this is the third book that i have read from this author.
yet again another excellent book i would highly recommend.
5 stars

CJ Tudor has fast become one of my favourite authors and I always look forward to reading her latest release. The Other People is another cracking addition and in my opinion the author just keeps getting better and better. I read this book in one sitting, absolutely gripped from that opening chapter and draw into the desperation of Gabe's search for his daughter.

I loved how the apparently random threads all wove together and the truth behind the mystery was slowly revealed. As always I enjoyed the supernatural element to the story and it wasn't overly done as can be the case. It felt like a natural/believable addition to build the tension.

The trademark element of a supernatural thread from this author continues with her in this new release. It gives her stories that edge of unpredictability that you wouldn’t normally get and it knocks me off my feet.
Gabe knows that he has let his family down again after he promised he would be home on time but now a problem on the motorway means that he will be late. When he gets stuck behind an old car he sees a young girl’s face appear at the window, his little girl, before to takes off at speed and disappears. He makes a call home from a service station and the police answer and his nightmare begins.
The story jumps forward three years to an unrecognisable man living in a camper van trying to find the car he saw that night. The story follows three people, Gabe, Fran with Alice, a young girl who has trouble looking into mirrors and a single mum Katie, who works at one of the services stations Gabe calls at regularly.
When things go bump in the night in this book you feel the vibration! The story takes off in an unexpected direction and goes dark into the depths where you know that there will be a price to pay that costs you more than money ever could. There are twists, secrets and deals that have massive consequences. It makes for a belting story.
The chapters are snappy with each sentence there for a reason, not as a filler to fluff it up. With a pace that starts fast and spikes at the end, in a totally all ends tied up finish. Another top class stand alone from this superb author.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

This is one of those books that grabs you from the start and doesn't let go till the end. There were so many different strands to the story which all came together at the conclusion. There is a supernatural element too although I didn't really think this added much to the story. A very clever and original plot which I really enjoyed.

It’s not often these days I read a book in “one sitting” but that’s what happened with The Other People by C.J. Tudor. I wasn’t sure what to expect, all I knew was what I read in the book description, ‘A man travels up and down the motorway, searching for a car that took his young daughter Izzy’, which meant I had no expectations for this book. I picked it up meaning to read a couple of chapters, but then I read another one, and then another one, and I was hooked! The Other People is a thriller that captured my imagination, it’s dark, very creepy, and completely gripping.

I’m not going to rehash the plot details, for me this book held so many surprises, I would hate to spoil the read for others. Gabe is a character that I honestly felt for, he’s a man drowning in grief, after losing his daughter Izzy, his grief is palatable, as he clutches at the proverbial straw, he’s convinced he’s seen his little girl’s face in the rear window of a car. No one believes him, but he’s determined to keep looking come hell or high water. I felt my heart pounding as Gabe’s own investigation took him into ‘danger territory’, the tension grew tenfold, my nails took a beating as I nervously bit on them in anticipation of what lay a head.


The Other People is told from multiple POV so it’s evident all the characters have a connection someway or another, all I will say ‘is the best of luck working out how they fit together’. The author moves flawlessly between the different POV, never sharing too much, so the reader is left second guessing where the plot was headed. This book has so many elements it’s Part mystery/suspense, part supernatural, all the elements fit perfectly together creating a creepy, thought-provoking and very clever, riveting read.

Like other books from the author it has a supernatural element running through it, but it’s not the main focus, but hell the ‘ Clickety, clack’ sent shivers down my spine, and that’s all I’m saying! Some reviews I read have compared The Other People to the Chain. I have to disagree, this book is so much better, the story is frighteningly plausible, the tension never waivers, and the characters are far more likeable. I found I was fully immersed and totally intrigued with the mystery to the very last page. A brilliant read that has more twist and turns than a roller coaster, my recommendation? Buy yourself a copy and buckle up for a hell of a ride

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

Found far too strange for my liking and thus difficult to get into. Not managed to complete the book as too strange.

