11/15/2017
A band of preteens in a quaint English village in the late 1980s confront true evil and grapple with the lifelong consequences in this gripping debut mystery/thriller. Eddie and his sometimes-buddies/sometimes frenemies Fat Gav, Metal Mickey, Hoppo, and Nicky, spend a summer hanging out at the playground, inventing a message system using sidewalk chalk, and avoiding the psychopathic attentions of Metal Mickey's violent older brother and his gang. They bear witness to a horrific accident, observe the ongoing battle between prolife protestors and the doctors and clinicians who run a local Planned Parenthood-type facility (headed by Eddie's no-nonsense mother), and, finally, are led—via ominous chalk drawings—to the remains of a gruesome murder scene. Fast-forward to 2016, when Eddie, still living in his hometown, gets mired in his grim past again. In addition to the core murder mystery, Tudor plays with themes of aging, memory, and paranoia. While the ending is a bit melodramatic and unlikely, readers who relish dark, twisty thrillers will be kept guessing. VERDICT Taut plotting, smooth writing, and a compelling premise will satisfy fans of Jo Nesbø, Camilla Läckberg, and Tana French. [See Prepub Alert, 7/24/17.]—Kiera Parrott,Library Journal
10/02/2017
In 1986, Eddie Adams, the narrator of British author Tudor’s promising debut, and his four best mates, all early adolescents, become ensnared in a series of ghastly events in the picturesque English town of Anderbury, with the nightmarish inevitability of the Grimmest of tales. In the most shocking episode, a mysterious man leads them to the dismembered remains of a teenage girl in the woods. Not surprisingly, these traumas, which also include abuse, sadistic bullying, and a prank that turns deadly, cast a sizeable shadow over the friends’ futures. In 2016, Mickey, one of Eddie’s old friends, returns to town after more than 20 years away, planning to write a book about the girl’s murder upon the occasion of the murder’s 30th anniversary. Danger looms after Mickey announces that he knows who really killed the girl (the prime suspect killed himself before his likely arrest). Though Tudor makes a couple of rookie missteps, including excessive plot twists seemingly for the sake of surprise, her storytelling prowess is undeniable. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Literary (U.K.). (Jan.)
Readers will undoubtedly be reminded of the kids of Stand by Me and even IT. . . . [The] first-person narration alternates between past and present, taking full advantage of chapter-ending cliffhangers. A swift, cleverly plotted debut novel that ably captures the insular, slightly sinister feel of a small village. Children of the 1980s will enjoy the nostalgia.”—Kirkus Reviews
“[A] promising debut . . . with the nightmarish inevitability of the Grimmest of tales . . . her storytelling prowess is undeniable.”—Publishers Weekly
“CJ Tudor has written an utterly original novel—a thriller in which the suspense comes not simply from what happens, but from that dark place within the human mind from which all the greatest mysteries and terrors emerge. This one will hold you in its grip to the last page.”—Joyce Maynard, New York Times bestselling author of Under the Influence and To Die For
“What a great book. A twisty thriller and downright creepy ending. Five stars.”—Sarah Pinborough, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes
“Imaginative, with an intriguing premise that straddles two fascinating worlds. It’s a frenetic ride that’s deep and alluring, oozing with suspense. A rollicking good time.”—Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The 14th Colony
“C.J. Tudor knows the twelve-year-old who still lives in all of us, that kid who chills himself to the bone with an intuition of what lurks in the woods, or in his own closet, and The Chalk Man walks the haunted bridge between then and now—between sheer childhood terrors and a true crime so grisly and personal it’s cold hand never leaves the back of your neck. Suburban adolescents on bikes, squeamish love, nascent sexuality meets adult-world obsession and lust and violence . . . and through it all runs an affecting story of friendship, loss, and the inescapable frailties of mind and body.” —Tim Johnston, New York Times Bestselling author of Descent
“A cleverly constructed, artfully told tale of secrets, lies, and warped passions—featuring a troubled protagonist, a terrible murder that wasn’t what it seemed to be, and a raging monster at the heart of it all.”—John Verdon, internationally bestselling author of Think of a Number and the Nero Award-winning Peter Pan Must Die
“C.J. Tudor’s The Chalk Man is a stunning debut, a riveting thriller about the powerful grip of the past and the unbreakable bonds of childhood friendship. The ending of this smasher will completely throw you for a loop. Don’t miss a word of it!”—David Bell, bestselling author of Bring Her Home and Somebody I Used to Know
“The Chalk Man is an intricate and surprising book that will reward the reader who approaches it with the attention it deserves.”—Thomas Perry, New York Times bestselling author of The Old Man
“Tense, skillful storytelling.”—Ali Land, internationally bestselling author of, Good Me Bad Me
“Kept me up until five in the morning. Wonderfully written. I loved it!”—Kimberley Chambers, bestselling author of Backstabber and The Wronged
“It’s been a while since I’ve read such an impressive debut. The pace was perfectly judged, the characters superbly drawn and there’s a creeping sense of unease that starts with the prologue and grows throughout the book. And then that ending! It feels so fresh and deserves to be a huge success.”—James Oswald, bestselling author of the Inspector McLean series
“What an amazing debut! Such an ingenious, original idea. I was engrossed from the very first page. I loved how the 1986 and present day storylines weaved so skillfully together to create that unforgettable and unexpected ending. Compelling, taut and so very, very chilling. This book will haunt you!”—Claire Douglas, bestselling author of Last Seen Alive
“Impossible to put down, cleverly constructed and executed.” —Ragnar Jonasson, author of the bestselling Dark Iceland series
Euan Morton deftly narrates this psychological thriller as it shifts back and forth in time. In an English tourist town in the 1980s, tween Eddie and his friends create a game involving writing secret signs in chalk. They find themselves on the periphery of increasingly violent incidents until their game leads them to a body. Morton portrays young Eddie with soft vulnerability and a measured cadence; in contrast, his adult Eddie carries the weight of years in a hardened, sardonic voice as an old friend stirs up the past. Morton's skill lets the listener know where the story is at all times. His performance grounds the disjointed plot and captures the pathos of Eddie's search for answers in his murky past. S.T.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
2017-10-11
Murder, mayhem, and chalk figures in a sleepy English village.In 1986, 12-year-old Eddie Adams enjoys spending time with his group of friends: Fat Gav, Metal Mickey, Hoppo, and the lone girl in the group, Nicky. He's largely insulated from his mother's work as an abortion provider and its accompanying risks, and it's her income that keeps the household afloat, since his father's freelance writing jobs are hit and miss. When Eddie finds the decapitated and dismembered body of a local girl in the woods, it stirs up terrible secrets and forbidden passions. In 2016, Eddie is a teacher who harbors a mild crush for his much younger boarder, Chloe, and isn't eager to revisit the traumatic events of '86. He still feels particularly bad about his part in the downfall of a teacher with albinism who was kind to him. When he's contacted by Mickey Cooper, who claims he knows who really killed that girl, it opens old wounds, and a body count follows. Readers will undoubtedly be reminded of the kids of Stand by Me and even IT. The dynamics among the kids are similar, complete with Nicky's flaming red hair, and Eddie's first-person narration alternates between past and present, taking full advantage of chapter-ending cliffhangers. The chalk markings the group works out to communicate tap into kids' universal love for secret code and, of course, getting one over on their parents. Things takes a creepy turn when the symbols are twisted to fit someone's not-so-innocent agenda.A swift, cleverly plotted debut novel that ably captures the insular, slightly sinister feel of a small village. Children of the 1980s will enjoy the nostalgia.
