terrifying one. As I read, I was left feeling a little uneasy and almost watching over my shoulder waiting for the bogey man to jump out at me!

The characters were not what I'd call "likeable" however they were compelling. There were a whole host of them but the three that stood out for me were: Greta: one of the film crew charged with trying to get Amber to open up about what really happened. She was the character that was easiest to like if you will; she had a strong moral compass and I could almost sense her discomfort at the part she was being forced to play; Sadie was Amber's mother and I just could not make my mind up about her at all,  was she mentally unstable or was The Tall Man of her nightmares real?  She definitely was a character who caused much conflict for me! Amber, wow what a character, totally up to date self and social media obsessed, the author created a monster that fans of real life TV will love! The whole contrast of what we see on the surface and what lies beneath. But is she as selfish and manipulative as others make out?

"The Tall Man" is a promising debut from the author,  it is a slow burner but one with a cracking twist to it.Lies, secrets, manipulation and urban legends all grotesquely packaged into 368 pages of  suspenseful drama. Perfect for fans of true life documentaries, The Tall Man is not fast paced or gory but rather like the soft spidery fingers of the past trailing their way down your spine leaving goosebumps on your skin this is one compulsively creepy read!

The Tall Man is a fabulous book! As a big fan of paranormal thrillers did I love how the legend of the Tall Man made the basis for this book. How all three storylines in different ways had to deal with the Tall Man. But, the Tall Man is just a legend isn't he? Something to scare the little children with, he can't be real, can he?

Now, I don't say that this is a paranormal thriller, nor do I say that it isn't. It's all how the reader will perceive the story. And, in that lies the greatness of the book. It's all about how you interpret the story. I would say that perhaps there is a thing like the Tall Man, or perhaps not. Some parts really make one believe that while you still rationally try to explain it all.

What I love about the book is that the truth about what happened in the present story in the 2018s took is time to be revealed. Deliciously slowly one could say, just the way I like it and then BAM the truth is out, and its connection to the past. The last couple of chapters are so good. And, yes I'm being very vague, but honestly, this is a book that you should read with so little beforehand knowledge as possible. That's actually my attitude towards all thrillers. Much more fun to know as little as possible. So, I will say this, the writing is terrific, the story is great and I can't wait to read Phoebe Locke's next book! Also, you must definitely the book if you are a (paranormal) thriller fan!

I was interested in reading this book as soon as I heard about it. I watched a documentary on Slenderman a while ago, a sort of bogeyman created online that young people seem to know all about but who I had literally never heard of. Slenderman became a huge part of an actual real life criminal case and The Tall Man takes it’s inspiration from the phenomenon. I found the whole Slenderman thing seriously creepy so I was already pretty freaked out before I started reading The Tall Man and my nerves became more and more frayed as I read further. I finished this book in 24 hours, I couldn’t stop reading as I had to find out what happened.
The story is told from a few points of view and jumps around a fair bit in the timeline. At first it is slightly confusing but very quickly it becomes much easier to follow the different strands of this tale as the reader begins to differentiate between the character’s voices. We follow Sadie, who has been haunted by the Tall Man since childhood, her daughter Amber who has just been acquitted of a murder that initially the reader knows very little about and Greta, who is part of a documentary crew making a film about Amber. I liked that we had Greta’s story in the mix as I think if it had just been Sadie and Amber telling the story it may have been hard to gain perspective about what had happened. The fact that the media is so obsessed with Amber, the teenage murderess, in this story rings really true. Society in general does have an almost ghoulish obsession with people who have committed horrifying acts – they are treated like celebrities, rather than criminals at times. Following the documentary being made showed how cynical the press is but it is impossible to argue that it is not what the public wants.
Following Greta kept the plot grounded in reality because reading about Sadie’s life felt much less real and explainable. I found Sadie’s sections of the story genuinely scary. I do scare easy, and there were so many really eerie moments that had me literally jumping at shadows. It was quite horror movie like at times and I just did not know what was real and what was a creation of Sadie’s mind. She comes across as vulnerable for most of the book and although I didn’t warm to her character very much I did feel empathy for her at times. The other main plot thread is following Amber both before and after she has committed her crime. The reader doesn’t know for most of the book the exact circumstances of Amber’s crime and this mystery really kept the intrigue and suspense levels high for pretty much the whole novel. Amber is a fascinating character to follow. There is something cold and sinister about her and she also seems to be skilled at manipulation which made me, as a reader, question her motives the whole way through.
As we move through the story we learn more and more about what has actually taken place but things also become more complex and layered at the same time. Locke’s writing draws you in and then pulls the rug from under you. As the story built to it’s crescendo I was holding my breath at the intensity. I found the ending as unsettling and sinister as the rest of the book which is impressive as I feel often thrillers taper off a bit after the plot has come to it’s climax. The Tall Man did not ease off at all and remained a thoroughly haunting read until the very last page.
The Tall Man is probably my favourite thriller of the year so far. I tore through the pages, eager to find out more and whilst the inspiration is taken from Slenderman, this is still a totally original and cleverly written story which will leave the reader completely on edge. I would highly recommend The Tall Man and I will definitely be eagerly anticipating Phoebe Locke’s next book!

