Samantha Hayes School

'Sketching is one of my passions. I don't feel comfortable when I leave home without a sketchbook and some pens in my bag. I think that my way to put things in my memory is to draw them. And taking pictures isn't the same thing.I live in a very dynamic surrounding — Israel is a warm country with warm weather and warm people. Of course, we have seashores, which calm us a little bit. I love to sit in a corner of some Tel-Aviv coffee shop and explore relationships: between people, their environment, between myself.

All this unique local mix of cultures, languages and styles is always a great source for inspiration. You need to be fast, because, as I said, everything is very dynamic. But that's why I love it so much.Sometimes, I look around, and I find some usual items like sugar bags or napkins.

I use them in my to show the atmosphere. Sometimes I draw directly on.' . Marina's art on. Marina's. 'The dictionary says that a hobby is “an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation.” Although urban sketching certainly provides both pleasure and relaxation, I don’t think of it as my hobby.

I think of it more as a way of life – something that has become such a normal part of my everydayness that it shapes how I view the world.For most of my life I had both the fear of drawing as well as the desire to draw. In 2011, inspired by Gabi Campanario’s Seattle Sketcher column, I finally decided to overcome the fear. His drawings of Seattle – my birthplace and lifelong home – were of sights that I had seen many times, yet had never truly seen. I wanted to learn to see, and therefore experience, those locations (and any new ones that I travel to) more completely. Part 8 of the Urban Sketchers Manifesto, to “show the world, one drawing at a time,” has a flip side: Sketching enables me to see my own world, one drawing at a time.In the last four years, it is not an exaggeration to say that Urban Sketchers has changed my life.

I have met and sketched with many wonderful people around the globe, either at symposiums or during other travel, because the USk network brought us together. I sketch almost weekly with my local group, sharing sketches, art supplies and friendship. Even when I stay home and enjoy sketches online, I am still a part of that rich network, learning with every sketch about other people’s lives.In May, my husband Greg and I went to France for the first time, and I sketched the Eiffel Tower. Sketching one of the world’s most famous icons felt like a dream come true – the ultimate in urban sketching. But although I can’t resist sketching world-famous icons whenever I’m fortunate enough to see them, for me, urban sketching is much more than that.Urban sketching is a tree with its middle chopped away to accommodate Seattle’s ubiquitous power lines.

It’s about a couple of women chatting over coffee, or about workers roofing the house next door. It’s about an excavator filling a hole where a cherry tree once stood. Or the Tibetan monastery I drive by frequently that I couldn’t resist because it’s bright orange. Urban sketching is a string band performing at a local farmers’ market – or perhaps in Villefranche-sur-Mer.Celebrating the mundane as well as the famous is what urban sketching is all about. My sketches are not necessarily about “special” moments; they are moments made special because I sketched them.' Tina has been editor of Drawing Attention since 2013 and now serves on the Urban Sketchers editorial board. See more of her sketches, on and on.

'I was born in Mumbai (Bombay) and lived in different parts of India until I moved to San Jose, California, where I now live.Travel inspires my art, but, traveling or not, I try to view the world around me as a traveller would; so whether I’m capturing a moment of calm on the banks of the Ganges in India, or sketching over coffee at my local coffee shop, I aim to look deeply, and with wonder, at both the everyday and the exotic, the old and the new.I love color. My sketch kit consists of Extra Fine Sharpies (the fact that they bleed into the paper as soon as they touch it works really well for me—it forces me to work super-quick), a small set of Prismacolor pencils and a little watercolor travel set'. 'I was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where I studied architecture. I moved to Kassel (Germany) in 1999 to accomplish a master degree.Although I have always drawn and paint, it was not until I started studying in the Uni-Kassel, that I started keeping a travel sketchbook.

I had a teacher there who used to do a lot of sketches when he travelled on university excursions. When he retired, I helped to organize an exhibition of his sketches. He brought a huge box full of sketchbooks he had filled since he was an architecture student. I spent a whole day selecting the most interesting drawings. It was a wonderful experience that opened my eyes to a new world.In the last 10 years I have the feeling of being in a long journey. I like to discover the cities where I live, to understand why a place is the way it is and what makes it different and unique from others.

Drawing is for me a way to learn to love a place, to become part of it.I like to draw architecture but I am more attracted to urban scenery, portraying how people live in the city. Since I’m a foreigner, everything that locals find normal and taken-for-granted, for me is exotic. I always carry a small watercolor travel set from Windsor and Newton and my sketchbook in my bag.I always thought that drawing was a solitary experience until I found Urban Sketchers. It was amazing to find so many people doing the same thing. It is a great place to share!' .

Omar's. Omar's art on. Omar's. The sun beat down on buildings and changed their color. I walked through the center to choose what I wanted to draw. As always start I with with a fresh sheet and I write what I like. I create my own map of the city with my experiences, because, when alone no one waits for my notes.

Musicians around the corner, endeavor to show their talent. The abundant supply leads to drunkenness hearing. What could have some artistic quality, becomes just an entertainment product, uninhibited, and anything creative with an expiration date set by the sound of coins falling.Riga saves the picturesque.

The shyness of speaking English correctly. One part of the system, inhabitants and Russian churches.

A coin outside the European community. A mutant language mixed by the past.

A captivating simplicity that makes me want to come back with more time.I'm sitting on the steps of a door. I could use my bank, but I like the contact with buildings, leads me to absorb the cold, stiffness and discomfort.

In my view makes everything more human. But all that was about to end.

A man in a wrinkled frown, tell me with a serious tone dialect that my knowledge did not decoded. But the message conveyed some austerity and implied that I had commit a crime. I asked if he could decipher the message in English: 'This is the Russian embassy!' And pointed to the step, saying that like evil. Ui, now that was beautiful. So I can't be on the steps of a building full of top secret Russian archives. 'Let's change it!

