I have enjoyed CJ Tudor’s previous novels and so I was very excited to receive an ARC of her latest.

It wasn’t entirely what I was expecting- this was more of a dystopian apocalyptic horror story than her previous books, more in line with the collection of short stories she has recently released than her older books. It’s not my usual genre of choice but it was still gripping, very convincing and the writing style made you want to read more.

The story concentrates on three separate incidents, all horrifying but you had to read on!

I won’t say any more as I don’t want to spoil things- other than there were a couple of lovely Easter eggs which gave a nod to previous books, nice touch!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A coach of students crashed in the mountains in a snow drift, and a cablecar of passengers are stranded in a snowstorm. All are heading to The Retreat. At The Retreat, reserves are low and possibly being stolen, something is not right with threats inside and outside.
A gripping Tarrentino style book, which when it comes together will blow your mind. Another C.J. Tudor masterpiece.

Although I found this book complicated and the characters somewhat muddled it didn’t make me abandon the book. It was intriguing as to how it would end. Not my type of reading hence 3 stars.

Wow, what a wild ride this book was!

The Drift tells three different tales that all take place during a dystopian future following a lethal virus. We meet a crashed coach full of students, a stranded cable car full of strangers and an isolated 'Retreat' full of friends. As the three separate stories continue, they gradually and seamlessly blend into one chilling tale.
My favourite quote from this book, which sums it up pretty perfectly, is this: 'Obviously, everyone here was hiding something. The only difference was the size of the secret and the depth of the lie.'

At first, it seemed a little overwhelming to meet SO many characters in one go; but the stories were so enthralling, they captivated me right from the off and I felt as though I got to know everyone quickly. I loved the three separate scenarios and the way that my mind tried it's hardest to work out how they fitted together. There were so many twists and turns along the way, there was never a dull moment.

I loved this book and can't wait to read more from this author.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

A whip smart novel for the time of the pandemic. While the virus in this book is not covid, I found the similarities striking.

This is a dystopian novel with an incredible locked room mystery. The characters and plot have been well thought out and the boo takes you on a ride that you will not want to stop.

When my daughter brought home a copy of Chalk Man a few years ago I fell in love with C.J. Tudor’s writing and I have made sure to read all her books as they have become available. When The Drift showed up on Penguin Random House SA’s list of upcoming releases, I jumped at the chance to get my hands on a copy.
If you have been following this author, you will find yourself surprised by this book. This book is unlike any of her previous books. Don’t get me wrong, it is brilliant – but it’s different.
This author has a unique way of unpacking a story, she draws you into the tale and leaves your head spinning as events take one turn after the other. The Drift is a creative, dystopian look at a viral outbreak that destroys life as we know it. I am sure our experience with COVID played a part in inspiring this tale. But do not fret, this is not another COVID tale….
A group of students are trapped in a bus that crashed during a snowstorm. Surrounded by dead bodies, with limited supplies and the temperatures falling they must find a way out of the bus, or risk dying….
Six strangers find themselves in a cable car that has stopped moving after a power cut caused by a snowstorm. Swing from side to side in the middle of nowhere, with no food or water. One man has been stabbed and someone in the cable car is responsible for his death…. They are all hiding something, yet which one is capable of murder? How long can they survive the cold?
The staff of the Retreat know that a storm is coming, and while preparing for the worst, they never thought that a glitch with the power would lead to some of them dying.
The Drift reveals three separate tales of people struggling to survive a snowstorm on a deserted mountain. As the author moves from one group to the next you are left on the edge of your seat, shivering not only with cold but with anticipation for the next twist you know is coming. While this book was not what I expected when reaching for a Tudor story, I found myself deeply engrossed and racing from page to page. The Drift might be a little different, but it’s got everything we have grown to love about this author’s work.
The characters are guaranteed to leave you with questions. Their actions are harsh in the face of survival, which leaves you wondering how far you will go if faced with the same situations. When faced with survival, is there room for friendship and love? I found my blood boiling as I read some of the scenes in this book, but upon further reflection, I could understand it.
The author did a marvellous job in highlighting how easily life as we know can change completely when faced with a crisis. She explored what could happen if we are faced with a disease that we cannot control, and just how far we would go to protect ourselves. This is a scary story because perhaps with the right conditions it is not that hard to see this being a reality.
I loved this book. This is the most creative COVID inspired book I have read. This just might end up being my book of the month. What a brilliant read for my birthday month!
Tudor fans are in for a huge treat when reaching for this title. It brings a dystopian touch to a gripping thriller that will leave you chilled as you race from page to page in anticipation of the next twist. I cannot recommend this one highly enough. It is a FANTASTIC read – do not miss it!

