The Key To Death's Door

I really enjoyed the friendship between Lee and Charlie. They are just your typical best friends. After Lee's near death experience the two become tighter than ever.

There is a certain amount of super natural element to the story line with Lee's outer body experience. I was slightly concerned as to whether I would find it believable but that didn't really matter as the story had me well and truly gripped so that I couldn't read through the pages fast enough to see what was going to happen next. I for one am a believer in outer body experiences but at the end of the day it is a work of fiction and a very darn good one at that. 

The Key To Death's Door tackles a few harrowing topics. Some parts make for some highly emotional reading which is something I have come to expect from this authors books. He really has has you feeling a whole array of emotions. I was not only shocked and horrified in parts, I was also deeply saddened and anxious, and yet the friendship between both boys was something so wonderful that made me smile and my heart swell with pride. 

This is another heart breaking and gut wrenching novel that will stick with me for a long time to come. What should be the best years of two young boys lives is turned upside down with discovery and a fight for justice. A story that will send your pulse racing and your heart soaring. Another utterly brilliant novel by one of my favourite authors.

After each Mark Tilbury book I have read, I ask myself the question, how can Mark Tilbury do better than that? Yet, he does, and 'The Key To Death's Door' was no exception.
Teenager Lee Hunter and his friend Charlie Finch are on a fishing trip and Lee drowns when he attempts to swim across the river. His spirit enters the body of a boy, Paul Collins from thirty years ago, who along with his family is about to die. Lee as Paul experiences death for a second time, then is brought back to the life of Lee as his friend Charlie successfully carries out CPR. The spirit of Paul and Lee remain inextricably linked, and combine to avenge the murder of Paul's family and protect his friend Charlie Finch.
Mark Tilbury certainly knows how to evoke fear in his readers. It's a fear that most of us will recognise if we dare to look back on our own childhood and remember the irrational fears we had about things that we didn't understand, even if we didn't experience the heinous things that Tilbury put these youngsters through. . It's about fear against evil, and there is none more evil than the man that Lee/Paul is going after. This was breathtaking to read and I could not put it down.

Very interesting story. I couldn't put it down once I started it. It deals with life after death and setting things right. It has some violence in parts. The characers seem alive when you read this book. The author did a fine job. I would recommend this book.

A very different read, I'm not certain of the category but I would say psychological paranormal thriller. I didn't read the blurb and I'm glad I didn't because the revelations are mind blowing, it's gory,violent and tragic.I found myself holding my breath and read swiftly from chapter to chapter. It's not for the faint hearted but if you want a cracking read I can highly recommend.

This author writes some of the darkest and most disturbed books that I have read – but I will admit that I love them and they are becoming to be a guilty pleasure for me!

His writing style is spot on for the genre and they are books that draw you in. The plot in this book was unlike any that I have read and that really made a refreshing change. I had read the blurb so I understood what was happening but if you don’t read this it could be a bit confusing.

The book has a really evil main character and he is one of the worst one that I have read for a long while. He is the kind of person that makes your skin crawl but even though he did make my skin crawl at times, I was compelled to read it.

The plot was gripping and I read the book over a couple of hours. The plot plays on irrational fears, childhood hopes and dreams and some other very dark subjects and he does them very well but again, as with his other books this will not be a book for everyone – you have been warned

This was definitely a five star read for me – very highly recommended but it is not for those that are faint hearted!

I’m a big fan of Mark Tilbury’s writing, his books are normally dark and disturbing, and The Key To Death’s Door is definitely both of these things. I should mention this probably isn’t one for the feint hearted there is strong language and violence, but if you dare to read it I’m sure like me, you will find it a riveting read. I’m not going to rehash the plot details as all you need to know is in the book description, but suffice to say with elements of crime, thriller and the paranormal thrown it makes this book an highly original albeit a very disturbing read.

Full review to follow on my blog soon

Rather than trying to summarise the story here’s a bit of the blurb:
“Teenager Lee Hunter doesn’t have a choice when he nearly drowns after spending the night at a derelict boathouse with his best friend, Charlie Finch. After leaving his body and meeting a mysterious light, Lee is sent back to relive the final days of another life. A life that ended tragically.
After recovering from his near death experience, Lee begins to realise that he is part of two lives linked by the despicable actions of one man.”
This is a strange book but it had me hooked from the first few chapters. Lee is given another chance to put things right and sees how Daryl treats his best friend Charlie but is powerless to stop it. Even in the ‘other life’ he is no match for Daryl.
This book takes you on a journey with Lee and even though it doesn’t solve everything, I was desparate for him to make Daryl understand how he’s ruined so many people’s lives.
The friendship between Lee and Charlie is heartwarming and I really felt for them.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Warped and wonderful is what this book is. Love the characters as well as how well they interact. I love the paranormal aspects as well.

Flippin’ heck! What even?! I have no idea how to review this sheer awesomeness at all!

I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, probably also in a review for the same author, that I don’t normally read paranormal or supernatural stories but for Mark Tilbury, I gladly make an exception and I don’t regret a single second of it. This is the third book in this genre that I’ve read by him and once again, it completely blew me away!

So, see that book description at the top of the page? Yes, that’s all you’re going to get from me where the plot is concerned. Why though, I hear you ask? Because I actually tried to explain it to the OH and the poor man got horribly confused. What you really need to know is that most of the story is set in the present day, while some of it regards events from thirty years earlier. These two periods are linked by one character and what a character it is!

