What do you think?
Rate this book
Dead Man's Gift #1
Dead Man's Gift: Yesterday
A THRILLER IN THREE PARTS
The FIRST direct to digital short-story in a race-against-time three-part adventure from the bestselling author of Relentless, Siege and Ultimatum, Simon Kernick.
MP Tim Horton arrives home to find his seven year old son has been abducted by a ruthless gang of kidnappers. All they have left behind is the brutally murdered body of the Horton's nanny.
The gang's demands are simple: Tim must sacrifice his own life in order to save his son's.
It's the ultimate dead man's gift .
43 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2014
19 people are currently reading
422 people want to read
About the author
Simon Kernick
73 books1,158 followersSimon Kernick (born 1966 in Slough, Berkshire) is a British thriller/crime writer now living in Oxfordshire with his wife and two daughters. He attended Gillotts School, a comprehensive in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. Whilst he was a student his jobs included fruitpicker and Christmas-tree uprooter. He graduated from Brighton Polytechnic in 1991 with a degree in humanities. Kernick had a passion for crime fiction writing from a young age and produced many short stories during his time at polytechnic. After graduating Kernick joined MMT Computing in London in early 1992, where a relative was the Chairman and Managing Director. Kernick was a key member of the sales team and was very highly regarded. However, he left the company after 4 years in the hope of trying to secure a publishing deal. Despite interest from a number of publishers Kernick was unable to secure a deal, so he joined the sales force of the specialist IT and Business Consultancy Metaskil plc in Aldermaston, Berkshire in 1998 where he remained until he secured his first book deal (The Business of Dying) in September 2001. His novel Relentless was recommended on Richard & Judy's Summer book club 2007. It was the 8th best-selling paperback, and the best-selling thriller in the UK in the same year
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 12, 2016
I really enjoy Simon Kernick novels and feel he deserves more acclaim for his excellent books so when I saw this 3 part book on offer I couldn't resist.
Not really sure about this type of release where books are split up into small portions, this one is approximately 30 minute each part.
This first part sets a good base to the overall story and build up the suspense making you eager to read the next instalment.
MP Tim Horton's seven year old son has been abducted by a ruthless gang of kidnappers who demand that he sacrifices his own life in exchange for his son's release.
An excellent start quickly followed by downloading the next instalment.
Not really sure about this type of release where books are split up into small portions, this one is approximately 30 minute each part.
This first part sets a good base to the overall story and build up the suspense making you eager to read the next instalment.
MP Tim Horton's seven year old son has been abducted by a ruthless gang of kidnappers who demand that he sacrifices his own life in exchange for his son's release.
An excellent start quickly followed by downloading the next instalment.
May 7, 2019
The first instalment of a three part series, which as I’m reading many years after publication, means I can move straight on to parts 2 and 3. Very clever way of setting the scene, engaging readers and I definitely want to know how this turns out. First time I’m reading this author.
August 18, 2014
Dead Man's Gift: Part One kicks off with a lot of action from page one, it's the first instalment in a three part series that completes the whole book, I am not really a fan of reading in this way but wanted to give the first part of this series a go.
MP Tim Horton arrives home to find his seven year old son has been abducted by a ruthless gang of kidnappers. All they have left behind is the brutally murdered body of the Horton’s nanny.
The gang’s demands are simple: Tim must sacrifice his own life in order to save his son’s.
It’s the ultimate dead man’s gift..
It's an unusual kidnapping demand and Tim and his wife are reeling from the shock of what is requested, it would be much easier if all the kidnappers wanted was money.
Enter Scope, a character brought alive in a few of Kernick's novels, he is Tim's ex brother-in-law and Scope is ex-military with a load of clever skills up his very muscly sleeve including looking for those that don't want to be found. He can't say no to helping save a little boy who is under threat right?
The plot is good, the writing is easy to digest and it all flows nicely. The books are of course designed that you want to buy and read the next instalment in a series so it was expected that it would finish on a cliffhanger, and it did.
I thought it was a good read, well written but I am not feeling like I need to rush out right now to get the next instalment but it doesn't mean I won't ever, if I could have got a little bit more hooked in with this being a five star read then maybe I would feel a touch more inclined.
I wonder if books do better or worse when broken up in this format? Which is becoming more and more popular with eBook publication. I guess some will like it and some won't. I might share that this first book in the series took me less than fifteen minutes to read, I can only guess that the next two may be more substantial, otherwise it's a very short book.
