Another stunning cover design to grab readers' attention during the busy new year period. It is no accident that the story within the covers is as strong. The writing is brilliant with realistic characters throughout and a totally believable storyline.
Having been a teenager myself in the 1980s when this story begins, and having been the only girl in a friendship group of school children I could imagine being one of the characters in the story.
We have all done things in our childhood like drawing chalk man designs for passing on messages (there were no mobile phones in the mid eighties, remember!) and the summer holidays were often spent cycling around looking for where the rest of your mates were hanging out - usually signified by a pile of pushbikes outside someone's house. And of course a group of kids with active imaginations always come up with stories about anyone who looks even the slightest bit different to the norm such as Mr Halloran in the book.
The way the author has linked tragic events that happened in 1986 to people and happenings thirty years later is absolutely ingenious. The older version of every character was spot on, with health issues affecting some of the older generation being presented with compassion and understanding. The emotions felt by each of the youngsters and their understanding of certain situations is written in terms that a child of that age would use. I love the way that in the later years of the book the adult characters express feelings of insecurity that we all feel - that we aren't ever really "grown up" at all.
As with a lot of books in this genre, most of the characters have been harbouring secrets for many years and when some of the revelations are made it makes others in the friendship group completely reassess what they have always thought were the facts. New information gets exposed in jaw dropping fashion but some secrets are never told, not even to your best mate.
I found this book extremely readable, well paced and will definitely be recommending it strongly as a top read for January. This review will feature on my review page at www.sandiesbookshelves.blogspot.co.uk

Wow!! There are far more expletives I could use to describe how much I loved this book but let's just say it has become one of the best books that I have read this year (and I read a LOT). As a reader my first love was horror and this book encapsulates a lot of this genre even though it is classed as a thriller. A gruesome murder (or two...), mysterious chalk men drawn at crime scenes and the walking, talking dead appearing in your dreams - what's not to love! I raced through this book in a few hours and risked travel sickness reading on the bus as I could not put it down.

Dark, gruesome and packed full of that creeping horror feeling that will give you goosebumps. Highly recommend you bang this on your TBR for January. I will be buying multiple copies to spread the book love (hysteria)!

I’d heard great things about The Chalk Man so I began reading it with eager anticipation. I have to say it definitely lived up to the hype. I was drawn in from the first chapter and hooked until the very end.

This book is C J Tudor’s debut novel and I’m overwhelmed at how brilliantly this story is out together. It’s a tense psychological thriller with twists and turns galore that keep you guessing to the very end. A fantastic read that I can highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin UK Michael Joseph and the author for the chance to review.

I thought this novel started very promisingly, with the split time perspective encouraging me to read on. However, I just felt that it didn't develop in a way in keeping with such a strong start. It started to feel a bit haphazard and chaotic, and by the end like the author was desperately trying to conclude all of the separate strands. Saying that, it was an enjoyable read. The bullying scene early on was particularly well written and the chalk motif was intriguing, but sadly, for me, it just didn't come together coherently enough.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The novel opens with a particularly graphic scene which triggers a series of disturbing events.
In 1986 our protagonist, Eddie and his friends have a secret code. They draw stick figures in chalk to send messages to one another that only they will understand.. When a series of chilling events occur which seem to be linked to their chalk drawings their summer reaches a gruesome end.
In the present timeline, adult Eddie receives a drawing in the mail, a chalk figure. Is the past catching up on he and his friends?
This is a fascinating novel with a superb ending and the introduction of the enigmatic Mr Halloran is a genius touch that gives a double meaning to the books title. The only reason that I have not given 5 stars to this title is that the informal style of writing at the start of the book took me a while to adapt to. This is purely personal preference and this is a highly recommended novel.

This was a creepy story but really fascinating reading. Some amazing characters and lots of red herrings. The conclusion was almost a surprise but the build up to it totally absorbing. Great read..

Just a few pages of the story and I knew that this will be one of the books that I call a “Getting to work late” book.

Impossible to put down, well written and a story that grabs you and doesn’t let go until the end.

I love a good book with twists and turns.

I’m a C.J.Tudor fan now and I hope there will be many more books.

Fatima

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

This was fantastic - it's been a while since I've read such a good mystery/thriller novel. It was a refreshing take, and definitely kept me guessing. Well worth the read.

