Twilight

by Peter James

Good: A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (including dust cover, if applicable). The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels.Some of our books may have slightly worn corners, and minor creases to the covers. Please note the cover may sometimes be different to the one shown.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Adult, Novels

Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Peter James is a global bestselling author, best known for writing crime and thriller novels, and the creator of the much-loved Detective Superintendent Roy Grace. With a total of 21 Sunday Times No. 1s under his belt, he has achieved global book sales of over 23 million copies to date and has been translated into 38 languages.

Synonymous with plot-twisting page-turners, Peter has garnered an army of loyal fans throughout his storytelling career – which also included stints writing for TV and producing films. He has won over 40 awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award, Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger and a BAFTA nomination for The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons for which he was an Executive Producer. Many of Peter’s novels have been adapted for film, TV and stage.

Reviews

[Edgarr Alien Pooh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I decided to read this book as a quick read before some upcoming BIG books. In doing so, I have learned two valuable lessons.
A) I am a stubborn reader. This book was hard work but I just refused to let it beat me and DNF it.

B)Smaller, quicker reads can sometimes be bigger, longer reads as they drag you down and become almost a chore to read.

So, Twilight is a crime novel but loses itself to the study of the afterlife. Deluded doctors, misguided patients, illegal medical practices, all in the name of science. The sort of thin story a primary school student thinks up and tries to write thinking it is a very clever storyline. As with the primary student, this book was a mess, hardly entertaining, and downright ridiculous.

You know when you hear a band you like so you delve back into their early music and you can't believe how bad it is, but you can really see the serious progression they have made over time. Peter James' stuff is good, at least the titles he releases now, however, Twilight is like the band's very early back catalogue. Needs refining, retuning, better production, and purpose.

Strangely, when I could see the direction of the novel, I was already hesitant to go on. The premise just seems childish. But, as I do, I hung in and got to the climatic scene, worthy of Hollywood, where good and evil face off...... tell each other what is going on, and then fight it out. In the Twilight case, good and evil face off, tell each other what is going on, there is a blurred mess of some sort of "action" and then the book ends. I would like to say it was climactic, but NO!!

Don't be put off Peter James by this review. I suggest you just stick to his later stuff, but then perhaps this is for you and just not for me.

[Barry Lillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although some parts are dated now, as this was originally published in 1991, it's still a good read. I guessed most of the story's conclusion around half-way through, but I believe Mr James didn't want to keep this from the reader by using red-herrings, instead I believe it helps the reader to move with the story. Kate is a believable character with a high likeability factor and the opposite can be said for Dr Swire, who is literately unlikeable right from the moment he's introduced. (I think I also had a slight crush on Patrick).

The last final paragraphs are a truly dark yet delicious conclusion that had me smiling and saying to myself, "Couldn't have happened to a more deserving character."

Peter James, has an innate ability to make the mundane interesting and the obscure believable and although this book has a smattering of scenarios that may appear implausible when they'd been woven into the text they work well.

If Peter James' novels were chocolate, they'd be an expensive Madagascan 80% cocoa blend, and I look forward to breaking of another square and enjoying some more.

[Loreta Griciutė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arba aš esu skaičiusi kažkada, o gal kitą knygą panašaus turinio, bet vis buvo jausmas, kad aš žinau, kaip viskas toliau bus. Bet tokia kitokia, savotiškai įdomi.

[Dane Cobain · Rating 2 out of 5]

By this point I think you can safely call me a Peter James fan, even if that’s mainly for his Roy Grace series of detective novels. This here is one of his earlier books, and in a weird way it gives me a lot of hope. I just didn’t think it was very good at all, and seeing how much he’s grown as an author makes me think that hurray, perhaps there’s hope for me too.

I think my problem here was mostly with the dialogue, because the descriptive stuff wasn’t too bad. I just couldn’t get on board with the characters and the way that they talked. Pretty much all of the dialogue throughout ended up just pulling me out of the story, and if it was any other author, I wouldn’t have bothered to stick with it. But because it is Peter James, and because I plan to eventually read everything that he’s released, I ended up going with it anyway as a bedtime book, just to tick it off.

