Two for two for C.J. Tudor!

In January of last year, C.J. Tudor's debut, ‘The Chalk Man' ticked all the right spooky boxes, and earned a well-deserved 5 stars from me. So, you can imagine how much I was anticipating whatever Tudor penned next? And when the summary for ‘The Taking of Annie Thorne' was released, my anticipation tripled. Then, it skyrocketed, when I was selected to review an early digital copy. Halfway through the prologue I knew I was in for a treat. TTOAT is not only worthy of ‘The Chalk Man' – it's better.

When Joe Thorne was fifteen, his eight year-old beloved sister, Annie, disappeared. She was found forty-eight hours later, seemingly fine. But she wasn’t fine – she was his worst nightmare. Now, with unfinished scores to settle, and in need of a place to lay low, Joe is drawn back to his hometown of Arnhill. His return will reopen past wounds, antagonise old enemies, and force him to confront his darkest guilt and fears.

TTOAT is frightening and unsettling, with chapter after chapter of mounting tension and suspense, culminating in an explosive conclusion. The mystery/s center on missing children, murder, psychopaths, and suspicious accidents. There are horror elements to savour – an ancient, abandoned, claustrophobic setting, ghost stories, beetle infestations, a creepy doll, as well as themes of possession, paranoia, and resurrection. Factor in a dose of childhood nostalgia – friendship, first crushes, a sense of adventure and exploration, and some serious teen issues – bullying, suicide, peer pressure, playground gangs, and you have a winning formula

We jump back-and-forth between our protagonist, Joe's, present and past – normally with the present ending on a cliffhanger, that is then followed up on in the past. It’s evident early on that Joe is an unsympathetic, far-from-innocent character. In fact, less than a handful of the characters were likeable or redeemable, but they were all vividly drawn and essential to the plot, and to be honest, Joe kind of grew on me. I loved his brand of sarcasm, the banter between him and Beth, and any time he interacted with Lauren was hilarious. Not only that, it effectively lightened the mood in an otherwise dark book. I thought it was uniquely done how the prologue was from the POV of police sergeant Gary Barnes, yet despite the crime-ridden plot, his character never appeared again, and was only mentioned twice.

The plot straddled the line between real world mystery and paranormal, meaning no easy or straightforward answers were given for some of the events that occurred. Instead, they were left up to your own interpretation, beliefs, and imagination – dependent upon how much of the plot you attribute to the supernatural versus rational explanation. I'm a skeptic, so unless a book explicitly states it's supernatural (and this one didn't), then I'm going to be come up with theories to fit the latter, and I relished puzzling over this illusive plot. Nothing was ever what it seemed, and my perception of things was constantly challenged and changing.

Parts reminded me of three Stephen King novels, as well as The Exorcist, but I viewed this as a welcome tribute. TTOAT had too much originality for it to be called a copy. And let's face it, is any story ever completely original anymore? And do we really want it to be?

I know it's only February, but this is going to be a tough one to beat, and earns top spot for my favourite read of 2019 thus far. Pre-order now, not only for all the reasons stated above, but who can resist such glorious cover art?

I’d like to thank Netgalley UK, Penguin UK – Michael Joseph, and C. J. Tudor for the e-ARC.

UK/AUS/NZ Release Date: 21st February, 2019.
Published in the US under the title, The Hiding Place.8

Review posted on Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

The main character Joe Thorne goes back to Arnhill in Nottinghamshire, where he spent most of his childhood, to take up a teaching position. Joe is a troubled character and from the beginning, you just know that his return has nothing to do with schoolboy nostalgia. He rents a cottage, which had previously been home to his teaching predecessor. Nothing strange about that?... not at all, except she murdered her son and committed suicide there!

The book is deeply chilling with an air of the supernatural. I made the mistake of starting the book in the evening and spent a restless night afterward, listening to every creak of every floorboard.

The ex-mining town of Arnhill gives a dark, creepy atmosphere and the story of how Joe's sister Annie went missing from her bed as a child is unravelled slowly. Joe's narrative flicks between time scales, he is a flawed character but strangely likable with a dry sense of humour.