I have read a few books by this author now and she is fast becoming an author that I would pick up the book and start to read without reading the blurb and finding out what the story is about

I thought that this was a book with a clever plot, I loved the different storylines and their focuses and the author does give you a fairly big “oh” moment in the book when it all clicks and you find out the hidden aspects of the plot.

I started reading the book in the heatwave in August, it was 30 plus degrees and I was reading a book about snow storms but I thoroughly enjoyed it and was completely immersed in the plot – that shows how well it was written and it really was addictive, I was intrigued and wanted to carry on reading to find out more.

The characters were well developed and their interaction was spot on for the story, it added a lot of depth and they had layers of complexity too – it was a well written story with a lot more than you think you are going to get too – very well planned out and a pleasure to read (if that’s the right word, I will leave fellow readers to decide!!) – it is 4.5 stars from me for this one, rounded up to 5 stars – very highly recommended!

Action packed and full of twists and turns, but ultimately I wasn't a huge fan of this C J Tudor book. The suspense was great but I wasn't invested in any of the characters. It's very intriguing and clever and terrifying at times (viral pandemic with zombie like whistlers)

It was a bit too dark and pessimistic for me, I think. Not the pandemic element, but the sheer number of bad and worse things that kept happening to the characters.

Seeing as how someone has decided these books need to run three different stories together, here are the three here – although they’re a lot more overtly linked from the off than normal. Hannah and half a dozen other people have survived a coach crash, with it tipping over sideways and rolling a couple of times, ending up half buried in the snow that could well complete the job, so heavy it’s falling. Going from a peculiar rich Academy to a peculiar rich Retreat, they have no mobile phones, and no egress from the bus. And no driver. Halfway up a mountain, ex-cop Meg and a handful of other people are surprised to find themselves in strange uniforms, en route to a Retreat, but stuck in an immobile cable car. Oh, and not all of them are alive. And the third story is set with the few people at the Retreat – where they have their own dramatic issues and problems.

Oh, and all of this is set after a recent zombifying pandemic, because, you know. Some ideas have to come easy. Which is a snide thing to say, especially when this is packed to the gills with ideas. And that’s an issue. Every chapter it seems has to have a bit of gore, a bit of drama, a shock, a revelation through back story, a link to something we’re not allowed to know any more of, yet. It’s nigh-on relentless. That said, when things tail off to some extent, more than one of the plot strands begin to feel a bit draggy, forcing Tudor to introduce even more unlikely elements – and in rarefied situations, the most mundane elements can feel the most unlikely.

This felt like the least satisfying long-form from Tudor yet (I’ve got a digital of one of her novellas, but certainly haven’t witnessed all of those). Taking her further from her original shtick of isolating one woman and making her discover the truth of whatever dark past is impacting on her plot, we have three disparate present tense narratives, and all feel in the same genre, of dark survival story/disaster story/horror, as if Michael Crichton swallowed Shaun Hutson. But spreading our attention to each of the three stories in the same pattern does not allow nearly as much or enough engagement with the characters, and I am quickly coming to the opinion that covid killed off the infection/pandemic thriller, although this is not as weak as Simon Mayo’s take on the idea.

Outside of that, the concept of the whole book is a rum one. One aspect of the plotting, relying on a plain wrong assumption from the reader, seemed to be a big End of Act Two reveal I’d realised before closing the fourth chapter hours beforehand. Another twist was eminently guessable. All told this is nowhere near as tight as needed to be, given nowhere near enough empathy for likeable characters, and a sign that Caz (as her friends know her) Tudor may be better served sticking to the more domestic, for this ‘nasty action’ genre piece was a step too far, even for her talents.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for an advance copy of The Drift, a thriller set in the mountains somewhere in a post apocalyptic dystopia.

The novel switches between three disasters, a group of people stranded in a coach after a crash, a group of people stranded in a cable car and lastly a group of people stranded in a mountain chalet known as The Retreat. It reveals secrets, lies and agendas as the various groups squabble among themselves as they try to resolve their situation.

I loved The Drift and would have awarded it an unquestionable five stars if it weren’t for my confusion at the beginning. There are three disaster scenarios and a host of characters involved in each, so I found it difficult at first to identify the characters from the brief synopses given. Fortunately as the novel progresses I was able to keep who belongs where and who they are fixed in my mind and soon began to identify with them and care about their fate. This makes the novel exciting and, at times, heartbreaking.

I always think that the word dystopia sounds idealistic and happy, but I have never read a novel where the reality isn’t a heavy handed, authoritarian regime that definitely knows best and it is no different here. The novel shows the personal cost of such unfettered power and should serve as a warning.

The conclusion to the novel is simply brilliant. If the majority of the novel is the fight for survival and the unraveling of secrets the finale is all about twists and irony and is a fitting crown to an exciting, nerve shredding and heartbreaking read. 4.5*

Too close to the pandemic to be entertaining and too dark. The writing and former experience of this author’s work kept me reading. I was disappointed.

Wow what a great book. Its so clever, it really had me on my toes and I just couldn't put it down.

I feel like I can't really say anything about it incase I give anything away. It's basically three storylines. A horrendous coach crash, a stranded cable car and a remote chalet. All set in a terrible snow storm. How did they get in this situation? Who will rescue them? What secrets are being kept in the chalet?
Full of mystery, murder and excitement.

I will definitely be looking out for the authors other work.

This may just be Tudor’s best novel yet! I’m a huge fan of her work but this one was on another level. I just couldn’t put it down, each chapter sucks you in and leaves you wanting more.

This book was totally unexpected.
I requested it as I've read other C J Tudor books and loved them all.
I wasn't intrigued by the blurb initially as I feel the whole 'snowed into a cabin' trope has been used a lot recently. However, this read was nothing like that.
The characters were interesting and the plot was original. I loved how the story was told in 3 separate parts and really kept me guessing. At times this story could have become confusing, however, it was written so well that you could easily work it out.
I'd really recommend this book if you're into creepy, page turning thrillers.

Three storylines are cleverly intertwined. The post-apocalyptic world is destroyed by the virus, people had to quarantine, and blood is essential for the cure.

Coach crash in the snow with students who want to come to the Retreat. The Retreat with their inhabitants, surrounded by dark forest and by lurking Whistlers and high above the ground, a small group stuck in a stranded cable car with a snowstorm raging outside, all bound for The Retreat. Only two types of people went to places like the Retreat. Volunteers and those who had no choice.
To all intents and purposes, the Retreat had never existed in the first place. It was easier for everyone if it never existed again. Especially if they ever found out about Isolation Chamber 13.

Obviously, everyone here was hiding something. The only difference was the size of the secret and the depth of the lie. Every man or woman for themselves.

There are good guys and there are survivors. And there is revenge.
An apocalypse doesn’t happen because of evil men, zombies, or even a virus. It happens because of ordinary people. Because somewhere along the way we lost society, lost cohesion. We forgot to try to see the other side. Instead, we all bunkered down harder in our trenches, refusing to be moved, lobbing missiles at those who dared to challenge our myopic view.

