G James
“I enjoyed this story and Ruth Shedwick keeps us guessing throughout – about what had really happened to the two young girls who went missing and about which of three young men protagonist Amelia was going to settle on. The ending leaves it open for another novel and I hope Shedwick will write this soon. There are a few oddities in the story-line: would they all really have been locked in the pub? What happens to the detective in all of this? What about the ring of daisies and the valerium? The ending is a little abrupt but at least it leaves one wanting more.“
Read and Rated
“This book spoke to me in so many ways – ah the joyous freedom of just pitching up somewhere new, living in a quaint cottage and working in the coolest bookstore in town! Trembleath offers a wonderful mix of the perfection of the mundane, simple and humdrum, beautifully melded with the utterly unimaginable. It explores folklore, myths and legends and explores the unknown but in a very subtle way – there is the always the underlying ‘suggestion’ that things are not quite what they seem…”
Beneath a Thousand Skies
“Trembleath interested me both because of my familiarity with Cornwall, but also because it was a Paranormal Thriller, which is a genre I was keen to explore. This debut novel was an exciting introduction to the genre, and I will say that the paranormal aspects of the story were possibly my favourite parts of the entire story. Especially the mystery surrounding the ‘beast’ which is a mythology/folktale that I have always enjoyed and was well done here, balancing intrigue with enough information to keep you invested, and continually wanting to know more. There was a steady build-up of pressure throughout the story, and it was done in such a way that it never took over and couldn’t be forgotten. That whisper in the back of your mind that reminds you to keep watching out of the corner of your eye. There were a few places where I felt that the tension, especially in the paranormal sense could have been pushed further without unbalancing the rest of the plot, either through the use of more horror or just increasing the tension that extra knot more. However, as this is the first book in a trilogy, I can understand the decision not to push too far and hope to see how this aspect is expanded on and developed in the future books. I found Amelia a mostly relatable and easy to empathise with character, as most have us have been in the position where our decisions are dictated by emotion more than anything else. There were a few places, where her habit of following her ‘heart’ did frustrate me because she allowed herself to be carried along, and sometimes made questionable decisions. Still, I enjoyed her as a character, and she was my principal investment in the book because I was worried about what could happen to her, with the mystery going on around her. The love triangle between herself and Seth and William was unexpected, and I am curious to see how that plays out in the next book, and how it will play into the larger plot. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read something a little different, or wanting to give a Paranormal Thriller a go, and I will be looking out for the next book in the series.”
The Book Cosy
“I was first attracted to Trembleath because it is set in Cornwall, written by a British author and is a paranormal thriller. The front cover is dark and sinister, which I love, very atmospheric. Amelia Scott arrives in Creek Bay alone; she was supposed to be moving with her boyfriend. Shortly after arriving Amelia thinks she sees someone struggling in the sea and calls the emergency lifeguards. Running down to the beach to see if she can help she becomes stuck in the quick sand and needs rescuing herself. Mortified at finding herself in this predicament and her rescuer being the swimmer she thought was drowning, Amelia becomes friends with Seth and he offers her a job in his bookshop. What seems to be a cosy village is quickly turned on its head with the disappearance and murder of a teenage girl. Soon after another teenage girl goes missing and the villagers are in lock-down over a strange beast that seems to be patrolling the area in the evenings and a murderer on the loose. The mystery surrounding the ‘beast’ and the murders that took place intrigued me and kept me wanting more. I was desperate to know what happened to the girls and was fearful for Amelia as she was no doubt the next victim. What perplexed me was the relationship between Seth and William. William on the face of it seemed a handsome, rich bachelor who was interested in Amelia, she in turn found him very attractive. Amelia also found herself drawn to Seth who constantly warned her off of William. It was not clear at first if it was because he had his sights set on Amelia or whether there was something truly sinister about William. This love triangle was not something I was expecting from the book but it added to my enjoyment. I was biased towards Seth and felt he was the ‘safer’ option, regardless of what the local Detective Inspector had to say about him. I enjoyed how the paranormal aspect built up but was expecting more horror to the novel. I think the author could have pushed for more horror without it affecting the overall plot, I would have welcomed it. I was not anticipating the book to end in quite the way it did and can see how this would hook readers to reach out for the next book in the series. I guess it did answer some of my questions but left me with more questions.”