There is no doubt that C.J Tudor is an extremely talented storyteller and I predict great things to come from her.

Joe Thorne is a teacher with issues and a tongue that's a bit too sharp for its own good. So when her tries to leave his baggage behind to return to teach at the school he grew up in you know that he just won't be able to keep himself out of trouble. The problem is that his childhood holds as many secrets as his adulthood and the all come together in this creepy narrative. Told between the present day and flashbacks you want to keep reading despite knowing that each page holds its own dread, such is the foreboding of the whole novel.

As a thriller this works exceptionally well. The story of Joe's sisters disappearance is drip fed in such a way that you almost don't want to find out what happened. The narrative is a little too clever for itself sometimes and Joe is not the most likable hero. These quibbles do take the gloss off what is an excellent story that gradually unfolds into something quite sinister and unnerving.

I really wanted this book to be great, and enjoyed aspects of it, but felt that it's trying to straddle several genres at once with little success in any of them.

On the one hand, it's trying to be a mystery/thriller novel: the main character returns to his home town to resolve the mystery of what happened to his little sister after she went missing, spurred by the information that a similar thing recently happened to another family. He digs around the past and the present, and comes into contact with a lot of secrets, lies, dark pasts, and people trying to get in his way.

On the other hand, it's also trying to be a crime novel: there's a lot of criminal activity and there should be police involvement throughout the novel. There's also some romance, some teen drama too.

But then it also introduces a supernatural element, at three-quarters of the way through the book and around which most of the plot resolution hinges. If this had been signalled clearer from the beginning perhaps that would be okay, but the novel pretends to be realist until this point, and I expected my questions to be answered by realism for consistency instead of the old 75% magic bait-and-switch (which doesn't even really get explained properly).

Finally, the novel has a ham-handed denouement that involves the key characters doing the old 'Scooby-Doo' speech at the end to explain their actions throughout the novel, which feels clumsy and lazy.

I'm sorry to write such a scathing review of what is a well-written and meticulously plotted novel. The writer worked hard but it just wasn't the novel I expected when I picked it up, and that's a disappointment.

Having thoroughly enjoyed C.J. Tudor's The Chalk Man a few months ago, I was expecting equally great things from her new novel, The Taking of Annie Thorne. I wasn't disappointed. In fact I thought this new book was even better than her last.

C.J. Tudor has a fantastic ability to conjure up the past with complete accuracy. You really do feel transported back in time. The Taking of Annie Thorne contains humour and horror in equal measure and I found it exceptionally difficult to put down. The supernatural element took it to a whole new level of tension-filled creepiness that I adored.

This author is one to watch. A bright new talent in British fiction.

A real dark mysterious horror style book with a touch of the supernatural.

Joe Thorne finds a teaching job and returns to his hometown. But there is also another reason for his return to the small town of Arnhill, his little sister Annie died and there are still some things that Joe needs to face. On his return Joe finds that a lot of people from the past are still living in Arnhill and not all of them are pleased about his return. Will Joe uncover the secrets of the past ? as well as the secrets of the present day ?

This really was a slow starter for me but once the pace picks up you will be reaching through the pages to find out the truth. What really happened to Annie ? This book will keep you hooked and give you plenty of chills ....... just keep an eye out for any black beetles !!

Thank you to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

This was brilliant, loved the suspense about what is happening in this very sleepy old mining village. You could imagine all sorts of things going on to make a child behave in a very strange way and for a mother to say the child has gone that was hers so she kills him. Why did the child change, who is keeping secrets and many more questions will cross your mind. Going back to the village he grew up in to teach at the local school causes many questions with one being what happened to his sister? This will keep you gripped and awake at night trying to finish it.

It’s very easily to quickly get engrossed in this book as the writing style is very strong. The characters are well placed and intriguing and develop well throughout. It’s a book that will stay with you long after you’ve finished it and stands out for all the right reasons.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author but I’ll definitely be reading more in future. Overall, an enjoyable read and a worthy 4 stars.

