I've heard of C.J. Tudor and I am aware that she wrote a great debut novel called The Chalk Man, but I am yet to read that one. I have a copy somewhere, but when NetGalley accepted my request to read this one I couldn't help myself and jumped in with both feet - not literally obviously.

My thanks to the Publishers via NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review. I gave this an 8/10 or 4 stars.

When recent occurrences begin to mirror things that happened in the past, Joe Thorne feels it his duty to return to where he grew up in the hope that he can put a stop to what is going on. Joe's sister disappeared one day and then reappeared some time later, but life was never the same for them all when she came back. No one really wants to return to the past especially if it holds too many secrets that are better left there, but for Joe it looks like he's not got too much choice.

Joe Thorne is not your typical hero, he's flawed, he's done things in the past that he regrets and his present life isn't that much better, he has troubles aplenty. Fate has other plans in store for him though and to find out what those plans are you'll have to grab a copy of this for yourself.

With publication day looming in February, 2019 this looks set to be as much of a success as The Chalk Man.

I found this to be a well written character driven story that keeps the reader gripped as the story develops, it's a mix between a thriller and a horror story, as it has elements of both. To be honest it was right up my street and I look forward to watching this Author take off, as I feel she has a great future ahead of her.

Really enjoyed this - the writer actually managed to create a main character that you can actually care about right from the start, which is rare. Slightly rushed conclusion/climax which stopped 5* rating but if you can suspend a little disbelief, this is a good read and crates questions about the wisdom of revisiting the past..

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, had me gripped and wanting to turn each page to find out what else would happen. Well written, with a great story line, highly recommend

Creepy. To be honest it is a mystery and it's thrilling in a very creepy sort of a way. When a child is lost they are different when they return. So different that they're difficult to live with. Why? Joe Thorne had lived through this before and twenty years later it looks as though the past is repeating itself. He has to try and stop it - but can be?

I'm not into horror, but I enjoyed this book.

This isn’t just your run of the mill psychological thriller. Why not? Well it’s a book by Tudor and she likes to mix her thriller and mysteries with an element of the inexplicable, which in turn often wanders into the genre of horror.

Joe is drawn back to his hometown when he starts receiving emails that reference the disappearance of his sister many years ago when they were both children. It reminds him of the fact that he has scores to settle and perhaps he will finally find out what happened to Annie. Then again maybe he has a fair idea about what happened and just doesn’t want anyone else to come to the same conclusion.

He starts working at his old school as a teacher, which throws him straight into the same kind of debilitating oppressive atmosphere of bullying and intimidation he had to put up with as a kid. History is repeating itself, but this time he isn’t going to sit by and watch it happen.

It also brings back memories of a traumatic event in his life and the disappearance of a second child under similar circumstances makes people start to ask uncomfortable questions again. Is it just a coincidence or is there a bigger plan at stake?

I really enjoyed The Chalk Man by Tudor and highly recommend it if you haven’t read anything by this particular author yet. The story of Annie Thorne may just leave you with nightmares or at the very least a healthy fear of entering underground caves. You just never know what might be waiting there for you.

It’s so much more than just a psychological thriller. The whole essence of the story is infused with a feeling of menace, a silent threat just waiting to welcome the reader into its inner folds. It surrounds the characters like a soft blanket of mist and even manages to penetrate the pages and draw the reader inside its nefarious web.

I didn't think CJ could get better than the Chalk Man which was one of my favourite reads of last year, but she has. Fascinating and tettyfying!

Oh I’m so disappointed. I loved C.J. Tudors first novel “The Chalk Man” and was so looking forward to this.
The Chalk Man gave more than a subtle nod to Stephen Kings “The Body” and was all the better for it. A fantastic read and easy five star review.
With “The Taking Of Annie Thorne” we again have huge nods to Mr King with two novels in particular-Pet Semetary and The Tommyknockers. Unfortunately that’s where the fun ends and I just found this story a chore. Uninteresting characters, a rather convoluted story that took an age to play out, I’m sorry to say I couldn’t wait to get to the end.