Momo Book Diary
“This debut novel instantly caught my interest, well, who wouldn’t be intrigued by this cover? I found the plot, characters and the descriptive scene setting all very well developed and worked well together. The lead characters back story was relatable and I felt instantly warmed towards her. The setting, a small village with a hidden dark side and strange noises…. The style of writing is great, pacy with plenty happening. This really is a fantastic thriller which drew me in from the start. I enjoyed the intrigue and suspense which was built with each page. I am not generally a reader of supernatural / paranormal novels but I am glad that the atmospheric cover was enough to interest me to start reading… you should give it a chance too! I highly recommend Trembleath and I am eager to read more by Ruth Shedwick. Hopefully there will be a follow up to this book so we can learn more about the village of Creek Bay.”
Life of a Nerdish Mum
“I found Amelia a really relatable character. Most of us have made big decisions following heartbreak. Some of us chop and colour our hair and some of us, like Amelia move away. She’s led by her heart and doesn’t always make the best decisions for her. Sometimes I wanted to shake her and tell her to stand up for herself. The story was nicely paced and kept me reading. I felt invested and really wanted to know what had happened. I would have liked a bit more world development as Creek Bay could have been any small village, but that might have been the point. I really enjoyed reading Trembleath and I’m really hoping for a second book. This is a well written and atmospheric debut novel and I’m looking forward to more work from Ruth Shedwick. I have this book 4 stars.”
Little Miss Book Lover
“Wow, this is a debut book. I am in complete shock. This is a great read, written in third person and past tense. This is one which is really easy to lose yourself in. This is a great paranormal thriller, which is completely different from my preferred genre. However, I have absolutely loved this one. The characters in this book are great and I have loved them. A book with conflict is always a good read, this one I haven’t wanted to put down. I am extremely keen to read more by this author as this book has been a great distraction. I highly recommend this book, even if you aren’t a reader of the paranormal – definitely give this one a go because it’s a great read which I’m sure will be successful. Definitely five stars from me.”
Books Behind The Title
“Amelia is after a new start in a new place where she even gets a new job after a chance encounter at a book shop. The owner Seth seems to be on the up with the offer so she takes the plunge and accepts after all it is a new start for her. Amelia settles well into village life soon coming to know her customers and other regular faces she encounters. One encounter sees her meeting a mysterious yet intense man named William. Unfortunately the village is home to some deadly secrets. Young girls have gone missing and its hinted at that Seth may be involved in some way. Not wanting to believe this of him she carries on working alongside him and spending increasing after work time with him. Yet William haunts her days too, he’s there when she least expects it, he treats her to gifts and grand gestures. Torn between two men she is soon the focus of a series of events that make her believe someone or something is after her. The book builds up the sexual tension between Amelia and the two man as well as the fear and paranoia she finds is invading her waking hours. Who is making those awful noises outside, did someone really break in her cottage. Not knowing who she can really trust the book drives you further into her nightmare life. A pacy read with supernatural undertones that builds up to a tense ending and one that will leave you wanting more of the same.”
Nicki’s Life of Crime
“The story was narrated entirely from Amelia’s perspective, a wonderful, likeable character who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and stand up for herself whenever the situation arose. I think her only major flaw was that she let her heart rule her head, whenever she felt attracted to someone, it was like she developed a obsession with that person. Was that why her previous boyfriend dumped her or because of Seth and William’s obvious animal magnetism? If I had to choose between the two men then I personally would have chosen bad boy Seth over aristocratic William who was just a bit too smarmy for my liking. The way that certain characters appeared out of nowhere and then disappeared in a blink of the eye was rather sinister and creepy and I think Detective Cooks should have carried a stalker badge instead of a detective badge. He just kept mysteriously appearing almost everywhere that Amelia went and I never knew whether she could trust him or not. I loved the setting for this book, the seemingly innocent village with its hidden dark side and secrets, the surrounding trees and woodland where all manner of creatures roamed and strange noises were heard at night. Like the woods at night an intense atmosphere permeates the pages of this chilling mix of folklore, romance, obsession, murder, family feuds and mysterious disappearances. From the very beginning the reader knows that something sinister lurks in the trees surrounding the village and the sense of foreboding in intensifies as the story unfolds. This is a debut story which is very well written, the settings and scenes are beautifully described, it has some seriously intense, nail biting moments and is a very enjoyable read. It looks as if this is the first book in a series and I look forward to revisiting the residents of Creek Bay in the future.”
