3 stars
Not at all what I expected. I do feel there is a audience for this book. It is not for me. Thanks for the ARC of this book.

Inspired by a true crime this is a gripping read, although the subjects revolve around child abuse, neglect and murder the storyline does not glorify these subjects

After reading you do feel as though you were at the time and have watched the story revolve and this is down to the well written words

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I enjoyed this book, not the best I have read but had a good storyline and good characters and would recommend to others.

It’s 1965 and this is a story that weaves fact with fiction. Ronald Cappleman at Black Fell Farm on Saddleworth Moor has a very good reason for not wanting the aggressive young couple on his land and it’s not just because of their threats. ‘Hessy’ has bright bottle blonde hair and ‘Neddy’ has a broad Scottish accent, a domineering demeanour and a gun. They are unforgettable. Meanwhile, little Kathy Openshaw waits patiently in the car while her mother Connie and boyfriend Fred meet Connie’s close friend Myra Hindley and her boyfriend Ian Brady in a pub. When Connie eventually returns to the car little Kathy is gone.

First of all, the author does a really good job of weaving the facts of the infamous moors murderers in with the fiction of the story of Kathy and Connie. The unfolding events are seen through Ronald‘s and Connie’s eyes which works really well to give you a balanced view. The portrayal of Brady and Hindley are chilling as are the forbidding moors which to this day send a shiver down my spine every time I cross the M62. Both characters are depicted with clarity and both are equally terrifying as their grim tale, notorious exploits and personalities unfold. Connie’s portrayal is excellent you feel her frantic panic and guilt although it’s very hard to feel much sympathy for her. Ronald is a fascinating character and he has much to contend with and his storyline contrasts sharply with the Brady/Hindley/Connie storyline and I like how his perspective has a slower pace which brings a sharper focus to the other. The story does contain some good twists and I like how there are connections even though those maybe a bit contrived for fiction purposes. The 1960’s values, societal attitudes and judgements not just of Connie are a strong element. The ending is a bit too neatly tied up in a bow, it’s a bit convenient but maybe it’s a good thing to leave you with a sweeter taste in your mouth after an encounter with two of Britain’s most infamous murderers.

Overall, although the subject matter is beyond dark this is a good read and especially strong in its portrayal of Hindley and Brady.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bookouture for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was super interesting that it's based on true events. It was everything a true crime should be and I can't recommend it enough! What a wild ride.

This book was such an intricate murder mystery. It is full of so many twists and turns and it was hard to put down. Everything was all related and tied up well. This story was based on the Moors murders and was a shocking true story. The story itself is fiction, but it does take place during the time of the actual Moor murders.

This book deals with some hard subjects but Rebecca Griffiths does a great job handling the tough subjects. It talks about child neglect and abuse but I think it was not too graphic where it was unbearable to read. This was the first book I have read that weaved together a fiction story with true crime situations. It was a great combination of fiction and true crime.

Some of the dialogue was a bit hard for me to understand at first but I started to understand it better as the book went on. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this story!

I would suggest this book to anyone that enjoys fiction and true crime. Rebecca Griffiths does a great job at weaving the two together! Thanks so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

This is a well-written cleverly crafted work of fiction. The author manages to insert, as part of the story, the horrors of the moors murders that happened in the sixties. I was a young teenager in Liverpool when this was going on and I distinctly remember the fear and terror that people felt at that time and then the absolute outrage and fury when Hindley and Brady were arrested.
I loved Ms. Griffiths descriptions of the Moors - a desolate place with its own beauty and her description of the sixties couldn’t be better. This was an excellent story wrapped around a true crime (a horrific crime involving children)
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC

I loved this book, I was completely gripped right from the start and I couldnt put it down until I had finished it. The storyline is so electric and unpredictable that I was completely blown away by the plot twists and I sat on the edge of the seat most of the time. I really liked it.

This is a very interesting concept for a book.
Blending the now infamously chilling story of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley and the horrific Moors murders they committed, with a fictional story, I wasn’t sure if this combination could work - but it did!
A great thrilling read, recommended.

A totally gripping mystery thriller inspired by a true story: an innocent young girl holds the key to unlocking a long-buried crime. All I can say is this author has gained a forever reader with me!
Because they are damn good at what she does and that's making me glued to my kindle and forgetting about life! The story grips you from the start and keeps you hanging on till the end.

I found this book rather hard to read. For one, I couldn't dredge up any sympathy for one of the main characters - a mother who would leave her child alone and unprotected in a car while she goes into a pub for a drink! Then, two middle-aged men keeping a child (though they took good care about her and maybe even loved her, and she loved them) was just quite unbearable for me to read.

Fairly well written but just not my type of story.

The Body on the Moor by Rebecca Griffiths

This almost reads as a true crime novel.

Using Saddleworth moor and the horrifying cases of Ian Brady & Myra Hindley in the 60s.
We are soon taken on a chilling tale of what can go wrong when you take your eye off children when there is a killer/killers about. Every parents nightmare.
You can feel the rising terror as you read it , and the author brings the horror of the Moor and the hopelessness of the parents of the missing children.

The Body on the Moor is inspired by the true story of the Moors Murders and Griffith's novel uses the fictional disappearance of Kathy Openshaw from outside a Manchester pub in 1965 to explore the horrific crimes of the serial murderers Brady and Hindley. I was drawn to the synopsis of this novel but fearful that it would sensationalise the murders. Griffiths deals with the subject sensitively and overall this is a compelling, if grim read. She evokes the atmosphere of 1960s Manchester brilliantly and the characterisation of Connie, Kathy's mother, and her family is really well done and I really felt that I was there. This is definitely the strongest aspect of the novel. I found that when it moved to Saddleworth Moor and the character of Ronald the pace was too slow and at odds with the rest of the novel.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

This novel is incredible! Despite dealing with horrifying subjects from child neglect and abuse to serial abduction and brutal murders well and cleverly concealed, the writing is truly engaging and so vivid. I had read the news reports at the time of the Moors Murders, the true crime events on which this novel is based, and some Nonfiction accounts. But here, viewed through the eyes of two particular characters and their milieu, I felt as if I was the proverbial "fly on the wall," watching these events and the truly terrifying villains up close and all too personal.