This is a really creepy, really enjoyable debut. I loved all the twists and turns, and can't wait to see what C J Tudor does next.

Another one I didn't finish and this time it was entirely my fault for picking a horror story when I literally can't sleep after reading such tales - I must not have read the blurb carefully enough but by 10% in, it started giving me the heebie-jeebies and I had to quit, sorry! 3 stars because it seemed well-written as far as I got and to give 2 stars seems unecessessarily pejorative considering I didn't get a quarter of the way through and you can't give zero stars on this site.

There's so much foreshadowing going on in the early chapters here you cannot help but doubt the rest will live up to it. A gang of young lads about twelve years of age in 1986 seem to be in a youthful idyll, but it's actually a horrific place, where girls get half their face demolished by a loose fairground ride carriage, albino teachers seem to be wrong 'uns, and where our narrator's parents get tormented by protesters over the woman's working in an abortion clinic. And that's not the worst of it, as horrid death sends its creeping, jagged scars into the group - scars that will last at least the next thirty years.

That worry, that the book wouldn't live up to its premise, was evident throughout my reading of it, but it was only partially founded come the end. Yes, it proves to be a messy melange of darkness, nastiness and worse, but as a dark thriller the book certainly works, even if a shade of it just misses out on a final sheen of conviction. It certainly works as a fine calling card for Caz, as those who know the author apparently call her. I can certainly see why she went for gender-neutral initials, for at times this certainly does not seem to be the work of a female mind; the laddish world of boys in the 1980s and the psychology present in the hero to this day are firmly wrought, and the horror is quite full-on at times. Certainly a success.

This book is one of the best debut novels I have read!! It could quite easily give you nightmares!
Written in two time zones,1986 and 2016, the story revolves around the adventures of four children, Eddie,who is the narrator,Fat Gav,Hoppo and Nicky, the tomboy, who enjoy their long summer holidays riding bikes and getting into mischief. They start leaving secret messages to each other in chalk,each person has a different colour. One day, a chalk figure leads them to a dismembered body in the woods and their lives change forever.
This book is in places so wholesome and reminiscent of happy childhood days ( 1986) carefree and fun,then adult life intrudes with murders,and ghosts,that hark back to childhood wrongdoing and wrongs have to be avenged. So many secrets and incidents are revealed and discovered, it is a marvellous read.
I loved the chalk figures and the way they lead to bodies,very scary harbingers of doom! They reminded me of the dancing men in the Sherlock Holmes book. There were plenty of false trails to follow and the whole atmosphere was at times very creepy.
In conclusion, this is a fabulous read, being dark,chilling and very engrossing. I will definitely be recommending this to family and friends!!
I have left a copy of this review on Goodreads today.

I received a free ecopy of this book in return for an honest review. Many thanks to Netgalley and and the publisher for the opportunity.

This book is an easy read you can slide into without effort but is also a terrific, mystery. along the way it also takes a philosophical look at youth, old age and memory loss, innocence and guilt. After opening with a strangely picturesque, description of a dismembered body, we move on to lead character Eddie ‘Munster’ Adams. The story flips between 1986 and 2016, so Eddie alternates between being a confused overthinking 12 year old and a disheveled and somewhat lonely 42 year old. In 1986, Eddie and his friends draw chalk men to send each other messages, but then Eddie begins to have nightmares that are portents of terrible events. In the morning there are chalk men on the ground. In 2016 the details of an old murder are stirred up by Eddie’s one time friend. Eddie tries puts the pieces together whilst agonising over his own part in them.

The 80s nostalgia and the supernatural aspects made this the perfect follow-on from watching Stranger Things season 2, though in truth the supernatural element is a small part of the story. This book is so much more than that though. In 1986 Eddie and friends display naivety confronted by the horrors of real life, but in 2016 the same characters are coping with aged parents who have dementia and the disappointments that being a grown-up with unfulfilled potential brings.

The pièce de resistance however comes right at the end when, having had the mystery solved for them, the reader is ready to pack up and move on, but is suddenly hit with a series of punches that leaves you reeling. Like some of the best endings, you can see where the characters are headed but are left to play out those extra scenes in your head.