What a page turner ! You find out your wife and child have been murdered but you are certain you saw your daughter in a car in front of you 5 minutes before the news of their death .. 3 years later Gabe is a broken man still searching for the daughter he is sure is alive .
A gripping read which had me hooked ! Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for my opportunity to read

Very fast paced this is an excellent thriller that I raced through. A little supernatural too. At times it was confusing but in the end it all made sense. A very chilling read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Really enjoyed this. A little confusing with characters and relationships between each other but very cleverly done overall. Finished it in 2 days and would have been quicker if it wasn't for work! A quick, fast paced thriller.

Stuck in traffic while driving home one night, probably going to be late again, Gabe is convinced he sees his 5-year-old daughter in the back window of a car in front. After losing sight of the vehicle he pulls off into a service station to call home to check what he thinks must be impossible. When a police officer answers, Gabe's life falls apart.

Gabe's wife and daughter have been murdered and he is the prime suspect. Three years later, with Gabe cleared of suspicion, he travels the motorway in search of the car where he last saw his daughter despite everyone else claiming she is dead.

The stories of Fran, Alice, Katie and a comatose young girl weave into Gabe's life as he searched for his daughter Izzy and secrets come to the fore that tie the characters together along with a chilling group known only as 'The Other People'

A wonderfully woven tale with a supernatural element.

Highly recommended

The Other People is a cracker and I think her best book yet, which is saying something, as I have loved her others.

This book swept me up in its story and carried me along with it every step of the way. It was impossible not to be consumed by Gabe’s tragic story.

Never the best of husbands, Gabe is travelling home on the M1, late yet again, when he thinks he sees his daughter in the back of a rusty car, covered in stickers, driving past him. The girl mouths one word from the back of the car – ‘Daddy’. But Gabe knows that can’t be Izzy, because five year old Izzy is safe at home with his wife, Jennifer.

He calls home to speak to his wife and that’s when he learns of their brutal murder from the police officer who answers the phone. Traumatised, knowing the police want to talk to him, he races home.

Gabe is destroyed by this event. Never really escaping the suspicion, relentlessly fuelled by media attention, that he was somehow responsible for their deaths, he finds he can’t shake that image of a girl who looked just like Izzy that he saw just before he received the news in that awful phone call.

Now, three years after, he spends his days on that same motorway, living in a camper van so that he can be close to the road, hoping to find the car he saw, or to find someone who did. He regularly stops at the same motorway service stations, giving out fliers in the hope that someone else might have seen Izzy and remember something that could help track down that little girl he saw through the window.

C’J. Tudor’s book weaves together Gabe’s story with that of an unknown girl, who lies comatose in a room somewhere; with Katie, a single mother waiting tables at a service station and with Fran and Katie, a mother constantly on the run with her daughter.

This is Gabe’s story, interwoven with those of Katie and Fran. Tudor paints a remarkable picture of a deeply lonely and distraught man broken by grief, keeping it together only because of his mission to track down that elusive car.

An encounter with a strange man who goes by the name of The Samaritan leads him to ‘The Other People’ and an injection of a chilling, dark and very creepy storyline which is horrifying in both concept and execution.

In an intricate and beautifully layered narrative, dripping with menace, Tudor shows us the lengths that people are prepared to go to when their grief is so strong that only thoughts of the impossible can drive them forward.

Is Gabe an unreliable narrator and was he really responsible for the deaths of Jennifer and Izzy? What secrets is Gabe hiding? And if he didn’t kill them, who did, and why?

Gabe’s desperate search for Izzy grasps the reader in its clutches and doesn’t let go until the terrible, heart-breaking truth is revealed.

Verdict: A powerful and illuminating portrait of loss and grief leads to an understanding of the lengths that people will go to in their search for justice and revenge. The Other People is a brilliantly conceived psychological thriller that ramps up and maintains tension as Tudor combines spooky elements with a clever twisty plot to create a fantastic, chilling story of grief and the quest for justice and revenge. Highly recommended.