So as you can probably tell, I wouldn’t really recommend this one, but I would say that Peter James is worth reading, especially if you like crime stuff. Even if you don’t, The House On Cold Hill makes for a pretty decent horror story, and so he does have plenty there in his back catalogue for you to check out. Just maybe pick up something a little bit more recent than this one.

Really, that’s all there is to say here. The characters weren’t great, the plot was forgettable even as I was reading it, and it was a struggle for me to just make my way through it to the end. I’m glad that I’ve finally finished it now, but I’m not going to revisit it any time soon. So yeah, there’s that.

[Danielle-Gemma💜 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the premise of this book both fascinating and horrifying in equal measures!
Peter James has the innate ability to build incredibly complex and completing characters. Even when you dislike a character, such as Harvey in this book, he still draws you in and you want to learn more!!
Unlike any other book I’ve read, a very unique premise and a theme that will keep you up all night, I really recommend!

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter James is best known to me for his DS Roy Grace mystery series set in Brighton, England. I've read a couple of books in that series so far and my wife and I have been enjoying watching the TV series based on the books. But James has written many other books, some short series and a large group of standalones. Twilight, originally published in 1991, is one of his standalones.

The story follows American reporter, trying to settle into a new job in Brighton, as she investigates a story about the exhumation of the grave of a young woman. It turns out that various people, neighbors to the cemetery (who wants to live next door to a cemetery??) and some employees of the church have heard noises from the newly dug grave.

After a few days, the local coroner, at the behest of the grieving husband, agrees to exhume the coffin. Reporter Kate Hemingway is sent by her paper to report. She manages to get into the site where the body is being exhumed (sorry for the repetition of exhumed) and when the coffin is open, everyone is shocked to see scratch marks on the lid of the coffin, broken fingernails on the young woman and most shockingly, that she has born a baby (neither have survived of course.)

The story moves from Kate Hemingway into the past and also follows one Harvey Swire, who will play a 'big' role in this present story. Living with his doctor father, as his mother has passed away, Harvey is unloved and on his own. Harvey has an accident and while in unconscious at the hospital, his spirit leaves his body seemingly and he sees himself from above, his body undergoing surgery.

This sets a course for Harvey as he tries to investigate what happens to the body's 'soul' after death. He becomes an anastheologist and will play a large role in what happens in the present. Kate continues her investigation, somehow managing to sneak into places that I would imagine no reporter should be able to sneak into. But she is intrepid. Pulled off the exhumation case after trouble by the hospital administration, she still manages to keep investigating, while getting help reporting on other articles by a potential beau.

The investigation will take a nasty turn for Kate and I'll let you read it to discover what happens and how it all resolves. Suffice it to say it's quite intense and thrilling.

James has crafted an excellent thriller here. You can see elements of the Roy Grace series; the locale of course, the paranormal aspects. Kate is assigned to investigate a medium, Dora Runcorn, who plays a deeper role later in the book, but she manages to catch Kate's attention by seeming to contact her dead brother, who may or may not (see what I'm doing here?) play a role as well in this story. As I said earlier, it's an intense thriller that builds nicely. It can be a bit graphic at times, but not drastically. The paranormal aspect adds an interesting sideline as well. Most enjoyable. (4.0 stars)

[Rebeckah11 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as James' Dead series - in fact I nearly gave up with it, but the story did buck up and work out in the end. I enjoyed the movement in time between the two storylines until they linked up. Nice little twist at the end that I have to admit I wasn't expecting, but a bit of a slog in the middle. I think that I didn't engage with the character of Kate Hemingway and found her neurotic.

[Valé · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was one of those books I long avoided because the writing and pace hardly grabbed me. And for those people who had thought I was reading typical high school romance of dolly day-dream dating a vampire hottie at the mention of 'Twilight', no- just no. There are books out there with the same title, so not everyone finds dating a diamond-encrusted corpse their cup of tea. Cartier or no.

