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Secret Lives of the Dead
A dark folk horror tale of a deadly family curse, crime and murder that is sure to turn your blood cold, from the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Netflix's The Silence.
When Jodi, BB and Matt decide to burgle a derelict country home as a thrilling dare, they become embroiled in a twisted legacy of supernatural terror. There are rumours of a bizarre curse hanging over the hoard of antiques and jewellery within the house. And unbeknownst to the others, one member of the trio has darker motives for breaking into the property.
Lem is a brutal man obsessed with a gruesome family legend. He is determined to right the wrongs of the past and lift the curse placed on his bloodline. By completing the work of his father and bringing a bizarre selection of scattered relics back together, he hopes to be free of the malign influence that has hounded every generation of his family for two centuries.
Across a single day a deadly pursuit will culminate on the desolate, storm-swept Crow Island, and those involved are given cause to wonder… can believing in a curse deeply enough bring its own bad luck?
When Jodi, BB and Matt decide to burgle a derelict country home as a thrilling dare, they become embroiled in a twisted legacy of supernatural terror. There are rumours of a bizarre curse hanging over the hoard of antiques and jewellery within the house. And unbeknownst to the others, one member of the trio has darker motives for breaking into the property.
Lem is a brutal man obsessed with a gruesome family legend. He is determined to right the wrongs of the past and lift the curse placed on his bloodline. By completing the work of his father and bringing a bizarre selection of scattered relics back together, he hopes to be free of the malign influence that has hounded every generation of his family for two centuries.
Across a single day a deadly pursuit will culminate on the desolate, storm-swept Crow Island, and those involved are given cause to wonder… can believing in a curse deeply enough bring its own bad luck?
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2025
63 people are currently reading
1366 people want to read
About the author
Tim Lebbon
295 books1,539 followersI love writing, reading, triathlon, real ale, chocolate, good movies, occasional bad movies, and cake.
I was born in London in 1969, lived in Devon until I was eight, and the next twenty years were spent in Newport. My wife Tracey and I then did a Good Thing and moved back to the country, and we now live in the little village of Goytre in Monmouthshire with our kids Ellie and Daniel. And our dog, Blu, who is the size of a donkey.
I love the countryside ... I do a lot of running and cycling, and live in the best part of the world for that.
I've had loads of books published in the UK, USA, and around the world, including novels, novellas, and collections. I write horror, fantasy, and now thrillers, and I've been writing as a living for over 8 years. I've won quite a few awards for my original fiction, and I've also written tie-in projects for Star Wars, Alien, Hellboy, The Cabin in the Woods, and 30 Days of Night.
A movie's just been made of my short story Pay the Ghost, starring Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies. There are other projects in development, too.
I'd love to hear from you!
I was born in London in 1969, lived in Devon until I was eight, and the next twenty years were spent in Newport. My wife Tracey and I then did a Good Thing and moved back to the country, and we now live in the little village of Goytre in Monmouthshire with our kids Ellie and Daniel. And our dog, Blu, who is the size of a donkey.
I love the countryside ... I do a lot of running and cycling, and live in the best part of the world for that.
I've had loads of books published in the UK, USA, and around the world, including novels, novellas, and collections. I write horror, fantasy, and now thrillers, and I've been writing as a living for over 8 years. I've won quite a few awards for my original fiction, and I've also written tie-in projects for Star Wars, Alien, Hellboy, The Cabin in the Woods, and 30 Days of Night.
A movie's just been made of my short story Pay the Ghost, starring Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies. There are other projects in development, too.
I'd love to hear from you!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
June 20, 2025
A gripping tale about a family cure, the quest for a relic, and a trail of blood! Tim Lebbon's Secret Lives of the Dead is about a quest of both Lem and Jodi, two individuals on opposites sides in the pursuit for a relic. They are both obsessed and have their own motives for obtaining the relic and neither is willing to give up.
Lem is on a mission to right the wrongs of the past. His family has been cursed, and he is trying to obtain the relics needed to free his bloodline from the curse that has haunted his family for generations. He is brutal and willing to kill whoever gets in his way!
Jodi's father was murdered by Lem, and she is on a collision course of revenge. She knows that Lem is after the last relic and has enlisted her boyfriend and friend to help her break into an abandoned family home in search of the relic.
I enjoyed this captivating tale of obsession and revenge. Both Jodi and Lem are fully fleshed out characters and Lebbon did a great job of depicting each's reasons for their actions. This book is a horrific cat-and-mouse folk horror tale with supernatural elements. This book takes place over a single day and man, does Tim Lebbon put all the character through a lot during that time. I enjoyed the POV's and the action. I was hoping for more of the supernatural element but otherwise, I enjoyed the quest, the action, the twists, and the obsession. I enjoyed the blending of suspense, mystery, thrills, horror, and supernatural. They were all included effortlessly.
Dark, wonderfully written, perfectly paced, gripping, and horrific!
Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
Lem is on a mission to right the wrongs of the past. His family has been cursed, and he is trying to obtain the relics needed to free his bloodline from the curse that has haunted his family for generations. He is brutal and willing to kill whoever gets in his way!
Jodi's father was murdered by Lem, and she is on a collision course of revenge. She knows that Lem is after the last relic and has enlisted her boyfriend and friend to help her break into an abandoned family home in search of the relic.
I enjoyed this captivating tale of obsession and revenge. Both Jodi and Lem are fully fleshed out characters and Lebbon did a great job of depicting each's reasons for their actions. This book is a horrific cat-and-mouse folk horror tale with supernatural elements. This book takes place over a single day and man, does Tim Lebbon put all the character through a lot during that time. I enjoyed the POV's and the action. I was hoping for more of the supernatural element but otherwise, I enjoyed the quest, the action, the twists, and the obsession. I enjoyed the blending of suspense, mystery, thrills, horror, and supernatural. They were all included effortlessly.
Dark, wonderfully written, perfectly paced, gripping, and horrific!
Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
October 14, 2025
A great folk horror from Tim Lebbon.
As ever I'm skipping all the blurbs and reoccurring descriptions of the storyline.
What i will say is that this was an extremely fun and refreshing read. Yes its a folk horror but stripped down and with a fresh perspective on the genre.
Great writing throughout and very well paced for the most part. Tim drip feeds us with information throughout but never let's as get a real sniff of the truth.
I'd definately recommend this to friends and followers!
I received an advanced copy for free and I'm leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.
As ever I'm skipping all the blurbs and reoccurring descriptions of the storyline.
What i will say is that this was an extremely fun and refreshing read. Yes its a folk horror but stripped down and with a fresh perspective on the genre.
Great writing throughout and very well paced for the most part. Tim drip feeds us with information throughout but never let's as get a real sniff of the truth.
I'd definately recommend this to friends and followers!
I received an advanced copy for free and I'm leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.
July 10, 2025
Matt, Jodie and BB decide to break into an abandoned house on the outskirts of town on a dare to look for antiques and jewellery. Unbeknownst to the others, Jodie has some ulterior motives to wanting to break into the house. Lem, a violent man who is trying to free himself from a family curse, tracks down the last relic he needs to complete the task. When they all unexpectedly end up at the house on the same day violence ensues.
I thought it was an ok story on revenge more than anything. I expected a lot more folk & supernatural horror but I felt this really barely scratched the surface. I desperately wanted more of the witch/family curse story line. yes, it's mentioned but I went into this expecting it to be more of the main plot. The writing was fine but the pacing was a bit off with it dragging at times towards the end.
Lem brought the action, the blood and the entertainment. He was really the only character that I felt like I could connect with or found interesting. I couldn't stand Jodi & Matt was just like...there.
