Having read The Chalk Man previously I was looking forward to this, it did not disappoint. Fantastic characters, great storyline. Look forward to more by this author.

This was my first foray into Tudor's work and I really enjoyed it. It's quite a dark and tense novel, which has a sense of mounting dread and demonstrated the fine line between paranormal terror and the evil that men do. Well-written and creepy.

I enjoyed CJTudor's debut very much and I think The Taking of Annie Thorne will appeal to many readers too.

Teacher and gambler Joe Thorne returns to his childhood village and local school to find out the truth about his sister Annie's mysterious disappearance when she was 8 years old. He lives in a cottage where recently the teacher he replaces killed her young son before committing suicide and he has to face the people he grew up with who do not make him feel welcome.

There are plenty of interesting characters in this novel as well as a creepiness that pervades the story as Joe eventually learns the truth about what took place the night that Annie disappeared. Thanks to NetGalley and PenguinUK/Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A little odd, this one. Not bad just odd. I’m still not entirely sure of the ending but the characters and general plot were pretty good.

Strange things have happened in the past and it seems it’s happening again. Childhood enemies don’t ever change and no matter how far you go sometimes you get lured back for unfinished business. A child was brutally murdered and the killer? His mother. A teacher at the local school who in turn kills herself.

To return back to your hometown isn’t always a good idea. To replace a teacher and live in the same place where the murder occurred seems like madness but sometimes demons need to be faced and others protected.

A twist and turn of events from childhood that reach into adulthood where feuds should have been forgotten but the stakes are now higher. Are there any winners?

A brilliantly written book but I’m just not sure of the storyline - it’s a bit far fetched.

The taking of Annie Thorne is a good thriller/horror with undertones I feel of Stephen Kings pet cemetery, in the novel it starts with Joe Thorne, a teacher that no one wants and with a dubious past going back to his childhood home of Arnhill to hopefully get a job at the local school but to also find out who sent him an e-mail, saying they know what happened to his sister.
The story does drag you in but all the time I was reading it I had the vague sense that I already knew this story, but the author CJ Tudor does admit she was influenced by writers such as Stephen King when she was growing up, so that's probably it.
But all in all an enjoyable read with a few surprises along the way.

I really enjoyed most of this book. At times, however, particularly near the end, it seemed as though the author couldn't decide which genre the book should be, and added a touch of the supernatural and a gangland element in to spice it up. In my opinion, these were not necessary, and detracted from an otherwise excellent crime novel. The main character was sympathetically drawn, but as is quite often the case, the teachers were ridiculously unrealistic. In my experience, teachers do not arrive at school at the same time as pupils - they are at least an hour earlier; neither do they go to the pub at lunchtime. overall, this is a well paced, riveting read.

I really wanted to enjoy this one having loved the first book by C.J. Tudor. Unfortunately this time around, the story just didn’t click with me. There is still that same level of creepiness and unease that we found in The Chalk Man, but for me, personally, I just didn’t feel this idea was executed as well.

We meet Joe Thorne who has reached rock bottom after he has raked up huge gambling debts and who is now on the wrong side of a group of dangerous people. He has relocated to his old town and has become the school’s English teacher. We’re aware that something terrible happened to his sister Annie in the past which is something he is haunted by, and Joe also receives a very frosty welcome from some of the locals, particularly as he has moved into a house where a mother and son were horrifically murdered several years earlier.

Of course, when I started this book, I wanted to know what had happened in the house which Joe later moves into and C.J. Tudor opens The Taking of Annie Thorne with this scene in such a brilliant way. I could feel the terror that the police officers were experiencing as they wondered what they were going to discover, but after this point, the novel just seemed to lose its way a little.

One of the themes that C.J. Tudor writes about in both her books is bullying, and she reminds us just how cruel children can be. There are some nasty teenagers in this book who will get under your skin, but I couldn’t help but compare this idea to what she wrote about in her previous novel, and I couldn’t see how this benefited the plot. These scenes did make me feel very tense though as I wondered how events were going to unfold on the page and this is where C.J. Tudor succeeds so well in her writing.

Joe was a character who I didn’t particularly care about, and I was more interested in what had happened to his sister Annie rather than what became of him. I think one of the main things I was disappointed in was that I didn’t get to know all the answers to the questions I was seeking to. But I won’t go into too much detail here as I don’t want to spoil it for you if you decide to read it.

Sadly I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would, but it doesn’t mean that I won’t try another book by C.J. Tudor. She is a very talented writer who writes horror and crime very well. It was just this particular story that didn’t work for me.

I've never read this author before so had no idea what to expect. I was immediately drawn into the story, with the flashbacks and other characters' viewpoints fleshing out what had seemed straightforward. I liked the slightly supernatural aspect, combined with flawed characters and small town life. Will be looking out for this author's future work.

Thank you to netgalley.co.uk for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unlike a lot of people who seemed to have read this, I did not read Tudor's debut novel The Chalk Man so I did not go into this novel with any great expectations. While I was reading, it felt like I was reading something I had already read before. it wasn't unique. However, I think Tudor shows real promise in her writing but she needs more faith in her storytelling.

I didn't read the description of this book properly so it wasn't at all what I expected, it was absolutely brilliant however. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was gripped from the beginning. The crime/thriller aspect of this book is enhanced greatly by the creepy supernatural parts. All the different dimensions of the plot weave together to make a wonderfully pleasing and satisfying whole. The characters are interesting and unexpected and fit well with the plot. Not my usual read at all, but definitely well worth adding to the bookshelf

4 Stars from me!

What a fabulous, creepy little book!

I was drawn in from the very first page and flew threw this book because I just didn't want to put it down. 