Anyway, to review this book. Wow I am disappointed. What really caught me in the first place was the blurb, which promised excitement. Then I had to make sure by skimming through the first two pages, which flowed really well. So I was in. So imagine my disappointment when I didn't get what I bargained for: the plot held good potential because unearthing someone who was mistaken for dead was mysterious and thrilling. Plus there was a history that was recounted simultaneously, allowing the reader to digest and see the build-up at the end. Even now, I still truly believe the plot was an exceptional one. Therefore it's a shame the writing and the rhythm of the story let the entire project down. Simply this: it fell flat. The author described most scenes in minuscule details which weren't necessary, which dragged the plot even more. And then there's the characters: none of them felt relatable. It felt I was reading characters that were there for the sake of the plot; there's no depth to the main girl, I feel nothing for her. The villain is some weirdo whom I don't comprehend at all. Yes, he's a psycho, but I am not feeling it. He's more a pervert with a creepy obsession with death.

In the end my ratings may be harsh compared to others, but I know the story will speak for itself.

1.5*

[Nick Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

You could tell that the author was the same man who wrote the DCI Roy Grace series which many folk (me included) have enjoyed a lot, but in addition it is also obvious that this was an earlier effort published some time ago and that James hadn't honed his craft yet. An interesting idea was explored with a fair amount of skill, but at times it fell a little flat for me - less sparkle than others I have read by the same author, a dated and slightly workmanlike style, a plot that didn't completely work.

The story mainly follows a journalist investigating a story where someone is suspected to have been prematurely buried, and a medical student who experiences an out-of-body experience after a road accident. The scientific/medical aspects interested me, the paranormal stuff didn't. There were some parallels with 'Dead Simple', the first Roy Grace novel published a decade and a half later.

[Tracey Harriman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Hemmingway, reporter for the Sussex Evening News, is investigating the story of a young lady who, questionable evidence suggests, has been buried alive. She manages to blag her way in to observing the exhumation and is so disturbed by what she sees takes her investigation further.

Harvey Swire, young man aspiring to become a medical student, gets knocked off his bike. Suffering multiple injuries, he is technically dead for mere minutes before a passing Dr performs CPR and saves his life. What Harvey experiences during those minutes causes him to believe there is life after death and nothing and nobody can convince him otherwise. Harvey then dedicates his life to searching for the truth as to what actually happens when somebody dies. His subsequent career in the medical profession is instrumental in his research.

Eventually, Kate and Harvey’s worlds collide…

Oooh, a little bit spooky! I’ve read several of Peter James’s novels recently, and love the supernatural themes within them. In this case the reader is invited to consider the possibility of an afterlife.

I will admit to professional curiosity with this story. Working in the funeral industry I found the story quite compelling (and by that, I mean I stayed awake until 2am to finish it).

I was willing Kate on, wanting her to find the answers she was looking for, despite the discouragement she faced from the newspaper she worked for and the various authorities putting obstacles in her path.

Even with Harvey Spire coming across as a pretty unsavoury character, I was, at times, also wanting him to succeed in his quest. To find the proof he sought, that there is something beyond this life, that we have a new adventure to look forward to for when our time with this life is over.

Peter James had clearly done a vast amount of research to write this story. Whilst I have no idea whatsoever if the medical references and treatments etc were correct, they were certainly very convincing, and I can’t fault his insight into the funeral industry and the process of exhumation. The detail within his writing is exquisite.

Yet again, I find myself finishing this review by saying I am very much looking forward to my next peter James novel. Any recommendations?

[Knit Spirit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate est journaliste et enquête sur l'enterrement suspect d'une jeune fille qui semble avoir été mise en bière vivante. Elle assiste à l'exhumation du corps et ses investigations vont prendre une tournure inattendue.
Encore pas mal de suspens, évidemment avec Peter James, mais aussi un côté mystique / ésotérique avec le contexte de la vie après la mort. Même si j'ai apprécié le livre, j'ai trouvé qu'il y avait quelques longueurs.
En bref : pas mal mais il y en a des mieux.

[Rob Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journalist Kate Hemingway investigates a case of a pregnant woman being reported as being buried alive while in flashbacks, medical student Harvey Swire develops an interest in out of body experiences.
The book moves at a slow pace, flipping between both stories (the tiny print doesn't help) but it kept my interest throughout and the ending far from disappoints.

[Richard Burtenshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twilight was the first Peter James book I read back in the 90’s. I got a signed copy. It’s a very good read as are all of his books.