The problems are many here. There are no likeable characters here for a start. Our main protagonist has very few redeeming features and doesn’t even hold interest as the type of anti hero he’s portrayed as. As he revisits his childhood home to revisit the events of his childhood he reunites with many characters from back then. None of them remotely interesting, some feel like they are just thrown in to move the plot along and are waifer thin.

We have the present and past narrative, which can work in many a novel but was purely a device here to flesh out the story. The “past” segments held little interest beyond finding out what was going on and where it was leading. With such a large cast of characters and supposedly a character driven story, the lack of any real interesting character or even one you had any sort of empathy with is a huge flaw in this novel. Even Annie Thorne is nothing more than a token character with little substance.

The story itself is hugely convoluted with a huge amount of twists and reveals, non of which I found in any way satisfying. At times it felt a complete mess, trying to explain itself to get to the end.

I really didn’t get any enjoyment out of this book unfortunately and I find it hard to believe it’s the same author that penned the brilliant “The Chalk Man”.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Penguin UK and C.J. Tudor for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept me hooked until the end and was an enjoyable read.. Strange at times but very easy reading. I found the characters well rounded and likeable. The book is fast paced and entertaining.
The main subject is of a school bully and how his action affect others lives in school and in later life. Initally a story of revenge which turns into a whole lot more.

Meet Joe Thorne, our main character, heading back to the town he grew up in after lying in order to get a job. Lying about a job is the very least of Joe's problems, both what he is running from and what he is running to! Joe has issues from his past and present, both he must face and both are pretty horrific.

This is a thriller meets horror/supernatural to be honest and you can tell the author is a fan of master King, I hear echos of him in both this book and her last. The book splits really into two, what happened in his past and the now, why the town folk aren't happy to see him, what he is running from and the strange eerie happenings in his house.

Joe isn't a particularly likeable guy in my opinion, as a kid he wanted to be liked so bad he did some questionable things, with repercussions, that impacts his choices and decisions as an adult. The small town have a horrible attitude to outsiders yet Joe really isn't he is a returner. There is a horrific murder/suicide at the start of the book in the house Joe comes to live in on his return. As the book progresses we get a more in depth look at the house happenings, deaths and what bearing if any it has on Joe's past and present.

The throwback to when he was a child and some of the scenes in the house will have the hair on the back of your neck standing. Tudor has the knack of pulling in creepy alongside a seemingly normal tale and creeping you out whilst drawing you in. I enjoyed her last book and I liked this one too, I think Tudor is one for watching and look forward for her next offering which I hope she is penning now, 4/5 for me this time.

I read CJ Tudors first book on holiday and enjoyed it so was looking forward to this. It's wonderfully creepy and atmospheric. You could see how this could translate to a movie or mini series as the imagery is wonderful.
It tells of Joe, haunted by events from the past, whose life is spiralling out of control through debt. He returns to his past in Arnhill, a former pit village and the to the secrets it holds.
It's terrifying but you just can't put it down. The characters are well rounded and realistic, The writing is very good and evokes the past really well.
Highly recommend this book

Well I read to the end but mainly because I don’t like to give up but the story failed to engage me. Thinking about it now I’ve finished it I wonder if it was set in the wrong country. America might have been better as it ever really felt like an English book somehow.

As I was reading this book I felt like I was reading a new version of an old Stephen King book and I couldn't get that thought out of my head. I happen to like Stephen King books and also happened to like this book too. It is well written with well drawn characters and I read it late into the night as I just had to find out how it ended. Unfortunately I found the ending too far fetched and the epilogue should just be scrapped. Why authors feel they should have to bring a character with autism into a book is beyond me, and I am saying that as a mother of an autistic person.

Having loved The Chalk Man, I was very keen to read this book. It was brilliant, I really enjoyed it. You have to wonder why someone with such a history of life in a village, would want to return to teach there. However it all is revealed. It has a sinister tone to the book, and the tension ramps up, gently.
Really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more.

I regret not reading this sooner as, it has been on my NetGalley list for a while. I read the previous novel from C J Tudor, The Chalk Man with I loved, so I was excited to be given a copy of The Taking of Annie Thorne.
Joe Thorne a teacher, comes back to his hometown to take a job at the local school at Arnhill Academy. The other teachers wondering why he would do such a thing, because it’s usually teachers leaving then coming back. We learn Joe part-time gambler and left his old school in a hurry. Has come back to Arnhill an old Colliery town, masses of unemployment, hasn’t got much going for it. Years previously his 8-year-old sister was missing down the pit, but, came back two days later, not the little girl that left. She came back withdrawn, silent and acting very strangely.
Wow I love this. From the very first page this was a creepy, spine tingling story. It is a great page turner that you will not want to put down. It has great characters, original story and I liked when it went back in forth in time so find out what happened all them years ago and why Joe is back in town. I would highly recommend.

Spooky. Creepy. Chilling. Loved it but gave me a few scares! Will definitely buy her first novel after reading this. Anything that Stephen King recommends is good enough for me.
5/5 on goodreads.

I absolutely loved this book! From the start it had me hooked as I love a creepy mystery. This is another one of those books that I could not put down and read in two sittings. I thoroughly recommend this book as it is one of the best I have read in a long time. #TheTakingOfAnnieThorne #NetGalley

Joe Thorne is back in the town where he grew up. The town that everyone tries to escape from as soon as they can. The town that saw something strange happen to his little sister. One night, many years ago Annie Thorne went missing, taken from her own bed. Searches followed, but there was no trace of the child. Then, strangely, 48 hours later, she returned, refusing to say what had happened to her. Something was different about her, though, and she was no longer the same. Now, it looks as though it has happened again to another child…

C. J. Tudor’s The Chalk Man was one of my books of 2018 and so I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into The Taking of Annie Thorne. Set over two time frames, we meet Joe, an unreliable narrator is ever there was one! A teacher with a huge debt hanging over him, he has lied to get his current job and lives in fear of his past catching up on him. We see a different side of him, however, in the past when he is with his younger sister, Annie and also when he encounters a child being bullied. Then, he shows a caring, compassionate side, one that certainly endears him to the reader.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that all is not well in the village of Arnhill and that while some are intent on finding out the secret, there are some who will do anything to stop it from being uncovered. Joe appears to know something of what happened, but the death of another child in the area has stirred up memories of his sister, Annie, and the strange event that happened to her all those years ago. His interest in the case causes problems in Arnhill, with people stopping at nothing to express their displeasure. Just how are they connected and can it help to explain why Annie seemed different on her return to the family home?

The story is told in two time frames: the present and the time when Annie went missing. I always enjoy books that are written in this way as I feel that it helps you to fully understand the characters and explain their actions in the present. The story flows well and moves between the two times seamlessly, never once appearing confusing.

It is easy to see how much the author has been influenced by Stephen King and there is more than a nod to one of his books. Throughout the book, there are signs that there is some sort of supernatural force at play and so the conclusion wasn’t a huge surprise. If fiction involving the supernatural is not your thing, don’t be put off. I am not a big fan of this genre, but felt that the ‘ghostly’ references were minimal and the story was more of a thriller.

The Taking of Annie Thorne is an easy read and I can see it being another huge success for C J Tudor.

C J Tudor follows up The Chalk Man with The Taking of Annie Thorne and takes the reader into dark and creepy territory right from the off. At times it’s like a love letter to early Stephen King days of horror which isn’t surprising as the author cites King as one of her influences. Depending on your scare-ometer threshold I’d read it with a torch handy and in daylight. If Tudor can keep up the standard of her current output then she’ll be a new star in the creepy literary market. Definitely worth reading just remember that torch!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK/Michael Joseph for ARC.

Having just read The Chalk Man, I was over the moon to be offered this book by the same author. This one, however is so much better and much creepier. I was totally hooked and couldn’t wait to carry on reading. No spoilers but the Epilogue... oh my!! Can’t wait for her next book.

The Taking of Annie Thorne is one of those books you just cannot put down. The writing style was insightful and witty with Joe Thorne (the loser you wanted to like) a starring character. The creepy side was a bit Green Mile meets James Herbert but it didn't quite work for me. I am more of a Chris Packham when it comes to insects so nothing to scare me there. What I thought was excellent was the way preconceptions were knocked down towards the conclusion of the book. To sum up, a blistering read and I confess to burning the midnight oil in its consumption.