At little bit of a disappointment as a horror read but this might be for someone looking for a thriller with a bit of action..
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review
I thought it was an ok story on revenge more than anything. I expected a lot more folk & supernatural horror but I felt this really barely scratched the surface. I desperately wanted more of the witch/family curse story line. yes, it's mentioned but I went into this expecting it to be more of the main plot. The writing was fine but the pacing was a bit off with it dragging at times towards the end.
Lem brought the action, the blood and the entertainment. He was really the only character that I felt like I could connect with or found interesting. I couldn't stand Jodi & Matt was just like...there.
At little bit of a disappointment as a horror read but this might be for someone looking for a thriller with a bit of action..
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review
June 21, 2025
3/5 stars
An okay story of revenge with some great gore. I couldn’t really connect to any of the characters except Lem (the actual VILLAIN) who had the best chapters by far. I needed moreeee of the witch/curse and spooky stuff going on in his plotline and less about Jodi and her random father who I never cared about. Oh, and Matt. Piss off Matt. The writing style was a bit fragmented and difficult to follow for me, but the book did fly along which was nice.
Overall quite a disappointing horror read, but an interesting thriller with a great serial-killing villain with a mystical backstory.
An okay story of revenge with some great gore. I couldn’t really connect to any of the characters except Lem (the actual VILLAIN) who had the best chapters by far. I needed moreeee of the witch/curse and spooky stuff going on in his plotline and less about Jodi and her random father who I never cared about. Oh, and Matt. Piss off Matt. The writing style was a bit fragmented and difficult to follow for me, but the book did fly along which was nice.
Overall quite a disappointing horror read, but an interesting thriller with a great serial-killing villain with a mystical backstory.
August 12, 2025
2.75/5 stars.
Less folk horror, more revenge story. I thought if anything, it would've been reversed and I wish that we got more folk out of this. I struggled with this book a bit but not for any particular reason. Overall I found the story to not quite be what I expected or hoped for and I didn't enjoy the majority of the characters. I found them decently unlikeable and not too intriguing.
I felt my mind drifting while reading a lot of this book due to my struggles with connecting to the characters. The gore was good, but I felt as though the overall story was lacking.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the arc. All opinions are my own.
Less folk horror, more revenge story. I thought if anything, it would've been reversed and I wish that we got more folk out of this. I struggled with this book a bit but not for any particular reason. Overall I found the story to not quite be what I expected or hoped for and I didn't enjoy the majority of the characters. I found them decently unlikeable and not too intriguing.
I felt my mind drifting while reading a lot of this book due to my struggles with connecting to the characters. The gore was good, but I felt as though the overall story was lacking.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the arc. All opinions are my own.
August 19, 2025
“Witches and trees, trees and witches.”
Tim has a great concept here: family curses, a murdering psychopath, a revenge plan gone wrong, etc.
Some parts were thrilling, and I loved the flashback sections showing Lem acquiring the relics. Overall I did get a little bored with Jodi’s character and her weird/poor decisions.
I didn’t understand the reveal of the secret Lem had kept from Jodi. Was it just his delusion?
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Titan Books for a copy!
Tim has a great concept here: family curses, a murdering psychopath, a revenge plan gone wrong, etc.
Some parts were thrilling, and I loved the flashback sections showing Lem acquiring the relics. Overall I did get a little bored with Jodi’s character and her weird/poor decisions.
I didn’t understand the reveal of the secret Lem had kept from Jodi. Was it just his delusion?
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Titan Books for a copy!
December 8, 2025
“Witches and trees, trees and witches.”
This was my first Tim Lebbon book after having his works on my TBR for far too long, but it absolutely won't be my last. The characters in this book dug themselves deep under my skin, and I'm going to have a hard time letting go of them now that I've closed the book.
Secret Lives of the Dead is a horror story about ancient relics and a witch's curse, sure, but it's also about the terrors and agonies of generational trauma and grief, of coping with losses that we don't know how to survive and reckoning with the scars we carry on from those moments.
Our protagonist, Jodi, and our villain, Lem, are beautifully painted parallels of one another as they both fight towards any ending that can allow them to live with themselves—or, if nothing else, to put their weary hearts to rest. It's impossible not to empathize with each of them, no matter how awful the circumstances.
The entire story takes place over one action-packed, devastating day, but the pacing is exactly where it needs to be. Lebbon does a magnificent job of never letting us lull in one place too long, while still savoring the little moments as we race towards an inevitable end. The entire story was masterfully crafted, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys character-driven horror and dark fantasy tales.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Content warnings for:
June 14, 2025
An absolute gem of a book - a page turner for sure! Leaning more towards thriller than pure horror, "Secret Lives of the Dead" blends occult noir with a revenge tale, continuously escalating the tension, both inner and external conflicts growing more and more serious and dangerous - till the violent and dramatically explosive ending! Building on the horror tropes of the "family curse" and the "cursed object," it complicates matters by throwing in two very strong and morally grey characters in conflict, and never really taking sides or prejudging the outcome. Once it becomes clear how the supernatural is involved, the author goes for the strongest impact on his readers, by razor-sharp characterization and dark, heart-breaking story turns, almost like everyone in the book is on their own suicide mission - a fact which makes you care for the characters, especially for the villain of the piece, who's essentially the one holding the reins and creating so much sorrow and sadness for all involved (even himself), it's a miracle he always sounds fresh and engaging. In fact, the protagonists of the book are both survivors and casualties of a victim mentality which fuels their opposition, sweeping up readers along in their grim and violent story whether they like it or not.
Lebbon's character work deserves special praise. The action scenes are very well-done, but this is pretty much expected, on that front Lebbon never disappoints. But if it weren't for the brilliant characters, I doubt the ending or the story on their own would have had such an impact on me: beyond the blood-letting and the bone-crunching, for me it's the terrifying psychological insights supporting the character building that make this book a real achievement.
The book is dark, brutal, and always moving forward, even when the action stops for a bit, and it's time for some necessary flashbacks. Even then, every little detail counts, it's integral to the plot, and if you think some extended reminiscence is just filler or the author giving you a breather, you'll blink and you'll miss something important. That said, this is no detective thriller or police procedural; it has a different focus, heavily invested in family issues, friendship matters, the conflict of selfless dedication to a life-long mission vs the selfishness of evil.
It's also top-notch entertainment, and even if some hearts break, horror lovers will have their fun! An epic journey I unhesitatingly recommend!
Lebbon's character work deserves special praise. The action scenes are very well-done, but this is pretty much expected, on that front Lebbon never disappoints. But if it weren't for the brilliant characters, I doubt the ending or the story on their own would have had such an impact on me: beyond the blood-letting and the bone-crunching, for me it's the terrifying psychological insights supporting the character building that make this book a real achievement.
The book is dark, brutal, and always moving forward, even when the action stops for a bit, and it's time for some necessary flashbacks. Even then, every little detail counts, it's integral to the plot, and if you think some extended reminiscence is just filler or the author giving you a breather, you'll blink and you'll miss something important. That said, this is no detective thriller or police procedural; it has a different focus, heavily invested in family issues, friendship matters, the conflict of selfless dedication to a life-long mission vs the selfishness of evil.
It's also top-notch entertainment, and even if some hearts break, horror lovers will have their fun! An epic journey I unhesitatingly recommend!
Read
August 14, 2025*Huge thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the digital ARC of this one!*
There’s a brilliance that shines forth when an author includes aspects of something they truly live and breathe and love in their real lives, within their written work. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes it’s overt, but no matter which way the author chooses to implement it within the book, it sparkles, crackles and fills the spaces between words with a palpable energy.