3.5 Stars

The description of this book on Netgalley really had me requesting it right away. It was so intriguing and I was so excited to read it.

It started great and even at early pages, I have the idea on how the characters and the events will relate to each other in the end. And Thank God I did because it would've been very confusing as the story jumped from time to time. 3 timelines in all. And I enjoyed it. I actually found the writing style genius.

I really liked the concept of The Tall Man, like the description, it was all so intriguing and I had no choice but to keep reading. For me, this one is a great mystery novel. Even the characters are amazing. I don't think I have a complain about any of them.

So why the I rated it only 3.5? As I said it was all mystery, when the mystery unfolds, it was a little underwhelming. Seriously the build-up of suspense was incredible but in the end, I felt like, everything build up for something less. It's not really disappointing, it's just fine but it didn't reach my expectation.

Will I recommend this? Of course. I enjoyed reading The Tall Man and I'm looking forward to more from this author.

This novel is written in a way that is incredibly suspenseful but also I found it very confusing.

Confusing because it’s written over three timelines, which fluctuate not only over the chapters but in chapters. And I often found myself confused who was who and which year I was reading. If you read this book my advice would be to write in a scrap of paper who is who and what year they relate to. I often found myself thinking and trying to work out what I was reading and when rather than focusing on the novel. This detracted from my enjoyment.

Having said that I am glad I have read the novel and finished it. The end is darn good! And slots all the confusion of reading into place. I think the novel is written in this way to increase the suspense and it does but I just seemed to end up confused what I was reading.

Please make your own judgement on this novel, and if you do read write down who is who so you focus on the novel.

Thank you so much for the arc.

The book description doesn't say much but it does create the mood going into this book. A senseless murder, a terrifying legend, and a family haunted. What's not to like. This book beings in 1990 with three girls devoting themselves to The Tall Man. They believe he can make them special. It's creepy and chilling and you don't get much more than that. Jump forward and we are introduced to Sadie and Miles. Sadie is pregnant and believes she's cursed. When she gives birth to Amber, she leaves her believing that it's the only way to protect her.

The story jumps forward then and we meet Amber, 18, who is being filmed for a documentary. Here we meet Greta and a couple of other characters as well. From this point, the story dips between 2018 and 2016. In 2016, Sadie returns believing that it is safe to do so. Amber is almost 16 and family life resumes with Miles overjoyed that his wife has returned.

The story is certainly creepy and as a reader, you are gearing yourself up to find out who this mysterious Tall Man is and what is going to come out of the shadows at Sadie. You want to know the truth about the Tall Man, what he does to people and why the line, 'he takes daughters' is repeated so often. It was definitely a page-turner and I wanted to know why and who Amber murdered, which we don't get until the end. It's certainly filled with dark tension and I often wondered if Amber was a good actress or truly disturbed and haunted.

If you are looking for a psychological and creepy book to read this summer, then The Tall Man is a must. It's packed with suspense and even when you finish that last page, you'll be watching the shadows.

The Tall Man takes daughters. He will make you special if you ask him. This is all you need to know about this children's monster story to know that this guy is creepy as hell. There are a lot of urban myths about him. But is the Tall Man real, or just a campfire tale used to scare little girls?

This book is told over a few different timelines. At first it is unclear what is happening, and all the timelines individually are slightly confusing and don't make much sense. However, they are intriguing and slowly come together by the end of the book to make a full picture of what happened. And you really do have to wait until the very end to find out, which I loved because I was guessing the whole time.

There is such a dark and creepy feel to this all the way through and I loved it. The shadows are lurking everywhere - even when they are not mentioned, you know they are still in the corners. All the characters, particularly Sadie and Amber, are weird and distant. You know they are hiding things from each other, and from you. They are guarded at all times and it creates so much tension I didn't want to take my eye off anyone for a second.

This is a mystery, a crime thriller and a ghost story all rolled into one. Fantastic writing; a very recommendable book. Yes, I know this review is a little bit vague, but I don't want to ruin it for you. Just read the damn book.

The Tall Man was a strange book for me as it should have worked really, really well and been right up my street but unfortunately it fell short.
The story is based around the Banner family, Sadie who is a young mum to Amber and totally believes she is being followed and haunted by the tall man and that his purpose is to harm her daughter so she does what she believes is the right thing. This is a thriller that is very creepy and will make you a little wary of the dark as you read this and because I love a good thriller I thought this was going to be great but unfortunately at around a third in I did begin to loose interest not because of the storyline or pace but for the single fact it left me very, very confused at times as there are so many different years this book constantly jumps to and from and I had to flip back to the start of the chapter several times to double check I was in the year I thought I was.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline, Wildfire for this ARC I received I exchange for an honest review.