I'm a huge fan of THE CHALK MAN by C. J. Tudor, so I was thrilled to be approved to read THE TAKING OF ANNIE THORNE.

My favourite thing about C. J. Tudor's writing is the blurred lines between reality and the paranormal. The creepy touches mount brilliantly towards outright scares and an exciting climax.

I also loved the way this book delves into the characters' pasts, interspersing it with the present in a way that enables readers to make connections. The plot kept me guessing throughout and was genuinely unnerving.

C. J. Tudor is one of my favourite modern horror authors and her books are incredibly unique. I can't wait for whatever she writes next!

I was thrilled to receive an early copy of this book because The Chalk Man was one of my favourite reads of 2018. C.J. Tudor is a brilliant writer with a strong, distinctive voice and I love the way she references 80s/90s films and books.

When Joe Thorne was a teenager his little sister went missing, vanishing from her own bed. After forty-eight hours she came back - but she wasn't the same. Twenty-five years later and two children have died suspiciously. Suicide? Murder? Or is history repeating itself?

C.J. Tudor has the ability to get right inside the heads of her characters, meaning they are so believable and relatable they fairly jump off the page. Joe isn't the most pleasant individual but you can't help rooting for him all the same, and the story had me completely gripped. The way the author mixes in humour reminds me of Harlan Coben's thrillers, another favourite author of mine, but although I do love the references to Stephen King's novels, I did feel the plot was too similar to a couple of his most famous books (which I won't mention, because of spoilers). So if you've read those books, you might be able to work out where this one is going. However, there are a couple of good twists at the end, which I didn't see coming!

C.J. Tudor is a very talented author and I love her books. I would recommend this one to fans of early Stephen King and to readers who like a few supernatural chills in with their crime fiction.


Thank you to C.J. Tudor and Michael Joseph (Penguin UK) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I did find it very slow to start with & I was irritated by Joe. However the author creates such a mesmerising atmosphere of that seeming cursed pit village, that I couldn't help but get caught up in it. I'm not quite sure what genre this fitted into although there were a lot of horror elements- definitely echoes of Stephen King's 'Pet Semetary'. It certainly made the hairs on your neck stand up.

All in all well worth a read.Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for giving me the chance to scare myself with this book!

This is a belting story where the words just crawl under your skin to heighten every sensation you have way after you finish reading and turn out the lights. I have the habit of being attracted to a book by its cover, the ones that stand out, rather than me reading the blurb. This was one of those books and it made this story even more creepy because creepy it was, well bloody terrifying is the proper word. It is one of those stories that make you feel that you are being watched, even sat in your own house with the curtains drawn.
Joe Thorne had come home after a long time being away and got himself an English teaching position in the school he had attended as a teenager and he had taken a lease out on a lovely little property that had been owned by the teacher who had his job before him. Both had become vacant when she murdered her son and killed herself. Whoa there those words go again marching up and down under my skin!
Joe had come back to find out answers to questions he had from being a 15-year-old boy when his 8-year-old sister had disappeared from her bed one night and turned back up 48 hours later very different to the girl she had been when she left. Soon after Joe's dad, his sister and himself were in a car crash, only he survived. Now no-one wanted Jack back stirring up the past.
Joe had huge problems that were to follow him back here, a past that wanted to stay buried and memories that never wanted to be faced. I loved how Joe's character unwound as the story unfolded. OMG could this story get any creepier? Too right it could, I didn't know whether to be scared of the past or the present. The past couldn't hurt anyone could it? Joe has his work cut out in this ex-mining Nottingham village trying to end the second generation bullies in school and solve dark and disturbing secrets from the past. The characters are absolute corkers each and every one of them. The story outstanding and my nerves totally shattered!
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher Michael Joseph, for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

I thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK (Claire Bush in particular) for providing me an ARC copy of this novel that I freely chose to review. I had read and enjoyed C. J. Tudor’s previous novel The Chalk Man (you can read my review here), and I was eager to see what she’d follow it with.
I know I can go on in my reviews, so I’ve decided to cut to the chase, in case you’re in a hurry. Did I enjoy the novel? Yes. C. J. Tudor can definitely write and write well. But, if you are looking for an original story and something that will take you by surprise, this is not the book for you. That is particularly true if you’re a fan of Stephen King, although there are elements in the story that will be familiar also to people who watch a lot of movies, even if they don’t read King’s novels or his adaptations to screen (a somewhat difficult feat, I must admit). I’m not saying there are no surprising elements in the book, and there are quite a few twists and turns in it, but the general plot lines I think will be recognisable to many, especially to people who read this genre often.
In many ways, this book has much in common with the author’s first novel. The main character, Joe Thorne, is also a teacher, and far from an exemplary one. It is not so much his teaching that is at fault, but his drinking, his gambling, his lying… Yes, this is a morally dubious main character, who also narrates the story in the first person, and who, although we might or might not suspect this, to begin with, also belongs in the category of the unreliable narrator. He seems to freely share negative things about himself from the very beginning, but as the story moves on we realise that what he tells us might not be the whole truth. I won’t elaborate more on this, because there is a twist close to the end that puts things under an interesting light. Like in his previous novel, the author is also forced to look at things that happened years back, which involved him and his friends at the time.
I kept wondering what I thought about Joe, and I’m not sure I’ve decided yet. He is intelligent, witty, but has a penchant for getting himself into trouble, and although his way of using sarcasm to protect himself makes him rather amusing, there are moments when we glimpse at other aspects of his personality. He was a devoted brother, he was bullied and later joined the bullies’ gang, and he suffered terrible loses as a teenager, although… He struggles between trying to avoid tragedy repeating itself and trying to keep himself out of trouble, as he is being tracked by Gloria, who is intent on getting him to pay off his gambling debts, one way or another (I confess Gloria is my favourite character in the novel. I’m not sure if that says more about me or the novel, but she is fast, small but lethal, and you underestimate her at your peril). Joe tells the story of what is happening now when he returns to the town where he was born to take up a teaching job, because somebody has anonymously warned him that some pretty terrible things that happened when he was a teen have started happening again.
This is a trip back in time, and the narration of Joe’s current investigation and life (including living in a cottage where a murder-suicide took place) is interspersed with his memories of what happened to the Annie Thorne of the title, his little sister, who disappeared, returned (sort of), and then died in an accident that killed their father as well. (By the way, and just in case you read it or see it in some place, it seems the book was originally going to be published in the US as The Hiding Place, and I have seen some reviews on Goodreads under that title). There are many other characters in the novel, some that we meet in the past and the present (Joe’s friends and schoolmates, some still around, school staff members…), and some that are brand new, like some of the teachers (Beth is another one of my favourites). Although not all of them have big parts, and some are drawn only in outline, the author is very skilled at creating a sense of community and a believable, if creepy, small town. This mining community, with its challenges and changes over the years, comes to life, and despite the supernatural touches suffusing the story, the setting remains, mostly, well-grounded and realistic.
As I said at the beginning, the story is not very original. In some way,s it is like a collage of disparate elements many readers will recognise: the prologue brought to my mind Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and some other aspects of the story did as well (although there are no aliens, just in case), some reviewers mentioned The Tommyknockers (I hadn’t thought about it, but yes, in a way the connection in theme is also there), like her previous novel, some bits of it made me think of It, although the Stephen King novel it resembles the most is one whose new film adaptation is due out later this year (and I won’t mention it in case people are not familiar with it. It’s one of the first novels by King I read, and the first novel I read in English in its entirety, so it’s not one I’ve ever forgotten). There’s even a passing nudge at The Usual Suspects. Postmodernism is fond of pastiche, but it is normally used to emphasise the fact that the surface of an object or a creation is everything, and we can mix and match diverse elements without feeling obliged to refer to their original meaning or intent. I am not sure if C. J. Tudor would call her novel a pastiche, and she does give the stories and the characters her personal touch, but I can see the point of a reviewer who called it “fan fiction”.
The novel, as it is (and if you’re not familiar with King’s books all I’ve mentioned might not affect you at all), is full of atmosphere, quirky characters, some pretty dark moments, some that might be scary (I don’t scare easy, so I’m perhaps not the best person to comment), and some set pieces and scenes that are compelling and are easy to imagine as a film or TV adaptation. As I said, there are plenty of twists and turns, and the book is highly entertaining. There are many reflections that would make readers chuckle, even though sometimes we might also feel like telling the character to stop being so clever and get on with things.
I thought I’d share a few quotes, to give you an idea of the writing style:
“Finally, a long time since I’ve seen anything resembling civilization, or even a McDonald’s, I pass a crooked and weathered sign on my left: Arnhill welcomes you. Underneath, some eloquent little shit has added: to get fucked.”
“It is the sort of village that glowers at you when you arrive and spits on the ground in disgust when you leave.”
Here, Joe is talking to Beth about the teacher whose cottage he’s living in now. Beth is telling him she is fed-up with people asking if they had seen the tragedy coming, if there were any signs.
“Julia came into the school wearing a great big placard around her neck: ‘I intend to kill my son and myself. Have a nice day.’
“Well, politeness costs nothing.” (Joe replies).
On a more philosophical note:
“People say time is a great healer. They’re wrong. Time is simply a great eraser.”
So, this is a good read for lovers of thrillers with a touch of the supernatural and horror, but I’d be a bit wary of recommending it to enthusiastic readers of the genre or of Stephen King who are looking for something unique. But if you enjoy well-written stories in the genre and have fun looking for references and connections to well-known books and films, you will have a blast with this one.