With Tim Lebbon, that aspect is running. If you follow Tim on Facebook or subscribe to his newsletter/blog, you’ll see a majority of his personal updates are about running events he’s taken part in, whether a marathon length or longer. In fact, his love for running is what elevated his 2020 novel ‘Eden,’ to another level. (And if you’ve not read that banger – A- shame on you and B- get on it, it’s glorious!).
In fact, Tim’s latest novel, ‘Secret Lives of the Dead,’ is what happens when you take that novel and mix it with his recent novel, 2024’s ‘Among the Living,’ and shook them up and tossed them on the table. Where ‘Eden’ had the running, survival element, ‘Among the Living,’ has the heavy, lovely folklore elements.
I went into this one rather blind, but confident knowing I was in Tim’s capable and wonderful writing hands, and wow, did this novel deliver a thrill ride I wasn’t expecting.
What I liked: The novel hops between multiple POV’s but our de facto main character is Jodi. A young woman, she’s haunted by events in her past, including her dad’s death in a car accident she witnessed, and ever since that moment, she’s lived a bit of a nomadic existence. Moving from place to place, never feeling settled, but always finding a place to run. Throughout her wandering life, she’s keeping her eyes open for the relics, pieces of something that seem to hold a curse and that were directly related to her dad’s untimely death.
At her current stop, she learns one might be within an old, abandoned mansion. To her surprise, she’s connected with a man, BB, more than she’s ever connected before. Some might even call it love. Joined by his friend, Matt, the trio break in to find whatever treasure might be inside – with Matt and BB unaware that Jodi is searching something more.
It’s here that Lem is introduced. He’s seeking the relics for himself in an attempt to break the curse that’s enveloped his family for many, many decades. He’s been battered and beaten and carries the scars on his skin from his search.
A confrontation occurs, Jodi and crew flee and from there Tim takes us on a day-long thrill ride filled with brutality, loss, heartbreak and gore. It’s a mixture of very high moments and very low moments and Tim has a way of letting the sorrow sit and take hold while also skyrocketing our blood pressure without warning. Throughout, Tim uses the world around our characters as chess pieces to move and use to better and worsen each others situations and the constant tug of war between Jodi and Lem is heightened because of that. Ultimately, those two want each other to die, while each understanding the other is part of the puzzle for the other to use to get to their end goals.
The final quarter is a dizzying sprint. I raced through it, needed to see what would happen and learn the truth of what resides on Crow Island. Tim sets things up really nicely and when the domino’s fall, it was done with such precision that it felt like the air was sucked from the room.
The epilogue was fitting and answered some questions that lingered and I for one was glad to have answered.
What I didn’t like: The whole spoiler thingy kind of prevents me from fully discussing what I didn’t like, but what I can say is that revelation of a specific character potentially still being alive and being part of the curse’s dynamic ultimately felt like it fizzled out when we got to the part of actually seeing this character. It felt glossed over and not as impactful as I was thinking it would be.
Why you should buy this: Lebbon is a world class author who is frankly firing on all cylinders. His last three novels have all been PHENOMENAL – ‘Eden,’ ‘The Last Storm,’ and ‘Among the Living,’ and ‘Secrets of the Dead’ only adds another amazing book to a bibliography that boasts over a dozen top drawer reads. ‘Secrets of the Dead’ is a spot on mix of friendship, frustration and kinetic energy. Throughout, you’ll be on the edge of your seat, always waiting to see what happens next and when it does happen, you’ll keep speeding along, pulled roughly by the scruff of your neck as Tim bludgeons these characters to within an inch of their lives.
Pulse-pounding thriller. What a ride.
There’s a brilliance that shines forth when an author includes aspects of something they truly live and breathe and love in their real lives, within their written work. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes it’s overt, but no matter which way the author chooses to implement it within the book, it sparkles, crackles and fills the spaces between words with a palpable energy.
With Tim Lebbon, that aspect is running. If you follow Tim on Facebook or subscribe to his newsletter/blog, you’ll see a majority of his personal updates are about running events he’s taken part in, whether a marathon length or longer. In fact, his love for running is what elevated his 2020 novel ‘Eden,’ to another level. (And if you’ve not read that banger – A- shame on you and B- get on it, it’s glorious!).
In fact, Tim’s latest novel, ‘Secret Lives of the Dead,’ is what happens when you take that novel and mix it with his recent novel, 2024’s ‘Among the Living,’ and shook them up and tossed them on the table. Where ‘Eden’ had the running, survival element, ‘Among the Living,’ has the heavy, lovely folklore elements.
I went into this one rather blind, but confident knowing I was in Tim’s capable and wonderful writing hands, and wow, did this novel deliver a thrill ride I wasn’t expecting.
What I liked: The novel hops between multiple POV’s but our de facto main character is Jodi. A young woman, she’s haunted by events in her past, including her dad’s death in a car accident she witnessed, and ever since that moment, she’s lived a bit of a nomadic existence. Moving from place to place, never feeling settled, but always finding a place to run. Throughout her wandering life, she’s keeping her eyes open for the relics, pieces of something that seem to hold a curse and that were directly related to her dad’s untimely death.
At her current stop, she learns one might be within an old, abandoned mansion. To her surprise, she’s connected with a man, BB, more than she’s ever connected before. Some might even call it love. Joined by his friend, Matt, the trio break in to find whatever treasure might be inside – with Matt and BB unaware that Jodi is searching something more.
It’s here that Lem is introduced. He’s seeking the relics for himself in an attempt to break the curse that’s enveloped his family for many, many decades. He’s been battered and beaten and carries the scars on his skin from his search.
A confrontation occurs, Jodi and crew flee and from there Tim takes us on a day-long thrill ride filled with brutality, loss, heartbreak and gore. It’s a mixture of very high moments and very low moments and Tim has a way of letting the sorrow sit and take hold while also skyrocketing our blood pressure without warning. Throughout, Tim uses the world around our characters as chess pieces to move and use to better and worsen each others situations and the constant tug of war between Jodi and Lem is heightened because of that. Ultimately, those two want each other to die, while each understanding the other is part of the puzzle for the other to use to get to their end goals.
The final quarter is a dizzying sprint. I raced through it, needed to see what would happen and learn the truth of what resides on Crow Island. Tim sets things up really nicely and when the domino’s fall, it was done with such precision that it felt like the air was sucked from the room.
The epilogue was fitting and answered some questions that lingered and I for one was glad to have answered.
What I didn’t like: The whole spoiler thingy kind of prevents me from fully discussing what I didn’t like, but what I can say is that revelation of a specific character potentially still being alive and being part of the curse’s dynamic ultimately felt like it fizzled out when we got to the part of actually seeing this character. It felt glossed over and not as impactful as I was thinking it would be.
Why you should buy this: Lebbon is a world class author who is frankly firing on all cylinders. His last three novels have all been PHENOMENAL – ‘Eden,’ ‘The Last Storm,’ and ‘Among the Living,’ and ‘Secrets of the Dead’ only adds another amazing book to a bibliography that boasts over a dozen top drawer reads. ‘Secrets of the Dead’ is a spot on mix of friendship, frustration and kinetic energy. Throughout, you’ll be on the edge of your seat, always waiting to see what happens next and when it does happen, you’ll keep speeding along, pulled roughly by the scruff of your neck as Tim bludgeons these characters to within an inch of their lives.
Pulse-pounding thriller. What a ride.
January 15, 2026
A slow-burn folk horror built around a family curse, criminal intent, and a storm-lashed island finale but unfortunately, it never caught fire for me.
The premise is solid on paper: a cursed hoard, fractured motives, and the idea that belief itself might summon doom. In practice, the pacing is glacial. Large stretches feel inert, circling atmosphere without escalating tension, and I struggled to stay invested while waiting for something—anything—to happen.