This is a strange book as I expected it to be really creepy - but it wasn’t.
I thought there would be lots of instances where The Tall Man terrifies people but this didn’t really happen.
We are told the story from different perspectives and during different time periods, and it’s often a bit confusing whether it’s fact or fiction that’s being described.
The main story is about Amber who has been found not guilty of murder but you don’t know who she was accused of murdering until the end of the book.
Ambers mum ran away when she was a few days old as she thought she’d been cursed by The Tall Man so she disappears until Amber is 16, and then walks back into their lives.
This didn’t really have me hooked but it’s still a fairly good read.
Thanks to Sphere and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This story starts off sinister and creepy, and this urban myth should have held me spellbound, but it didn't. There are numerous sub-plots most of which feed the main storyline. The story's pacing is in the main fast, but there are areas mired in detail that make it drag.

The plot's supernatural element alluded to in the blurb and title fades into the background, amidst the making of the documentary and Amber's relationship with her parents. Well executed plot's twists in an ethos that is undeniably chilling and sinister make the facts of the story when revealed genuinely horrific but the connection to 'the tall man' seems tenuous.

A good thriller with authentic characters, vivid setting and carefully built suspense, it just needs the supernatural element to be more prominent to be great.

I received a copy of this book from Headline - Wildfire via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Sadly I didn't enjoy this book at all. Sometimes crossing genres works well but, for me,, it didn't work well at all here. Was it horror/ psychological thriller/ rant about documentary makers? The author seemed to take an urban myth - similar to ones that many of us grew up with - and then go nowhere with unbelievable characters. I realise I'm in a minority however and would be happy to read more of her books in the future.

Interesting storyline with an unexpected twist. Enjoyed the suspense and build up throughout. Spent a large proportion of the book attempting to work out who had been killed

On paper (or Kindle) The Tall Man is just my kind of book.

This is psychological suspense with shades of the occult and paranormal. A thrilling crime mystery, lots of secrets, and haunting glimpses of a dark shadowy figure with a giggly, ghostly child-partner.

The plot unfolds in three different timeframes: flashbacks to 1990-2000, showing Sadie’s childhood forays in search of the titular Tall Man and her later teen marriage and pregnancy; a present-day 2018 following the rise to fame of Amber, 18 and charged with murder; and flashbacks to 2016 that slowly work to tie the two stories together.

There are twists and shocks along the way that I just did not predict, and the climactic finale left me reeling, as the pieces all finally dropped into place to reveal the ‘true’ picture.

The author cleverly weaves ambiguity into the paranormal aspects and you could read this as a story of criminal mental illness or occult horror, or both, depending on your preference. More than these though, the author also delivers an in-depth delve into dysfunctional relationships, covering familial, romantic, platonic and collegial with equal facility. There were times when I forgot that I was reading a crime novel and then got suddenly Woman-in-Black’d by an icy breath and a special whisper!

My only criticism here is that with so many characters damaged or defensive, I felt they resisted my empathy and therefore I felt emotionally detached from the story as it unfolded. I was fascinated and desperately wanted to understand what was happening / had happened, but I wasn’t invested in the outcomes for the characters and therefore held back from going all-in whilst reading.

I would definitely recommend this book to readers of psychological crime and psychological horror too. Maybe in daytime, or with the light on. You know, so he doesn’t find you…




It was the way she had looked, he realised. She had been afraid, he had seen the – yes, OK – terror pass across her face. The nakedness of it was perhaps what had frightened him so deeply, and yet it was more than that; it was something else that he had seen there too. It came to him as the band began their second song and he saw Sadie glance again at the trees: recognition. Familiarity. Sadie had been terrified, yes, but it was not as new to her as it was to Miles.

– Phoebe Locke, The Tall Man

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

The Tall man is a very creepy book but I did find it quite confusing jumping the different time lines unexpectedly .The story is about the Banner family and Sadie is haunted by the Tall man since a child and believes he will harm her daughter Amber .A film crew are following Amber around making a documentary about her after her acquittal in a murder trial ! This is not the usual thriller but it is well worth a read .
Many thanks to the Publishers ,The Author and Net Galley for my review copy .

Plot: Taking place over 3 times, The Tall Man tells of a haunting urban legend come to life and the resulting murder and aftermath. In 1990, 3 girls devote themselves to a sinister figure in the woods; in 1998, a young mother leaves behind her child, believing her cursed; in 2018, a girl has been charged for murder. The three stories tie together through the urban legends in more ways than you’d imagine.

My thoughts: And somehow, The Tall Man is yet another book from May that had similarities to others I read – it was really weird how this happened!! I can’t really go into too much detail without giving some of the game away, but it was very strange.
The legend of the Tall Man made for a good backdrop for this book – it was creepy and disturbing, a true urban legend that had reached into real life and taken its victims. The plot that entwines the 3 storylines is clever and twisting, with some surprises along the way. I liked the characters, particularly Amber, the girl in 2018 charged from murder, who was a particularly strange one to figure out – she seemed tough and vulnerable all at the same time, and upon finishing the book, it’s clear why.
There were some aspects where the plot seemed to get a bit rambly for my liking, meaning it took me longer to finish than I’d anticipated – I seemed to put it down and pick it back up a lot so I can’t have been all that gripped in the midsections. Nevertheless, it still made for a good thrilling read.

"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.