This is neat little thriller, told half from the viewpoint of a young boy and his friends, and half from that same boy as an adult as he tries to piece together a long running puzzle of murders, mysteries and lies that tore the friendship group apart. Well paced and cleverly played out, the twists keep coming right through to the final chapters and keep the story intriguing and suspenseful throughout.

Wowzers this book wasn’t good it was flipping amazing . It’s been a while since a book has totally sucked me in like this one did. A fantastic suspense thriller with brilliant characters and a super story line . The book alternates between two time frames 1986 and 2016. It’s not confusing and the author has written which I think will be one of the top suspense thrillers of 2018.

I was attracted to this book because of the unusual cover, and I am so pleased I downloaded it because it's absolutely brilliant! One of the best books I've read this year!

The Chalk Man has a dual timeline, with chapters alternating between the 1980s and the present day. In the 1980s, teenager Eddie and his friends leave messages for each other in coloured chalk outside each other's houses. Simple messages, such as where to meet up and whether to hurry. But then the messages start appearing on their own, in white chalk, leading to the body of a murdered girl. In the present day, Eddie is surprised when one of his old friends turns up asking for help with a book he is writing, a book about the killer nicknamed 'The Chalk Man', and his theory that the real murderer was never caught. And then his friend disappears. And the chalk figures begin appearing again...

This book is simply outstanding. I was so gripped I read it in two days flat. The characters are so realistic, so believable, it feels as if they're in the same room, looking over your shoulder as you read. I loved Eddie's dry humour, the nod towards my favourite 80s horror movies, the fiendish little twists, the freshness of the plot, the poignancy of a doomed love affair... And that very final, very clever twist, the one that's easy to miss because you think it's all over, which took me completely by surprise - and that's pretty hard to do!

If you're a wimp like me there are a few passages you might find a bit gory - right from the start - so be warned. They were just about on the edge of my tolerance level, although they weren't gratuitous in any way.

So, thoroughly recommended - particularly to fans of Stephen King (The Body/Stand By Me), Stranger Things and 1980s nostalgia. I predict this will be one of the biggest sellers of 2018. It certainly deserves to be.


Thank you to C.J. Tudor, Michael Joseph, and Netgalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

The Chalk Man by C.J Tudor is a compulsive dual time murder suspense that had me hooked.
Set in 1986 and 2016, the action hops backwards and forwards as the past collides with the present. The characters and the reader try to get the pieces to solve the crime.
The novel is brutal. The crime horrendous and the end jaw dropping. Not everyone is who you think they are. And sometimes the missing piece is right under your nose.
There are the hard hitting topics of sexual exploitation, bullying and hypocritical action. "They were chatting a lot of stuff about love but seemed full of hate." There is also the sensitive subject of abortion. It is all realistically done and not pleasant reading at times.
The sad topic of Alzheimer's is included. Strong characters reduced to a shadow of themselves is incredibly moving. "Maybe minds aren't lost. Maybe they just slip through and find a different place to wander."
When death hits, it is hard. We want to keep it at bay but that is impossible. "He was trying to stop him leaving... not even the person who loves you most in the world can stop that."
Adults abuse their positions of power, harming those they are meant to protect. In contrast there are kind but often misunderstood adults who step in to help at all times.
We all have fears. We can choose to face them or lock them away but sooner or later they will escape.
Does our past rise up to haunt us? Is our subconscious playing tricks? Or is it something more sinister?
The Chalk Man was an excellent read. It was very uncomfortable and disturbing at times but compulsive. An imaginative and scary plotline will grip you and will keep you awake at night messing with your mind.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