People are not black and white, and we all see situations in different ways. One person’s freedom fighter is another’s terrorist. One’s crazy genius is another’s a dangerous psychopath. One person’s leader is another’s oppressor.


The book is unputdownable. Full of action, twists, turns and chills running down the spine. Gripping and original with a cinematic atmosphere and strong characters.

Brilliant read!

The scene is set: an overturned coach, a stranded cable car hundreds of feet in the air, an isolated chalet, and a snowstorm raging outside, this gripping, edge-of-your-seat, dystopian thriller is fast-paced and action packed.
But a word of warning - beware of the Whistlers!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read the latest addition by one of my favourite authors who in my opinion just gets better and better.

Genius! I loved the authors previous books but this is completely different and felt like a departure from her usual backdrop but still oh so good. Is there any style she isn’t good at?!
The backdrop is futuristic and apocalyptic but draws on the plausibility factor and fear that we’ve felt during the (somewhat all surreal) covid 19 pandemic. There is a deadly and ever evolving virus loose on human kind which threatens them all, that is if they don’t kill each other first.
There are distinct threads to the story at first, a group of adults who have survived a coach crash but are now stuck inside the vehicle in deep snow with terrorist threat to boot and a group of adults stuck in an immobile cable car. The fear of their realities is very successfully built up for the reader and frankly terrifying and just as we get a new twist or release of information we switch back to the other storyline and are left hanging (literally in the cable car I guess). What the adults have in common are they’re all bound for the Retreat, a centre designed to help those left from the pandemic to survive. Add to the
melting pot some mad / evil / genius scientists whose side we’re not entirely sure they’re on and some complex family loyalties and this makes an epic thrilling ride. Thank you.

Wow loved this one! This story plays close to home, pre pandemic, This book was amazing I flew threw the pages with Olympic speed I was hooked from the very first page. WOW!! Just wow!!… Mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, gripping… Once you pick up the book you just can’t put it down… My jaw was locked open… Never did I imagine that ending

My brain hurts! Three scenarios playing out in a snow storm during a virus apocalypse! Covid meets the walking dead with a bit of Lost thrown in for good measure. It’s so hard to talk about the story without ruining anything but I will say this isn’t a run of the mill thriller. This is a gruesome horror thriller and I spent most of my time panicking about Dexter the dog !! Had a great time while reading this . Put it down a few times when it got too tense lol. Finished it in a day! Would have like a few more answers at the end of the book but that could just be me

5 stars
Oh boy, is this clever, it’s CJ Tudor on tiptop form, knocking it out of the park et cetera et cetera! A coach crash buried in a snowdrift with a few student survivors, a small group stuck in a stranded cable car with a snowstorm raging outside, all bound for The Retreat. Meanwhile, at the mountaintop Retreat things aren’t exactly rosy either as supplies are vanishing and one of their party is missing. Danger inside and outside where lurks infection, wild animals prowl, to say nothing of the Whistlers. Will they survive? Can they survive?

I think I need a lie down with a cold flannel on my head after reading this and possibly oxygen as it takes my breath away in places! Talk about intense. This is apocalyptic and how. This is a tale of the survival of the fittest (especially those that can pay), anyway, anyhow and ethics and morality be damned. It’s shockingly dark, it’s definitely not a pretty tale as the fertile imagination of this talented author strikes again. Are there twists? Er, that would be a Y-E-S! Top tip, assume nothing and be prepared for jaw thunking moments as mine is now heavily bruised. Is there evidence of the CJT brand of humour? Again, yes, thank you for making me LOL on several occasions and some of the dry witty dialogue makes me smile in the face of the horror both within The Retreat and without.

This is a brace yourself, buckle up really tight read which isn’t for wimps as it gets very chilly, chilling and brutal in places. Of course, I love it. The pace is fast, it’s a high octane action packed never a dull moment read with lots of smart plays on ‘Drift’. Even better it has a good ending! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.