[Caitlin Davey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really couldn’t get into this book at all. Was almost painful towards the middle/ end to read.

[Agnė Balionė · Rating 5 out of 5]

Du lygiagretūs pasakojimai. Du skirtingi personažai, kovojantys už savo darbo rezultatus. Jauna žavi žurnalistė, apkrauta naujienomis ir vaikinas pasiryžęs tapti gydytoju bei įrodyti egzistavimą po mirties. Netikėta jaunos merginos mirtis suveda šiuos du žmones.

Atliekama ekshumacija. Nuomonė, kad tai tik gedinčio, sielvarto palaužto vyro užgeidis, keičiasi atvėrus karstą, kuriame velionė nusidraskiusi nagus, pagimdžiusi, o veidas plačiai atmerktomis akimis ir mėlynomis riksme sustingusiomis lūpomis. (Net pati užsimerkusi aiškiai ir detaliai matau tą vaizdą.) Visas įtarimas kyla kai naujienos svarba laikraštyje sumažinama, niekas nenori apie tai kalbėti, o svarbiausia, atlikus pakartotiną apžiūrą, pranešama, kad mergina buvo mirusi ir kūnas neva per jauno darbuotojo neapsižiūrėjimą kremuojamas. Įtarimai ir toliau stiprėja kai visi susiję asmenys slapstosi, dangsto vieni kitus.

Autorius puikiai aprašo siaubą, akcentuojamos detalės, kurios stringa atmintyje. Skaitant atrodo net jaučiu kvapus, nes skaitytojas įvedamas į pasakojimą tarp veikėjų, o visa aplinka kupina aiškių detalių, kurias nesunku ryškiai atkartoti savo atmintyje.

Nesitikėjau, kad knyga bus tokia stipri. Mistika įsilieja į racionalų gyvenimą ir darbą. Medicininiai terminai, žurnalistų darbo metodai, viskas konkretu ir aišku, kūrinys ne tik intriguojančiu siužetu, bet pilnas įdomios informacijos ir kabina stiprias emocijas.

[Ape · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this a few days ago whilst travelling on my holidays. It was an ok book for sitting around on trains and planes - kind of standard, slightly obvious crime mystery. It's perhaps not the fastest moving plot, but reasonably well written. There are "seemingly" two seperate story lines in this book, that only merge at the end, although it's not hard to work out where the connection is. Out of the two, I preferred the storyline in the past, following Harvey Swire's life history. The modern day storyline was all right, but what I found irritating was the heroine in this, Kate Hemmingway. She was rather drab, and very dim. Ok, I realise in these kinds of books we often spot the mystery before the characters do, but when it takes someone 300 pages to realise that wire rhymes with Swire, you've got to wonder. It also had moments of suffering from unncessary detail syndrome - such as what you get in the girl with the dragon tattoo for example - in that often whenever any character appeared on stage, their face had to be described in great detail, every item of clothing they were wearing had to be described; in Kate's case, even where she'd bought it.

The main plot line is that a young woman, recently married, dies in hospital and is burried. And then for the next few days locals are sure they can hear noises, tapping etc from the graveyard - or to be more specific, from the fresh grave... Kate is a journalist who goes to investigate, and manages to get onto the site for the exhumation, and see the coffin been opened. What on earth can be going on???

Rest assured, she gets to the bottom of the mystery, although all the male journalists except one who wants to sleep with her, thinks she's nuts and don't believe her. She takes her sweet time in figuring things out, then has a showdown with the criminal. This is a point that often lets down crime mysteries, and it seems to be very hard to write this well.

There's some obsession/interest throughout this book about life after death. Coincidentally I recently read another crime mystery with a similiar theme, called Hypothermia, by Arnaldur Indridason. This one was better than Twilight, although Twilight is perfectly ok for summer reading.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m glad I gave Peter James a second chance. ‘Twilight’ was an exceptionally written horror novel which had me riveted from start to finish, and I would highly recommend it to my male and female friends alike.