For a debut novel this is astoundingly good, and it has the feel of a classic novel. It expertly moves between two timelines, events that occurred in 1986 to the present. Set in the small town of Anderbury, 4 friends, Eddie 'Munster' Adams, Fat Gav, Metal Mickey, Hoppo and Nicky are 12 years old, whiling away the summer holidays getting into mischief on their bikes, having fun, evolving secret communications through chalk men symbols and in search of excitement and adventure. A series of mishaps, tragedies and a macabre murder is to mar and haunt their lives. The narrative is delivered from Eddie's perspective whose mother is a doctor performing abortions which attract vociferous and nasty protests led by a local reverend and his supporters. Eddie's father is a writer for whom dementia takes hold early, leaving Eddie worried that he too will fall victim to it. Eddie becomes a teacher, with a penchant for the drink, still close to Fat Gav, now in a wheelchair, and Hoppo. He is in his forties, still living in his parents home, with a young lodger, Chloe, for whom he harbours an unseemly covert attraction, and the ageing process has not been kind to him. He is visited by the past and the dead, and experiencing vivid nightmares. The friends receive through the post ominous reminders of their youth with the menacing figure of the Chalk Man. And once again murder takes place, leaving Eddie feeling that he has no choice but return to the past to find out who killed the Waltzer girl, Elisa.

Tudor paints a picture of Anderbury, a town with some nasty characters, full of lies, secrets, rumours, seething resentments, violence and hypocrisy. Nicky has bruise after bruise appearing on her body and she lives in fear of her fire and brimstone father. Bricks are thrown into Eddie's home, and disturbing packages delivered, as his mother is hounded by anti-abortionists. The Waltzer girl suffers horrific injuries that Eddie witnesses at the Fair, her life is saved by the heroic Mr Halloran, with the help of Eddie. Mr Halloran, an English teacher and artist, saves Eddie from Sean, Metal Mickey's brother, and his bullying and brutal gang from a horrific scenario that takes place in the woods. Mr Halloran is held hostage by his feelings for another, which Eddie becomes privy to, an ominous portent to the tragedy that is to follow. In the present, Eddie meets with Metal Mickey who has a proposition for him. Eddie's journey into the past takes him deep into his own psyche, and a town reluctant to face the truth about its past.

This is a dark and atmospheric coming of age novel, beautifully written, tense and suspenseful. Tudor has the reader gripped with his artful and distinct characters, making them never less than compelling. You feel that the group of boys and Nicky feels vibrantly authentic and the creation and development of the character of Eddie is genius. Anderbury is a reflection of many a small town, and the undercurrents of feelings that swarm in such places, the pettiness, the rumours, the conflicts, the poverty, and the need to preserve secrets and reputation. A stolen bike and the giving and placing of a ring highlight the law of unintended consequences. A fantastic must read novel which I highly recommend! Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

This is , without a doubt, a book to be devoured.
In this fantastic debut, old crimes cast long shadows over a group of 4 friends They discover just how dark the adult world can be during the course of a fateful summer,actions taken which ricochet through all their lives.
Watch out 2018 as ' The Chalkman' is coming!

Dark, twisted and a who done it. Wasn't sure right until the end. Really enjoyed.

Wow wow wow!! C J Tudor certainly knows how to grip you from the very first paragraph right to the last. It was so well written and massively compelling.

It reminded me a lot of Stephen King’s “The Body” which was later turned in to the film “Stand by Me”. I loved the friendships between them all (four boys and a girl), their ups and downs and the way it goes back and forth from 1986 to 2016 and everything in between.

There aren’t many books that I have thought about constantly and did not want to end even though I did because I wanted to see what happened! There are twists all the way through it right to the end. Absolutely fantastic 10/10!

The Chalk Man by C.J.Tudor
Poignant and evocative, the author paints with words the memories of childhood and (marked by traumatic events) the insecure man that child will become. Tinged with beliefs and terrors all children with ordinary childhoods can conjure up, the teenage ‘boy’ remains trapped in the events and puzzles of yesterday brought to life for the man by those of today.

The writing is excellent and reminiscent of that classic movie ‘Stand by me’ in its ability to bring to life the inner working of the adolescent mind. I’m not yet sure that I have enjoyed this book but do know it will stay with me for some time.

