Member Reviews

With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

The Taking of Annie Thorne grabbed me from the first page, I could of quite happily read this in one sitting.

I knew what I was letting myself into from the prologue. A PC and WPC were called to a cottage in the ex mining village of Armley. Teacher Julia Morten had murdered her son Benjamin before committing suicide. In Ben `s room she had written NOT MY SON.

Joe Thorne was brought up in Armley but had not returned since he qualified as a teacher. As a teenager Joe had a little sister called Annie who went missing for 48 hours and then she returned. Annie never said what happened whilst she was missing but was very disturbed. Weeks later Annie and their father died in a car crash.

Joe lived in Manchester but had to leave because he owed gambling debts to Fatman. Joe applied for Julia Morten`s old job and got it, he also found himself moving to Julia`s cottage where the murder occurred.

On Joe`s first day he witnessed schoolboy Jeremy Hurst bullying another boy. Joe had been friends with his dad Stephen Hirst at school and had been in a gang. That night his cottage was vandalised and a brick thrown through the window. The next day Joe was in the pub after school when he was threatened by Stephen and told to find a job elsewhere.

Joe and Stephen both know what happened the night Annie went missing. Stephen was a councillor in the village and scared Joe will tarnish his reputation.

The Taking of Annie Thorne was beautifully written and I enjoyed Joe`s at times painful but accurate observations. The plot was a mix of psychological thriller mixed with the supernatural with a pinch of the macabre. I could picture the beetles crawling out of the walls on the floor.

I liked Joe and who used black humour to hide his pain. My favourite characters were fellow art teacher Scattergood who had her own reasons for being at Arnley Accademy. I also liked Gloria the hit woman who beat up Hurst`s chronies.

I look forward to more from C J Tudor.

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Hmmmmm, I haven’t read The Chalk Man so this was my first introduction to C.J Tudor.

I like her style of writing and I actually forgot it was written by a woman as Joe’s character was so convincing. The story held me and it was an easy read, not a slogger! I did however feel a little short-changed and left wanting more. It felt like a cross between Stephen King’s Pet Sematary and the Krays! Characters seem to come from nowhere and with the exception of our protagonist I don’t think we get to know any of them well enough to care what happens to them and we never really get to the bottom of everything that happens and no I DON’T think we should see the monsters in Bird Box!

All in all a pretty good read but more a Big Mac than a Sunday roast. My thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

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I didn't find this book difficult to read and the narrative mocked at a good pace. I couldn't like any of the characters - they a lll seemed equally "bad" at heart. The book is quite difficult to define, part alien body snatchin, part mystery and part psychological thriller. Overall i think it just failed to deliver on its early promise. I didn't dislike it but it wouldn't be up there with my favourites. Although I didn't get all the plot twists and I did like the ending

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One night Annie Thorne goes missing. She reappears 48 hours later but won't (or can't) say what happened to her. The book is well written and a gripping read. It hooks you in from the opening scene and manages to hold your attention throughout. It's a very dark novel and not for the faint hearted. There's something I can't quite put my finger on which is stopping me from giving it 5 stars but it is well worth a read!

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It took me a while to read as it was so scary I had to put it down and pick up it quite a lot till I had a stiff drink, a strong word with myself and went for it last night, pants and vest to the very last page!

Dolls, puppets and puppet dolls are terrifying. They are the reason I have yet to finish ‘House of Small Shadows’ by Adam Nevill almost 6 years after I bought it and ‘The Taking of Annie Thorne’ contains a doll named ‘Abbie Eyes’ that will possibly haunt your dreams if you are anything like me!

Joe Thorne has returned to his old town of Arnhill , ostensibly to lay some ghosts to rest but he is haunted by more than one of the elements of his past.

The sole survivor of a car crash which killed his father and sister, walking with a literal and metaphorical limp, he is going back to his inglorious past to try and right things before what happened to his sister can happen to another child. And before his present catches up with him in the form of a terrifyingly believable debt collector.

Opening with a shockingly brutal death, this story builds and builds to the crescendo of a finale but just when you think everything is resolved and you can breathe again,WHAM! you are knocked for six!

The cottage Joe finds to rent became available because the previous owner committed suicide,this also opened up a job vacancy at his old high school. Immediately recognisable to anyone who has lived, or is living, in a small town, C.J Tudor creates a dense atmosphere of unforgotten deeds, legends and myths that only small towns can generate and a creeping air of suspense. Places like Arnhill are always poised on the precipice of the latest disaster and this is what makes ‘..Annie Thorne’ so relatable.

A mining town whose collapse meant 4 lost and never recovered bodies, a child who went missing and returned days later not quite herself, teen suicides and the creepiest plot I have read in a long time entangle you in a narrative that stops you breathing until you realise you need to gasp for air.

Old sins cast long shadows and in the case of Arnhill there is something very rotten underground.

To say more is to risk giving away spoilers-an absolute no no to this bookblogger’s mind!-all I will conclude with is ‘The Taking of Annie Thorne’ could be said to combine the best elements of ,James Herbert, M.R James, ‘‘Pet Sematary’‘ and the creepiest doll ever.

Shudders!

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Wow! This was excellent. I shall have to go and read The Chalk Man.
I really wanted to read this in one sitting and I pretty much did it. Good, interesting plot. Kept me enthralled. The book kept going back to 1992 when the friends had their pack at school and the present day when one of the friends returns to where he grew up. Things start to happen and make people uncomfortable. Why? There's only one way to find out!!

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While I try never to judge a book by it's cover I am easily swayed by the synopsis and The Taking Of Annie Thorne's synopsis grabbed me. Spine chilling and thrilling was promised, but I felt like I was left more expectant and cold than anything.
The idea of the story grabbed me, a fan of changelings and body snatcher sci fi I was expecting something along those lines. What I got was a sort of King-esque human version of Pet Sematary without a real explanation for it or even an attempt at an origin.
The writing and dialogue was very varied as was the narrative. Going from steady and easy to read to awkward dialogue and excess plot.
I struggled through the book waiting for an explanation to the plot synopsis that originally drew me in, but instead I got to the end non the wiser and more confused.
Grab this book for a holiday read so you are surrounded by something to lighten the mood and opportunities to step away when the need or desire arises.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crown for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for my honest review.

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A gripping interesting read, different to anything I had ever really read before (I usually read thrillers) but it was good and loved the way the characters were written, I could really visualise them. Thank you

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As a huge fan of The Chalk Man I was very excited to see that CJ Tudor had a new book and was delighted to be asked to join the tour.

Firstly let's talk about our main character Joe Thorne.  Returning to his childhood home of Arnhill, a pretty grim and dismal mining town, he manages to get a job in his old school teaching English.   However, nothing is exactly what it seems here; Joe is returning under a rather dodgy and dangerous cloud; he has nasty people chasing him and on top of that his sister was killed under suspicious circumstances in Arnhill when she was 8.

The Taking of Annie Thorne is a creepy and dark story with elements of supernatural aspects, however what really struck me is the incredible writing, the ability to bring the characters to life and give them a voice in the readers head.  Joe's humour and self depreciating personality was a joy to read.

Dark, funny, creepy and gripping - if you enjoyed The Chalk Man - then you will love The Taking of Annie Thorne.

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I loved the chalk man by this author and looked forward to reading this lastest book . Quite a different read with an element of the supernatural throughout I didn’t find this to be quite as good as the chalk man ..however, in saying this , I still like the authors style of writing and found this book a good read . 3.5 rounded to 4 with my thanks to the publisher and netgalley for my chanc3 to read.

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Joe Thorne returns to Arnhill, a place he'd rather have consigned to the history books. His old gang wish he'd never come back, stirring up bad memories, betrayals, the suicide and the murder. He's in a lot of trouble, he's a gambler and is needing a lot of cash to get him out of the mess he's in. He was sent a message urging him to come back to Arnhill and there's unfinished business and he'd still like to know what really happened to his sister, Annie.

He's renting the house where Julia Morton lived with her son Ben where a murder/suicide was committed. The house seems to be sending him clues and the noises late at night bring his childhood fears right back to him. He also takes Julia's job at the High School.

The story goes back to the past and the abandoned mine and then jumps into the present day. It's an atmospheric read which is really creepy and slightly supernatural and ghostly and I found the ending stayed with me long after I finished the book.

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My review…

I loved The Chalk Man and so was looking forward to C.J Tudors latest book The Taking of Annie Thorne. But when I first started it, I wasn’t blown away and was really wondering where it was going! The opening scenes where two bodies are discovered was quite a shocker but then we move forward a few months to the next occupant of the cottage where the deaths occurred. Joe Thorne is back in his home town to take up a teaching position but his timely reappearance may not be entirely unrelated to the gruesome past of his new abode. Because Joe has experienced loss himself. When he was younger, his little sister Annie went missing for two days and when she came back things were never quite the same again…

The first half of The Taking of Annie Thorne was definitely a slow burner and as I said before, I really wasn’t sure where it was going. Joe was a rather unlikeable character and I got frustrated by his lack of morals whilst also trying to work out what he was hiding. But he was obviously traumatised by what had occurred to his younger sister and we gradually start to find out what became of Annie and how it affected Joe and his family.

This was a darkly atmospheric chiller that just got better the further along the twisty path the reader traveled. The scenes featuring Annie after her reappearance were incredibly creepy and very disturbing. The supernatural elements of the plot weren’t entirely unexpected for me so I was able to just see where the storyline took me. And the ending really did send a shiver down my spine! So although I didn’t love this as much as The Chalk Man, I did enjoy the moment that everything came together especially as there was a twist that I really hadn’t seen coming! A harrowing, shadowy book that will give you nightmares. You have been warned!

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After reading the Chalk Man by this author which was WOW I was so happy to be approved the new book from this fantastic author. I read this book in one sitting, the tension is palpable. Çhilling and so atmospheric. This author is so good at what they do. They hook you and keep you hooked until the very last page. Then after you have finished the book you sit there and say WOW. This tale smacks of a book I read when I was younger but it is so much more. A rollercoaster of a read that leaves you feeling exhausted, listening for the chattering sounds and in my case had me reading till 3am. Thank you I am a very happy reader and can't wait to read what this author does next. Highly recommended.

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Well it's happened again,another great read from the pen of CJ Tudor. Just as haunting as her first but with more of a polished edge. Her style has yet to settle into one that is more unique to her but it's hard to write a horror/ suspense novel without your own favourite authors haunting its pages. It's Stephen King voice I feel whispering throughout this one , as I thought it was James Herbert within the pages of The Chalk Man. That's just my opinion on that though.

This book will certainly be on many TBR pile's this year as it was on mine. A story that is hauntingly eerie in a manner that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you follow Joe's journey to his past. Live each day of Joe's nightmare alongside him as he wrestles with his past. A past that we find out about in generous chunks as it runs side by side with his present life. The author keeps the plot moving along at nice steady pace for me that doesn't see me skipping parts to get to the end of the page. A pace that saw me indulging and savouring each paragraph and page. A chilling, taut, thrilling, hair on the back of your neck standing up kind of book. An author whose true voice has yet to be revealed through her stories but it's getting there, and I am sure future books will reveal it in its true glory.

As always these are just my opinions. Thanks to NETGALLEY for the chance to read it.

STAR RATING 4

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Fantastic read, highly recommended, I could not put it down.
Lots of memories from my wife's career, a good twist, in fact a few throughout the book. Too plausible in parts! Good psychological thriller, look forward to the next one.

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C.J. Tudor does it again!!! Loved her debut book The Chalk Man and now this one.

I was addicted from the first page. I thought it has a great combination of both a phycological thriller and horror that sent chills down my spine while reading. Just what I like in a book like this.

I thought the whole book was brilliantly written. I loved the characters they were really interesting and you don’t know who to trust. The character Joe was my favourite. We learn about Joe’s past, his sisters disappearance and what his present situation.

Once again like The Chalk Man this one is full of twists and turns the ending of this book was brilliant.

Overall, a fantastic read where I couldn’t personally find a fault in this book. If you’re looking for a well written, interesting fast paced plot then this is the book for you. I highly recommend this book.

I can’t wait to read C.J. Tudor’s next book, when it comes out. She’s fast becoming one of my favorite authors.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for my eARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Note: In the U.S this book is called The Hiding Place.

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I enjoyed this book, but I didn’t love it. For me I felt like there were no unexpected events, no suspense, and there wasn’t much action. I would also have liked some things to be better described and focused on a little bit more. This book has left me with a lot of questions. I liked how there were chapters set in the past and present, because it makes the story more interesting. The characters were all insteresting and I enjoyed reading about most of them. There was one paragraph that really annoyed me, and actually made me quite angry at this book. The paragraph starts with the line “Never trust someone whose bookshelves are lined with pristine books”. It then goes into a lot of detail, and kind of feels like a rant from the author, as to how people who look after their books aren’t proper readers. This annoyed me and was definitely irrelevant to the story. It felt more like a rant or complaint from the author. Overall I enjoyed this book but found it a little bit slow going and uneventful. It was still readable but I wouldn’t recommend it to people who love fast-paced thrillers, as that was what I was expecting and I was definitely disappointed.

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Joe Thorne returns home to the mining village of Arnhill after many years to find out what happened to his sister Annie and all the other children that died and wonders if it's all happening again? A creepy sinister thriller with a supernatural element!

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Joe’s life is a car crash, both figuratively and literally. Seriously injured in a car crash as a teenager that left both his father and younger sister dead, Joe is constantly trying to repair the pieces of his shattered life. Now he has returned to his childhood village as a teacher, not as a career move but rather as a last attempt at solving a mystery that began many years ago with the disappearance of his sister. As Joe gets closer to the truth, his past and present day troubles threaten to collide.

This is a dark, dark book. Maybe not recommended for those who are scared of the dark, or ghosts, or beetles or dolls, or...well the list goes on! If you’re looking for a genuinely unsettling read though, then your search stops right here. C.J Tudor has crafted a terrifying book where the shocks creep up on you and the scares feel very real. One of the first things Joe does on his arrival back in the village is move into a cottage where a mother killed her young son and daubed a cryptic message in his blood. Joe finds the cottage impossible to warm up and the dank atmosphere seems to seep into his whole being. He’s a difficult character as well, unrelentingly sarcastic and reluctant to get close to anyone. The village of Arnhill seems to have a life of its own too. C.J. Tudor has done an excellent job of portraying a village undone by the decimation of its main industry (in this case, mining). There’s the local bully who still runs everything, the oddballs and the local legends that, while fantastic, have a grain of truth to them.

There’s a lot going on in this book, most of it terrifying too! It’s a real skill to send a shiver down a reader’s spine and C.J. Tudor is a writer who is going from strength to strength. This is a real step up from the also excellent Chalk Man and she’s obviously writer who is going to write even more tremendous novels in the future. There’s a strong strand of horror which runs through what started out as a murder mystery. It’s a fantastic book and one which stayed with me for a while after I finished the last page. Excellent.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

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C.J. Tudor’s first novel, The Chalk Man, was an excellent debut thriller which was a compelling read and her new book, The Taking Of Annie Thorne, is if anything, even more enjoyable. As well as being a great psychological thriller it also has a supernatural element which would appeal to readers who enjoy this sort of a book too.
It is the story of Joe Thorne, a secondary school English teacher, who takes a job at his old school in a small Nottinghamshire town, when he is summoned back by a text telling him it is “ happening again”.
When Joe was 15 his young sister went missing for two days and his life from that point was never the same again.
As an adult Joe is going back to investigate Annie’s disappearance as well as to try and make some money to pay off his massive gambling debts. However not everyone is happy to see him again.
There are several interesting characters in the book. Joe tells his story both in the present and via flashbacks to the time of Annie’s disappearance and that is how the reader gets to know him.
He is likeable and really cares about his pupils but there is a dark side to him too which has its roots in his teenage years. He is being pursued for his gambling debts and this side of his present day life throws up some other characters who really add to the story. One in particular, Gloria, really sent chills down my spine!
The Taking Of Annie Thorne reminded me of an early Stephen King novel and it had the same sort of effect on me. I whizzed through it desparate to find out what was going to happen at the end. The conclusion was brilliant- this was truly a well constructed plot and I am now a huge C. J Tudor fan!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

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