A chilling story about a serial killer that the reader finds himself fearing, ‘Twilight’ is rightly paced, visual, and hypnotic. Whilst not something that I would have chosen personally (the book was a gift), I found it really difficult to tear myself away from, the characters of Kate Hemingway and Harvey Swire so captivating, the former being so loveable whilst the latter utterly detestable. If any fault could be given to the novel, it was that the continuous description of what people were wearing wasn’t completely necessary, but other than that, excellent. A great story with a truly frightening ending.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept me up at night finishing it. The villain is obvious early on to the reader but not to the MC. Contains some detailed scenes of exhumation, autopsy and medical procedures which some might find disturbing. Personally, I loved it all.
There was one thing which was never explained but I can't say what it is without giving away one of the clues.
Great ending - cruel but fair.

[Debbie Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, but ending very abrupt!

To begin with, I didn't feel this was going to be my cup of tea! I did however become completely immersed in the book & really enjoyed it! The only downside I felt, was the ending - it didn't feel as though it was the end at all, a bit abrupt if I'm honest!

[AmyReadsLit · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not the one you’re thinking of!

Reporter Kate Hemingway refuses to believe Sally died when declared. Especially when the body was disinterred from the grave, only to find there was something off – and that wasn’t just the body. Hemingway takes on the story to uncover the truths behind Sally’s death, discovering a brilliant anaestheist who is also on a mission of his own..

Twilight was a terrific book! This book was gifted by another Bookstagram user and I want to thank them so much. I took this photo in my local graveyard, which is full of history. To this day, when I'm walking around with my dogs - I get a little chill thinking about the book. I loved capturing this photo and am quite proud at my artistic attempt. I first came across Peter James during a Live Instagram feed with Jackie Kabler, discussing his latest book Find Them Dead. I was fascinated by his writing process and how he shadows officers or professionals to get an inside on the procedures. It reminded me of my days at my local paper where I too had the same opportunity. For me, it was a learning curve on how I want to structure my novel - when I get round to writing it.

The book was interesting, provoking real controversial questions. One that came to mind: Is there life after death? Hemmingway comes across a research doctor named Harry. He has managed to learn how to capture the brain into a sub-conscious state that is replicating hypothermia which is then triggered back to it’s normal state but only occurs in epileptic patients. James has approached this scientific curiosity in a clever, subtle and non-standardized way. Swire is a mirror of the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde characterisms.

Through the journey of his discovery, we find he battles with Swire’s own sub-conscious of believing what is real and what is not. He also questions his own experiences, when he meets his mother, compared to what people saw him like. James really knacked the art of Swine’s point of view, making the readers question if Swire’s really “neurotic”. I think this also draws a flexible barrier or “Good vs Evil” through the themes of science and religion. Although Swire was making a good discovery, it cost the life of a patient reflecting bad practice(by a doctor of all people) shadowing the public’s perception of local authorities in that time of suffering. I think Swire’s bad memories are what caused him to take the path of destruction as he was really in search to see his mother again. Does this really make him a bad person?

On the contrary, Kate Hemmingway is a reporter for the Sussex News. Her family seem pretty “standard” compared to Swire’s. She has a inkling to compete against her sister, seems natural but explains her impeccable reporter instincts. Through the dark shadows of Dr Swire, Hemmingway rises above as a beacon of light. She is humorous, engaging, realistic and passionate. This drives away the dark tension of Swire’s mission so the readers are blinded by his true intensions. It was a smart move played by James’s to keep the readers on side. I like how Hemmingway snuck in to the graveyard to get an inside scoop because the recovery of Sally was believable, genuine and spooky! There were some real gruesome descriptions throughout the book that made me want to know more.

This book was impressive. There was medical lexicon thrown around but not in an intimidating way. For every medical thing raised, James explained after. Perhaps because Hemmingway isn’t a medical profession either but this aided the readers’ perspective. I personally learned from this book and have relayed it into other conversations who appeared to be impressed by the “useless” information I retrieved. The points of view were well planned in line with the plot structure. This again supported the battle of Swire’s reasoning to consciousness but the race against time that Hemmingway needed for her story. The overall questioning of the book got the readers’ mind questioning the same things James had manipulated within the whole novel. For my first time reading this, I was very impressed and wouldn’t like to read more of his stand-alone books.

