Joe Thorne is back in his childhood town. Nothing’s changed; everything’s different – mainly Joe. As his lies – his resume, his gambling habit, his very reasons for being back – start to unravel, slowly, through the course of the novel, we start to find out about all the dark things that happened in Joe’s past. What he and his friends found in the abandoned mines. What happened to his little sister…

The Chalk Man was a standout read for me last - urm, year before (where is time going?!). TToAT is similar enough to appeal to fans of that book, using a similar flashback structure, but not slavishly following the same pattern. We still have the dark past, the childhood horrors. This time I’m reminded not of IT and The Body, but other works of Stephen King: Desperation and Pet Semetary. And yet, these are not copies or pastiches, so mentioning those inspirations isn’t giving away as much of the story as you might think.

Joe is not the most likeable of characters, and yet he is. The gambling and drinking problems add a very dark element – in a way, even more so than the ‘horrors of the pit’. That, I think, is where CJ Tudor’s work appeals to me a little more (these days) than King’s: the psychological horror rather than the supernatural, the deeper look into a person’s thoughts.

I’m going to say the book is creepy rather than out and out horror, but there are tinges of both. I am absolutely going to use the word ‘unputdownable’ – after a Saturday morning read in bed, I was disappointed not to be able to go back to the book later that evening, but also utterly unwilling to creep myself out before sleep! So I ended up reading the last 40% (!) on Sunday morning, in one go!

The ending is satisfactory rather than outstanding, but the entire story is well crafted and well written, and well worth the read.

After reading The Chalk Man and being incredibly let down by the hype surrounding that book, I was a little hesitant about this one.

But when an ARC came my way, I thought it at least deserved a chance. And it most definitely paid off!

This book was compelling and full of twists and turns, an unreliable narrator and some really awful characters. But it was an explosive combination that was both captivating and creepy.

Many thanks to C. J. Tudor, Penguin - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a gripping read that has lots of elements in the story. There’s mystery, murder and a splash of the supernatural.
Joe receives a message to return back to his childhood home as there is some unfinished business to take care of.
He moves into a cottage where a murder/suicide took place and locals think he’s strange for living there.
Some remember him from when he was a schoolboy and know that his sister died as a child and others are suspicious of him.
We learn what happened to Joe’s sister Annie, through flashback chapters but don’t get the whole picture until the end of the book.
There’s people who want to hurt Joe but he must do what he came to do before they reach him.
I really liked this book and think C J Tudor has a real knack of giving you all the pieces of the puzzle at just the right time.
Thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The Taking of Annie Thorne by C.J. Tudor

“Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain.” Carl Jung

Joe Thorne receives an email. “I know what happened to your sister. It’s happening again.” Up to his eyes in gambling debts, Joe returns to the mining town of his childhood, to take a newly vacant position as an English teacher in his former school and keep his head down. The town is in a depressing slump after the closure of the pits years ago. But something else is at work in the town. A boy and his mother have been found dead in an apparent murder suicide, but painted on the wall in blood above the boy’s bed are the words “Not my son”. After going missing for two days, Joe’s sister Annie was also not his sister, she was different, darker. As the book unravels and Joe tries to uncover what happened to the boy and his mother, the teacher whose class he now teaches and in whose cottage he now lives, we slowly learn of the strange events of what happened to Annie.

I started this book expecting a regular tale of a kidnapping but Tudor takes this deeper and I am more reminded of Stephen King’s works than that of a standard crime thriller. There’s something supernatural in the air, which Tudor takes her time to reveal. Jo Thorne is a troubled man, not easy to like but you do anyway. After the prologue, the book is narrated by Joe, who treats us to witty asides during conversations but is slow to enlighten us on what happened to his sister. Clearly he’s reluctant to drag up the past but he also wants to put a stop to the forces that are causing history to repeat itself, and takes action into his own hands.

The writing is in part accomplished and evocative, though in other parts a little rough and unpolished, which may just be the character of Joe, educated in literature but rooted in his working class history. After taking it’s time to get going, the book picks up to a dramatic and unexpected conclusion and will be a story that lingers, long after the last page is turned.