https://lynns-books.com/2019/02/18/the-taking-of-annie-thorne-by-c-j-tudor/
The Taking of Annie Thorne is a tense thriller that gave me a serious case of the heebie jeebies. This is a dark tale, narrated skillfully by an undoubtedly gifted storyteller that will, from the unexpected and rather bloody prologue, worm it’s sneaky little fingernails under your skin until it has a firm hold.

So, let’s start at the beginning, the prologue is incredibly gripping and one that sets the tone well for the rest of the book. This is tense, the sort of tense that makes you afraid to turn the pages. Much like the two police characters who unwittingly stumbled onto this opening crime scene, I simply didn’t know what to expect, I just knew it was going to be bad. A murder scene with a cryptic message left in bold red letters on the wall.

Meanwhile, an unknown man attends an interview for a teaching job at the secondary school in Arnhill. His CV is a little creative to say the least but he’s quite charming and manages to secure the post. Not only will he be stepping into the footsteps of a dead woman but he’ll also be occupying the cottage that was left abandoned following the crime scene at the start of the book. Most people being too squeamish to want to live there it has remained unsurprisingly empty.

The new teacher at the high school is Joe Thorne. He grew up in Arnhill. He was bullied at school and in fact eventually joined the gang of bullies himself. Joe was one of the few who managed to escape Arnhill but now he’s come home, called back to address issues from his past that seem to be repeating themselves and unfortunately, living something of a troubled life in the present, unwanted elements are about to follow him home.

The setting, Arnhill, formerly a mining town, brought low by the pit closure. Arnhill is a shadow of its former self. The place has a claustrophobic feel, riddled with unhappy histories between many of the residents and blighted by what feels like a constant stream of bad luck. This is a place leached of colour and happiness and sat on its outskirts, like a festering sore, is the colliery that once provided a livelihood but now haunts the place.

Now, putting something off limits is often like a red rag to a bull so although the mine has been constantly a no go zone you just know that the young people of the area flock to it like moths to a flame. Joe and his friends made a discovery there in their teenage years and although more stringent measures have since been put in place the teenagers of Arnhill are still finding hidden mysterious tunnels into the darkness. Because who wouldn’t want to go down into the scary dark places with the tiny tunnels, suffocating spaces and skittering noises.

Joe is a character with a history. His sister went missing all those years ago, she returned the day after, but she was never the same and Joe has been suppressing the memories of what really took place. Coming back to Arnhill is going to bring back painful recollections. On top of that Joe has been gambling and running up bad debts with the sort of people who take kneecaps first and ask questions later.