[Effy · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Twilight
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Peter James
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Thriller/mystery/horror/medical
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Paperback
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: Orion
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 13/09/18
𝐏𝐚����𝐞𝐬: 320
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 5/5 ★
𝐂𝐖: mentions of rape.

Okay so I read this book probably about eight years ago on the train and it was one of the most memorable and gripping plots I've ever read - to the point where I spent hours and hours googling the plot with no luck and so asked you guys on my story if you knew the name of the book from the details I remembered. @cosybookbug came to my rescue with the name and instantly ordered a hard copy!

A bone chilling and fascinating plot, compelling and horrifying characters, and a dual point of view; this book just completely gripped me, and I loved it just as much this time round. The chapters alternate between 1967 [Harvey and his journey to becoming an anaesthetist] and 1990 [Kate, a journalist covering the story of Sally’s death.] I loved the way the two separate storylines tied in together and the controversial questions the plot raised. Whilst Kate was a believable, gutsy, and likeable character, Harvey was the opposite end of the scale with a completely terrifying mentality, making his chapters nerve wracking and creepy. 

This book played on very common fears - who isn't terrified of the thought of being buried alive? [And the rest! But no spoilers]. I can't really pinpoint exactly what makes me love this book so much; it's just a brilliantly engrossing read and a complete page turner. I loved the ending just as much as I recalled - a real ‘bad guy gets his comeuppance’ situation. I’d highly recommend if you're looking for a fast paced, anxiety-inducing medical thriller with engrossing characters and a thought provoking plot.

[Genevieve Paquette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5
It was alright. Listened to the audiobook at work. I hadn't realized that the author was /that/ Peter James, who has written about a million crime novels, none of which I've actually read.
Apparently, this wasn't the best introduction to his work, according to other reviewers, and I'm inclined to agree. It was ok, but it had serious pacing issues, some tired stereotypes, and plotlines that went nowhere. The psychic thing, for instance, could have been cut and with minimal tweaking it wouldn't have mattered at all. Which is kind of a shame, because it could have been really interesting had it been developed more. Instead it's a MacGuffin.
The characters were barely developed, with a protagonist who was the embodiment of "I'm not like other girls."
The story was creepy, in the way that any discussion of mortality is creepy. Not just the being buried alive thing (which is terrifying, of course), but the big themes of what happens after death. (TMI, maybe, but it's a big anxiety trigger for me. Not complaining, though, I knew what I was getting into.) But the plot felt insubstantial, and the motivations felt a little weak. Also, the boarding school scenes were very uncomfortable, but that's probably just me being a prude.
It was fine for a work listen, but it isn't something I'd listen to again.

Oh, and the female narrator has a voice that almost drove me up the wall. Her t sounds were explosive. I want to call her speech clipped or overannunciated or something? She had this awful, posh English accent, but at the same time a little girl voice and it was grating and horrible.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'ai eu du mal à avancer ( même si la lecture se faisait essentiellement dans le train pour me rendre au boulot).

Je n'aimais pas trop l'ambiance générale du livre mais je pense que c'est dû au fait que je n'aimais pas "Kate". Journaleuse d'opérette .. Aucun scrupule ... Je l'ai toujours trouvée antipathique, vide, sans aucun caractère.

Harvey .. c'est vraiment à la fin du livre qu'on a en main toutes les pièces qui justifient son obsession de la vie après la mort. Outre son expérience personnelle suite à son accident de voiture/vélo, on apprend la maladie cardiaque génétique MAIS en aucun cas, cela ne justifie tous ses meurtres sur une période de 20 ans. Un vrai sociopathe/tueur en série.
La science n'excuse pas tout ... Il n'a jamais eu la fin qu'il méritait .. Ce qu'il a infligé à toutes ses victimes, il l'a subi .. Bien fait!


Ce n'est pas explicitement dit dans le roman mais j'espère que l'abrutie de journaliste révèlera le contenu de son enregistrement .. par égard, par justice et respect envers les victimes.

Cela dit, le sujet traité est intéressant :)
A l'occasion, je ferai quelques recherches personnelles sur le Net pour en savoir un peu plus.