If you like a good murder mystery you will enjoy this book. If you like philosophical look at life growing up in the 80s you will enjoy this book. If you like a book with a supernatural edge you will like this book, but if you like a book with all of these things, grab this book with both hands.

"For who are we if not the sum of our experiences, the things that we gather and collect in life? Once you strip those away we become just a mass of flesh, bone and blood vessels."

I often find that hugely hyped books just don't live up to the buildup generated around them, but I'm pleased to say that The Chalk Man is one of the few that does. I've been seeing lots of good reviews for this one, and the premise sounded right up my street, so I requested it from NetGalley and I'm so glad I did because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've read a lot of thrillers recently that have been only OK and I was a bit wary to have to read another one that didn't grip me, but The Chalk Man was a breath of fresh air.
Like a lot of other reviewers have said, I found The Chalk Man very reminiscent of Stephen King, especially The Body and It, with the gang of children discovering something sinister and the older versions of themselves having to revisit it. I would say though that, while there are similarities, Tudor has made The Chalk Man his own and he definitely has a distinctive way of writing. It's very straightforward yet there are all kinds of emotons under the surface, both sinister and lighter. In fact, I did find myself chuckling a few times when reading this book, which is a nice contrast to the dark subject matter.

The characters are recognisable yet not stereotypes, especially the lead, Eddie, who is relatable yet has a mysterious undertow to his character that leaves you questioning. I liked the little group of kids, though I did think the relationships between them all could have been explored a bit more.

The Chalk Man has a depth that you don't often find in thrillers, yet it's still a page-turning read which will suit anyone who loves edge-of-your-seat thrillers. Every time a mystery was solved, another one cropped up.

My Rating: 4 Stars


I received a review copy of The Chalk Man, via NetGalley, in return for an honest review. My thanks to the author and publishers.

This is neat little thriller, told half from the viewpoint of a young boy and his friends, and half from that same boy as an adult as he tries to piece together a long running puzzle of murders, mysteries and lies that tore the friendship group apart. Well paced and cleverly played out, the twists keep coming right through to the final chapters and keep the story intriguing and suspenseful throughout.

Wowzers this book wasn’t good it was flipping amazing . It’s been a while since a book has totally sucked me in like this one did. A fantastic suspense thriller with brilliant characters and a super story line . The book alternates between two time frames 1986 and 2016. It’s not confusing and the author has written which I think will be one of the top suspense thrillers of 2018.

I was attracted to this book because of the unusual cover, and I am so pleased I downloaded it because it's absolutely brilliant! One of the best books I've read this year!

The Chalk Man has a dual timeline, with chapters alternating between the 1980s and the present day. In the 1980s, teenager Eddie and his friends leave messages for each other in coloured chalk outside each other's houses. Simple messages, such as where to meet up and whether to hurry. But then the messages start appearing on their own, in white chalk, leading to the body of a murdered girl. In the present day, Eddie is surprised when one of his old friends turns up asking for help with a book he is writing, a book about the killer nicknamed 'The Chalk Man', and his theory that the real murderer was never caught. And then his friend disappears. And the chalk figures begin appearing again...

This book is simply outstanding. I was so gripped I read it in two days flat. The characters are so realistic, so believable, it feels as if they're in the same room, looking over your shoulder as you read. I loved Eddie's dry humour, the nod towards my favourite 80s horror movies, the fiendish little twists, the freshness of the plot, the poignancy of a doomed love affair... And that very final, very clever twist, the one that's easy to miss because you think it's all over, which took me completely by surprise - and that's pretty hard to do!

If you're a wimp like me there are a few passages you might find a bit gory - right from the start - so be warned. They were just about on the edge of my tolerance level, although they weren't gratuitous in any way.

So, thoroughly recommended - particularly to fans of Stephen King (The Body/Stand By Me), Stranger Things and 1980s nostalgia. I predict this will be one of the biggest sellers of 2018. It certainly deserves to be.


