The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor is a gripping and atmospheric thriller that expertly weaves together a tale of childhood innocence lost and the haunting repercussions of secrets buried in the past. Tudor’s debut novel stands out for its compelling narrative structure, rich character development, and a chilling sense of unease that lingers throughout the story.

The novel alternates between two timelines: 1986, when a group of young friends discover a dismembered body after following a trail of mysterious chalk drawings, and 2016, when the now-adult Eddie Adams, one of the boys from the group, is forced to confront the unresolved mysteries of his past after receiving a disturbing letter containing a drawing of a chalk figure.

Eddie, or "Ed" as he’s known in adulthood, is a complex and engaging protagonist. Tudor deftly captures the voice of a man whose life has been shaped by the traumatic events of his childhood. Ed’s narration is laced with dark humor and a deep sense of melancholy, reflecting his struggle to move on from the past. As the narrative flips between the two timelines, readers are drawn into the world of Eddie and his friends as children, where the carefree days of youth are overshadowed by an undercurrent of fear and danger.

The strength of The Chalk Man lies in its ability to evoke the atmosphere of a small English town, where everyone knows each other’s secrets—or at least they think they do. Tudor excels at building tension, with the novel’s alternating timelines revealing the story in carefully measured doses. Each chapter peels back another layer of the mystery, keeping readers on edge as they try to piece together the truth alongside Ed.

The chalk drawings themselves are a brilliant narrative device, serving as both a symbol of the children’s innocence and a harbinger of the darkness that will soon engulf them. These drawings, initially a harmless game among friends, take on a sinister meaning as the story progresses, becoming the key to unlocking the terrifying secrets that lie at the heart of the novel.

Tudor’s writing is sharp and evocative, with a keen sense of pacing that ensures the reader’s attention never wavers. The dialogue is realistic, and the characters’ interactions feel genuine, particularly the camaraderie among Eddie and his childhood friends. These relationships are central to the novel, as the bonds formed in youth are tested by the weight of the secrets they carry into adulthood.

The novel is also a poignant exploration of memory and guilt. As the adult Ed delves deeper into the events of 1986, he begins to question his recollections, realizing that the truth may be far more complex—and far more disturbing—than he ever imagined. Tudor captures this uncertainty beautifully, leaving the reader to ponder the reliability of memory and the ways in which we construct our own narratives to cope with the past.

The Chalk Man delivers a series of twists and turns that are both surprising and satisfying, leading to a climax that ties together the threads of the story in a chilling and unexpected way. The resolution is both shocking and fitting, leaving readers with a sense of closure while also questioning the true nature of the events they’ve just witnessed.

C. J. Tudor’s debut novel is a standout in the psychological thriller genre, offering a story that is as much about the darkness within ourselves as it is about the external dangers we face. The Chalk Man is a haunting and thought-provoking read that will appeal to fans of Stephen King and Gillian Flynn, as well as anyone who enjoys a well-crafted mystery with a deep emotional core. Tudor’s ability to blend suspense, horror, and psychological depth marks her as a formidable new voice in the world of thrillers.

An amazing thriller that had me gripped from the first page. A compelling read I couldn't put down. Love Tudor's writing and can't wait for the next one! A total sleep stealer I'll be recommending to everyone.

The chalk man by C.J. Tudor was so good I ended up reading it in one sitting thanks for my long flight. I found this book very refreshing but creepy and I loved it. Brilliant book for the flight as it kept my mind of the bumps pf the turbulence!

I highly recommend this book it was brilliant and a great start to my Far east Holiday.

I honestly think this is a case of me and not the book as others have been really raving about this. This is the 3rd book I've tried by the author and they honestly just continue to fall flat for me so I think it's just personal taste. The characters aren't that likeable which makes it harder for me to keep interested, pair that with the at times slow nature and it just isn't for me unfortunately. It's OK but nothing more than that.

The opening was brilliant and had me hooked. Great characters supported the thrilling plot and I couldn't put it down.
Highly recommend

Best book I have read in a long time. I could not put it down. The Chalk Man has everything you need if you’re looking for an outstanding read. Scary, thrilling and mesmerising.

Brilliant characters, a pacy plot and exquisite writing - The Chalk Man delivered and more! C J Tudor is quickly becoming one of my favourite crime novelists.

#TheChalkMan #NetGalley

I haven't read such type of book in my life.
The Chalk Man is coming . . .

'None of us ever agreed on the exact beginning. Was it when we started drawing the chalk figures, or when they started to appear on their own? Was it the terrible accident? Or when they found the first body?'
Characters and dialogues are brilliant. It's a powerful debut.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for giving me an advance copy.

This was a really enjoyable spooky thriller with a nice few juicy twists. I enjoyed the story was told over 2 different time spans and it was good to see the characters development and connections. 3.5/4

Enjoyable read, bit of a shocker at the end though! Really enjoyed how the story flicked back to the past and then to the present and it was all wrapped up really well at the conclusion.