I’m really not sure where to begin, other than to start by saying that I loved this book! The Other People easily pulled me in as we meet Gabe who after experiencing every parents worst nightmare is a shell of his former self but is also someone who refuses to give up hope. This character took me on a non stop heart pounding journey, one that I had no clue where I was being taken but where I loved every single moment!

One of the best things about this book is the way that C.J. Tudor revealed the information to some of the questions but then in doing so created so many more that needed to be revealed. I loved this way of building my curiosity along with heightening the tension and intrigue. At times I really wished I could read even faster because it just kept getting better and better! For me books like The Other People that make you feel for the characters even with their flaws and have a plot filled with secrets are so special they provide that sometimes well needed escape where the outside world just doesn’t seem to be able to enter. Whenever I was reading I felt as if I was in my own little bubble desperate to get to the truth and see everything through to the end!

Now, as with all of C.J. Tudor’s books there is a supernatural element to the story and I always love this aspect in her books. In the case of The Other People it is one that just lingers in the background adding an extra depth and providing a slightly eerie atmosphere throughout. I could go on and on about everything I loved about this book although I’m also trying be as vague as I can and not spoil a single thing. Every reveal and twist had its place in this book, just waiting to knock me off balance. So I would really hate to ruin that surprise gasp or that stunning realisation when you finally figure something out!

C.J. Tudor consistently creates the most wonderful and thrilling stories and The Other People is another brilliant example of storytelling at its best! Loved it!!

In April 2016, Gabe was travelling home the northbound stretch of the M1, returning to his wife and daughter, when he has a fleeting a glimpse of a little blonde head in the back of the clapped out car in front of him who looks remarkably like his five-year old daughter, Izzy. The rational part of his mind tells him that this couldn’t be possible, as Izzy is safely at home with her mummy, but the little blonde girl looks so much like Izzy...

What the follows is a creepy and menacing story which takes us on the nightmare journey that quickly becomes Gabe’s life. The only reason for his meagre existence is to find out what happened to his wife and daughter on that fateful night in April 2016, the night his life became a living nightmare. Gabe is doomed to travel up and down the motorway, forever searching for Izzy, a futile journey which is both heartrending and heartbreaking.

I’ve read The Other People with my heart beating a staccato, clicking the kindle pages faster and faster in order to understand the depth of Gabe’s utter despair and rationalise the insidious evil of the Other People.I’m conscious that I can’t say much about the story without giving far too many plot secrets away and this is one twisty turns story which deserves to be read without any spoilers.

The story draws you in with the depth of its emotion and the author very cleverly reveals just enough information at the right time, drip, drip, dripping little clues and small nuances which creep and crawl into your mind so that it becomes impossible to put the story down for more than a few minutes at a time.

The Other People is a very clever thriller which grabs your attention right from the very first sentence and doesn’t let you go until the chilling end of this fabulous story.

Not long after Gabesees his daughter in the back of a strange car, he gets word that his wife and daughter have ben killed. But Gabe devotes his life to finding Izzy because he knows that she is alive. Katie is a waitress in a cafe. She frequently sees Gabe and wonders what his story is. Then there's Fran and her daughter Alice. Alice has meltdowns and always has a backpack full of pebbles. A girl is in a coma. Miriam looks after her. There is a con section to all of these people.

This is a creepy story. There is lots of twists. This is a well written story that's cleverly crafted. The characters are well rounded. It's also an addictive read that you won't want to put down. I don't want to say anymore as I don't want to spoil it for potential readers. I do recommend this book.

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

She sleeps, a pale girl in a white room . . .

Three years ago, Gabe saw his daughter taken. In the back of a rusty old car, covered in bumper stickers. He was driving behind the car. He watched her disappear. But no one believes him. Most people believe that his daughter, and wife, are dead. For a while, people believed that Gabe was responsible.