The book itself, nothing wrong with it at all, good storyline, clearly presented characters, action and suspense.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
MP Tim Horton arrives home to find his seven year old son has been abducted by a ruthless gang of kidnappers. All they have left behind is the brutally murdered body of the Horton’s nanny.
The gang’s demands are simple: Tim must sacrifice his own life in order to save his son’s.
It’s the ultimate dead man’s gift..
It's an unusual kidnapping demand and Tim and his wife are reeling from the shock of what is requested, it would be much easier if all the kidnappers wanted was money.
Enter Scope, a character brought alive in a few of Kernick's novels, he is Tim's ex brother-in-law and Scope is ex-military with a load of clever skills up his very muscly sleeve including looking for those that don't want to be found. He can't say no to helping save a little boy who is under threat right?
The plot is good, the writing is easy to digest and it all flows nicely. The books are of course designed that you want to buy and read the next instalment in a series so it was expected that it would finish on a cliffhanger, and it did.
I thought it was a good read, well written but I am not feeling like I need to rush out right now to get the next instalment but it doesn't mean I won't ever, if I could have got a little bit more hooked in with this being a five star read then maybe I would feel a touch more inclined.
I wonder if books do better or worse when broken up in this format? Which is becoming more and more popular with eBook publication. I guess some will like it and some won't. I might share that this first book in the series took me less than fifteen minutes to read, I can only guess that the next two may be more substantial, otherwise it's a very short book.
The book itself, nothing wrong with it at all, good storyline, clearly presented characters, action and suspense.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2020
Dead Man’s Gift: Yesterday is the first of the three-part story that needs to be read in order. Each part builds upon the last, pulling you deeper into the story.
Dead Man’s Gift: Yesterday introduces the reader to all that is to come. It sucks the reader right in, ensuring they are desperate to see how everything comes together. You get enough information to have some theories, but not enough to put everything together.
Although short, it’s a great start to the story.
Dead Man’s Gift: Yesterday introduces the reader to all that is to come. It sucks the reader right in, ensuring they are desperate to see how everything comes together. You get enough information to have some theories, but not enough to put everything together.
Although short, it’s a great start to the story.
January 29, 2015
This is a very short read and part of a 3 book series.
The ending of the book ends on a cliff hanger so looking forward to the next read
The ending of the book ends on a cliff hanger so looking forward to the next read
December 11, 2014
The first part of Simon Kernick's action-packed novella 'Dead Man's Gift' kicks off with a heart-thumping scene of murder and abduction. The seven-year-old son of Tim Horton, a prominent politician, is kidnapped, his nanny murdered.
The kidnappers are not demanding money in ransom, instead their demand is much more terrible, they want Tim to sacrifice his own life in exchange of that of his son. He's not given any further details yet. But who's behind this kidnapping? Who wants Tim dead that badly? And why? There is only one person that can help Tim in this situation.
I read this part really fast as I desperately needed to know how the story continues, only to be left with a cliffhanger at the end, which only heightened my curiosity and the urge to read the second part.
The kidnappers are not demanding money in ransom, instead their demand is much more terrible, they want Tim to sacrifice his own life in exchange of that of his son. He's not given any further details yet. But who's behind this kidnapping? Who wants Tim dead that badly? And why? There is only one person that can help Tim in this situation.
I read this part really fast as I desperately needed to know how the story continues, only to be left with a cliffhanger at the end, which only heightened my curiosity and the urge to read the second part.
December 26, 2014
This is the first in a three-part thriller by Simon Kernick. Tim Horton is faced with a complex and distressing situation.
His son has been kidnapped, the child’s nanny is dead and the kidnappers are not interested in any kind of ransom. Instead they only have one demand. They want Tim dead and they want him dead at a time and place of their choosing.
Although fairly short, it does give a good idea of the flavour, pace and story in store for the reader.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
His son has been kidnapped, the child’s nanny is dead and the kidnappers are not interested in any kind of ransom. Instead they only have one demand. They want Tim dead and they want him dead at a time and place of their choosing.
Although fairly short, it does give a good idea of the flavour, pace and story in store for the reader.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
June 11, 2014
Mr Kernick never disappoints the action starts straight away and continues all the way through, by the the time you reach the end of the first book your chomping for the next one.