The biggest issue, though, is the characters. I didn’t connect with them at all, which made their choices and eventual fates hard to care about. Without emotional hooks, the menace felt distant, and the supposed inevitability of the curse landed flat rather than chilling.
The premise is solid on paper: a cursed hoard, fractured motives, and the idea that belief itself might summon doom. In practice, the pacing is glacial. Large stretches feel inert, circling atmosphere without escalating tension, and I struggled to stay invested while waiting for something—anything—to happen.
The biggest issue, though, is the characters. I didn’t connect with them at all, which made their choices and eventual fates hard to care about. Without emotional hooks, the menace felt distant, and the supposed inevitability of the curse landed flat rather than chilling.
July 24, 2025
Tim Lebbon does it again with this super fast-paced, action packed folky horror about a "robbery" gone extremely wrong.
December 1, 2025
3.5 stars!
This story started out interesting, and quickly moved up to something more. Jodi is always on the run from something in her past, but just as she finds herself wanting to settle down, the past catches up with her. At this point, we have a lot of back and forth timelines. Not just two, but they go all over the place to follow parts of certain characters' pasts. Honestly, this took away the momentum I felt the story originally had.
The idea itself was very compelling, and when an "element" from Jodi's past is brought back I was very impressed. Without spoiling anything, I wish the author had gone further with this, because it could have been so much more.
Overall, a great idea, with some extremely impressive scenes. It could have been smoother with less "back and forth", and I would have loved more information on a couple of items.
This story started out interesting, and quickly moved up to something more. Jodi is always on the run from something in her past, but just as she finds herself wanting to settle down, the past catches up with her. At this point, we have a lot of back and forth timelines. Not just two, but they go all over the place to follow parts of certain characters' pasts. Honestly, this took away the momentum I felt the story originally had.
The idea itself was very compelling, and when an "element" from Jodi's past is brought back I was very impressed. Without spoiling anything, I wish the author had gone further with this, because it could have been so much more.
Overall, a great idea, with some extremely impressive scenes. It could have been smoother with less "back and forth", and I would have loved more information on a couple of items.
September 3, 2025
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for gifting me an advance copy of this book! 🫶
Brief Synopsis:
Seeking revenge for her father’s murder, Jodi is pulled into a cat and mouse game with a killer who carries a family curse.
My Thoughts:
I really loved the premise of this one, but it felt like all build with very little payoff. The book is billed as folk horror, but the folk horror elements are minor and highly underutilized, in my opinion. It reads more like a supernatural thriller. The cat and mouse chase between the two main characters is interesting and definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, but I felt like the resolution was too easy and too quick. I kept expecting some crazy stuff to go down, but the ending left me disappointed. Still, the writing was excellent, and I’ve loved other stories written by this author, so I’ll definitely be giving him another try. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5 (rounded up to 4/5)
Brief Synopsis:
Seeking revenge for her father’s murder, Jodi is pulled into a cat and mouse game with a killer who carries a family curse.
My Thoughts:
I really loved the premise of this one, but it felt like all build with very little payoff. The book is billed as folk horror, but the folk horror elements are minor and highly underutilized, in my opinion. It reads more like a supernatural thriller. The cat and mouse chase between the two main characters is interesting and definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, but I felt like the resolution was too easy and too quick. I kept expecting some crazy stuff to go down, but the ending left me disappointed. Still, the writing was excellent, and I’ve loved other stories written by this author, so I’ll definitely be giving him another try. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5 (rounded up to 4/5)
October 31, 2025
I'm ashamed to say this was the first I've read from Lebbon, BUT I have watched The Silence and loved it...I just didn't make the connection.
It took a few chapters to become fully engaged with the story, but when I did there was no putting it down!
Morgan Manor was the perfect spooky setting as derelict buildings usually are. It was atmospheric, and immediately evoked a sense of foreboding.
The characters while very few toy with your mind and get under your skin.
I really enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more from Lebbon in the future.
A dark and delightful story of revenge and obsession.
It took a few chapters to become fully engaged with the story, but when I did there was no putting it down!
Morgan Manor was the perfect spooky setting as derelict buildings usually are. It was atmospheric, and immediately evoked a sense of foreboding.
The characters while very few toy with your mind and get under your skin.
I really enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more from Lebbon in the future.
A dark and delightful story of revenge and obsession.
September 7, 2025
Secret Lives of the Dead continually played with my mind. The secrets of the house. The characters themselves. Tim's got it all going on here. Take your time. Dig in deep. Enjoy
July 6, 2025
Secret Lives of the Dead is a grim little tale of revenge, obsession, and the dark things people do in the name of family. It’s violent, bleak, and full of death (which I usually love) But despite a killer concept and a great villain, this one didn’t fully land for me.
The story unfolds mostly over the course of a single day, with time jumps that are well-executed and easy to follow. At the center of it all is Lem, who’s on a brutal quest to lift the curse haunting his family, and he’ll do just about anything to make it happen. His chapters were easily the best part of the book. Twisted, relentless, and genuinely compelling, Lem brought the energy and madness I was craving. Every time the narrative shifted back to him, I perked up. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the rest of the cast. Jody, BB, and Matt, our trio of main characters, never quite clicked for me. Their perspectives felt flat, and I found myself pushing through their chapters just to get back to Lem.
And while the book is filled with brutal moments and dark tension, I wanted even more of the eerie, witchy, supernatural stuff it flirted with.
Lebbon keeps a solid pace through most of the book, but the last third started to drag, especially given how straightforward the story really is. Honestly, it could’ve been shorter and sharper, and I might’ve enjoyed it more.
Still, if you're into gritty, blood-soaked stories with a villain worth following, Secret Lives of the Dead might scratch that itch. Just be prepared to slog a bit for the good parts.
Thanks to Titan Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story unfolds mostly over the course of a single day, with time jumps that are well-executed and easy to follow. At the center of it all is Lem, who’s on a brutal quest to lift the curse haunting his family, and he’ll do just about anything to make it happen. His chapters were easily the best part of the book. Twisted, relentless, and genuinely compelling, Lem brought the energy and madness I was craving. Every time the narrative shifted back to him, I perked up. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the rest of the cast. Jody, BB, and Matt, our trio of main characters, never quite clicked for me. Their perspectives felt flat, and I found myself pushing through their chapters just to get back to Lem.
And while the book is filled with brutal moments and dark tension, I wanted even more of the eerie, witchy, supernatural stuff it flirted with.
Lebbon keeps a solid pace through most of the book, but the last third started to drag, especially given how straightforward the story really is. Honestly, it could’ve been shorter and sharper, and I might’ve enjoyed it more.
Still, if you're into gritty, blood-soaked stories with a villain worth following, Secret Lives of the Dead might scratch that itch. Just be prepared to slog a bit for the good parts.
Thanks to Titan Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 6, 2025
The plot was okay enough, but I just didn’t enjoy the writing style. I wish there had been more about the witch, curse & Morgan Manor, along with some character development. The only character who was somewhat likable was killed off at the very beginning of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2025
This review was originally published at FanFiAddict.
Some authors are content to spend their entire careers essentially rewriting the same book over and over. Much to his credit, Tim Lebbon is not and of the handful books of his I’ve read each has felt wholly distinct from one another. He’s an author equally at home with media tie-in properties, like his Alien or Firefly novels, as he is with his own original ideas. He’s an assured storyteller unafraid to push himself into new arenas and genres with works spanning the breadth of the speculative fiction domain.