I pulled my bank and less than 50cm I sat. 'Okay, the embassy is safe now!' I know that I walked out standing with my attitude, but the guy was asking for it.

Clearly burst of anger inside, but not there is nothing he could do.

A mesmerizing new thriller from the author of Until You’re MineTwo years after a terrifying spate of teenage suicides, the remote village of Radcote has just begun to heal. Then a young man is killed in a freak motorcycle accident and a suicide note is found among his belongings. When a second boy is found dead shortly thereafter, the nightmare of repeat suicides once A mesmerizing new thriller from the author of Until You’re MineTwo years after a terrifying spate of teenage suicides, the remote village of Radcote has just begun to heal. Then a young man is killed in a freak motorcycle accident and a suicide note is found among his belongings.

When a second boy is found dead shortly thereafter, the nightmare of repeat suicides once again threatens the community.Desperate for a vacation, Detective Inspector Lorraine Fisher has just come to Radcote for a stay with her sister, Jo, but the atmosphere of the country house is unusually tense. Freddie, Jo's son, seems troubled and uncommunicative, and Jo is struggling to reach out to him. Meanwhile, Lorraine becomes determined to discover the truth behind these deaths. Are they suicides, or is there something more sinister at work? Finding answers might help Freddie, but they'll also lead to a shocking truth: whatever it is-or whoever it is-that's killing these young people is far more disturbing than she ever could have imagined, and unraveling the secret is just as dangerous as the secret itself.Wicked, intense, and utterly compulsive, What You Left Behind confirms Samantha Hayes as a top thriller writer. Find all of my reviews at:Earlier today I posted a review for a book called What You Left Behind. Then I noticed my “currently reading” list still contained a book with the title What You Left Behind.

My immediate thoughts were something along the lines of GO HOME GOODREADS, YOU’RE DRUNK, but then I realized that this was an entirely different book that I never bothered reviewing. So here I am and I’m really phoning it in on this one.The problem with Find all of my reviews at:Earlier today I posted a review for a book called What You Left Behind.

Then I noticed my “currently reading” list still contained a book with the title What You Left Behind. My immediate thoughts were something along the lines of GO HOME GOODREADS, YOU’RE DRUNK, but then I realized that this was an entirely different book that I never bothered reviewing. So here I am and I’m really phoning it in on this one.The problem with this What You Left Behind is it was very.It’s the story of a small village that experienced some teenaged suicides a couple of years ago and then has another young man die in what appears to be an accident, but with a suicide note in his pocket. As yet another teen is found dead soon after it is suspected that history is repeating itself. Then you add in a detective who is simply trying to take a bit of a vacay and visit her sister, but is thrown in to the mix of the “suicides” and. A lot of talk about needing a breast reduction????Huh?

There were already like eleventy characters to keep track of, why the hizzle did that get thrown in to the mix?Anyway, this was an okay mystery/thriller, but nothing to write home to momma about. It also may have fallen victim to the “oh I read by the author and it was really good so everything else kind of sucks in comparison” fate.ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley! This book was.

Less than I expected. And that doesn't say as much about Before You Die as it does about its predecessor, the unexpectedly great. That was a book I expected to be a run-of-the-mill, forgettable crime novel, and it was actually something much more interesting than that.

So my expectations were relatively high for this follow-up, and it was - well, a run-of-the-mill, forgettable crime novel.Before You Die is the second in what looks set to be a loosely connected This book was. Less than I expected. And that doesn't say as much about Before You Die as it does about its predecessor, the unexpectedly great. That was a book I expected to be a run-of-the-mill, forgettable crime novel, and it was actually something much more interesting than that.

So my expectations were relatively high for this follow-up, and it was - well, a run-of-the-mill, forgettable crime novel.Before You Die is the second in what looks set to be a loosely connected series. It again features DI Lorraine Fisher as one of its central characters, but you don't need to have read the previous book to follow what's happening: this is a standalone story. Lorraine is visiting her sister Jo in the village the sisters grew up in, and finds herself drawn into the investigation of a supposed case of suicide - a case which appears to echo a spate of teen suicides in the area a few years ago. Jo is concerned her teenage son Freddie may fall victim to the 'craze', and the secrets he is hiding from his family seem to suggest a possible explanation for the deaths.I read the book in one sitting - I specifically planned to do so because I expected/hoped it would be as gripping as Until You're Mine - but I wouldn't have cared if for some reason I hadn't been able to finish it.

Once again Hayes uses multiple viewpoints to tell her story, but none of them (save for a prologue and epilogue) are related in first person, which seems a surprising choice since first person narratives were used so cleverly and to such powerful effect in Until You're Mine. There are red herrings galore, but no really surprising twists, and I'd worked everything out well before the end.This story is fine - just fine, really. It's not great and it's not awful, so read it if you want to but keep your expectations low. In a word: shrug. A special thank you to Crown Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars (Also purchased the audiobook version).Samantha Hayes delivers a cleverly twisted, and evil psychological suspense thriller WHAT YOU LEFT BEHIND, a multi-layered riveting mystery, keeping you glued to the pages of this whodunit—and an array of colorful suspects, as we race to see how they are connected.Set in Radcote, as the book opens (one month earlier), there is a person riding on the back of a A special thank you to Crown Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars (Also purchased the audiobook version).Samantha Hayes delivers a cleverly twisted, and evil psychological suspense thriller WHAT YOU LEFT BEHIND, a multi-layered riveting mystery, keeping you glued to the pages of this whodunit—and an array of colorful suspects, as we race to see how they are connected.Set in Radcote, as the book opens (one month earlier), there is a person riding on the back of a motorcycle, referred to as “I”. Readers are kept in the dark as to the identity.

As they round the corner of Devil’s Mile, there is an accident, the bike crashes, now a man is dead. To cover up the accident, it was set up like a suicide with a note.

The ”I” knows he/she will be arrested, they stole the bike, the I was drinking, driving, and now this man is dead. I picked up the helmet.

There was a car approaching, and I vanished.In this town, they previously experienced six teen suicides in two weeks, two years ago. There are a number of characters introduced, so make sure and pay attention, as I found myself turning back to keep them all straight. However, are these straightforward suicides?British Detective Inspector Lorraine Fisher from Birmingham is taking her daughter Stella, for a visit to her hometown of Radcote to stay with her sister, Jo, for a much needed vacation.

Jo has always called her sister, restless and she never seemed satisfied. Jo has recently separated from her husband, Malcom and she has taken on a lover.Her teenage son Freddie, appears somewhat troubled, lately. Little do they know he is being threatened and bullied with continuous texts, and someone is urging him to kill himself; the shame is keeping him silent; he cannot tell anyone. His mom is concerned he may be hurting himself.

How could Freddie tell what he had seen?Jo’s friend Sonia, is a volunteer at a local homeless shelter who son, committed suicide. Her daughter Lana is a friend of Freddie’s. When Lorraine becomes more involved in the case, she knows the authorities will not be able to solve the case in the same way she will, so no vacation – as she immerses herself in work.However, how could two lads commit suicide from the same homeless shelter and what about the second person on the motorbike? There is Dean, Lenny, and Simon and could Freddie be next?Gil is another mysterious character. Lana’s autistic uncle who expresses himself in weird drawings.

Gil could have witnessed something and there is Frank a creepy man who works at the homeless shelter. Gil’s drawing appears to be about a gruesome motorcycle accident. Dean was Gil’s best friend and he could have seen who was with him on the motorbike, but who will believe someone with ASD?While Jo is trying to figure out what is going on with Freddie’s behavior, Lorraine is desperate to solve the mystery of the deaths, which may not be suicides and cop hubby joins the investigation.

Now another boy from New Hope. There have been thirty-seven suicides in the county in the last year.In addition to being a gripping crime thriller, the author incorporated some good cop procedures, mixed with the mystery and psychological aspects, with twists and turns, leaving you guessing which character can be trusted. Just when you think you have it figured out, boom another bomb is dropped.While I received an ARC, I had already pre-ordered the audiobook. I love British narrators, as find them quite intriguing, and fascinating. Gil's part was done brilliantly. With the electronic reading copy, plus the audiobook, narrated by Anna Bentinck; double the pleasure; for an engaging and riveting suspense mystery- Highly Recommend.Having heard rave reviews of Until You’re Mine (DCI Lorraine Fisher #1) have just purchased audiobook; look forward to listening/reading! No matter how hard I try, I can never fault Samantha Hayes writing, not one bit, yet again she has blown me away with her story.

I've been glued to this book from beginning to end.I love it when things never go to plan, you think you have it all worked out in your head, even being clever and picking someone who is the most unlikely suspect then WHAM, you are confused again.What I especially loved about this thriller was the fact its based around ordinary people with ordinary lives.We have young No matter how hard I try, I can never fault Samantha Hayes writing, not one bit, yet again she has blown me away with her story. I've been glued to this book from beginning to end.I love it when things never go to plan, you think you have it all worked out in your head, even being clever and picking someone who is the most unlikely suspect then WHAM, you are confused again.What I especially loved about this thriller was the fact its based around ordinary people with ordinary lives.We have young people, we have Mothers, Fathers, Aunts and Uncles, we have someone with a disability. Its all made up into a parcel of events that occur and make it look like suicides. We learn earlier on that its not, but we are left with, how? And if not, why not?Theft, lies, cover ups and all for the best of intentions.I loved it. I hang on every word that this authors writes.In my reading material, she cannot write fast enough to quench my thirst, I love this authors work.I was honored to be granted a complimentary book from Random House UK, Cornerstone Via Net Galley.Would I recommend this? Yes most definitely.

Would I encourage friends to read this? TRIGGER WARNINGS: Suicide, hate-crime.Samantha Hayes's previous novel, Until You're Mine, is fabulous. Family-based paranoia, its creepiness is very affective. But what makes it so good is that it mostly focuses on ordinary people, who AREN'T in law enforcement and investigation.

Mostly.Thus what makes Until You're Mine stand out from the crowd is unfortunately missing here. I enjoyed meeting Detective Inspector Lorraine Fisher and her family back then, and I still like Lorraine here in Before TRIGGER WARNINGS: Suicide, hate-crime.Samantha Hayes's previous novel, Until You're Mine, is fabulous. Family-based paranoia, its creepiness is very affective. But what makes it so good is that it mostly focuses on ordinary people, who AREN'T in law enforcement and investigation. Mostly.Thus what makes Until You're Mine stand out from the crowd is unfortunately missing here.

I enjoyed meeting Detective Inspector Lorraine Fisher and her family back then, and I still like Lorraine here in Before You Die. Often faced with other police members' incompetence or carelessness, she strides in and takes over - because someone has to, and since no one else seems to have bothered, it's up to Lorraine. (Really, how is Burnley still employed?)Yes, Before You Die is family-based paranoia like its predecessor, and it still has a twist for the very last chapter. But because it mainly focuses on Lorraine's family, it just doesn't have the same appeal as the first book. It's still well-written and engaging, but the series seems now in police-procedural territory.and thus difficult to stand out from all the other police procedurals on the crime shelves.The third novel in the series is being released shortly, and I look forward to reading it.

And though I really like Lorraine, I hope this new novel will regain what made the first book so fabulous. Until You’re Mine by Samantha Hayes was my favourite read of 2013, I raved about it to anyone who would listen all year, so when I spotted this on Netgalley, I just had to snap it up there and then.

I approached it with anticipation – would it live up to my expectations? The answer is, not quite but nearly. Until You’re Mine was just so good, that this novel was always going to be compared in relation to it, and although it is a very good read in its own right, it doesn’t quite match up to its Until You’re Mine by Samantha Hayes was my favourite read of 2013, I raved about it to anyone who would listen all year, so when I spotted this on Netgalley, I just had to snap it up there and then. I approached it with anticipation – would it live up to my expectations? The answer is, not quite but nearly. Until You’re Mine was just so good, that this novel was always going to be compared in relation to it, and although it is a very good read in its own right, it doesn’t quite match up to its predecessor. Having said that, rather like Elizabeth Haynes and Into The Darkest Corner, anything that Samantha Hayes writes from now on will probably be compared automatically to Until You’re Mine.We see a lot more of Lorraine Fisher in this book, which I really enjoyed.

I felt I got to know her as a person much more and, I have to say, I really look forward to reading more about her. This book is less psychological and more crime fiction with a very complex plot line, but is still tense and full of suspense and you are kept guessing throughout. Again, it is told from different perspectives which really add to that feeling you get when reading it that you don’t exactly know who to trust.

As a Warwickshire lass myself, I loved the Warwickshire setting, and had fun trying to guess where the author had got her inspiration from for Radcote and Wellesbury, and was quite pleased to see Kenilworth and Leamington Spa featured.It is gripping and a real page turner. I just had to know what would happen next.

The complicated plot lines all come together in the end for an extremely good ending. It was only spoiled for me because, after her last book, I was ready to “expect the unexpected”, so I did work out who was responsible but not why and, I have to say, the epilogue really did take me by surprise! I read late, late into the night finishing this novel, so in terms of sheer readability it obviously scores very highly. Otherwise, though, I have my problems with it.Senior cop Lorraine Fisher goes with kid daughter Stella to visit sister Jo in the village of Radcote, famed for the fact that a couple of years ago it suffered a spate of teenage suicides. Jo has recently been left by husband Malc; her teenaged son (Malc's stepson) Freddie is visibly under enormous pressure. Freddie's real keen on I read late, late into the night finishing this novel, so in terms of sheer readability it obviously scores very highly. Otherwise, though, I have my problems with it.Senior cop Lorraine Fisher goes with kid daughter Stella to visit sister Jo in the village of Radcote, famed for the fact that a couple of years ago it suffered a spate of teenage suicides.

Jo has recently been left by husband Malc; her teenaged son (Malc's stepson) Freddie is visibly under enormous pressure. Freddie's real keen on Lana, daughter of the nearby manor; her brother Simon was second last of the suicide spate. And now there's been another apparent suicide, this time of a youthful resident at the homeless shelter where Lana and her mother Sonia often volunteer. Could it be the first of a new cycle?The premise is what drew me to this book; the writing is what kept me with it. Yet, the whole while I was reading it, I was being irritated by it.

Joseline Kelly

Let me enumerate the reasons:1: The author seems to have changed her mind partway through about the state of the relationship between Lana and Freddie. Early on, Freddie seems to be yearning silently for his good pal Lana. Later, we find that the pair have long acknowledged that they're nuts about each other. Well, y'know, which is it?2: The local DI who investigated the suicide spate and is investigating the new events is a lazy jerk whom Lorraine has had the misfortune to encounter before. So she and her husband Adam - another senior cop - start moving in on things, essentially taking over the case.

But it's not their patch. I'm not 100% familiar with police procedure, but it's my impression the local cops would tell these intruders to go and, y'know.3: Biggish chunks of the book are narrated in first person by Lana's autistic Uncle Gil. As bits of narrative, these sections are very well handled. But Gil's condition doesn't ring true to me at all as autism: there's none of the obsession with pattern that (I'm told) we would expect, none of the dissociation from human relationships. Instead he's a simple-minded type with a precocious artistic talent, a fascination for the morbid, and a hopeless dream of one day finding a girlfriend and settling down with her. That's all well and good, but I don't think it's autism.4: The ending, in which all sorts of misapprehensions (both the characters' and ours) are sorted out, the backstory explained, the guilty parties exposed, the seemingly guilty parties shown innocent, etc., etc., all seems desperately rushed - to the point almost of self-parody.

A lot of those ends could, I think, have been tied off more leisurely earlier in the book.5: I didn't work out the solution to absolutely everything early on, but I did work out by far the majority of it, including elements that seemed so absolutely bloody obvious that I was incredulous the characters could fail to be aware of them. As a single example: Malc has left Jo because she has found someone else. She tells Lorraine this, but doesn't identify the mystery lover. I could just about accept the fact that Lorraine is so completely stupid that she fails to notice the copious clues to his identity that come zinging at her from all directions, but what seems impossible to me is that she shows no interest in who it might be: unless I missed it, she never even so much as casually asks her sister who it is.I've gone on far too long for what I'd planned to be just a few quick notes. In brief: What You Left Behind is a fast-moving, involving thriller that's let down by technical problems that are too many to ignore. It would make an excellent companion for a long plane or train journey, and the writing's such that I'd not be averse to reading more by Hayes, but overall I was disappointed.

Rushed and flawed.When DI Lorraine Fisher goes for a visit to her sister, taking her younger daughter with her, it's supposed to be a holiday. But this quiet little town in Warwickshire was the scene of a spate of teenage suicides a few years back and it looks like it's all beginning again. And Lorraine's nephew Freddy is showing all the signs of being one of the possible victims.I really enjoyed Samantha Hayes', in which Lorraine first made her appearance. So it was a Rushed and flawed.When DI Lorraine Fisher goes for a visit to her sister, taking her younger daughter with her, it's supposed to be a holiday.

But this quiet little town in Warwickshire was the scene of a spate of teenage suicides a few years back and it looks like it's all beginning again. And Lorraine's nephew Freddy is showing all the signs of being one of the possible victims.I really enjoyed Samantha Hayes', in which Lorraine first made her appearance. So it was a double disappointment to me to find that this one reads like a first draft. There are so many problems with it, it's hard to know where to begin. Continuity issues - a girl removes her motorcycle helmet then slowly raises her hands to her head, finding it very painful to do so - one has to wonder what she removed her helmet with - her feet? Inaccuracies - a hospital doctor who keeps his patients' notes on an unsecured home laptop?

Gaping holes - the teenager who hacks past a password control on a computer, with absolutely no indication of how he did it or where he might have acquired this skill. And the forensics people are clearly idiots - they fail to notice minor details like a supposed suicide victim having been given a kicking or that the handwriting on a note might not be that of the person who supposedly wrote it.But all these flaws could have been dealt with by a proper edit. The real problem with the book lies in the much more serious matter of the characterisation. None of the characters rang true to me, with the possible exception of Lorraine. It was as if they were there purely to serve the plot and were only developed in so far as was necessary for that purpose. So for example, we never find out why the teenage bullying victim is being bullied or by whom - he just has to be bullied so that it is credible to think he might commit suicide.

The local police are of course incompetent to allow Lorraine to have an excuse to butt in to the investigation. One character is made to appear so ridiculously over-the-top creepy it's like watching the villain at a pantomime - I felt an urgent desire to shout 'he's behind you' every time he appeared. And the obligatory autistic character, without whom no novel would be complete these days, is so badly written that he comes over as a cross between Boo Radley and Frankenstein's monster (but without the charm).

Again the problem with this character is that he is there to fit the plot rather than vice versa, so sometimes he has to be intelligent and sometimes he has to have the mind of a five-year-old; sometimes he has to be scary and bad, and other times he has to be loving and protective. It's possible to have a character that contradictory, but only if it's handled with a great deal of subtlety and sadly in this case it isn't.Add to these problems a plot that edges over the credulity line, and it's hard to find much to recommend, I'm afraid. The whole book reads as if it's been rushed into print to capitalise on the success of Until You're Mine, and as a result hasn't had the polishing that could have turned this untidy and flawed book into something much, much better. The basic skills are all there, the detective is a likeable one, there's some originality in the plotting, and because of these things I may read the author's next book. But I will be sincerely hoping that a bit more time is taken, by author and publisher both, to ensure that it comes out in a more finished form.NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Random House Cornerstone.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copyOh my God. There is so much I want to say about this book but to say too much would ruin the story. I have had Samantha Hayes' book 'Until You're Mine' on my to read list since its release, and I am now kicking myself so much at not reading it sooner. The reviews were nothing short of amazing and I will be reading Until You're Mine as soon as possible.Back to Before You Die though and what a story. The story opens with two people riding a motorbike Thanks to the publisher for the review copyOh my God.

There is so much I want to say about this book but to say too much would ruin the story. I have had Samantha Hayes' book 'Until You're Mine' on my to read list since its release, and I am now kicking myself so much at not reading it sooner. The reviews were nothing short of amazing and I will be reading Until You're Mine as soon as possible.Back to Before You Die though and what a story. The story opens with two people riding a motorbike along a country lane.

A boy and a girl. The motorbike is stolen and so there's only one helmet which the girl wears. The boy lets the girl ride the motorbike which she then ends up riding too fast resulting in the bike crashing into a tree. The boy is killed instantly, his face and body virtually unrecognisable whilst the girl flees the scene. Later on a suicide note is found from the boy and the town of Radcote fears that the spate of teenage suicides it has only just got over are about to start again.After the opening chapter I was hooked.

I stupidly started the book at midnight, and I say stupidly as I found myself glancing at the clock to see it was nearly 3am and I was halfway through the book! Sleep then got in the way but I woke up, had some dinner and immediately got back into this book finishing it in just one sitting. Always the sign of a good book when you just cannot put it down or turn the pages fast enough. It's hard to talk about the story too much without giving away spoilers but following the motorbike 'suicide' another homeless man takes his own life near some railway tracks. This all happens as Lorraine, a police officer returns to her childhood home to visit her sister Jo and her nephew Freddie.Freddie is one of the main characters who we learn from Jo has been distant, not leaving his room etc and 'other stuff' which I won't mention here as it's better left for readers' to read themselves.

I did feel that Jo was perhaps in the wrong a little as she didn't really try hard enough to find out what was wrong with her son. All too often parents just assume their child is a moody teenager, whereas if they actually tried to find out why they might be surprised. Gil is another character we follow who is autistic and seems to know quite a lot about these supposed suicides, especially when pictures that he has drawn are found.I have to say that the writing here was superb. The book was just so 'readable' if that is the right word.

I just didn't want to stop reading and couldn't touch my Kindle screen quick enough to turn the pages. I was left guessing until the absolute end and loved the whole book. As I said I can't talk about the story too much but little clues are thrown in all the way through the book about the suicides, about what may have actually happened and of course there are one or two red herrings to deter you from who or what is actually in the wrong. It really is a fantastic mystery and very believable. I read a lot of books, mostly crime fiction which can be quite unrealistic at times but the story here in this book feels very real and could almost be a true story.

As there isn't just a mystery element but it's also a story about families and friendships. And it is definitely a book I urge everybody to read who is looking to read about those things. Lorraine Fisher, one of the characters from the excellent Until You’re Mine, returns to her home town, Radcote, to visit her recently separated sister Jo and her nephew Freddie. What happens next means that the policewoman isn’t in for much of a holiday. The town had been shocked by a spate of teenage suicides eighteen months previously and so when a young homeless man, Dean, complete with suicide note is found dead after a motorcycle crash the tension rises as the community closes in on D.I. Lorraine Fisher, one of the characters from the excellent Until You’re Mine, returns to her home town, Radcote, to visit her recently separated sister Jo and her nephew Freddie. What happens next means that the policewoman isn’t in for much of a holiday.

Book: What You Left BehindAuthor: Samantha HayesFinished Reading: April 08, 2015 (Wednesday)Book Review:.First of all, I would like to thank crown publishing for the review copy. Thank you so so much!!!If you want a mystery/thriller/crime book, I would definitely recommend you this!To be honest, I don’t really have any idea who’s Samantha Hayes until I ended up browsing her book on Goodreads! After I’ve read the synopsis, I was so intrigued by this book and my first reaction is “I want to read Book: What You Left BehindAuthor: Samantha HayesFinished Reading: April 08, 2015 (Wednesday)Book Review:.First of all, I would like to thank crown publishing for the review copy. Thank you so so much!!!If you want a mystery/thriller/crime book, I would definitely recommend you this!To be honest, I don’t really have any idea who’s Samantha Hayes until I ended up browsing her book on Goodreads! After I’ve read the synopsis, I was so intrigued by this book and my first reaction is “I want to read it!!!!” And its release date will be on the 14th of April 2015.So yeah, I’ve learned so many things in this book! Although it’s slow-paced at first, it’s good that i continued reading it! Sometimes, if I really get bored on the first few chapters, I won’t finish reading the book.

But I have an instinct that this book will be a good one starting on the 100th page. I’m right.This was the first time that I’ve read a mystery/thriller/crime book and it’s also not a YA book! And it’s in 3rd person POV. Everything seems new to me, actually!:)As what I’ve told you, it was kinda slow at first but OHHH MY GOOSSHHH, when you’ve reached page 100 and so on, it’s pretty damn CREEEPYYYY!!!!These are some of my reactions while i was reading this book:“Woahh!! Did she just do what?!?!?!?!”“What??? How could that person do that?!?!”“No way!!

I’ve trusted you!!! This book is really mind-blowing! I don’t even know how to explain everything because I don’t want to spoil everyone. It’s really a mystery!!! “Are they really suicides?” That is the question!! Sometimes, even the authorities can’t be 100% sure of all the evidences that they’ve gathered. They don’t know if someone’s messing with them or it’s really true.

Another thing that creeps the hell out of me is the name of the road which is Devil’s Mile OMG. It’s really creepy, seriously.SAMANTHA HAYES DID A GREAT JOB BECAUSE SHE SCARED ME SO MUCH AND IT’S WORTH THE READ!

Intense, dark, shocking. The book is all these, and more. It touches upon something we've all seen in the news.Teenage-suicides - mostly boys - were committed in this village some months ago. The people of the community are still trying to heal and find a way to go on.DI Lorraine Fisher is on vacation and visits her sister and her teenage son. While there, a boy's body is found. Along with a suicide note.

And then a second young man is found. Lorraine's nephew has been acting strange. Intense, dark, shocking. The book is all these, and more. It touches upon something we've all seen in the news.Teenage-suicides - mostly boys - were committed in this village some months ago. The people of the community are still trying to heal and find a way to go on.DI Lorraine Fisher is on vacation and visits her sister and her teenage son.

While there, a boy's body is found. Along with a suicide note. And then a second young man is found. Lorraine's nephew has been acting strange.

Were these actual suicides? Lorraine means to find out before her nephew is next to be found.With the onset of the internet, bullying has become a huge part of young peoples' lives. Seems so easy to say things 'anonymously' that you might never do otherwise. The book encompasses this and much more. Made me realize that I wouldn't go back to my teen years for any amount of money.WHAT YOU LEFT BEHIND is well-written. The feelings in the parents of their lost sons was tangible.

The grief at times almost overwhelming. And suicides don't affect only family members. Whole communities can grieve as well. But what happens when someone from 'outside' claims these were not suicides?My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Crown Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion. 3.5/5.0My ThoughtsLorraine takes a vacation to visit her sister Jo. Jo has a teenage son, Freddie, who is acting strange. While Lorraine is with her sister’s family, there are two suicides.

She is unable to leave her detective skills behind and feels compelled to investigate the suicides along with what is going on with her nephew.Told mostly from Lorraine’s perspective, we get to see the workings of her mind as she pieces clues together. There are a few chapters told by a mystery person and we 3.5/5.0My ThoughtsLorraine takes a vacation to visit her sister Jo. Jo has a teenage son, Freddie, who is acting strange.

While Lorraine is with her sister’s family, there are two suicides. She is unable to leave her detective skills behind and feels compelled to investigate the suicides along with what is going on with her nephew.Told mostly from Lorraine’s perspective, we get to see the workings of her mind as she pieces clues together. There are a few chapters told by a mystery person and we don’t find out who that is until the very end. It resulted in a nice little twist that I did not see coming.I did not realize that this was book #2 in a series. I thought it stood well on it’s own.

Samantha Hayes School District

I liked the main character enough that I would be interested in reading future stories.Thanks to Crown Publishing, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review. Until You're Mine by the same author was a terrific read of last year, so I knew that I would read the next book Before You Die pretty soonish. Did I enjoy it as much? It was close but not quite. Got off to a slow start so it took me a few days to really get going.

That said, I read the last 60% of the book in a day! There's nothing particularly wrong with it, settings, characterisations, descriptiveness, all good. Some settings mentioned I knew, local area to me!! Always a thrill because it Until You're Mine by the same author was a terrific read of last year, so I knew that I would read the next book Before You Die pretty soonish. Did I enjoy it as much? It was close but not quite. Got off to a slow start so it took me a few days to really get going.

That said, I read the last 60% of the book in a day! There's nothing particularly wrong with it, settings, characterisations, descriptiveness, all good. Some settings mentioned I knew, local area to me!! Always a thrill because it happens so rarely!! It just didn't have the same nerve tingling, goose bumping feel of the previous book. But still an enjoyable enough tale and one definitely worthy of your precious reading time.Enjoy!Thanks to the publishers, author and Netgalley for the ARC. Love Samantha Hayes and have read all she has written.

She wrote as Sam Hayes and then seemed to change her formula slightly and wrote the brilliant Until you're mine as Samantha Hayes. If you haven't read that then you will probably think this is a great book. There is nothing wrong with it, good storyline featuring DI Lorraine Fisher, who has more of a personal involvement this time, with the usual twisty plotlines.

But after Until you're mine I was expecting more and was slightly Love Samantha Hayes and have read all she has written. She wrote as Sam Hayes and then seemed to change her formula slightly and wrote the brilliant Until you're mine as Samantha Hayes. If you haven't read that then you will probably think this is a great book. There is nothing wrong with it, good storyline featuring DI Lorraine Fisher, who has more of a personal involvement this time, with the usual twisty plotlines.

But after Until you're mine I was expecting more and was slightly disappointed. (3.5 rounded up) I like this author (& series) so the story was easy to get into & enjoy, but the way it played out was a little far fetched for me.

Also, i love Detective Lorraine Fisher but couldn't quite get into her nephew Freddie's pov (which was a major part of the story.) There was nothing 'wrong,' for whatever reason i just didn't enjoy this 1 as much as the first, but i do enjoy the characters that we'll see again in the series- so I'll definitely be picking up the next 1. (3.5 rounded up) I like this author (& series) so the story was easy to get into & enjoy, but the way it played out was a little far fetched for me.

Also, i love Detective Lorraine Fisher but couldn't quite get into her nephew Freddie's pov (which was a major part of the story.) There was nothing 'wrong,' for whatever reason i just didn't enjoy this 1 as much as the first, but i do enjoy the characters that we'll see again in the series- so I'll definitely be picking up the next 1. (& if you read & enjoyed the 1st, i do recommend you read this 1. It wasn't bad & it'll be good to have the insight into Detective Lorraine's character for future books!). A stolen motorbike, a crazy ride, her arms wrapped around him as they took the dangerous curves.and then the crash.Our mysterious first person narrator opens the story of 'What You Left Behind: A Novel.' We meet her again at the very end, and learn her identity, but in the meantime, the story picks up after the opening lines, with DI Lorraine Fisher and her daughter Stella leaving Birmingham for a week in the country. Jo, Lorraine's sister, lives in Radcote with her teenaged son Freddie, and A stolen motorbike, a crazy ride, her arms wrapped around him as they took the dangerous curves.and then the crash.Our mysterious first person narrator opens the story of 'What You Left Behind: A Novel.'

We meet her again at the very end, and learn her identity, but in the meantime, the story picks up after the opening lines, with DI Lorraine Fisher and her daughter Stella leaving Birmingham for a week in the country. Jo, Lorraine's sister, lives in Radcote with her teenaged son Freddie, and there have been some troubles.A series of apparent suicides in the area have everyone on edge, especially the more recent ones. Suicide notes were found, but as soon as Lorraine realizes that the DI handling the cases there is her old colleague, Greg Burnley, who is known to be lazy with a tendency to cut corners, she finds herself wrapped up in the mysterious elements that don't add up, initiating some investigations on her own.In a neighboring manor, Tony and Sonia Hawkeswell reside, and Sonia runs the homeless shelter, New Hope, where two of the recent decedents were living. Sonia's son Simon was also one of the recent apparent suicides.Tony's autistic brother Gil lives near the Manor in a tack house and his odd behavior sends up red flags. But is he guilty of something? Or just keeping lots of secrets?Why did someone steal a laptop from the shelter?

Who is torturing Freddie with cruel texts? And is Frank evil, with his ominous presence, or is something more going on?The story was riveting, and while there were many red herrings along the way, and although I thought I had everything figured out, there were stunning surprises that came at the very end. Including the identity of the mysterious narrator. There were also multiple narrators throughout the book, allowing the reader to feel the suspense as it mounted gradually, and as it intensified, I was literally holding my breath. Definitely another 5 star read from this author. Original review can be found atI received an advanced readers copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you!This is the second book in the DCI Lorraine Fisher series but it can be read as a stand alone. I did not have the opportunity to read the first book before reading this one and it did not impact my enjoyment at all.I liked this book but I found it really busy which in turn made me not love it.

There were quite a few things Original review can be found atI received an advanced readers copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!This is the second book in the DCI Lorraine Fisher series but it can be read as a stand alone. I did not have the opportunity to read the first book before reading this one and it did not impact my enjoyment at all.I liked this book but I found it really busy which in turn made me not love it. There were quite a few things going on to keep my head wrapped around that made it hard to keep track. Not only were there a string of 'suicides' but there was also a suspicious motorcycle accident, a murder and a missing boy. Each aspect was interesting in itself but all together it made me a little dizzy.I have to admit that even with the extremely busy story line I was able to figure it out relatively quickly.

There was not a lot of guessing or a shocking reveal for me because I was bang on with my theory. I'm not sure if it was obvious or I just had a lucky guess. I do pride myself in being able to figure out the mysteries that I read or watch pretty quickly so it may just have been me.The characters were all right in this book but I did find DCI Lorraine Fisher to be a little dull for my liking.

Her personality lacked any kind of luster or anything that got me really excited. In fact, most of the characters lacked that certain something that made them really interesting with the exception of Gil.In the end I can say that I liked the book but there were no surprises or anything that made it stand out from others I have read. I read Samantha Hayes acclaimed bestseller Until You're Mine last year and really enjoyed the gripping, psychological nature of it.

Her latest offering Before You Die is in very much the same vein, a dark, thought provoking story of country life and community where you are never quite sure what to believe.At times I felt the plot moved a bit too slowly for my liking and I wanted more drama, although I am aware that any psychological thriller worth its salt needs to pace itself. The characters, I read Samantha Hayes acclaimed bestseller Until You're Mine last year and really enjoyed the gripping, psychological nature of it.

Her latest offering Before You Die is in very much the same vein, a dark, thought provoking story of country life and community where you are never quite sure what to believe.At times I felt the plot moved a bit too slowly for my liking and I wanted more drama, although I am aware that any psychological thriller worth its salt needs to pace itself. The characters, and there were quite a few main players, all had interesting qualities which enriched the parts of the book where there was less plot development. I particularly enjoyed learning more about DI Lorraine Fisher, one of the characters from Hayes' previous book, and hope there will be more of her to come.I had guessed the twist prior to the end, but probably not until 2/3rds of the way through, and even having a hunch about how things would pan out didn't spoil my enjoyment. Hayes write in a manner that causes you to second guess yourself all the time, suspecting everyone! When a plot is well woven, it doesn't always need to surprise you to take your breath away.Before You Die isn't always an easy read, and at times explicitly gruesome. If you enjoyed TV dramas Broadchurch and Prey, or books such as Elizabeth Haynes' bestsellers, I'm sure you'll be enraptured by Before You Die. High quality suspense which made my heart pound and my mouth go dry.

While I felt this story started off a bit rocky, it turned into a thrilling, and surprising read by the end.I didn’t realize before reading that it was the second in a series, but it stood alone quite well. There are a few remarks that hinted at a prior story, but nothing that stood in the way of enjoying and understanding this story.This book had several twists and turns, and in the first half, had several story lines that seemed very disconnected.

I had a bit of trouble seeing the point to While I felt this story started off a bit rocky, it turned into a thrilling, and surprising read by the end.I didn’t realize before reading that it was the second in a series, but it stood alone quite well. There are a few remarks that hinted at a prior story, but nothing that stood in the way of enjoying and understanding this story.This book had several twists and turns, and in the first half, had several story lines that seemed very disconnected. I had a bit of trouble seeing the point to everything that was happening, but things did start to pull together in the end.The main element I had an issue with was Freddie’s story. His mother indicated that he had recently become very withdrawn and antisocial, and she was worried, but she never made any effort to talk to him or find out what was going on his life. She took a very hands-off approach, which I felt clashed with the level of concern she was expressing to her sister. Why did she never try to talk to him? Or make him spend time with the family?

Since Lorraine was showing herself to be a very detail-oriented detective, it felt like she would have noticed something to help him, if only she had been able to spend some time with him.Overall, the story was quite exciting with lots of twists and turns. By the end of the book I was flying through the pages and found the ending to be very much a surprise. I thought I would have no problems jumping right into this book.

Yet, there was nothing intriguing about the story or the characters. In fact, the first scene with the bike accident barely made my heart jump. It was like it happened and then it was over. I even had to go back and re-read it again as I felt like I was sleeping.

For me the story did not get any better. As I said the characters were boring and it did not help with a story line that I found lacking in intrigue.

After re-reading I thought I would have no problems jumping right into this book. Yet, there was nothing intriguing about the story or the characters.

In fact, the first scene with the bike accident barely made my heart jump. It was like it happened and then it was over. I even had to go back and re-read it again as I felt like I was sleeping. For me the story did not get any better. As I said the characters were boring and it did not help with a story line that I found lacking in intrigue.

After re-reading sections for about the sixth time I finally gave up on this book. Hello!Thanks for stopping by my Goodreads page!I'm thrilled that my latest book THE REUNION is out NOW from all good online ebook retailers, as well as a paperback from Amazon.

I do hope you love it!If you love a good 'domestic noir' thriller that will mess with your mind and keep you turning the pages, then this one's for you! Here's the blurb.' They were all there the day Hello!Thanks for stopping by my Goodreads page!I'm thrilled that my latest book THE REUNION is out NOW from all good online ebook retailers, as well as a paperback from Amazon.

I do hope you love it!If you love a good 'domestic noir' thriller that will mess with your mind and keep you turning the pages, then this one's for you! Here's the blurb.' They were all there the day your sister went missing. Who is lying?

Who is next?THEN – In charge of her little sister at the beach, Claire allowed Eleanor to walk to the shop alone to buy an ice cream. Placing a coin into her hand, Claire told her to be quick, knowing how much she wanted the freedom.Eleanor never came back.NOW – The time has finally come to sell the family farm and Claire is organising a reunion of her dearest friends, the same friends who were present the day her sister went missing.When another girl disappears, long-buried secrets begin to surface. One of the group hides the darkest secret of them all'UNTIL YOU'RE MINE is the first of three books in my series featuring married detectives DIs Lorraine Fisher and Adam Scott. It's available in the UK and USA as well as lots of other countries around the world.BEFORE YOU DIE is the second in the series, and YOU BELONG TO ME the third. IN TOO DEEP is a standalone story and all are creepy psychological thrillers with and available now.Oh, and don't forget to look out for the four thrillers I wrote under the name Sam Hayes - Blood Ties, Unspoken, Tell Tale, and Someone Else's Son.I do hope you'll love getting stuck into my books and enjoy reading them as much as I love writing them. And do let me know what you think - it's great to hear from readers! You can get in touch via my website where you'll find lots of info about me and my books - or come and 'Like' my Facebook page at or follow me on Twitter too - I'm @samhayesHappy reading!Samantha xx.