A AWESOME READ, A Must read Brilliant
A AWESOME READ, A Must read Brilliant
December 31, 2014
Simon Kernick does it again. fast paced part 1 of story that makes you wanting more.
January 27, 2015
This first part of Simon Kernick's novella is action packed and edge of the seat thrills from the moment it starts. I can't wait for part 2!
May 23, 2014
Also reviewed on my blog: http://bookaddictshaun.blogspot.co.uk...
If ever there was an author made for serialisation that author is Simon Kernick. I consider him one of the best thriller writers in the world, his books literally take my breath away and have me on the edge of the seat reading at lightning fast pace. That however is with a full length novel, with this serialisation you have to wait a whole week in between releases! Which means after the cliffhanger in this book I cannot bear to wait for a week! As Kernick himself says in the Author's Note, the crime and thriller genre is pretty much perfect for serialisation.
I received my NetGalley acceptance email at 4.05 and finished the book at 4.35. So not a long read but a gripping one all the same. MP Tim Horton arrives home to find his wife distraught, the nanny murdered and his child kidnapped by unknown perpetrators who have fitted cameras in his home and have given him the demand that should he want his child to be returned safe, he must take his own life. Call it a Dead Man's Gift...
This book screams Kernick. You just know when you are reading a book from this author. The writing is gripping and the story moves at a quick pace. Horton of course doesn't just sit around the table weeping about his son he calls on somebody for help, Scope who is ex-army and sets out to find the kidnappers before they can kill Horton's son. And then something major happens and the book finishes and I was practically screaming! The second instalment cannot come quick enough as far as I am concerned!
If ever there was an author made for serialisation that author is Simon Kernick. I consider him one of the best thriller writers in the world, his books literally take my breath away and have me on the edge of the seat reading at lightning fast pace. That however is with a full length novel, with this serialisation you have to wait a whole week in between releases! Which means after the cliffhanger in this book I cannot bear to wait for a week! As Kernick himself says in the Author's Note, the crime and thriller genre is pretty much perfect for serialisation.
I received my NetGalley acceptance email at 4.05 and finished the book at 4.35. So not a long read but a gripping one all the same. MP Tim Horton arrives home to find his wife distraught, the nanny murdered and his child kidnapped by unknown perpetrators who have fitted cameras in his home and have given him the demand that should he want his child to be returned safe, he must take his own life. Call it a Dead Man's Gift...
This book screams Kernick. You just know when you are reading a book from this author. The writing is gripping and the story moves at a quick pace. Horton of course doesn't just sit around the table weeping about his son he calls on somebody for help, Scope who is ex-army and sets out to find the kidnappers before they can kill Horton's son. And then something major happens and the book finishes and I was practically screaming! The second instalment cannot come quick enough as far as I am concerned!
February 2, 2015
I really love Simon Kernick’s books, but if I’m being 100% honest when I saw this was part of a ’short story’ series of books my heart sunk a little bit. I’m not a fan of short stories at the best of times and to buy a book in parts is actually one of my pet hates! Putting that to one side, when I realised this featured Scope (the fabulous character from The Siege) I wanted to read it anyway! The story wastes no time in getting started (well it can’t afford to really!), and we meet Tim Horton as he arrives home and is told by his wife that his child Max has been kidnapped.
Tim Horton is frankly a despicable man but his character was written well and then before long Scope appears (YAY). Scope is one of my favourite Kernick characters so I was glad to see him back. As usual he has been called upon for his unique way he manages to get things done. All in all, although this was a short story it was paced fabulously and had the right amount of drama going on. Although the three parts collectively are just about 150 pages I thoroughly enjoyed the book, except that I just wanted to keep reading!
For a short story this was a great read, for a Kernick book it was also his usual pacey thriller that you need to finish before you put down. This would be a great read for somebody who hasn’t maybe read Simon Kernick and wants to know whether to buy his other novels. I will wait for the next ‘proper’ length novel which I can no doubt sink my teeth in to.
Tim Horton is frankly a despicable man but his character was written well and then before long Scope appears (YAY). Scope is one of my favourite Kernick characters so I was glad to see him back. As usual he has been called upon for his unique way he manages to get things done. All in all, although this was a short story it was paced fabulously and had the right amount of drama going on. Although the three parts collectively are just about 150 pages I thoroughly enjoyed the book, except that I just wanted to keep reading!