Review can also be found at https://www.sarahsbookshelf.net/2019/02/12/the-taking-of-annie-thorne/

The Taking of Annie Thorne was such an engaging read.
I went into this blind, not quite knowing what to expect and can honestly say this really impressed me.
From that visually disturbing opening scene where we along with the officers are exposed to that stomach-churning optical delight: that set the stage so brilliantly in preparation for whatever was to come forth.
This really was powerful stuff projecting such an atmosphere of darkness and a stench of foreboding evil that Our main character, teacher Joe Thorn had felt once many tears before.
So this is told from teacher Joe's POV: a washed-up forty-year-old with a gambling addiction, bad debts and a sarcastic take no prisoners wit.
I found myself really warming to Joe despite his many faults at heart he seemed a good man who had just lost his way a bit: his witty one-liners also made me smile and he just came across as real.
Many years ago Joe's Sister Annie had vanished from her bed in the middle of the night only to return 48 hours later alive but changed in subtle ways.
Joe has had an email from an anonymous source claiming it is all happening again.
Needing someone to lie low Joe decides to kill two birds with one stone and off he trots back to the backwater place he grew up in to delve deeper.
So this was creepy and cold and had a deep sense of wrongness resounding from the pages almost from the start here.
That macabre Abbie Eyes Doll and the insects adding such a harbinger of doom atmosphere to the whole entire concern.
This really wasn't about any shock scares more an intense awareness of things to come that sinks down deep into your very bones, petrifying them in the process.
Past does collide with present here as Joe's life starts to gradually implode and what hes running from manages to catch up with him.
This really was such great reading: a real ominous page-turner that I really did enjoy and that curveball right at the finish here well that certainly was a surprise: didn't see that one coming, nice finish, no issue recommending this one at all.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of The Taking of Annie Thorne
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

When Annie disappears and then shows up again a day later she seems to be completely changed from the girl her brother knows and loves. What happened to her and how can her brother Joe, now so much older stop history from repeating again?

The Taking of Annie Thorne is my first book by C J Tudor and that perhaps explains why it surprised me and was very different to the book I thought I was going to read. I had imagined it to be a child abduction crime thriller, whereas what I got was a tense drama with a dash of the paranormal thrown in – very reminiscent of Stephen Kings early work. The story itself is told solely from the perspective of Joe Thorne – a very unreliable narrator with many flaws whose sister disappeared many years ago. He’s back in his hometown where he suspects events like the disappearance of his sister are starting to happen again. The narrative flicks between flashbacks of Joe and his gang in the past which is more a gritty tale of growing up in Arnhill and Joe in the present trying to get by with his debts and bad habits. It’s a good read and Joe really draws you in to his seedy world whilst drip feeding you what happened in his past.

I found the characters to be very realistic and interesting which drew me at odds with the paranormal element of what the boys had found underground. I kept half expecting the horror aspects to be rationally explained away but this isn’t the case and it meant the book did jar for me in places. From the blurb I wanted to know more about the underground mine, more about how Annie had come back ‘different’ and I felt that it wasn’t really explained enough for the book to have much of a paranormal ‘weight’ behind it. The horror aspect just felt a bit like a get out of jail free clause for the author than a great plot device.

Overall I enjoyed The Taking of Annie Thorne but I did feel that the paranormal aspects jarred with a gritty and realistic story of a troubled man. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books UK – Michael Joseph for a chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book keeps you up! This book had me burning the midnight oil with the short ambiguous chapter. Part thriller, part horror this book does not relent. It just takes takes takes, it draws you in, whispering to you to read another page, not to put the book down, a bit like “the pit”.

This is my first rodeo with Ms Tudor, but I can see why everyone has gone mad for her! Her writing is exquisite, drawing you slowly into the world of Joe Thorne. The night leading to his sisters’ disappearance is not forthcoming and when you do learn the truth it appears it might not necessarily be the whole truth. A piece of the jigsaw doesn’t quite fit and you realise you are missing a vital piece. I can wholeheartedly say I did not even attempt to guess any part of this book, I knew quite frankly I would be wrong. There were no red herrings per se, just a lot of misdirections and a lot of things implied. I allowed myself to just go with the story of Joe and Annie and hope I made it out alive.

Following Joe on his return to his home village, you are not quite sure of his intentions here. Even when do you find out you aren’t quite sure if you have been given the truth or not.

I absolutely adored (if you can adore this book), there was just the right amount of creepiness, felt a lot of Stephen King influence fore-sure, it was intense and thrilling. Put this all together and you are easily going to fall prey to one more chapter. It was so atmospheric with scenes in the graveyard slightly disturbing and the scenes in the pit had me imagining all kind of things. Especially as there were a few unanswered questions in this books, where normally I would get frustrated by, in this instance, I am sooo happy not to have them answered and adds to the magic of the story. Not only did I feel like this book channelled Stephen King, but there was also an essence of Matt Wesolowski and his Six Stories supernaturally scares. With the creepiness that ensued throughout the book with the house and that freaky ass doll!! One scene with that doll and it makes me want to throw out all my little ones’ dolls, never liked them anyway.

I haven’t read Chalk Man but I have it on my kindle so I can not wait to lose another night of sleep reading that book! I am so thrilled I got the chance to read this and discussing further with some of my blogging friends that Richard Armitage has narrated this book I may just have to pick this book up again and have a listen. Well if I dare, maybe only in the daytime would be good.

I read The Taking of Annie Thorne over a weekend. I’d read the author’s first book and really enjoyed it but this was totally different. It’s dark and disturbing and whilst I felt I didn’t overly love it I was completely drawn in and couldn’t stop turning the pages. I would give this this book 3.5 stars.

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

Once upon a time, a young girl, Annie Thorne, disappeared from her bedroom. She returned to her family two days later a changed girl – but days later, she was dead.
Years later, Joe Thorne, Annie’s brother returns to his home town of Arnhill, the first time since the tragedy of his youth. But it is not for emotional reasons. An anonymous email has prompted him to return to deal with unfinished business – “I know what happened to your sister. It's happening again…” Another child is dead – and more may well follow…
The Chalk Man was a much lauded thriller from last year. I didn’t read it – call me daft, but when I see one particular author’s recommendation on the blurb, it tends to have the opposite effect than was intended. Actually, there’s a couple such authors who, if they read everything that they review, I’ve no idea how they get they get any of their own writing done.
Anyway, this second book, a standalone, was touted to me via Netgalley and I thought I’d give this one a shot before looking at the blurbs (and yes, that author appears again). It’s not out for a couple of weeks, but I thought I’d take an early run at it.
And we have a winner for hardest-book-to-review-without-spoiling. Well, spoiling a crucial aspect of it. It’s an aspect that is crucial to the story, an aspect that possibly readers of The Chalk Man might expect, but an aspect that is only vaguely hinted at in the blurb. And it’s an aspect that will annoy the pants of many fans of crime fiction. But as it only becomes clear towards the end… no, I can’t really talk about it.
So, let’s put it to one side, and talk about the book in general. Because this is a very tightly plotted, superbly written thriller. The first person narrative from Joe Thorne, oscillating from the past to the present, is absolutely spell-binding, as his plans, both for revenge and salvation, begin to build and to fall apart, and secrets begin to slowly be revealed.
There are some genuinely surprising twists in the plot as it goes along, and in some ways, the bit I can’t talk about is actually fairly irrelevant. Because when it becomes clear what it happening, I thought it was going to annoy me, that it would signal a change of direction in the narrative, but that was not the case. The tense, thriller/mystery structure is never abandoned with surprises all the way to the end.
So, if you want a twisty thriller and don’t mind it veering slightly into unexpected territory, then this is definitely Highly Recommended.

Chalk Man was one of my top reads of 2018, a truly stunning and chilling debut novel that I simply ate up. When you love a book that much it always gets you wondering whether or not the next book can possibly be just enough. I can't imagine what it's like to be the author waiting to see the verdict. Well, I'm happy to report, for me at least, The Taking of Annie Thorne is every bit as chilling, entertaining and tense as it's predecessor and get a massive thumbs up from me.

I don't want to say too much about the story as it's really best left to you to read what happens. All I will say is that the main protagonist, Joe Thorne, finds himself summoned back to his childhood home of Arnhill. I say summoned because that it pretty much what happens. although it is something of a welcome opportunity to start again. Well ... almost welcome. Arnhill holds some dark memories, ones that Joe would rather forget, but when he gets a cryptic message, linking events in the present day back to his youth, he feels compelled to return and face some pretty horrific demons of his own.

From the very first chapter of the book you are drawn into CJ Tudor's dark imagination. The prologue sets the tone for the whole story and you know from the off that something very bleak and troubled lies at the heart of Arnhill. It is a shocking opener and no mistake, probably something of a sleep stealer too as if you are anything like me you will feel compelled to read on to try and determine even just a fraction of what is going on. Creeping and atmospheric from the off, there are few moments of lightness in this story, and the tension is palpable.

I was really drawn to the character of Joe. He's not perfect, far from it as it turns out, but he is a character you can root for, and the moment I realised what was really happening, the more I felt for him. Some of the brighter moments in the story come when CJ Tudor explores the relationship between Joe and his younger sister, Annie. They are fresh, and touching, making Annie's disappearance and the aftermath even more emotional. In fact, I'd say it was Joe's flaws which made him more believable and relatable. If he had simply been a goody two shoes coming home to try and prevent a tragedy, he'd have been a bit dull. The fact he is nursing secrets of his own makes him more mysterious and interesting.

The book gives a serious nod to the 'King' of the psychological horror novel, Mr Stephen King, and the writer's love of his work really shows through in this book. It put me in mind of one of his books, one of my favourites in fact, but I can't say which one or you'll know exactly where the book is going. But the way in which CJ Tudor has once again captured the sense of the small town, and the claustrophobic and intense nature of a place where the natives never seem to leave, is spine-chilling and perfectly pitched. Arnhill is a former mining town and yet despite the decline of its industry, people seem to still stay, something keeping them drawn to the town. This makes Joe's return all the more jarring and intriguing. He escaped once. What on earth could bring him home.

If you love SK books, or you loved Chalk Man, then I'd say you are going to absolutely love this book too. Not as dark as a traditional horror novel, it will still give you chills and thrills and make your skin crawl in all the most perfect of way. I can see this being another big hit for an author who is certainly cementing herself as one of the best in the genre. Top stuff.

After the major success of The Chalk Men by …………. I was eager to see what the author had up her sleeve for her second book which is entitled The Taking of Annie Thorne. I love what seems to have become the authors signature look to the cover design and I had expectations of this book being just as chilling as her debut.
The storyline has a dramatic opening that had me hooked immediately when a gruesome scene is set in front of my eyes and I was desperate to find out what on earth happened to the two bodies that were found. Joe Thorne receives a message that will mean him returning to his bleak childhood town of Arnhill after the tragic and suspicious event occurred but he has no idea who wants him back. This brings the memories of his loving sister Annie who disappeared from her room one night when they were younger only to return two days later but no one knows where she went or what happened to her. Is history repeating itself?
This was a haunting and chilling plot that was completely unpredictable and has a sense of horror and supernatural to the storyline which is not typically my go to choice in a book but the authors storytelling managed to keep me turning the pages.
We are kept in the dark the whole way through, it is quite clear that our main character Joe Thorne has many skeletons in his closet and is a flawed character with his drinking and gambling issues so I never quite trusted him.
The storyline jumps back and forth between the present time and then back to the events that happened in Joe’s youth surrounding the disappearance of his sister and I must admit it was the past that I was more interested in
There are certainly parts of the book that will have your skin crawling and these have been written so vividly personally I have always had a phobia since I was young about things coming up the toilet so this book particularly creeped me out at a certain point in the storyline!
The only thing I would say is because there are no characters that you warm to or are routing for or even slightly like it meant that although the storyline was gripping and unpredictable, I didn’t actually care ( although I was intrigued) and so when things were revealed it didn’t have the shocking impact it may have had if there was a connection made between the reader and the characters.

Very creepy book with shades of Steven King in there. Well written and kept me gripped . Will definitely look out for more from this author.

The Taking of Annie Thorne was an intriguing book that once you start, you don't want to put down.
Spooky and supernatural elements in this tale give it a nightmarish feel.
I'll definitely be reading more by this author!

This is a tricky book to review without spoiling anything. For readers well versed in Horror and Paranormal Thriller titles, they may find a number of ideas within the novel that seem very familiar indeed. What Tudor does very well, however, is to take those elements and present them in a way that feels like it's a fresh approach. The story hits the ground running and the pacing is good throughout.

I felt that the author's real strength in The Taking of Annie Thorne, was the compelling and well rounded characters, particularly the main character, Joe, who was extremely likeable and relatable at times.

Genuinely struggled to put it down. Real page turner.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Joe has returned to his home town and taken up a job at his old school. He's there for a fresh start but that might not be the truth. Is the place where his sister went missing only to return different, the right place to come back to. There is much of the past he doesn't understand but can the truth be found and at what cost?

This book did not go how I thought it would. I'm not a huge fan of supernatural stories but it's only a part of this and it was actually quite interesting. The story didn't take me long to get through. It's not the most dramatic but yet it kept me hooked. The ending was so different and totally unexpected and yet it worked for the story.

Joe is an unusual lead. He's not overly likeable and yet there are moments when you really feel for him. I loved Beth though and she really helped give depth to his character.

A really dark and disturbing read, the slow pace builds tension and you can almost feel a creepy crawling sensation on your skin.
There are some dexterous twists and turns, and the characters have depth and texture. The town of Arnhill is chilling and is the perfectly described, sinister backdrop for this sinister read. Not somewhere I'd like to visit.
I really enjoyed this and will be recommending.

After receiving a mysterious email Joe returns to his home town in Nottinghamshire, where he has taken a job at his old school. However, the job is not Joe's main reason for returning to the old mining town. When Joe was a teenager something awful happened to his younger sister, Annie, and now it seems that something similar may be happening again. Joe doesn't want anyone else to suffer as his family did but he also wants the guilty ones to pay for what they did.

This the second book from C.J. Tudor and as with 'The Chalk Man' it is a mystery thriller, though this time around there is definitely more horror in the tale, and possibly a hint of the supernatural. It is extremely far fetched at times but that's okay as the great writing and engrossing story are plenty enough to keep readers entertained right up to the chilling end.

Joe Thorne returns to Arnhill, the town where he grew up, in the hope that he can finally find out what happened to his little sister Annie, why did she disappear when she was 8 years old, why did she turn up again 48 hours later and why was she never the same little girl again.

The story is told over two timelines, the present day where he has come back to his home town to work as a teacher in his old school, and his childhood days where we see the lead up to Annie going missing and what happens when she returns. Joe is determined to find the person responsible for all the heartache caused to his family and make them pay the price.

This latest thriller by CJ Tudor is a spine chilling read with lots of twists along the way, it keeps the reader guessing all the way to the end, and I certainly didn't expect it to end the way it did. If you are not easily spooked then this is one for you.

I'd like to thank Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and Netgalley for the approval. I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day.

There was a lot of hype around The Chalk Man, C.J.Tudors first breakout novel, which in my opinion was richly deserved. So it must have been quite a task to come up with that difficult second novel. But C.J Tudor seems to know what she loves to write and goddam any of you naysayers, she going to write it. And it appears what she loves writing is British Stephen Kingesque supernatural mysteries. And from this novel it looks like shes going to continue to be very good at it indeed. whilst this novel misses the 80's nostalgia that I loved in The Chalk Man its still a very enjoyable and creepy tale of small town secrets and how, no matter how far and fast you run, those secrets have a habit of catching up. I'm very much looking forward to her next novel.

The tricky second book.  I was a huge fan of C.J. Tudor's debut, the totally unmissable The Chalk Man which blew my socks off and left me a little bit in love with Ed, the main character.  I often still think about him and that brilliant ending (book hangover, much?).  So there was nothing on earth that was going to stop me from reading Tudor's second novel, The Taking of Annie Thorne.  I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher but this has in no way influenced my review.

I loved it.  The Taking of Annie Thorne is just as dark, just as creepy and just as brilliant as The Chalk Man (although I will put my hand up here and confess that I loved The Chalk Man just a teeny tiny smidge more).  There are definite similarities between the two books; a small claustrophobic town, our main protagonist is a teacher (there are other similarities between Ed and Joe which I won't go into detail about here), strange creepy inexplicable things happening to normal everyday people.  But I enjoyed that, it added to the story for me.

I found our main protagonist to be instantly likeable.  He has a troubled past after discovering his sister, that's Annie, has changed beyond recognition after she went missing one night.  He's flawed (definitely flawed) with an addiction to gambling and a penchant for stretching the truth but when he receives an email telling him that 'it's happening again' he feels he must return to the town of his youth and see for himself.  There are elements of the supernatural at play in this novel which would normally turn me right off but the way Tudor has written her story had me engrossed.  I didn't care that I didn't really believe in certain aspects of the story.  What is reading if not escapism?  I was captivated from the first page to the last and felt fully invested in Joe's plight to discover the truth.

Would I recommend this book? Most definitely and I suggest if you haven't read The Chalk Man you download that too.  I'm a huge fan of horror/crime crossover novels and this one is another to add to the favourites list.  Tudor's writing is sublime and before you know it hours have passed and you've forgotten to pick the kids up from school (that didn't happen...honest!).  Deliciously creepy, totally addictive and the type of book I want to read over and over again.  Don't miss out on this exceptional book!

I chose to read and review an eARC of The Taking of Annie Thorne.  The above review is my own unbiased opinion.