Jumping between the past and 2015, interspersed with newspaper clippings, this book by debut author Sam Haysom tells the spooky tale of people going missing and animals getting killed in and around Rutmoor National Park, England. The main plot, told from different points of view, revolves around five teenagers and one father going on a camping trip in 2002 during which some of the members disappear. In 2015, the remaining, now adult survivors meet again and return to Rutmoor for a special mission.

It’s not like we haven’t read similar stories before. A group of slightly clichéd boys on a trip together, their different characters causing tension. Gruesome tales told by the campfire. A misty, dark moor. The spooky tale turning into reality when something evil picks them off, one by one, with no help (and no cell phone reception) available. The question whether it’s a very human killer on the loose or a supernatural monster of some kind.

It’s all been there, and Haysom’s mix of tropes and fool-proof plot devices isn’t adding anything new to the horror genre. The dénouement – to the seasoned reader – is foreseeable, the identity of the killer not a real surprise. While Haysom adds a little too much background to some of the boys‘ characters, he lacks in explaining the killer’s origin enough. The boys themselves are a standard mix of the leader, the loser, the nerd, the clown and the sickly kid, some of them grating, others more likeable, none of them anything special.

And yet, „The Moor“ is an entertaining and quick read, perfect for a long flight or a short holiday. The time jumps, the cliff hangers and the question of who’s next stir up enough suspense to make „The Moor“ difficult to put down. It’s spooky, atmospheric and a little disgusting without being really scary. Enough for chilling entertainment, not enough to be the stuff of nightmares.

What is surprising, though, is the unexpected turn of events in the middle of the book and the switch in perspective that goes along with it. While it does take away some of the whodunit suspense, it adds a bit of dimension and complication to what otherwise would’ve been a straightforward, completely foreseeable read. And even if the ending doesn’t come out of the blue, Haysom’s choice of telling the story gives it a darker quality.

All in all, nothing spectacular and too mild for real horror, but entertaining enough to recommend as an easy, sinister read to gobble down within a day or two.

I'm sad that I wasn't able to read this book, because it was too much at the same time. I guess that his book was amazing and I would love to try and read it.
Now i will have to buy one!

I received a copy of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book left me with so many questions!!!! It was a bit creepy as hiking across and camping on a Moor should be. I enjoyed the story but I definitely wanted to know more about the characters back stories and why they are the way they are. I’m not sure that I’m entirely satisfied with the ending since I keep asking myself, well what happens now.

Overall it was interesting and very suspenseful. Good read for an outdoorsy person wanting a bit of a scare.

This book had great potential from the description, however the writing seemed to make the story fall flat. It just really didn't keep my attention.

3.5 stars

THE MOOR is the debut novel from Sam Haysom. Not having anything previous of his to become "familiar" with his style, I went into this one with no more than a look at the synopsis on NetGalley. The tale alternates mainly between two time frames, 2002, and the present. There are some short newspaper clippings referring to earlier years, but these are easily assimilated into main story.

"Small things that for some reason brought on strong memories . . . "

The crux of the story hinges upon a hiking/camping trip that five, 13 year old boys take with the newest boy to the area, Tim's, father. For the time we spend with Mr. Stevens and the boys on their trip to Rutmoor, in 2002, this could be considered a bit of a "coming-of-age" tale. Each of these young teens go through quite a bit of finding out exactly who they are, and where they stand in their circle of peers.

". . . but when you're 13 years old everything feels as though it's just about you . . . "

Haysom does a good job with showing us the introspection of at least some of the boys (we learn more about some of the characters than we do about others), as they come to realize their own inner strength, weaknesses, and honest feelings--whether they show them, or keep certain things to themselves. The point is that they learn and have to accept these inner truths.

". . . the idea of unzipping his tent flap and stepping out into the night suddenly felt like a very bad idea . . . "

The only real complaint I had with this novel is that it took about two-thirds of the book before we really start to get a glimmer of what the "main story" is going to be about. Even then, the hints and few glimpses of the far past and not-too-distant future, really don't help the reader to be able to imagine the situations properly much before the book is mostly finished.

". . . There was something about him, something in the condescending way he had of looking at people . . . "

The writing was fluid, and you know there's a mystery of some magnitude yet to come, but I think some of the action could have begun a bit earlier to get the reader's adrenaline flowing. I did enjoy learning about each boy's personality and their lives in general (the ones he went into the most detail with), but having something "concrete" happening sooner in the tale would have increased that sense of dread and unease.

". . . Lying comes easily to some people . . . "

The atmosphere of Rutmoor, the fog shrouding their hiking routes, all helped to create a palpable scene that the readers could "feel" themselves in.

". . . He could see a whole nightmare eternity . . . "

The details in the moors and surroundings in general give off the sense that you are on this journey with them. Even without a destination in mind, the area helps get you in that feeling of suspense for whatever is to come.

". . . adults didn't believe kids . . ."

Overall, I really did enjoy the writing style, especially towards the end. The one thing I would have preferred was that the author had gotten more into the horror of the novel, sooner in the story. However, once we did get there, it was definitely a unique experience.

"Now he knows better."

In my opinion, the end left us on just the perfect note. I'm looking forward to what Sam Haysom comes up with in the future.

Recommended.

A group of teenager boys, Gary, James, Tom, Matt and Tim, have gone on a hiking trip with Mr Stevens, the father of Tim, you think it'll be a bonding experience, get them some exercise and fresh air and give the lads a chance to get to know one another when all they have to depend on is each other.

Things get a little spooky when they're all telling ghost stories around the camp fire the first night, Mr Stevens telling them the most spooky and unsettling, as adults are wont to do when there are kids about, which freaks them all out a little and then things just go to shit as the hiking trip continues.

We have the main story which is told by the lads, so multiple perspectives, and in newspaper clippings from various years, it's all titled well so you know where you are and to help stop confusion. It helps with the back story and what is going to happen.

As I'm writing this review I've had the uncontrollable urge to watch Dog Soldiers, other than being in the woods, in the dark and being hunted by something it has nothing whatsoever to do with this book but it's helping with the atmosphere and it's a bloody good film!

I enjoyed this, it had the right mix of creepy to horror, the characters were good and fleshed out well so you understood them with knowing the rest of their story, the setting is creepy as fuck but I suppose any wooded area is creepy as fuck when you're hearing ghost stories while sat in them!

I look forward to the next book by Sam Hysom and hope it's as good as this one if not better!!

*Huge thanks to Sam Haysom, Unbound, Unbound Digital and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*

Well written and stomach-churning story with a clever twist at the end.

Great suspense story revolving around a group of teenage boys on a walking expedition. After ghost story around the first, the boys start to disappear. Good characters and well paced.

I'd not heard of this book before the other day, so when it received such hype, I had to see what Haysom might have done. The book reads very easily, though it is not 'simple', layering ideas and eerie thoughts like those stories you hear around a campfire. We're following 5 boys while on a camping trip when things suddenly go horribly wrong.

I found the characters well-developed with complexities build into their backstories, as do some of the other characters that emerge as the story progresses. It is their individuality and the zig-zig pace of the narrative that gives this story some of its odd development, though one would be remiss not to think about the larger 'happenings' within the creepy atmosphere of The Moor.

Fair warning to the reader, once you start this book, you will find yourself enveloped in its progress and may find it hard to put it aside. It is that creepy that one must forge onwards, as the boys do, if only to see when and where terror might strike next.

Kudos to Haysom for a stellar thriller. I will surely be putting this book out there for anyone who has an interest in the slightly (or extremely) eerie novel.

The Moor by author Sam Haysom is a dark and taunting mystery/thriller that will not disappoint! It is basically the start of everyone's fears.. Walking out into the dark woods. All around a perfect scare, you won't want to miss this one!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of The Moor in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Unbound and Netgalley for the review copy of this book, which was given in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, <i>The Moor</i> was not for me. For one, it isn’t even horror. It’s a suspense-thriller . . . ‘thriller’ being used very loosely. But this title being wrongly marketed is not the main cause of my dislike; this tale of a camping trip gone wrong is a limp attempt at a world-changing, epic rumination on childhood trauma and its impact on adult life a’la <i>It</i> (complete with shifting time periods). The problem is it’s all woefully underwritten, not giving anything enough time to develop.

What’s also shameful is this novel hosts a healthy-sized cast of characters, and almost none of them are distinct. A fellow named Gary is a bully — this is beat into the reader’s mind — and mercilessly taunts the other boys in this story . . . but one cannot care, for the other boys are faceless walking, talking cliches.