For a short story this was a great read, for a Kernick book it was also his usual pacey thriller that you need to finish before you put down. This would be a great read for somebody who hasn’t maybe read Simon Kernick and wants to know whether to buy his other novels. I will wait for the next ‘proper’ length novel which I can no doubt sink my teeth in to.
July 20, 2014
It’s been a while since I’ve read a serialised book. Probably the ONLY one I remember is Stephen King’s The Green Mile. Has this serialised series been a success? Well, I guess I’ll have to wait till I’ve read the last two parts but if they are anything like as satisfying as this one, then the answer is a resounding YES.
An MP arrives home to find that his son has been kidnapped and he is under tight control by the kidnappers. What can he do to solve this problem? If only he knew someone with a special knack for getting people out of impossible situations. Enter Scope.
I’ve never read any of Kernick’s Scope books before but have been a fan ever since Relentless. This book is so fast paced, you’ll get to the end before you know it. Scope is a fantastically realised character. The reluctant hero.
Kernick’s writing is breathless and fluent and with such little room in this part one, he never veers away from the main plot. I like this approach and wish my own writing could be as disciplined.
Great book, great characters. Quick read. Buy this now and you might as well get the other two parts at the same time. You won’t want to waste time coming back to the Amazon store at the end of part one.
You can pick up Dead Man's Gift: Part One from Amazon.
An MP arrives home to find that his son has been kidnapped and he is under tight control by the kidnappers. What can he do to solve this problem? If only he knew someone with a special knack for getting people out of impossible situations. Enter Scope.
I’ve never read any of Kernick’s Scope books before but have been a fan ever since Relentless. This book is so fast paced, you’ll get to the end before you know it. Scope is a fantastically realised character. The reluctant hero.
Kernick’s writing is breathless and fluent and with such little room in this part one, he never veers away from the main plot. I like this approach and wish my own writing could be as disciplined.
Great book, great characters. Quick read. Buy this now and you might as well get the other two parts at the same time. You won’t want to waste time coming back to the Amazon store at the end of part one.
You can pick up Dead Man's Gift: Part One from Amazon.
June 5, 2022
3.5*
July 31, 2022
This is more of a novella than a full novel but it is also the first book in a trilogy, as well as part of a collection with another novella and several short stories. It's also my first book by Kernick so I can’t say how typical it is of the author’s style but I liked it and hope to finish the trilogy. The story is short, sharp and largely free of philosophical meandering or any other signs of ‘padding’. The audiobook I listened to was just over 3 hours and was refreshingly ‘all business’.
MP Tim Horton arrives home (sans coffee) to find his seven year old son has been abducted by a well-organised gang of kidnappers. All they have left behind is the brutally murdered body of the Horton's nanny. The gang's demands are simple: Tim must sacrifice his own life in order to save his son's. His home has been wired with cameras and his punishment for not cooperating would be to watch the torture and killing of his child. It's the ultimate dead man's gift but he is decisive by nature and he wants to find a third option so he contacts Scope, his ex-military brother-in-law, who has a history of sorting out problems.
The premise is so hokey that it's amazing the narrative mostly escapes the simplicity of so many Stallone/Statham/Schwarzenegger & Willis movies. It isn't a big commitment of time so I found it a nice change from so many of the books I read. It’s not brilliant but the tension mounts quickly and the ending is not terminally drawn out -- and that itself is worthy of praise.
MP Tim Horton arrives home (sans coffee) to find his seven year old son has been abducted by a well-organised gang of kidnappers. All they have left behind is the brutally murdered body of the Horton's nanny. The gang's demands are simple: Tim must sacrifice his own life in order to save his son's. His home has been wired with cameras and his punishment for not cooperating would be to watch the torture and killing of his child. It's the ultimate dead man's gift but he is decisive by nature and he wants to find a third option so he contacts Scope, his ex-military brother-in-law, who has a history of sorting out problems.
The premise is so hokey that it's amazing the narrative mostly escapes the simplicity of so many Stallone/Statham/Schwarzenegger & Willis movies. It isn't a big commitment of time so I found it a nice change from so many of the books I read. It’s not brilliant but the tension mounts quickly and the ending is not terminally drawn out -- and that itself is worthy of praise.
August 11, 2019
Part one of Kernick's Saturday Morning type serial books those that can remember the cinema adventures of yester year, a fast read with an excellent plot a favourite character returns which is a nice surprise as well.