His latest, Secret Lives of the Dead, veers sharply toward the crime thriller end of things, with only a small nod toward his horror roots. In the book’s opening pages we’re introduced to Jodi, BB, and Matt, close-knit friends who have been sold on a minor adventure by Jodi to break into the long-abandoned manor that has become the subject of local gossip and urban legend revolving around a familial curse and a long-dead witch. It’s not just the derelict home that’s keeping secrets, as Jodi has her own reasons for starting their day off with some light B&E. It’s not long before the situation spirals out of control with the introduction of the heavily tattooed and psychopathic killer Lem, who arrives at the estate looking for the very same artifact Jodi is covertly seeking.
One of the hallmark characteristics of the thriller genre is its rapid-fire pacing. Secret Lives of the Dead has this in spades and speeds forward like Usain Bolt. Spread across only a single morning, Lebbon keeps the action tight and frenetic, with the plot unravelling across what is essentially a very long chase scene across the fictional setting of Mariton in the UK. Mariton’s a fitting place for all this, sounding a bit like marathon, and with the author being a triathlete with a love for endurance sports. Secret Lives of the Dead is itself a marathon run, and these characters’ endurance is pushed well beyond any of their limits.
Lebbon slows down sparingly to shade in his character’s motivations, answer reader’s questions about them, and link them together via a series of flashbacks. Even then, he still manages to maintain a sense of violent dread, particularly with Lem, who has no tells or other outward signs to indicate what his reflexively violent reptile brain might do next. Lem’s encounters as he searches the country far and wide for the artifacts to break his family’s curse offer those he comes across one thing, but could quickly derail into something else entirely. A small, insignificant conversation with Lem could lead to a quick, brutal, and unexpected violent clash in a heartbeat. He’s emotionless, remorseless, unflappable, and horrifying in the vein of Cormac McCarthy’s Anton Chigurh. Unlike Chigurh, Lem doesn’t leave the fate of his potential victims up to a coin flip as much as he does his own whimsy, which often leans toward murder because that’s just Lem’s natural instinct. We also understand Lem more than we do Chigurh, even as he repulses us. He has his own motivations for doing what he does, even if he comes across as a more thuggish Terminator.
Jodi, too, has her own motivations and reasons for keeping secrets from her lover, BB, and his best friend, Matt. She’s a survivor of Lem’s traumatic actions and Lebbon fills in the blanks well enough to make us understand her viewpoint even if it is disagreeable and leads to numerous unintended consequences that stack one atop another in an out of control death spiral.
As for the horror elements, well, Secret Lives of the Dead is, first and foremost a kinetic crime thriller. For all its talk about witches and curses, the artifacts driving and pushing Lem and Jodi into conflict are a straight-up MacGuffin. Swap those out with drugs, money, or a briefcase with a glowing gold interior, and you’ve got a straight-up crime story. Make them the bones of a witch, throw in a couple gnarly moments of extraordinary violence, mutilation, and/or dismemberment and, presto-change-o, now it’s a horror thriller. With a few adjustments, Lem and Jodi could have been motivated by literally anything else. Lebbon keeps the line separating bad luck from a curse paper thin, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions on the validity of these characters claims. Wondering how much of the narrative is supernatural versus a series of poor, rash decisions made on the run is like wondering why only Christians get possessed by the devil.
The real horror, though, comes through the characters themselves. Lem is, inarguably, a human monster. Jodi less so, although her propensity for keeping secrets results in monstrous repercussions. Who needs witches when you have characters like this?
Some authors are content to spend their entire careers essentially rewriting the same book over and over. Much to his credit, Tim Lebbon is not and of the handful books of his I’ve read each has felt wholly distinct from one another. He’s an author equally at home with media tie-in properties, like his Alien or Firefly novels, as he is with his own original ideas. He’s an assured storyteller unafraid to push himself into new arenas and genres with works spanning the breadth of the speculative fiction domain.
His latest, Secret Lives of the Dead, veers sharply toward the crime thriller end of things, with only a small nod toward his horror roots. In the book’s opening pages we’re introduced to Jodi, BB, and Matt, close-knit friends who have been sold on a minor adventure by Jodi to break into the long-abandoned manor that has become the subject of local gossip and urban legend revolving around a familial curse and a long-dead witch. It’s not just the derelict home that’s keeping secrets, as Jodi has her own reasons for starting their day off with some light B&E. It’s not long before the situation spirals out of control with the introduction of the heavily tattooed and psychopathic killer Lem, who arrives at the estate looking for the very same artifact Jodi is covertly seeking.
One of the hallmark characteristics of the thriller genre is its rapid-fire pacing. Secret Lives of the Dead has this in spades and speeds forward like Usain Bolt. Spread across only a single morning, Lebbon keeps the action tight and frenetic, with the plot unravelling across what is essentially a very long chase scene across the fictional setting of Mariton in the UK. Mariton’s a fitting place for all this, sounding a bit like marathon, and with the author being a triathlete with a love for endurance sports. Secret Lives of the Dead is itself a marathon run, and these characters’ endurance is pushed well beyond any of their limits.
Lebbon slows down sparingly to shade in his character’s motivations, answer reader’s questions about them, and link them together via a series of flashbacks. Even then, he still manages to maintain a sense of violent dread, particularly with Lem, who has no tells or other outward signs to indicate what his reflexively violent reptile brain might do next. Lem’s encounters as he searches the country far and wide for the artifacts to break his family’s curse offer those he comes across one thing, but could quickly derail into something else entirely. A small, insignificant conversation with Lem could lead to a quick, brutal, and unexpected violent clash in a heartbeat. He’s emotionless, remorseless, unflappable, and horrifying in the vein of Cormac McCarthy’s Anton Chigurh. Unlike Chigurh, Lem doesn’t leave the fate of his potential victims up to a coin flip as much as he does his own whimsy, which often leans toward murder because that’s just Lem’s natural instinct. We also understand Lem more than we do Chigurh, even as he repulses us. He has his own motivations for doing what he does, even if he comes across as a more thuggish Terminator.
Jodi, too, has her own motivations and reasons for keeping secrets from her lover, BB, and his best friend, Matt. She’s a survivor of Lem’s traumatic actions and Lebbon fills in the blanks well enough to make us understand her viewpoint even if it is disagreeable and leads to numerous unintended consequences that stack one atop another in an out of control death spiral.
As for the horror elements, well, Secret Lives of the Dead is, first and foremost a kinetic crime thriller. For all its talk about witches and curses, the artifacts driving and pushing Lem and Jodi into conflict are a straight-up MacGuffin. Swap those out with drugs, money, or a briefcase with a glowing gold interior, and you’ve got a straight-up crime story. Make them the bones of a witch, throw in a couple gnarly moments of extraordinary violence, mutilation, and/or dismemberment and, presto-change-o, now it’s a horror thriller. With a few adjustments, Lem and Jodi could have been motivated by literally anything else. Lebbon keeps the line separating bad luck from a curse paper thin, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions on the validity of these characters claims. Wondering how much of the narrative is supernatural versus a series of poor, rash decisions made on the run is like wondering why only Christians get possessed by the devil.
The real horror, though, comes through the characters themselves. Lem is, inarguably, a human monster. Jodi less so, although her propensity for keeping secrets results in monstrous repercussions. Who needs witches when you have characters like this?
August 20, 2025
Witches, Artifacts, and Murderous Mayhem!
Secret Lives of the Dead is a mystery for the ages, packed with curses to break, secrets to uncover, and a cast of colorful characters with their own hidden agendas. This is Tim Lebbon at his best, and trust me, you don’t want to miss it!