'The chalk man' by C. J. Tudor is an interesting, well told and easy reading thriller.

Thriller is my go to genre and for that reason I am only giving 'The chalk man' 3 stars. I had the killer cracked early on and because of this I didn't get to endure the excitement of the twists once they were revealed. I feel I would of enjoyed this book so much more if it was double the length because I don't feel there was enough character development and some points/events were rushed and/or swept to the side.

I did enjoy the basics of the plot and the fact it was such an easy reading having completed it in 2 sittings. I enjoyed that the story was told from one characters point of view in past and present.

Overall I wouldn't recommend this book to my thriller loving friends but would maybe recommend it to someone who wants to ease into the genre lightly.

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

The Chalk Man has been described as a cross between Stephen King and Stranger Things and I have to agree with them – it suits this book to a T. It tells the story of five school friends and splits the story between 1986 – when they were 12, and 2016, 30 years later. It’s set in a small village just outside of Bournemouth, where several strange things happen, starting with a fair ground accident and leading on to one of the friend’s birthday where they receive a pot of chalks. They decide they can use these chalks to leave secret messages to each other, however the drawings start turning up in all sorts of strange places and are involved in a string of assaults and killings that happened.

I really enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down. It switched between the two different times effortlessly, and at the end of every section there was a sliff hanger where you had to read on to find out more. It flowed really well and there was no confusion as to which time zone you were in.

The characters were built up really well, and I found I was sympathising with the lead character, whose eyes the story is told through. Until there was a massive twist at the end which I was not expecting at all.

I would certainly recommend this book and I will perhaps even read it again, which I very rarely do, to see if I can spot more clues that I missed the first time round.

You know those books that you pick up with no expectations, start reading and before you know it you are 20% through and you have no idea where the time has gone but you do know that you are absolutely LOVING the book and then all you can think about is when you can continue reading it (damn you real life, work, family, housework etc), and then you steal more time away from real life to read and suddenly you notice you are 60% through and your kindle is telling you that there is 1 hr 25 mins left in the book and you think "NOOOOO!" because you want to read it BUT you don't want to finish it as it's so good?  Well that is EXACTLY how I felt whilst reading CJ Tudor's brilliant debut novel THE CHALK MAN.

I don't need to go over the blurb as it's been described brilliantly above, however I do need to tell you that this is one of the best suspense thrillers I've read in a long time and you need to put this on your wishlist or pre-order this now is as this will be HUGE in 2018.  Not only is the writing superb, the author has such a wonderful way with her words which is both observational and thought-provoking, the plot line is original and gripping, the humour is dry and dark, her characters are so plausible and believable I felt like I knew them all and don't get me started on the twists and turns throughout!

A very easy 5 big fat stars and 100% recommended by me! 

My thanks to Netgalley, the publishers Michael Joseph and of course the author CJ Tudor.

I think everyone is saying it but, man, that ending! As soon as I wrapped my head around what I was reading I just had to take a minute to process. I definitely consider myself a savvy reader of crime/thriller and I'm always expecting to figure out 'whodunnit' halfway through - but The Chalk Man was so subtly done, I was clueless. 4 stars from me!

I wasn't ever really gripped by this - there were some quite interesting turns, but overall I was a little underwhelmed, sorry!

WOW!! This is how you do it!!
The Chalk Man is absolutely brilliant. I could not put it down! The plot is intriguing and has all the makings of a good horror, mystery, crime book. The characters are all well developed, relatable and very likeable. The main gang of 5 boys made me think of Stand By Me or Stephen King’s IT... close friends bound together by childhood friendships and dragged into something horrifying. Mysterious characters, awful events, small town secrets... the list goes on!
I can’t recommend this book enough ... brilliantly written, well paced, intriguing, mystifying, keeps you guessing right to the very end. An absolutely fantastic book that I would recommend to one and all. 5 HUGE stars from me. Loved it!!