This is a story that takes a little time to reveal its secrets but in spite of that there was no dull moments and I found myself glued to the page waiting for the reveals.

In terms of criticisms. Well, not really criticisms so much as things worth a quick mention. For a mystery/thriller this book contains fantasy aspects and no doubt that will be unpalatable to those wanting a no nonsense book from the genre, my advice would be to give it a shot anyway – I think the book is worth it. Secondly, it took me a little while to warm up towards Joe, not that I disliked him, just that I wasn’t immediately on board but he undoubtedly has a good character arc and I can’t deny that I fairly quickly started to feel incredibly sorry for him. My giddy aunt – do not annoy this author, she will write you into one of her stories and make you suffer. I kid you not. Now, the real elephant in the room (and don’t you dare all look at me) is this book has been touted as very Stephen King-like and yes, I can see that. Is that a problem – not for me personally but I can’t speak for others. Without doubt this brought two King classics to mind – but I can’t tell you which because therein lies the land of spoilers. I apologise that this review is rather vague on the whole but the nature of a mystery is, well, just that, and it wouldn’t be very mysterious if I start dishing out the spoilers.

Anyway, long story short. This was good. Stop reading this review and go and read the book instead.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

The Taking Of Annie Thorne is a deep and dark horror of a thriller with a ghostly element and if I am honest I don’t read anything that is that way inclined but I was in too deep to turn around.
I don’t think this is anywhere near as good as the chalk man but that is just my personal opinion and I still enjoyed this. The book is based around a small village where things never get forgotten. Joe Thorne has not been back since he was a child and there are numerous reasons that become apparent as the tale moves along. Annie Thorne is Joe’s sister and what happens to that poor girl is for you to decide but it is a very dark tale and involves mines, beetles, brother love and more darker goings on.
I’m not going to go into this book as I do think your best off coming in blind. I did like Joe and found him to have some quite funny sayings but I don’t think I liked any other character, I’m not sure if that was intentional or not though.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I took Tudor's debut novel, The Chalk Man, on holiday with me last Autumn. It was the perfect holiday read, gripping and fast-paced with elements reminiscent of Stephen King's It, a book to be gulped down as the twists unravel. So I was interested to see how The Taking of Annie Thorne would compare. 


It was another fast read, I gorged myself over the course of a few hours only emerging from my reading nest once I turned the last page. Tudor tackles themes she explored in her debut: childhood, rites of passage, events of the past encroaching on the present. This time she gives a nod to Pet Sematary's malevolent burial ground by utilising a disused pit colliery inhabited by dark forces which seep into the surrounding community, luring the unwary or desperate, and returning them as rotten husks. 

Tudor writes children well. She portrays the pain of those who are bullied, the desire to fit in with peers, and the sense that we never fully leave our childhood behind as early experiences shape personalities and futures. The scenes involving Joe and his sister Annie succeeded in creeping me out. Recommended if you want a dark pageturner.

The title of this book can be a bit misleading as its not about the kidnap of a child in the conventional sense, there is a lot more to it than that as the child returns home within two days. This book is filled with dark imagery and plays heavily on the movement in time where the past and present collide and history seems to be repeating itself. The lead character Joe Thorne is a self-confessed liar and turns out to be an unreliable narrator though his reasons for doing so become clear. The book brings to life the angst of teenage years, the need to fit in and questions social norms. Set against the backdrop of a former mining village in Nottinghamshire this novel's setting becomes a central character shaping the people and holding on to the secrets of the past.

Having read Caz Tudor's first book The Chalk Man I was worried that it might not live up to expectations, however it does. It is well written and fast paced, the moves between time keep the pace of the narrative moving briskly and there is good pace and structure. The only hope is that Tudor doesn't always set novels with adults going back to their childhood homes as this will lessen the impact of her writing.

Overall a very enjoyable book and will be looking out for the next book from this author. This book deserves to be well received.