Lebbon’s writing is utterly addictive. His prose is sharp and immersive, and his characters are so compelling that the pages practically turn themselves. I especially loved the rotating perspectives because they gave each chapter fresh momentum and made every setting feel vivid and alive. While the pacing slowed a little in the middle, it only built anticipation for the storm that followed.
And what a storm it was. The ending is a wild, dizzying rush of violence, chaos, and dark revelations. Just when I thought I had it figured out, a final twist left me literally gasping. It’s haunting, thrilling, and above all, fun—a book that begs to be devoured.
Don’t miss Secret Lives of the Dead. It’s Tim Lebbon at his most captivating.
Secret Lives of the Dead is a mystery for the ages, packed with curses to break, secrets to uncover, and a cast of colorful characters with their own hidden agendas. This is Tim Lebbon at his best, and trust me, you don’t want to miss it!
Lebbon’s writing is utterly addictive. His prose is sharp and immersive, and his characters are so compelling that the pages practically turn themselves. I especially loved the rotating perspectives because they gave each chapter fresh momentum and made every setting feel vivid and alive. While the pacing slowed a little in the middle, it only built anticipation for the storm that followed.
And what a storm it was. The ending is a wild, dizzying rush of violence, chaos, and dark revelations. Just when I thought I had it figured out, a final twist left me literally gasping. It’s haunting, thrilling, and above all, fun—a book that begs to be devoured.
Don’t miss Secret Lives of the Dead. It’s Tim Lebbon at his most captivating.
December 27, 2025
Pretty good horror/crime hybrid wherein a simple house robbery goes way wrong and turns out to involve far more than two-thirds of the people involved in the robbery expected. Turns out there's a whole long history (on one side, going back hundreds of years in a folk-horror vein; on the other, going back fifteen or so) behind this, and maybe a cursed relic that's in different part of both sides' stories.
For me, the varying chronologies and POV chapters add interest and bounce us around in ways that keep the story, the main plot of which covers little more than a day or two, hurtling forward. It didn't feel to me that things were being sprung on me narratively, though I can see the complaint that the whole register of the novel suddenly changes on you. Individual chapters delve into the protagonist and antagonist's worldviews enough to make them living, complex characters, and the villain is more than a simple bad guy. That said, there's an emotional core missing that would make this feel deeper. Especially among our nominal heroes, where we're expected to pencil in relationships and a depth of feeling that's asserted more than developed. So some of the tragedies within didn't resonate for me as much as I would have liked. Lebbon writes good, slick, pacy horror thrillers that don't feel deeply grounded enough to be great, much less classics, for my taste.
For me, the varying chronologies and POV chapters add interest and bounce us around in ways that keep the story, the main plot of which covers little more than a day or two, hurtling forward. It didn't feel to me that things were being sprung on me narratively, though I can see the complaint that the whole register of the novel suddenly changes on you. Individual chapters delve into the protagonist and antagonist's worldviews enough to make them living, complex characters, and the villain is more than a simple bad guy. That said, there's an emotional core missing that would make this feel deeper. Especially among our nominal heroes, where we're expected to pencil in relationships and a depth of feeling that's asserted more than developed. So some of the tragedies within didn't resonate for me as much as I would have liked. Lebbon writes good, slick, pacy horror thrillers that don't feel deeply grounded enough to be great, much less classics, for my taste.
August 29, 2025
Secret Lives of the Dead is probably technically a thriller, but it has strong elements of supernatural horror.
At its core, it’s the story of a trio of friends who decide to pull a lighthearted heist as a bit of an adventure and their mad scramble for survival that follows.
Key to the story is the concept of family, whether that be blood relations or one’s found family of friends, and what you would do for them.
I especially enjoyed the villain, who was a somewhat sympathetic character, while remaining completely murderous.
A great book with excellent pacing that rolls right along with few wasted words or ideas.
I definitely recommend it.
At its core, it’s the story of a trio of friends who decide to pull a lighthearted heist as a bit of an adventure and their mad scramble for survival that follows.
Key to the story is the concept of family, whether that be blood relations or one’s found family of friends, and what you would do for them.
I especially enjoyed the villain, who was a somewhat sympathetic character, while remaining completely murderous.
A great book with excellent pacing that rolls right along with few wasted words or ideas.
I definitely recommend it.
October 7, 2025
Bloody, dark adventure of a story filled with family curses and vengeance.
I really like Jodi. She had a good 'final girl' vibe. The curse was deliciously dark and disturbing. I loved how he thought he was shoved back each time by family, propping him up. The violence was shocking, each twist was a complete surprise. It's gory and terrible and I loved Jodi's focus to make this all, somehow, worth it.
Such a great read, one that even in the midst of a small reading slump, pulled me back out and made me want to keep reading. I loved it, I just wish I'd had the audio. I think it would have been great!
I really like Jodi. She had a good 'final girl' vibe. The curse was deliciously dark and disturbing. I loved how he thought he was shoved back each time by family, propping him up. The violence was shocking, each twist was a complete surprise. It's gory and terrible and I loved Jodi's focus to make this all, somehow, worth it.
Such a great read, one that even in the midst of a small reading slump, pulled me back out and made me want to keep reading. I loved it, I just wish I'd had the audio. I think it would have been great!
November 21, 2025
For being a book from Tim Lebbon, this was a big disappointment of supposedly 'Horror'. Not what it was made out to be.
This would have been SO much better if Lebbon would have expanded 'the witch' storyline making it more supernatural in its horror aspect of the book, for me it was not a book that I would recommend to anyone unless you are new to thrillers and or mild horror. Skip it.
2 so whats
This would have been SO much better if Lebbon would have expanded 'the witch' storyline making it more supernatural in its horror aspect of the book, for me it was not a book that I would recommend to anyone unless you are new to thrillers and or mild horror. Skip it.
2 so whats
October 18, 2025
It wasn’t a bad book, but not enough folk horror to be interesting to me for that.
September 16, 2025
Thanks to Titan Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars.
This was almost good. A gory, crime story, with supernatural elements, at times this was compelling, and at times I just didn't care enough. I felt like I didn't know enough about our protagonist to care what happened to her.
The villain of the story was the most interesting character, and even then the lore surrounding his past felt inconsistent and hazy.
The plot flopped about, and the ending did not feel especially fulfilling.
I'm sure other people would enjoy it more than me!
2.5 stars.
This was almost good. A gory, crime story, with supernatural elements, at times this was compelling, and at times I just didn't care enough. I felt like I didn't know enough about our protagonist to care what happened to her.
The villain of the story was the most interesting character, and even then the lore surrounding his past felt inconsistent and hazy.
The plot flopped about, and the ending did not feel especially fulfilling.
I'm sure other people would enjoy it more than me!
June 8, 2025
This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.
Three friends, Jodi, BB and Matt, decide to break into the abandoned house on the outskirts of town, looking for the fabled treasure hidden but never recovered. Unbeknownst to the others, Jodi has ulterior motives for the undertaking. The same motives that have Lem, a career criminal who once ruined Jodi's life, also looking to search the house. When all unexpectedly meet in the house, it begins a path of brutal violence follows.
A mixture of violent crime novel with a folk horror element, Tim Lebbon has produced another great story. The book definitely had surprises in the plot and went in directions I never expected.
Three friends, Jodi, BB and Matt, decide to break into the abandoned house on the outskirts of town, looking for the fabled treasure hidden but never recovered. Unbeknownst to the others, Jodi has ulterior motives for the undertaking. The same motives that have Lem, a career criminal who once ruined Jodi's life, also looking to search the house. When all unexpectedly meet in the house, it begins a path of brutal violence follows.
A mixture of violent crime novel with a folk horror element, Tim Lebbon has produced another great story. The book definitely had surprises in the plot and went in directions I never expected.
August 1, 2025
I loved the layout of this book and the drawings on the chapter pages, whilst I didn’t feel this was a full horror, it was unsettling, especially Jodie’s behaviour and how little she cared about BB/Matt, just her own selfish needs.
I preferred Lem’s chapters, as I feel he was the only character I was interested in (Jodie annoyed me) and he brought a bit of violence to add to the story (for me this balanced out the lack of horror.
I liked the different POVs and timelines, but just wish the supernatural side was explored more.
I preferred Lem’s chapters, as I feel he was the only character I was interested in (Jodie annoyed me) and he brought a bit of violence to add to the story (for me this balanced out the lack of horror.
I liked the different POVs and timelines, but just wish the supernatural side was explored more.
November 5, 2025
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Secret Lives Of The Dead' by Tim Lebbon.
CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULES AND GRAB THIS PAGE TURNING SINISTER CRIME HORROR!! ONE THE BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL CRIME HORROR BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ!! GRAB YOUR COPY NOW!! I CAN GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!! YOU CAN THANK ME LATER, WELL, MAYBE NOT IF YOU GET NIGHTMARES, WHICH YOU MAY!!!
This may be the first book I have read by this extremely talented author but there is no way in hell it it is going to be my last!! What a blooming epic read!! Seriously, if you are a fan of horrors, crime, paranormal and/or suspense you will LOVE this!! If you are looking for a nice, light and sweet read then look the other way as there is nothing sweet about this story!!!
OMFG!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE, LOVE, LOVED THIS CHILLING, HORRIFIC AND EPIC BOOK, AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, NIGHTMAREISH, HAUNTING, HORRIFIC AND PAGE TURNING EXPLOSIVE MUST READ!!!
The first thing I have got to say is an absolutely HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the AMAZING author Tim Lebbon! Where the hell have you been hiding all my life? As a horror lover I am SHOCKED I have not read your books before especially with that brilliantly disturbed imagination of yours!! Love it!! Thank God I have rectified that stupid mistake and read this and now I can sink my teeth into the rest of your books. I mean, if this is anything to go by then they are guaranteed to be epic!! This book genuinely has something for everyone, well except if you are looking for a nice,relaxing, romantic or feel good read. There is crime, revenge, paranormal, suspense, horror, haunting, gore, tension, terror, thriller.... and so much more!! Anything you could ever ask for in a dark, sinister read and MUCH, MUCH MORE!! This really has got to be just one of the most chilling, disturbing and sinister horror books I have ever read!!! If you are not a fan or horror, gore and/or the paranormal well just turn away now because this has got it all in abundance and I LOVED this addictive, explosive, creepy, sinister and chilling horrific page turner!!! It had the perfect amount of horror, suspense, gore and everything else that you could ask for!! It is extremely fast paced and gripping read and I devoured it in one sitting in the space of a few hours!!! This really is the perfect book to read for any horror fan, you genuinely could not ask for a more perfect read!! You really do need to stop wasting your time reading this which cannot justify how good this book is and just run, don't walk, and grab your copy of this chilling, spine tingling book now but make sure you read it with the lights on!! I can promise you that if you love horror then you will absolutely LOVE this!!! With an addictive storyline what on Earth (or is it hell?) are you waiting for? I mean the concept alone is absolutely epic, fascinating and intriguing let alone the actual storyline!!! This truly is an absolutely addictive, action packed page turner with a unique storyline that will grip you from the moment you open the pages until the very end, and longer!! A huge well done to Tim on the absolute uniqueness of this book!! I have read hundreds and hundreds of books so it is getting harder and harder to find books with a truly unique storyline but Tim truly has smashed it out of the ballpark. He has done an absolutely brilliant job of weaving the storyline together perfectly ensuring the reader gets the bigger picture. The setting and atmosphere is perfect for the storyline and Tim's fantastic emotive and evocative writing skills really suck the reader into the story ensuring they can see the horror all around them and feel the chill up their spine. You have truly got to grab a copy of this fantastic horror today!!! I absolutely LOVE horrors and for me the creepier the better but, although I have found some great horror books out there, I struggle to find many filled with enough to creep me out!! That was up until I read this book and Stephen King eat your heart out because this is absolutely packed with a storyline and horror that I have never come across and as I have read hundreds of horrors and seen hundreds of horror movies THAT is truly hard to come across but Tim absolutely slam dunks it!! A MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS!!
Clear your schedules before turning a single page as this book is truly unputdownable!!! However, I recommend you read this in the day with company although I still couldn't guarantee you wouldn't have nightmares!!
This book is one THE BEST horror book I have ever read !!! This book really is a truly unique page turner that I picked up and had devoured within a couple of hours!!! It had absolutely everything you could ask for and more!!! GET IT NOW!!
Well done Tim Lebbon on an absolutely addictive and explosive page turner and I would definitely like to the top spot of my favourite authors of all time!!! Congratulations on an absolutely fantastic success and here is to what is guaranteed to be many more 🥂
Overall an absolutely addictive, action and supernatural packed suspense filled and chilling sinister horror that will keep you turning the pages until you've devoured the book in hours!!
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Review for 'Secret Lives Of The Dead' by Tim Lebbon.
CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULES AND GRAB THIS PAGE TURNING SINISTER CRIME HORROR!! ONE THE BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL CRIME HORROR BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ!! GRAB YOUR COPY NOW!! I CAN GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!! YOU CAN THANK ME LATER, WELL, MAYBE NOT IF YOU GET NIGHTMARES, WHICH YOU MAY!!!
This may be the first book I have read by this extremely talented author but there is no way in hell it it is going to be my last!! What a blooming epic read!! Seriously, if you are a fan of horrors, crime, paranormal and/or suspense you will LOVE this!! If you are looking for a nice, light and sweet read then look the other way as there is nothing sweet about this story!!!
OMFG!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE, LOVE, LOVED THIS CHILLING, HORRIFIC AND EPIC BOOK, AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, NIGHTMAREISH, HAUNTING, HORRIFIC AND PAGE TURNING EXPLOSIVE MUST READ!!!
The first thing I have got to say is an absolutely HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the AMAZING author Tim Lebbon! Where the hell have you been hiding all my life? As a horror lover I am SHOCKED I have not read your books before especially with that brilliantly disturbed imagination of yours!! Love it!! Thank God I have rectified that stupid mistake and read this and now I can sink my teeth into the rest of your books. I mean, if this is anything to go by then they are guaranteed to be epic!! This book genuinely has something for everyone, well except if you are looking for a nice,relaxing, romantic or feel good read. There is crime, revenge, paranormal, suspense, horror, haunting, gore, tension, terror, thriller.... and so much more!! Anything you could ever ask for in a dark, sinister read and MUCH, MUCH MORE!! This really has got to be just one of the most chilling, disturbing and sinister horror books I have ever read!!! If you are not a fan or horror, gore and/or the paranormal well just turn away now because this has got it all in abundance and I LOVED this addictive, explosive, creepy, sinister and chilling horrific page turner!!! It had the perfect amount of horror, suspense, gore and everything else that you could ask for!! It is extremely fast paced and gripping read and I devoured it in one sitting in the space of a few hours!!! This really is the perfect book to read for any horror fan, you genuinely could not ask for a more perfect read!! You really do need to stop wasting your time reading this which cannot justify how good this book is and just run, don't walk, and grab your copy of this chilling, spine tingling book now but make sure you read it with the lights on!! I can promise you that if you love horror then you will absolutely LOVE this!!! With an addictive storyline what on Earth (or is it hell?) are you waiting for? I mean the concept alone is absolutely epic, fascinating and intriguing let alone the actual storyline!!! This truly is an absolutely addictive, action packed page turner with a unique storyline that will grip you from the moment you open the pages until the very end, and longer!! A huge well done to Tim on the absolute uniqueness of this book!! I have read hundreds and hundreds of books so it is getting harder and harder to find books with a truly unique storyline but Tim truly has smashed it out of the ballpark. He has done an absolutely brilliant job of weaving the storyline together perfectly ensuring the reader gets the bigger picture. The setting and atmosphere is perfect for the storyline and Tim's fantastic emotive and evocative writing skills really suck the reader into the story ensuring they can see the horror all around them and feel the chill up their spine. You have truly got to grab a copy of this fantastic horror today!!! I absolutely LOVE horrors and for me the creepier the better but, although I have found some great horror books out there, I struggle to find many filled with enough to creep me out!! That was up until I read this book and Stephen King eat your heart out because this is absolutely packed with a storyline and horror that I have never come across and as I have read hundreds of horrors and seen hundreds of horror movies THAT is truly hard to come across but Tim absolutely slam dunks it!! A MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS!!