Three years later and Gabe cannot give up hope. Even though he has given up everything else. His home, his job, his old life. He spends his days and nights travelling up and down the motorway, sleeping in his camper van in service stations, searching for the car that took her. Searching for his daughter.

Katie spends a lot of her life in service stations, working as a waitress. She often sees Gabriel, or 'the thin man' as she has nicknamed him. She knows his story. She feels for him, because Katie understands what it's like to lose a loved one. Nine years ago, her father was murdered. It broke her family apart. She hasn't seen her oldest sister since the day of the funeral; the day she did something terrible.

Fran and her daughter, Alice, put in a lot of miles on the motorway. Not searching. But running. Trying to keep one step ahead of the people that want to hurt them. Because Fran knows the truth. She knows what really happened to Gabe's daughter. She knows who is responsible. And she knows that if they ever find them, they're dead.

This latest thriller by C J Tudor is told from three perspectives; Gabe, Katie and Fran, but what is the link between the three of them, who is the girl that is looked after by nurses in the white room, and where does she fit into this story? This is a tale of family, loss, grief, hope, secrets and lies. As with her previous standalone books, the author draws you in slowly, teasing and tantalising your imagination, building the tension throughout this dark and creepy read which also has a supernatural element to it and takes you on a journey that you need to see through to the end, and believe me it's one that you don't want to miss, she certainly knows how to keep her readers gripped. What a cracking read.

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

CJ Tudor has done it yet again - a great twisty, creepy thriller.

Gabe is on his way home to his wife and daughter when he notices an old car in front of him. In the back window he sees a child’s face. It looks exactly like his daughter Izzy, but it can’t be, she’s at home. When Gabe arrives home the police won’t let him in - his wife and daughter have both been murdered. Gabe can’t get the image of the girl in the car out of his head and for the next few years he travels the motorway looking for the car. He’s convinced if he finds the car he will find his daughter alive and well ...... Izzy can’t be dead, can she ?

Fran and her daughter Alice are living in fear. Why is Fran so jumpy ? Why is she ready to up and leave her life at the drop of a hat ? Why does Alice call her Fran and not Mum ?

So many questions throughout but none are left unanswered by the end, a fantastic creepy thriller that will keep you guessing right until the end. If you love a good mystery thriller then you will love this.

Thank you to

My first book by this author, but definitely not my last. This is a psychological thriller with just a touch of the supernatural thrown in. Gabe is driving home and sees his daughter in a car which is determined to outrun him. He rings home to find out that his wife and daughter have been murdered but refusing to accept it, he spends his life on the road looking for his daughter. Gabe is a broken man so well portrayed - he is pitied, then suspected, then shunned. There are many twists and turns to this tale - cleverly written, well-paced and almost believable!!
Many thanks to Netgalley, C.J. Tudor/Penguin UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Gosh, but, this is sooooo good! Another triumph for the fabulous CJ Tudor, this story is one of murder, kidnap, grief, family and with a supernatural thread running through it.

Gabe is a man driving home to his wife and daughter, when suddenly, in the car in front he sees his daughter at the window, she mouthes 'daddy' and then the car disappears. What follows is a gripping ghost like tale, so well written and satisfyingly concluded.

I'm a great fan of this writer and she hasn't disappointed with this wonderful page turner.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and CJ Tudor for the opportunity to preview this fabulous read.

Definitely highly recommend.

An absolutely brilliant chilling, thrilling, edge of your seat read, C J Tudor is a master of storytelling. A wonderful story , fast paced and addictive reading. The writing is amazing, the characters so well developed and fleshed out. A highly recommended read.

https://lynns-books.com/2020/01/20/the-other-people-by-c-j-tudor/
5 of 5 stars
The Other People is such a great read. It’s a psychological thriller but what makes it so gripping and so tense is the fact you simply have to know what’s happened. I remember watching a film a few years ago, a guy and his girlfriend at a service station and the girl goes missing and her boyfriend becomes all-consumed with knowing what happened to her, to such an extent that he’s even prepared to put himself in danger. Okay, I’m not saying that I put myself in danger by reading this book (just to be clear) – although there were late nights. What I’m really getting at is that the author manages to put you into the central character’s shoes. He’s desperate to know what happened and as a reader you become totally wrapped up in his desperation. Your curiosity is heightened to a ridiculous level, you feel sorry for him and almost want to shout hints but more than that you’re willing the story forward in order to unravel the mystery and that, for me, is a winning story. On top of that there are stories within stories taking place here that gradually feed into the main thread. So many lives all connected, primarily, by the need for revenge. An eye for an eye.

The story is compelling virtually from page 1. There is a mystery girl who lies in a room alone – but I won’t elaborate further on that aspect of the story. Moving swiftly on, we then make the introduction of Gabe, who is the main POV character although not the only one. Gabe is on his way home, worried about being late and stuck in traffic, he’s idly looking at the car in front, and reading the abundance of stickers plastered over the back, when a little girl sits up on the backseat, a girl who looks exactly like his own daughter, you can only imagine the turmoil his mind spins into when this little girl sees him and mouths the word ‘daddy?’ The traffic then lightens and the car in front pulls ahead, disappearing into motorway oblivion. Gabe knows his daughter can’t be in that car. He knows she can’t. But at the same time he knows what he saw and with every fibre of his being he knows it was his little girl. As it happens, whilst Gabe was on his way home, his wife and daughter have been murdered. Gabe becomes the main suspect for a while and whilst his story of the car on the motorway is listened to with scepticism absolutely nobody believes that his daughter was in that car. Gabe still does, he believes his daughter has been taken and his search for that strange car and his missing child becomes all consuming for him and totally gripping for me.

Alongside Gabe we follow another couple of character’s. A waitress in a motorway service station called Kate. Kate sees Gabe on regular occasions as he spends his life trawling the roads looking for the mystery car. He’s almost like a ghost, a shadow of his former self. He inspires pity in others but also discomfort because he’s clearly so desperate and so sad. Kate doesn’t have the happiest existence. She’s lonely. She works hard to make ends meet and wonders if she’ll ever have either the time or energy to become involved in another relationship. Being a single mother of two and working long shifts really doesn’t help in that respect. Then there’s Fran and her daughter Alice, who seem to live in a perpetual state of fear and are constantly on the run. Their lives are ruled by the need to stay hidden but from what isn’t immediately clear. The other character of note is the Samaritan. This chap certainly has all the menace! Fortunately, he seems to have fallen into the category of ‘helpful guy’ in terms of wanting to assist Gabe find the car and this is just as well, I don’t think you’d want to fall on the wrong side of the Samaritan. I actually found this character quite fascinating and could easily read a book that centres around his dark dealings.

Obviously there are more characters involved and the way their stories are gradually revealed is deceptively addictive. In laws, mothers, daughters, sisters, police, and more. There lives are inextricably linked in strange ways, and the beauty of the story is the differing shades of grey that they’re all painted in. Here are secrets and lies aplenty. Mistakes that can’t be run away from and wishes that should never have been uttered. The dark web is named so for a reason and it’s involvement in this story takes us down a creepy ‘big brother’ track that gives you the chills. Be careful what you wish for people because you never know who is watching.

I don’t really want to say too much more for fear of spoiling a story that is best discovered during the read and not before. This is well written. The characters and their motivations feel very real and propel the story forward at a great pace. I couldn’t put the book down and practically read it in two sittings. The ending pulled all the complicated threads together and I’m left with a feeling of wanting to read this again as well as being ridiculously curious about one of the other characters.

In terms of criticisms. I don’t really have any to be honest. I would mention that the story involves light magical realism which is very subtly played out and for me added an extra speculative vibe that was curiously creepy.

Overall this was a really good read that I would definitely recommend to lovers of mysteries that involve light fantasy.

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