[Plum-crazy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three muffled thuds ring from the partially filled grave of the newly wed girl. Only the verger hears them and he dismisses the noise as his imagination. But over the next few days others also hear faint sounds. An exhumation order is granted. Reporter Kate Hemingway sneaks into the small suburban churchyard when the coffin is opened, and the scene she witnesses is so horrific she can never forget it.....

Another cracking read from someone who is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. This is an entertaining mix of horror (after all what could be worse than being buried alive?!!) & mystery/thriller.

The cover blurb quoted above surely tells you enough to whet your appetite for this book & to say too much more would spoil it...read it yourself to discover the chills & thrills! As in some of James' other books, the ending made me smile but maybe I just have a warped sense of humour....

[Blaize · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll start by saying that this used to be my favourite book. I read it a few times in my late teens/early twenties and have recommended it religiously ever since.

But, reading it now after reading a lot of other books and having experienced more life, it didn’t really hit the same. I really love the premise of the book and the build up of the story from two different perspectives. I like that you get to see things fall into place even if it has the annoying horror film tropes where they step into situations no sane person would.

I think, for me, the issue was the writing. It just didn’t grip me, some of it was jarring and the description of Patrick as a strong stable man irked me, as if that’s what every woman needs. I’m probably reading into it too much but either way it made the reading experience a little strained.

Overall I would still recommend this book for the plot because it’s not something I’ve come across before!

[Gilles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate Hemingway, journaliste, enquête sur un fait curieux. En effet, des personnes auraient entendu des grattements provenir d'un cercueil enterré. Bizarre, bizarre !
Quand à Harvey Swire, il est mort quelques minutes après un accident, et a connu une sortie de son corps avant de revenir dans son corps lorsqu'un médecin a réussi à faire repartir son coeur. Depuis, il est fasciné par la vie après la mort et est prêt à tout pour faire ses recherches.
Deux destins liés en quelque sorte.

Un thriller avec un zeste de fantastique et d'horreur, mais qui manque de souffle à mon goût. Beaucoup de remplissage avec une fin un peu précipitée.

J'ai aimé, mais j'attendais plus de suspense et de rythme.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is there life after death? Well a doctor who had an accident followed by an out of body experience believes so and goes out of his way to prove it.

Not a bad idea for a book but not sure we needed the other two out of body experiences the doctor has as a young man. One where he cheats at his exams and the other where he rapes his girlfriend. They didn't really add anything to the story and why was he getting them?

Also the reporter who is following the story of a woman buried alive and is given a warning from her dead brother after visiting a medium can't seen to associate the word WIRE with the doctor called SWIRE!!!!

The demise of the doctor at the end of the book was quite good though

A solid 3 stars

[Lynda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading back older publications of Peter James… this in my opinion, not so good.

The school scenes of bullying Harvey Swire, the competition between the boarding school guys of who has had sex & who with…..,the hallucinations Harvey suffered following the car crash, the attitude of his cold heartless Father….all this was not easy to read.
Then the noises from the grave, the exhumation and tragic, awful results- hard to read & stomach!
Most of this seemed awful… and not written as well as his later books….the hallucinations weird with the exam questions which led onto top results with the future of Dr Harvey Swire secured…
Not a good one for me…

[John Haslam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chillingly macabre.

This was my first Peter James novel. 'Twilight', revolves around travel on the astral plane or out of body experience, which I first read about in Dennis Wheatley's black magic novels. Being buried alive is a theme in an Edgar Alan Poe story and Stephen King wrote a short story about a man that was still alive and about to have a post mortem carried out on him.
Peter James has included all three of these cases and amplified them beyond anything the original authors could have dreamed of. Truly chillingly macabre. Readers of a nervous disposition have been warned!

[Caroline Schofield · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was drawn into the novel by the mystery of knocking from a grave just after the funeral and by a teenage boy's near death experience after a cycling accident. However what I found horrifying was the boy's increasing thoughts of sexual violence towards a young girl then the subsequent rape scene enacted whilst he was 'out of body' - his actual body committed the rape his 'spirit' observed it. His actual body also committed an horrifically violent act against the girl's boyfriend. The graphic details of both attacks made me realise that this is not what I want in my mind. I wish I'd never read it. I DNF!