Thank you to C.J. Tudor, Michael Joseph, and Netgalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

The Chalk Man by C.J Tudor is a compulsive dual time murder suspense that had me hooked.
Set in 1986 and 2016, the action hops backwards and forwards as the past collides with the present. The characters and the reader try to get the pieces to solve the crime.
The novel is brutal. The crime horrendous and the end jaw dropping. Not everyone is who you think they are. And sometimes the missing piece is right under your nose.
There are the hard hitting topics of sexual exploitation, bullying and hypocritical action. "They were chatting a lot of stuff about love but seemed full of hate." There is also the sensitive subject of abortion. It is all realistically done and not pleasant reading at times.
The sad topic of Alzheimer's is included. Strong characters reduced to a shadow of themselves is incredibly moving. "Maybe minds aren't lost. Maybe they just slip through and find a different place to wander."
When death hits, it is hard. We want to keep it at bay but that is impossible. "He was trying to stop him leaving... not even the person who loves you most in the world can stop that."
Adults abuse their positions of power, harming those they are meant to protect. In contrast there are kind but often misunderstood adults who step in to help at all times.
We all have fears. We can choose to face them or lock them away but sooner or later they will escape.
Does our past rise up to haunt us? Is our subconscious playing tricks? Or is it something more sinister?
The Chalk Man was an excellent read. It was very uncomfortable and disturbing at times but compulsive. An imaginative and scary plotline will grip you and will keep you awake at night messing with your mind.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

For a debut novel this is astoundingly good, and it has the feel of a classic novel. It expertly moves between two timelines, events that occurred in 1986 to the present. Set in the small town of Anderbury, 4 friends, Eddie 'Munster' Adams, Fat Gav, Metal Mickey, Hoppo and Nicky are 12 years old, whiling away the summer holidays getting into mischief on their bikes, having fun, evolving secret communications through chalk men symbols and in search of excitement and adventure. A series of mishaps, tragedies and a macabre murder is to mar and haunt their lives. The narrative is delivered from Eddie's perspective whose mother is a doctor performing abortions which attract vociferous and nasty protests led by a local reverend and his supporters. Eddie's father is a writer for whom dementia takes hold early, leaving Eddie worried that he too will fall victim to it. Eddie becomes a teacher, with a penchant for the drink, still close to Fat Gav, now in a wheelchair, and Hoppo. He is in his forties, still living in his parents home, with a young lodger, Chloe, for whom he harbours an unseemly covert attraction, and the ageing process has not been kind to him. He is visited by the past and the dead, and experiencing vivid nightmares. The friends receive through the post ominous reminders of their youth with the menacing figure of the Chalk Man. And once again murder takes place, leaving Eddie feeling that he has no choice but return to the past to find out who killed the Waltzer girl, Elisa.

Tudor paints a picture of Anderbury, a town with some nasty characters, full of lies, secrets, rumours, seething resentments, violence and hypocrisy. Nicky has bruise after bruise appearing on her body and she lives in fear of her fire and brimstone father. Bricks are thrown into Eddie's home, and disturbing packages delivered, as his mother is hounded by anti-abortionists. The Waltzer girl suffers horrific injuries that Eddie witnesses at the Fair, her life is saved by the heroic Mr Halloran, with the help of Eddie. Mr Halloran, an English teacher and artist, saves Eddie from Sean, Metal Mickey's brother, and his bullying and brutal gang from a horrific scenario that takes place in the woods. Mr Halloran is held hostage by his feelings for another, which Eddie becomes privy to, an ominous portent to the tragedy that is to follow. In the present, Eddie meets with Metal Mickey who has a proposition for him. Eddie's journey into the past takes him deep into his own psyche, and a town reluctant to face the truth about its past.

This is a dark and atmospheric coming of age novel, beautifully written, tense and suspenseful. Tudor has the reader gripped with his artful and distinct characters, making them never less than compelling. You feel that the group of boys and Nicky feels vibrantly authentic and the creation and development of the character of Eddie is genius. Anderbury is a reflection of many a small town, and the undercurrents of feelings that swarm in such places, the pettiness, the rumours, the conflicts, the poverty, and the need to preserve secrets and reputation. A stolen bike and the giving and placing of a ring highlight the law of unintended consequences. A fantastic must read novel which I highly recommend! Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

This is , without a doubt, a book to be devoured.
In this fantastic debut, old crimes cast long shadows over a group of 4 friends They discover just how dark the adult world can be during the course of a fateful summer,actions taken which ricochet through all their lives.
Watch out 2018 as ' The Chalkman' is coming!