It was creepy, chilling in places, had a good build up of suspense, a few twists and turns and some really likeable characters. In fact, the attention to detail surrounding the characters and the effort taken to flesh them out is what made this book so brilliant for me.

If you have a book lover in your life, who enjoys a bit of unnerving escapism, this is probably the perfect Christmas gift!



Synopsis: When Joe Thorne was fifteen, his little sister, Annie, disappeared. At the time, Joe thought it was the worst thing in the world that could ever happen. And then she came back.

Now Joe has returned to the village where he grew up, to work as a teacher at the failing Arnhill Academy. Not an act of altruism, but desperation. Joe has bad debts – and bad people – he needs to escape. He also has an anonymous email: I know what happened to your sister. It’s happening again.

But coming back to the place he grew up, means facing the people he grew up with, and the things they did. Five friends: Joe, Stephen Hurst, Marie Gibson, Nick Fletcher and Chris Manning. They were the five who were there that night. Something they haven’t spoken about in 25 years.
Coming back means opening old wounds, and confronting old enemies and Joe is about to discover that places, like people, have secrets. The deeper you go, the darker they get.
And sometimes, you should never come back.

Very cleverly written and very good! I will be looking out for more from this author and will be recommending to all.

Not my usual genre but this book had me gripped throughout. Will be looking out for more of the same!

4.5 stars. I read this authors debut novel The Chalk Man and really liked it so I was looking forward to reading this book as well. Wow it certainly kept me hooked and I devoured it in one day. It was very dark and creepy and left me spooked but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What a fabulously creepy gem of a book to curl up with on a dark night. Joe Thorne's sister died tragically when he was a teenager, and he left the small town of Arnhill shortly after her death. Why he then decides to return to the claustrophobic town, where everyone knows your business is a mystery that is slowly revealed as the book progresses.
Alternating between past and present it quickly becomes clear that there is something very rotten at the heart of the town. Not only are there corrupt councillors, and school bullies that are never punished, there is also something decidedly wrong with the very earth the town is built on. Joe has returned to escape the problems of his present but also to lay old ghosts to rest; to find out what really did happen to his sister and to prevent history repeating itself. As he encounters old school friends and acquaintances, no-one is who they appear to be, and the book has twists and turns that will really keep you on your toes. There are some genuinely creepy moments that will have goose bumps forming and your hair standing on end. It's an absolute cracker, and I can't wait for C.J. Tudor's next book.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Wow! I loved C.J. Tudor's debut, The Chalk Man. But she's definitely taken a step up with The Taking of Annie Thorne. The two books are similar with regional, small town settings and a past history that threatens the present day. Something happened to Joe Thorne's little sister, Annie. Something dark, macabre and tragic. And it's happening again.

I enjoyed the character of Joe and his cynical approach to life. He's returned to his home town of Arnhill and his old school to teach English. At this point, I'd like to point out that not all teachers are alcoholics but sarcasm does seem to be a default setting for most teachers. Sometimes it's the only way a teacher can cope. And it's certainly the only way that Joe can cope as he confronts his past and the truth about his little sister.

As the story unfolds, the creepiness that's there from the beginning, begins to ratchet up until it reaches screaming pitch. Cleverly, C.J. Tudor doesn't explain everything leaving the reader's imagination to conjure up possible answers. And I think I can get away with saying that the ending is just as chilling as the beginning. A truly magnificent book!

I first came across CJ Tudor when I read by chance her debut novel 'The Chalk man' after been intrigued by the title and description. I really enjoyed that book and could see that there was more to come from this new author, so when I heard this book was due out I was very keen to review it.
Excellent plot and the main character Joe is so interesting. The suspense / tension builds throughout the length of the book and by the end I was unable to put my kindle down.
The main character Joe Thorne is not a character you automatically like, he is an ex-gambler and owes money to a lot of evil people and a pathological liar. When Joe receives a mysterious email, he returns to Arnhill and applies for the position of an English teacher position at his former school. Memories flood back on Joe seeing old aquaintences and places, most of which he would rather forget. Arnhill is the place where his sister 8 year old sister Annie disappeared only to be found a couple of days later, but she was never the same. Joe now feels that there is unfinished business that requires sorting.

I would like to thank Net Galley, Penguin UK and Michael Joseph for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent book, well written and with first class storyline, full of twists and turns with surprise ending. Very much enjoyed reading and found it hard to put down.

The Taking of Annie Thorne is the second book by C J Tudor and I found it just as enjoyable as her debut The Chalk Man. This story has a very dark feel to it and no doubt will haunt my mind for a while to come.

Joe Thorne returns to his hometown Arnhill to settle old scores with his former school pals. With no good childhood memories due to his Dad and his beloved sister Annie dying there and a somewhat strained relationship with his Mother his return is not a welcome one.

This creepy tale certainly made me use my brain in understanding as I found Joe to be a deep, loner and weird type. My eagerness to find answers had me desperate to read on in to the early hours.

A fabulous well written psychological thriller that was a pleasure to read. My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC digital copy. This is my own opinion of The Taking of Annie Thorne

Wow! This is one compulsively creepy story! The first thing I should say is that I'm a bit of a scaredy cat, but I so wanted to read this... and although it scared the bejesus out of me in several places and I had to stop reading it before I went to bed, I'm so pleased I pushed my boundaries!

I loved the main character and his sense of humour - that really added something special to the story and he reminded me of Elvis Cole from the Robert Crais books - that same type of wise-cracking banter that you know is going to get him into trouble. But although he provides light moments, he is surrounded by darkness - some of it of his own making, but some of it ancient.

I thought the setting was perfect and loved the contrast between a run down pit village and the supernatural. Phew! I need to detox on a few romcoms now...