Jessica Belmont
“Trembleath is a really unique story. Debut novel from Ruth Shedwick, I was really compelled while reading this. I’m excited to have read this and I am looking forward to more from this author. The characters are well-written. Amelia Scott is a newcomer to the village of Creek Bay. Her struggling to recover from a breakup makes her relatable and I felt she was really well-rounded. As were the other characters. I found the plot well written. There were points in which I felt it could have been developed a bit more, but overall, I still really enjoyed it. Overall, I enjoyed Trembleath. I’m looking forward to the next book from Ruth Shedwick, and would recommend giving this a go.”
Donna’s Book Blog
“I was really intrigued by the blurb for this book and the cover is very atmospheric and suits the story really well. I thought that the plot was well developed and there was plenty happening. The characters were well developed and they worked well together too. I really warmed to Amelia’s character and I liked the style that the book was written in. The pace was good and I liked the suspense and intrigue that the author built up throughout the book. It is 4 stars from me for this one, it was a great paranormal crime thriller with a well-developed plot – will definitely be looking out for more books from the author in the future and hopefully a follow up book to this one!”
The P Turners
“The well thought out setting, the intriguing characters and clever use of folklore with the modern world is a great concept for a debut novel. I turned the last page eager to see what happens next for Amelia Scott, because surely it cannot end there. A very pleasant and enjoyable read, I am completely grateful to have this novel on my bookshelf.”
S Kelly
“Loved this book – First book in ages that I couldn’t put down. Eagerly awaiting Gourvleydh.”
TillyFloss
“This is an amazing book, I read it on my kindle and enjoyed it so much ordered the paper copy it is one you will read again and again. Absolute page turner, brilliantly written and so atmospheric you feel that you are there. One of those perfect winter books where you want to grab a throw, light the fire and snuggle down for a cosy evening reading. I will watch for more from this author.”
P Robinson
“Great debut novel. A perfect read for the long nights of winter, put another log on the fire, pour a glass of wine and dive in.”
N Cook
“By chance l came upon the author selling her book at a christmas fayre. After buying her first book – now finished – l have nothing but praise for the content and its writer. When you get a book so well written that you can imagine it like a film in your mind you know the author has put their heart and soul into it. Like others have said.. A definite page turner and l urge you to buy this book!”
J Hallam
“A proper page turner from a new author. Each chapter left you wanting to know more about what is going on. And my there is so much going on in this tiny village! Families at war, knowing looks, whispered conversations, close knit community with history, etc. When protagonist Amelia set off for a new life I doubt she had this in mind. Can’t wait for the next instalment!”
C Coombe
“Really enjoyed this read, it is a proper page turner, could not put the book down. It is defiantly worth a read. Will be looking out for more books from this author. Excellent”
Amazon Customer
“This is an amazing book. The author takes you on an exciting and mysterious journey with the main character Amelia Scott who is endeavouring to uncover a dark secret in a wild and wonderful place. The plot, suspense and descriptions of the area make you want to keep reading, to discover what is going to happen next, to uncover the secret. It is dark, light, colourful and full of intrigue. I would definitely recommend it.”
Denise M
“Beautiful quality produced book, so silky and smooth! A page turner, once I started I couldn’t put it down. I was able to envisage Amelia. Disappointed at the end as I wanted it to go on! I look forward to the next book from this new author.”
A Davidson
“A real page turner, can’t wait for the next one. Could definitely see this as a film or TV series.“
Amazon Customer
“Well written and full of intrigue, the perfect for anyone who likes a murder mystery.”
ruthshedwick 