As I’ve come to expect from this author, that particular character is one of the most despicable, vile and evil men ever to roam the planet! Very few people come up with someone so incredibly disturbing but Mark Tilbury manages it in every single book of his I’ve read so far. The only relief from all the heinous acts comes in the form of the friendship between Lee and Charlie in the present, and two other characters in the past. Everyone should have a friend like them and in the midst of the horror, I regularly found myself smiling at their banter.

The Key to Death’s door doesn’t exactly make for comfortable reading. It is an incredibly dark and harrowing tale of abuse, of not always being able to protect your family no matter how hard you try and of seeking justice. It’s a hard-hitting, well-written, compelling, gritty and thought-provoking story that, days later, still has me utterly reeling.

If you’re a fan of Mark Tilbury’s books, I have no doubt you will love this one as much as I did. If you haven’t yet discovered this author, I highly recommend you take the time to get caught up. In the meantime I’m off to firmly add him to my list of go-to authors and (im)patiently await his next offering, which I’m sure will rock my socks off just as much as this one did. No pressure, sir.

Happy Publication day! Wow, where do I start there is just something about Mark’s books that is unique and makes outstanding, thrilling reads including this one… Stories to get excited about and look forward too. Very impressed. A well deserved five stars.

I managed to read this full story in a day! I literally devoured it. Loved it. However, Finch’s character WOW. He has to be one of the most hated character’s that I have ever read about, he made my blood boil and really got me angry! What a vile character. Parts of this story can be very dark and brutal, just a little warning for those sensitive readers.

I must admit at first I was a little confused about the plot like woah what is going on here? But then it all made sense and I was impressed by the cleverly written plot. I would highly recommend this book to you all. It was a brilliant read!

When I read a book by Mark Tilbury it makes everything else I've read seem drab. It's as if his books were made for me. I can't get enough of him. I hope he continues to write many more successful stories.

The Key To Death's Door by Mark Tilbury is a tense, mystery, thriller novel interwoven with supernatural and horror aspects, which reminded me of Stephen King style reads.

When Teenager Lee Hunter and his best friend Charlie Finch go on a fishing trip, Lee drowns only to discover that when he awakes he has travelled back in time about 30 years and is now living the life of another lad called Paul Collins. To his horror, he, his family and his best friend are at the mercy of the evil and sadistic Daryl Finch, Charlie Finch's father and they are all about to be killed.

After being successfully resuscitated by Charlie, Lee comes back as himself - to the current time period - knowing the horrific truth about Charlie's father, Daryl, and what he is capable of. With his newfound knowledge Lee sets out to avenge the death's of the Collins' family. But where to start? Who is going to believe Lee knows what happened all those years ago, when he wasn't even born then?

The Key to Death's Door is a clever story, and raises serious issues of child abuse, wife beating, animal cruelty and murder in such vivid detail, I totally wanted justice for what had happened, and for Daryl Finch to get his comeuppance for his past and present atrocities. There's no way he could be allowed to get away with what he's done, surely?

I loved the relationship of best friends Lee and Charlie, they were portrayed realistically for their ages, and their characters were fun to read. They might not always have been able to say what they really meant to each other, but they had each other's back, and at times their conversations were even quite funny and endearing. Contrast this with the scenes in the Collins' house, which were utterly brutal and horrifying and you're in for a thrilling ride with a supernatural twist. I certainly enjoyed The Key to Death's Door and will look for more of Mark Tilbury's work from now on.

There is something wholly unique about Mark Tilbury’s writing, yes there’s always some supernatural elements that sets them apart from most thrillers, but it’s much more complex than that. Maybe it’s the concepts he comes up with for his premises, maybe it’s his dark, gritty writing style or maybe it’s his ability to examine the very evil depths of humanity in a way that’s both frightening and fascinating. Whatever it is doesn’t really matter in the end because the combination of it all makes for a gripping read every single time and I’ll always read any of his new books.

Reincarnation is explored here and while I don’t necessarily believe in it, it’s a very interesting topic. Lee is a young man who has a terrible experience with a near drowning and something happens during it that’s unexplainable. It’s like he’s transported to an entirely different life in a different place and time and while he’s scared witless, he’s also very curious as to what this all means and why it seems to be connected to his real life. I adored Lee and his best friend Charlie, they had a special relationship and the way they joked and teased each other made me laugh and lightened the heavy mood.

As always, Tilbury has crafted the ultimate villain, the type of character that chills you to the core. I hated this man with a passion, no one can evoke anger in me better than this author, and no one can keep me frantically flipping pages to see what happens next quite like he can either. The intensity was electrifying by the end and my heart was in my throat. If you don’t mind a supernatural twist in your thrillers, please check this one out, or really any of his other books.

The Key to Death’s Door in three words: Menacing, Horrifying and Gripping.

If you could discover the murderous truth of a past life and seek justice in this one, would you?

Teenager Lee Hunter doesn’t have a choice when he nearly drowns after spending the night at a derelict boathouse with his best friend, Charlie Finch. After leaving his body and meeting a mysterious light, Lee is sent back to relive the final days of another life. A life that ended tragically.

After recovering from his near death experience, Lee begins to realise that he is part of two lives linked by the despicable actions of one man.

Struggling against impossible odds, Lee and Charlie set out to bring this man to justice.

Will Lee be able to unlock the past and bring justice to the future?

The Key to Death’s Door is a story of sacrifice, friendship, loyalty and murder.

I’m not giving any spoilers to this book, but wow! What a book this is … I was on the edge of my seat, gasping with shock and horror. But saying that I didn’t want it to end. 5*

Really enjoyed this book, difficult to define to a specific genre, but kept me reading from the opening pages and had to know had w it would end.