The Chalk Man was definitely a page turner. I really liked the unreliable and complicated plots. Only bad part was i didn't learn all the answers. Overall it was a really good mystery book. 3.5/5

A slower paced novel but I'm glad I stuck with it, overall it made of a really good read. I wasn't sure with all the hype that on with it but it was well worth it in the end, definitely worth a read.

Th boo is told over two time periods, the 1980s and he present day.

There has been a murder and it is up to ed, the main character, to solve the crime.

The book was a good read and had me guessing motives and suspects

I enjoyed the book and it kept me guessing to the end

Although widely reviewed and praised already, C. J. Tudor- The Chalk Man, was as brilliant as everyone has proclaimed so far. With its split timeline, shades of Stephen King, and one of the best endings I have read for some time, this was a real almost in one sitting job. I loved the authenticity of the character’s voices as youngsters, and Tudor’s building of suspense and tension was just nerve shredding. An absolute dream for booksellers across the land to recommend, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

The Chalk Man is coming . . .

'None of us ever agreed on the exact beginning. Was it when we started drawing the chalk figures, or when they started to appear on their own? Was it the terrible accident? Or when they found the first body?'

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I'm a huge thriller fan so always impressed when writing me makes me terrified! I did not want to put this down and read it in super speedy time. Genuinely chilling with echoes of IT. The focus on a childhood game going wrong is probably what lends the added creepiness and I also liked the different time eras used to move the story along. Well worth a read.

This debut novel spans the late 80's to the present day, weaving a web of intrigue and deceit in equal measure in an exciting thriller that you won't want to put down!

In 1986, Eddie, along with his group of friends Hoppo, Fat Gav, Metal Mickey and Nicky are twelve-year-olds without a care in the world, until a trail of chalk drawings leads to a dismembered body in the woods.

When, thirty years later, the chalk drawings reappear, Eddie is drawn back into the mystery and is determined to try and uncover the truth.

The novel touches on the topical issues of the time, with Eddie's mother caught up in a storm for performing abortions at her clinic, which attracts negative attention not only from local residents, but also from the church community and lends an interesting narrative to the story.

Anderbury, the town where all of the action takes place, is portrayed as a haven of secrets, lies and bitterness, which adds to the tension and drama of the storyline.

Tudor succeeds in creating a thriller which has you on the edge of your seat until the final climax which adds a definite twist to the tale! Highly recommended!

There’s a lot of hype surrounding this book, and I’m so sorry to say that I have not gotten swept up in it. 2.5 stars.

Initially this book sounded like an interesting and unique story, but in reality it came across as a rehashing of Stephen King’s IT. The parallels between these two books are numerous, far too many for it to be considered a coincidence.

For anyone who hasn’t read IT, this book is probably much more appealing. But for me, I kept waiting for Pennywise to appear, and for the Loser Club to win the day, actually I was waiting for something...anything...to happen, I got my wish with about 20 pages left in the book, but by then it was too little, too late.

Some elements were quite interesting, and surprising, particularly the unexpected consequences of certain character’s actions. And the ending is what got my rating another half star. But mostly I was disappointed, I struggled to warm to any of the characters, and some of the minor plot elements seemed pointless, and contributed nothing to the main story. Such a shame.

Thank you to C.J. Tudor, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well, consider my mind well and truly fucked. What a fantastic debut novel!
The prologue immediately sucked me right into this strangely atmospheric thriller and I just couldn’t put this down even if I wanted to. I expected the constant switching between past and present to be off-putting, but in this case both timelines were very skillfully interwoven and definitely contributed to the nailbiting cliffhangers!

I’m pretty sure Gillian Flynn fans are going to love this. The dynamic between the characters and the whole atmosphere even gave me an almost Stranger Things-like vibe. I didn’t like nor dislike Eddie, which I think was the point, and the last few sentences actually gave me the chills!

I think it’s best that you go into this unprepared, unspoiled and completely blind like I did, so I’m going to end this here!

A delightfully dark debut from CJ Tudor. I have had The Chalk Man in my “TBR” pile for longer than I intended (her second novel is just a few weeks away).

I enjoyed The Chalk Man – the story zipped along at cracking pace and happily I was totally wrong in my predictions as to how the story was going to pan out. Through a nice series of then/now narratives I felt that the reader got a comprehensive look at the key characters in the story from their formative years to present day.

The formative years are important as it is in the past that the seeds of horror are sewn. A tragic event at a funfair has lasting consequences for a young girl. A group of young friends are on the cusp of their teen years – they will face fears, family turmoil and experience tragedy before the book draws to a conclusion.

The key character is Ed. As an adult he is a 40-something single man and he has a few significant character flaws. As a child Ed was a troubled 12 year old, member of a gang of 5 pals from very different backgrounds. His parents were causing him embarrassment (and his mother’s job brought unwelcome attention). Also Ed is right on hand at the funfair incident – a day which may shape how Ed’s life will pan out.

The Chalk Man delivered surprises and twists and, as I indicated above, I enjoyed the story as it kept me reading to see how it would pan out. Well worth picking this one up.

An interesting concept that was well written. I enjoyed this book - would read more by this author in the future.