Clear your schedules before turning a single page as this book is truly unputdownable!!! However, I recommend you read this in the day with company although I still couldn't guarantee you wouldn't have nightmares!!
This book is one THE BEST horror book I have ever read !!! This book really is a truly unique page turner that I picked up and had devoured within a couple of hours!!! It had absolutely everything you could ask for and more!!! GET IT NOW!!
Well done Tim Lebbon on an absolutely addictive and explosive page turner and I would definitely like to the top spot of my favourite authors of all time!!! Congratulations on an absolutely fantastic success and here is to what is guaranteed to be many more 🥂
Overall an absolutely addictive, action and supernatural packed suspense filled and chilling sinister horror that will keep you turning the pages until you've devoured the book in hours!!
#SecretLivesOfTheDead #TimLebbon #TitanBooks #ZooLoosBT #ZooloosBookTours
@TimLebbon @TitanBooks @ZooLoosBT @ZooloosBookTours @BooksOnTour @BlogTour
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September 24, 2025
Once upon a time, a witch named Mary Webster was brutally murdered --- hands and tongue cut off and tied to a tree in the woods. That night, the man who killed her died his own brutal death, the obvious victim of a curse. When his family went out the woods to free the witch they found her body literally intertwined with the tree. They went on to cut up the tree with the body and left its' pieces all around the village in various places --- basements, the local church, etc...
Years later, a bad man named Lem went on the hunt of these relics hoping to piece the witch back together and take her powers. He murders the father of a young girl named Jodi in the process. Now, in present day, Jodi, her boyfriend BB, and their childhood friend Matt all venture into the woods to visit an abandoned house to look for possible loot. Didi does not tell her friends that she was also seeking a relic from that witch tree to keep Lem from getting it. When Lem arrives at the same house on the same night, things get really interesting, and the nature of the curse becomes very real for all involved.
Tim Lebbon has created a true horror noir meets gothic horror tale with SECRET LIVES OF THE DEAD and keeps readers hooked to the final page.
Years later, a bad man named Lem went on the hunt of these relics hoping to piece the witch back together and take her powers. He murders the father of a young girl named Jodi in the process. Now, in present day, Jodi, her boyfriend BB, and their childhood friend Matt all venture into the woods to visit an abandoned house to look for possible loot. Didi does not tell her friends that she was also seeking a relic from that witch tree to keep Lem from getting it. When Lem arrives at the same house on the same night, things get really interesting, and the nature of the curse becomes very real for all involved.
Tim Lebbon has created a true horror noir meets gothic horror tale with SECRET LIVES OF THE DEAD and keeps readers hooked to the final page.
August 25, 2025
Review originally on JamReads
Secret Lives of the Dead is a folk horror novel written by Tim Lebbon, published by Titan Books. A gripping plot about revenge and grievance mixed with an ancient family curse and a pinch of noir thriller, with two individuals on opposite sides of the search for a relic, excellently paced while playing with their timelines in order to give the reader all the pertinent background.
Jodi, BB, and Matt, close friends, are breaking into a local mansion with a legend of being haunted; a fun adventure that shouldn't have consequences. Soon, the situation spirals out of control, as Lem, a psychopathic killer, arrives at the estate, looking for the same relic Jodi was secretly trying to find. Two lives that were already tied by the relic in the past, a past that will be slowly unveiled by Lebbon's multiple timelines in this novel, while we follow a high-paced chase across Mariton in the present.
Even with the author taking a more thriller-like approach to the novel, Lebbon puts a ton of effort into creating nuanced characters, especially on the two sides of the quest: Lem and Jodi. Lem is trying to finally get rid of the curse that has afflicted his family for years, and reuniting the relics has made him a ruthless and emotionless man, something that makes many situations to end in a bloodbath; he has a clear goal, and he won't stop for anything.
Jodi was part of his past, even if he doesn't remember; but she's trying to get the relic as a way to get revenge for her father's death, a moment that she partly feels guilty about. Her past is a secret even to her friends, and that will bite her back.
Lebbon manages to build an excellently paced story while introducing us to the backstories that move our characters; all perfectly marked so there's no possibility of confusion. It was really effective as a way to ease the tension, with many parts ending on a cliffhanger that precedes a jump back in time. The structure is more akin to a thriller than to a horror novel per se; that's partly my only complain, as I feel the horror elements to be more a plot device than actually relevant (there's a rich lore behind the relics, but still, they could have been anything).
Secret Lives of the Dead is a great blend that you will enjoy if you prefer horror novels with a more thriller-oriented idea, without losing in character development, an aspect where Lebbon shines. An enjoyable read that will glue you to the pages until the end.
Secret Lives of the Dead is a folk horror novel written by Tim Lebbon, published by Titan Books. A gripping plot about revenge and grievance mixed with an ancient family curse and a pinch of noir thriller, with two individuals on opposite sides of the search for a relic, excellently paced while playing with their timelines in order to give the reader all the pertinent background.
Jodi, BB, and Matt, close friends, are breaking into a local mansion with a legend of being haunted; a fun adventure that shouldn't have consequences. Soon, the situation spirals out of control, as Lem, a psychopathic killer, arrives at the estate, looking for the same relic Jodi was secretly trying to find. Two lives that were already tied by the relic in the past, a past that will be slowly unveiled by Lebbon's multiple timelines in this novel, while we follow a high-paced chase across Mariton in the present.
Even with the author taking a more thriller-like approach to the novel, Lebbon puts a ton of effort into creating nuanced characters, especially on the two sides of the quest: Lem and Jodi. Lem is trying to finally get rid of the curse that has afflicted his family for years, and reuniting the relics has made him a ruthless and emotionless man, something that makes many situations to end in a bloodbath; he has a clear goal, and he won't stop for anything.
Jodi was part of his past, even if he doesn't remember; but she's trying to get the relic as a way to get revenge for her father's death, a moment that she partly feels guilty about. Her past is a secret even to her friends, and that will bite her back.
Lebbon manages to build an excellently paced story while introducing us to the backstories that move our characters; all perfectly marked so there's no possibility of confusion. It was really effective as a way to ease the tension, with many parts ending on a cliffhanger that precedes a jump back in time. The structure is more akin to a thriller than to a horror novel per se; that's partly my only complain, as I feel the horror elements to be more a plot device than actually relevant (there's a rich lore behind the relics, but still, they could have been anything).
Secret Lives of the Dead is a great blend that you will enjoy if you prefer horror novels with a more thriller-oriented idea, without losing in character development, an aspect where Lebbon shines. An enjoyable read that will glue you to the pages until the end.
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