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

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

I really enjoyed reading The Tall Man i found it very different to books i have read before but in a good way i felt like i was reading a documentary like something from the Blair witch or slender man. The story centers on Sadie Banner and her family and flips through different timelines...... this can get a bit confusing at times but you soon become used to the books layout. Each page i found myself wanting to know more about the tall man and who he was and the mystery surrounding him ..... in the end i was left a little disappointed in the conclusion but the story had enough twists and turns to keep me hooked and i did enjoy the ending. Would I recommend this book .... yes i think most people will enjoy it but its very different to other psychological thrillers that are around ... but overall i read this book in a week

Billed as a psychological thriller, I was expecting great things from The Tall Man. Sadly this book left me disappointed. It jumps around through time which at points can get confusing and I just found the whole plot line lacked pace. I couldn’t gel with any characters and although I did finish the book I found it left me flat. Sorry but this one wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Headline and the author for the chance to review.

The more I read the more I wanted answers to whom the Tall Man is and what the outcome would be.
I felt the identities of the stalker and employer were a bit obvious but, as Locke states, this isn't meant to be a story of 'tabloid gore and shock' .

Wow I really enjoyed this novel - and I don't scare easily! I was very intrigued by the plot - which I think takes its idea from the Slender Man urban legend that was all over social media a few years ago. Told in several timelines, the story revolves around Sadie - and her past - her husband Miles and their daughter who after being acquitted of murder (of whom we're not told for some time) is the subject of a fly on the wall documentary. The novel has several narrators - Greta (the documentary maker), Sadie, Miles and Leanna (later on).

Through out each strand, the Tall Man lurks in the shadows, stepping forward depending on the narrator. The pacing is quite slow and at times a little repetitive, but because each narrator only takes up a small section each time, you want to keep reading and turning those pages. Why was Sadie so scared when she had Amber, why did she disappear for 16 years, what did she do as a child? Who was Amber acquitted of murdering and why?
Without revealing too much, I absolutely did not guess any of the twists in this book as the author masterfully withholds one crucial piece of information that lead to me literally saying "OH MY GOD" out loud in my kitchen! This is a deftly written, taut thriller - definitely recommend!

Thanks to Wildfire and Netgalley for this eARC

I was very much looking forward to reading The Tall Man given all I had been hearing about it, particularly on social media. The story revolves around Sadie, Miles and their daughter, Amber, set in multiple timelines during Sadie's childhood, the early part of Sadie and Miles' relationship, the subsequent return of Sadie to the family home, and finally the filming of Amber for a documentary following her acquittal of murder. Throughout each of these timelines, the Tall Man is an omnipresent figure . The Tall Man, while fictitious, belongs to that band of "urban legends" that we all heard about growing up for all things that go bump in the night and easily scare young children.

This is a complex and slow building psychological thriller revealing itself mostly over the last 20% or so of the book. The story unweaves very slowly and steadily. The adult characters are not particularly likeable, especially so Amber, who comes across as quite manipulative and calculatingly cold. I really liked the "italics" story, being the back story of a pre teen Sadie, her friends and the Tall Man. I felt more connection to this part of the story and empathized with the children, their fears, reluctance, the peer pressure, etc..

The Tall Man is a quick enough read and I enjoyed it for the most part. My only criticism is that it wasn't as creepy as it could have been and if the storyline had moved a bit quicker, I would have read it in a day!

Many thanks to Headline/Wildfire, NetGalley and Ms Locke for an advance copy of the book.