Look fwd two the other parts.
Look fwd two the other parts.
May 1, 2022
A nice quick read but also the plot was a bit predictable. I liked the characters - well developed but also not too nice and sickly overpowering in the way they reveal the story (which sometimes happens in murder mystery novels).
February 24, 2021
Intense.
can't read the next book quick enough!!!!!
Very fast paced and exciting and nerve wracking. I'm praying for a happy outcome
can't read the next book quick enough!!!!!
Very fast paced and exciting and nerve wracking. I'm praying for a happy outcome
May 26, 2024
6 great stories/thrillers in one book, great
July 5, 2019
1st or 3 part story
May 25, 2014
Dead Man's Gift is a short story by Simon Kernick, which is being published in three parts. So far I have only read the first part but wow. It is certainly gripping. It has left me on the edge of the seat, really wanting to find out what's going to happen next.
The story gets straight into the action with MP Tim Horton's son being kidnapped and the nanny murdered. There is a twist in the kidnappers demands in that rather than cash, they want Tim to take his life in exchange for his sons.
I love the way the story is written. Fast paced, exciting and full of action. The characters emerge quickly and really help the story come to life. For me there have already been a couple of moments I didn't see coming. I really can't wait for part two to see what happens next.
Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone who provided a copy via Netgalley in return for an honest review.
The story gets straight into the action with MP Tim Horton's son being kidnapped and the nanny murdered. There is a twist in the kidnappers demands in that rather than cash, they want Tim to take his life in exchange for his sons.
I love the way the story is written. Fast paced, exciting and full of action. The characters emerge quickly and really help the story come to life. For me there have already been a couple of moments I didn't see coming. I really can't wait for part two to see what happens next.
Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone who provided a copy via Netgalley in return for an honest review.
April 20, 2017
This is only the second serialised book I've read, although I prefer novels, I liked the cliff hanger at the end making me want to read more. I haven't read Simon Kernick before, but this part of the story has made me want to read more by him. The story was set at a good pace and I'm looking forward to reading the second and third part of the dead mans gift. I love the cover, it's very striking.
Thanks to net galley and the publishers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to net galley and the publishers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2016
I have finally got round to reading this after pre-ordering all 3 parts. Simon Kernick pulls no punches and this book grips you from the first page. It flows well and is easy to read.
The story has been set up nicely and I have no idea where its going to go.
I thought Part 1 ended abruptly and I did feel the cliffhanger wasn't much of a cliffhanger but I do like the idea of being kept waiting for the next part.
The story has been set up nicely and I have no idea where its going to go.
I thought Part 1 ended abruptly and I did feel the cliffhanger wasn't much of a cliffhanger but I do like the idea of being kept waiting for the next part.
April 18, 2015
First of three instalments in a series by Simon Kernick. I have read a number of his books and always enjoyed them, he is a very good thriller writer.
Scope, a recurring character from Mr. Kernick's other books, makes a very welcome appearance about halfway into this episode. He is a great character a little in the Jack Reacher vein, and it looks like he will be the hero here too.
Looking forward to parts two and three.
Scope, a recurring character from Mr. Kernick's other books, makes a very welcome appearance about halfway into this episode. He is a great character a little in the Jack Reacher vein, and it looks like he will be the hero here too.
Looking forward to parts two and three.
January 6, 2015
What can I say - Simon Kernick has done it again! This was waiting for me when I woke up and from page 1, it had me hooked and I ended up being late for work as I just had to finish it - I couldn't, and didn't want to, put it down.
The only thing I didn't like about it is I have to wait for Part Two!!!
The only thing I didn't like about it is I have to wait for Part Two!!!
August 8, 2014
I'm glad I waited until I had all 3 books before starting reading as I don't think I could have waited the week in between !
As the books as classed as short story and split, the story has you gripped from the beginning and continues the pace throughout.
As the books as classed as short story and split, the story has you gripped from the beginning and continues the pace throughout.
September 2, 2014
I've read a few of Simon Kernick's novels and have never been disappointed Part 1 of Dead Man's Gift is no different it kicks off quickly and is full of intrigue, mystery and very fast paced this novel was definetly a winner for me❤❤❤
June 2, 2014
JUST LOVE THIS GUYS WRITTING
June 1, 2014
good read, looking forward to part 2 and 3
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews