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readbyashleyd's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Run and don’t walk to the bookstore and get this book now because it’s Stephen Graham Jones meets Friday the 13th and I’m OBSESSED! I seriously loved everything about this book, it’s one of the best indie horror stories I’ve read in quite a while and I’m regretting leaving it unread on my shelves for so long. It’s brutal and gory and I’ll always be obsessed with any story involving wendigo!
andrealage's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
words_on_paper_official's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
wildgurl's review against another edition
5.0
Those Who Came Before
by J. H. Moncrief
due 10-24-2019
Flametree Press
4.5 /5.0
#netgalley #ThoseWhoCameBefore
This extraordinary horror story kept me engrossed and intrigued, mixing Native American folklore with mythical beast for a terrifying finish.
Reese Wallace is the immediate suspect when he is the only survivor of a weekend camping trip. His girlfriend and another couple were all found savagely murdered. Reese explanation made no sense, and didnt help his case.
The campground was on the spot a Native American tribe disappeared, murdered by a strange beast, the Wendigo.
Suspenseful twists, great ending.
Thanks to netgalley and Flametree Press for sending this e-book ARC for review.
by J. H. Moncrief
due 10-24-2019
Flametree Press
4.5 /5.0
#netgalley #ThoseWhoCameBefore
This extraordinary horror story kept me engrossed and intrigued, mixing Native American folklore with mythical beast for a terrifying finish.
Reese Wallace is the immediate suspect when he is the only survivor of a weekend camping trip. His girlfriend and another couple were all found savagely murdered. Reese explanation made no sense, and didnt help his case.
The campground was on the spot a Native American tribe disappeared, murdered by a strange beast, the Wendigo.
Suspenseful twists, great ending.
Thanks to netgalley and Flametree Press for sending this e-book ARC for review.
alirenreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
johnlynchbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Those Who Came Before, the latest from J.H. Moncrieff, is part creature horror and part murder mystery. Moncrieff takes elements of Native American history and mythology and uses them to craft a highly readable book that brings gore and intrigue.
The story follows two main characters. One is a first person narrative following Reese Wallace in the aftermath of his friends being slaughtered, and the other is a 3rd person narrative following Detective Greyeyes as she investigates the crime. In addition to the two perspectives, Moncrieff also intertwines a time jump in the narrative which helps to explain the past behind the cursed land of Strong Lake.
Those Who Came Before has a lot to like for horror fans. It tells a super interesting story and features a brutal, vengeful creature that is, simply put, a thing of nightmares. The more I read this book, the more fascinated I became with the creature doing the killings, and was eager to learn about the history surrounding Strong Lake and the curse upon the land. The writing here for the most part is excellent, words flow easily and I found myself cruising through the pages. Despite this, I did come across a few things that bothered me. I found the actions of both main characters to not be very convincing in more than one instance. I couldn’t help but think that someone accused of murder wouldn’t act this way, and a Detective on a police force definitely wouldn’t do that. There were a few plot elements that didn’t really work for me and felt like a wasted opportunity, and I wasn’t a fan of the ending. I don’t mean this to sound overly harsh, I still greatly enjoyed the book, so much so that I still highly recommend it.
With her latest novel, J.H. Moncrieff has proven herself an author to watch. A terrifying creature and an excellent story premise rise above the few problems I had, making for a damn good time following the Strong Lake murders. I’ll be on the lookout for further releases from this author.
4/5 stars
The story follows two main characters. One is a first person narrative following Reese Wallace in the aftermath of his friends being slaughtered, and the other is a 3rd person narrative following Detective Greyeyes as she investigates the crime. In addition to the two perspectives, Moncrieff also intertwines a time jump in the narrative which helps to explain the past behind the cursed land of Strong Lake.
Those Who Came Before has a lot to like for horror fans. It tells a super interesting story and features a brutal, vengeful creature that is, simply put, a thing of nightmares. The more I read this book, the more fascinated I became with the creature doing the killings, and was eager to learn about the history surrounding Strong Lake and the curse upon the land. The writing here for the most part is excellent, words flow easily and I found myself cruising through the pages. Despite this, I did come across a few things that bothered me. I found the actions of both main characters to not be very convincing in more than one instance. I couldn’t help but think that someone accused of murder wouldn’t act this way, and a Detective on a police force definitely wouldn’t do that. There were a few plot elements that didn’t really work for me and felt like a wasted opportunity, and I wasn’t a fan of the ending. I don’t mean this to sound overly harsh, I still greatly enjoyed the book, so much so that I still highly recommend it.
With her latest novel, J.H. Moncrieff has proven herself an author to watch. A terrifying creature and an excellent story premise rise above the few problems I had, making for a damn good time following the Strong Lake murders. I’ll be on the lookout for further releases from this author.
4/5 stars
scottneumann's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mslestat's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book over 4th of July weekend and it was perfect. With the road trip to the Minnesota lake, campfires and ...grisly murders(???)... it felt right for the season. J.H. Moncrieff's writing style is casual and relaxed, but very readable. If there’s a horror version of a ‘beach read”, this is it.
The story centers around a fairly unlikeable main named Reese, who has recently graduated from college and is heading for the lake with his soon-to-be-broken-up-with girlfriend, Jessica. They’re joined by her friend Kira and Kira’s boyfriend, Dan. Without giving too much away, the trip does not end particularly well for everyone and what follows is a mix of thriller, historical fiction and a paranormal spin.
This was a good story and a fun and quick read. I particularly enjoyed the education on the plight of the indigenous people and the shocking recency of some of the events they’ve suffered.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Flame Tree Press for providing the e-ARC. This was a fun one, releasing 10.24.19. A solid 3.5 stars, leaning towards 4.
The story centers around a fairly unlikeable main named Reese, who has recently graduated from college and is heading for the lake with his soon-to-be-broken-up-with girlfriend, Jessica. They’re joined by her friend Kira and Kira’s boyfriend, Dan. Without giving too much away, the trip does not end particularly well for everyone and what follows is a mix of thriller, historical fiction and a paranormal spin.
This was a good story and a fun and quick read. I particularly enjoyed the education on the plight of the indigenous people and the shocking recency of some of the events they’ve suffered.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Flame Tree Press for providing the e-ARC. This was a fun one, releasing 10.24.19. A solid 3.5 stars, leaning towards 4.
catsluvcoffee's review against another edition
5.0
At first glance, Those Who Came Before seems like typical horror slasher fare. A group of teenagers goes trespassing on a closed campground with complete disregard for rules and an obvious lack of respect for authority. Said teenagers then get slaughtered in a "red mist" kind of way. Not super original right? Except that's not the end of this story. What comes next is not only a deeper look into the Native American folklore of the wendigo but also a brazen look at the socio-political issues that Native Americans faced and continue to face.
Read more at Cats Luv Coffee
Read more at Cats Luv Coffee