Perhaps one of the most forgettable reads I’ve discovered in 2018, <i>The Moor</i> is best left skipped.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and this is it.

I wanted to like this novel more than I did. The characterization was credible and Mr. Haysom writes well. Those things being said, and given that characterization and good writing style are very important and often lacking, I look at The Moor as an interesting start to a career.

What I didn’t like was the plot. I feel that it started very promising, I mean, who doesn’t love a good witch story. Blair Witch came to mind immediately, but there are so few good witch stories out there (like Hex for example) that I was anxious to read one. Then it turned into something different. Without giving the plot away it became something much more familiar. I wondered why the witch portion was even there but given the whole camping trip motif it was understandable and I was still enjoying myself.

Then it just got silly. Sorry to say, it just did. Silly and with no explanation as to the how, why, where or or even what. The ending, in my humble opinion, would have worked just fine if the author had kept it non-supernatural. In fact, I think it might have been very good. Familiar monsters can be scary enough without overdoing it.

Three stars.

Loved this book! This book kept me on my toes. For almost 3/4ths of the book you did not know who survived. The backgrounds of each boy were interesting and well written.

The Moor was a super quick read. Either that or I was just really into it, because it was over fast. Camping teenagers on the Moors, legends of ghosts and disappearances. What would you do to avenge your friends deaths years later. All questions are answered in The Moor.

I received the copy free from Netgalley and Unbound Digital. My reviews are my own

Twisted and scary. Amazing how ruthless humans can be. Be careful who you trust.... Thanks Netgalley and Unbound for the copy.

What a great read. A fresh concept with surperb character development. Throughly enjoyable reading experience

I saved this book for fall because it seemed like the perfect spooky read! You will not be disappointed by this one. Super quick and easy to read.

i actually really enjoyed this book
it wasn't like the typical cliches at all, it felt all new
i didn't expect any of this, the characters were well written and the plot felt like it could have came straight out of an x-files episode
i was so worried for these children and wished i could protect them
when i'd start reading it'd keep my attention and was hard to put down, i just had to know what was going to happen
the end felt a little flat, like it just happened and then it's done, and i wish it could have been longer honestly, there's more to all of this
i want the background and the history and a better understanding of all of it
that's not necessarily a bad thing, it definitely had me hooked and wanting more so he succeeded
i just wish i could get that "more"

I started reading this at night. It felt fitting as the story began with a camping trip and scary stories being told around the campfire. I could see the ghoulish faces cause by the light from the wavering flames. Hear the boys breathes quickening as the story gained momentum. Feel their hearts starting to race. Or was it mine?

The moment I read the blurb I was hooked. What could be scarier than being in the wilderness, knowing that disappearances and strange mutilations have occurred there, but still thinking it won’t happen to me. So, when someone disappears, knowing you have no business being out their in the first place flies out the window. It’s now a fight for survival against something terrible and unknown.

The author set this up well. After you learn the ins and out of the characters places in the group, the true nature of the story begins. There’s a good mystery in these pages. The feeling of isolation and desperation are on target. There’s something truly evil that I didn’t expect. And the ending. Well…..you’ll just have to read it.

A good one for a dark and stormy night.

This is exactly how I like my thrillers: moody, suspenseful, and hard-to-figure-out. Every now and again, a book comes along where you tell people, "Go in knowing very little, and then go along for the ride", and that's this book to a tee. I enjoyed the heck out of this one, and you will too.

First I'd like to thank Netgalley and Unbound for a digital copy of The Moor.

As I read the final page of the Moor, it is storming outside. My wood wick candle is crackling and I am left covered in goosebumps and an unsettling feeling in my stomach, the perfect ambiance for such a dread inducing book!

What started out as a mystery, turned into a ghost story which then turned into something even darker. I don't want to give too much away, but if you love IT and other darker, atmospheric horror books, this one is a must read. This was the perfect book for such a stormy, October night. The atmosphere in the book was gloomy, rainy and left me with a sense of unease with each turning page. The story did well going between old newspaper clippings, the 2002 incident and present day. Although I'd love to read a book on how everything came to be originally, this book will definitely go on my read again shelves when I need a good scare.

I won't say to much, but what starts as a normal camping trip between a group of friends, turns into a sinister trip that no one will forget!