Thank you to NetGalley, C. J. Tudor and Penguin UK for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Good creepy tale of pals growing up around horrific murder events and present day resolution of the horrors. Well written with enough twists and turns to satisfy the most critical of readers this keeps on giving until the final twist in the tail. Pure entertainment!

The Chalk Man is a compelling, unputdownable thriller. Which is going to be a big in when it’s published.
It’s 1986 Eddie, Hoppo, Fat Gav and Metal Mickey and Nicky out at the fair in the village of Anderbury. When Eddie first meets the Chalk Man after an accident with the Waltzer breaks away and careers into a girl giving her life altering injuries. The boys devise a code and send messages to each other in different coloured chalks over the course of the summer, having fun, when one day they find chalk figures in a wood, leading them to discover a mutilated body buried in the ground. None of the gang have drawn these figures.
For a debut novel I thought this was excellent and gripping I couldn’t put it down. I will also be looking forward to any other books that this author writes. This was original, not like other psychological thrillers I have read. It also reminded me of Stranger Things on Netflix or the Goonies type of vibe which reminded me of my own childhood. I loved it.

4.5 stars

A very impressive debut novel by CJ Tudor, I found The Chalk Man reminiscent of the writing of a young Stephen King, with a tinge of Stranger Things/Stand by Me thrown in for good measure. The story moves back and forth between 1986 and 2016, and in doing so, we see the impressive cast of characters grow and with them, their secrets grow bigger too.

Our protagonist. Eddie is in his early 40s, going about his business day to day, sharing his ramshackle family home with his lodger Chloe, a 20-something woman who works in an alternative clothing shop and enjoys annoying Eddie's mum when she comes by to visit.

As we meet Eddie he has received a chalk drawing of a stick man that takes him back to his childhood friends and the leads him to re-evaluate the games they played as children. Following the chalk drawings they used to leave as a secret code for each other led them to a murdered, and dismembered girl. A girl Eddie had feelings for. The reappearance of the chalk man in Eddie's life takes him on a journey both through the past he has tried to forget, and his unfolding present.

As events unfold, it becomes clear that the game was never really over. Is Eddie in danger?

There are many interesting and serious subjects covered in this book, the child becoming the parent, dementia, murder, jealousy, fear - but the main theme that runs throughout is that everyone has secrets, even children. And sometimes, they can be worse than you could ever imagine.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for proving me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Looking back, it all started on the day of the fair and the terrible accident. When twelve-year-old Eddie first met the Chalk Man.

It was the Chalk Man who gave Eddie the idea for the drawings: a way to leave secret messages between his group of friends.

And it was fun, to start with, until the figures led them to the body of a young girl.

That was thirty years ago and Ed thought the past was behind him. Then he receives a letter containing just two things: a piece of chalk, and a drawing of a stick figure. As history begins to repeat itself, Ed realises the game was never over . . .

Everyone has secrets.

Everyone is guilty of something.

And children are not always so innocent."

Alternating between present day and 1986, this is a story of a group of twelve year old friends. They make a game of using chalk-drawn stick figures to send each other secret messages. Everything changes when they are led to a body in the woods. I am a big fan of multiple timelines and this was done really well.

However, I got a bit bored of the drama in every single chapter. I know this was done to great suspense and keep you on your toes but by the 6th major accident or death, it lost impact for me. Most characters lacked any development which meant that I didn't connect with anyone and didn't really care that they died or were being threatened. There is a nice little twist at the end, but I felt that there were so many clues dropped into the backstory to make sure the twist made sense that it did not even come as a big surprise.

Overall, The Chalk Man was not a bad book but it did not live up to the hype for me. I have read some gleaming reviews and seen it described as 'The Book of 2018' but my experience did not match this. C.J. Tudor has a very good and distinctive writing style so I do look forward to future work from her, this one just wasn't for me.

3.5/5*

This has to be one of the most unique books I have ever read. To start with I wasn't even sure I liked it but as the story developed I got more into it.

With more twists and macabre turns than you can shake a stick at, this book is well worth a read.