#TheTakingOfAnnieThorne #NetGalley

Joe Thorne is a teacher. He’s also a gambling addict and alcoholic who owes a lot of money to some bad people. Finally, he’s a man with a troubled past. Joe grew up in a Nottinghamshire pit village called Arnhill. Post the miner’s strike, the village sunk into a depression from which it has never really recovered. It was, and is, an insular and angry place. Growing up in Arnhill there’s not much to do, and despite the colliery being fenced off, with warning signs against trespass, kids tend to do just that. Joe fell in with the local bully, Stephen Hurst, more for survival than choice. One night the bully and his gang, Joe included, chance upon something in the depths of the tunnels of the colliery. Joe’s sister, Annie, has followed them down and needless to say, this being a horror/supernatural thriller similar to the kind of novel Stephen King would write (King praised the author’s previous book, another excellent read, The Chalk Man) things go downhill from here. Fast forward to the present day and Joe has received a cryptic email that has him return to Arnhill. He has unfinished business and scores to settle, and not a few mysteries to solve, and is soon butting heads with old adversaries who both don’t welcome his return or his asking of questions.

Like the author’s previous novel, The Taking of Annie Thorne has a tremendous sense of place, one really does get a sense of Arnhill. Again, to draw the comparison with Stephen King who often bases his fiction in a small town in Maine, in both her books C.J. Tudor brings to life a certain England that many will recognise: the small town that is suspicious of outsiders and suffering from economic and social woes, that while perhaps less visible than those to blight inner cities, are no less pernicious to the residents that suffer.

Tudor is also adept at bringing to life a character and in particular her portrayal of the petty and vicious bully, Stephen Hurst, is a strong feature of this second book. The misery inflicted by him on his victims is at times almost painful to read. Hurst will likely be uncannily familiar to all but the most tone deaf of reader - for who has never met such a character? Every school had a Stephen Hurst - though perhaps not as cruel - and whether readers avoided their attentions or not, I doubt any will not have memories brought vividly back.

Other characters are equally well drawn - Marie Gibson, Hurst’s girlfriend, who Joe is sweet on; and Nick Fletcher, Hurst’s Neanderthal thug - being two of note. There are characters in the current timeline too who make their presence felt - Beth Scattergood, a teacher who takes Joe under her wing, and Marcus Dawson, a sensitive soul who’s being relentlessly bullied by Hurst junior, Stephen Hurst’s son. While all these characters are brilliantly drawn and help bring this tale to life, they each contribute to the plot as well and propel events along.

The Taking of Annie Thorne has a more supernatural bent to it than Tudor’s previous book. Whereas The Chalk Man edged closer to crime fiction territory, this novel has a more folkloric bent. This isn’t a graphic novel, there’s not much violence or gore, rather a real sense of dread stalks its pages, and it’s an incredibly creepy read.

In conclusion, The Taking of Annie Thorne easily lives up to the author’s debut, The Chalk Man and I would recommend this novel heartily.

After reading the chalk man and loving it i jumped at the chance of reading the authors second book. Although i didnt enjoy this just as much it is still an interesting read. Joe has returned back to his childhood town and he has lots of secrets. As the book develops you start to get the picture the coal mine/pit has bad reprussions for those that access it. Parts of this book are creepy and let the reader almost come up with their own hypotheses. You get drawn into joes character and want to find out what happened all those years ago down in the pit. Worth a read.

When Annie went missing from home, there were searches and appeals but everyone thought the worst. Then 48 hours later, Annie comes home but she couldn't say what happened to her. Annie was not the girl she used to be. Sometimes her brother Joe, is frightened of his little sister.

Joe is now an adult and has returned his hometown of Arnhill even though he has painful memories of the place. He lies to get a job at the local school, and he has problems with alcohol and gambling. Joe had had a great relationship with Annie, but things changed when she disappeared. Annie was different, a bit creepy. When the true story of Annie's disappearance unfolds, the story gets a little bit darker and disturbing. It did take me a little while to get into this book but when I did, I was hooked and did not want to put it down. This is an enjoyable rea, and if you enjoyed The Chalk Man I'm sure you will enjoy this book too!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and the author C. J. Tudor for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.