“Want to read something good?. . . If you like my stuff, you’ll like this.”—Stephen King • WINNER OF THE ITW THRILLER AWARD • WINNER OF THE STRAND MAGAZINE AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT NOVELA riveting psychological suspense debut that weaves a mystery about a childhood game gone dangerously awry, and will keep readers guessing right up to the shocking endingIn 1986, Eddie and his friends are on the verge … and his friends are on the verge of adolescence, spending their days biking in search of adventure. The chalk men are their secret code, stick figures they draw for one another as hidden messages. But one morning the friends find a chalk man leading them to the woods. They follow the message, only to find the dead body of a teenage girl.
In 2016, Eddie is nursing a drinking problem and trying to forget his past, until one day he gets a letter containing a chalk man—the same one he and his friends saw when they found the body. Soon he learns that all his old friends received the same note. When one of them is killed, Eddie realizes that saving himself means figuring out what happened all those years ago. But digging into the past proves more dangerous than he could have known. Because in this town, everyone has secrets, no one is innocent, and some will do anything to bury the truth.
Praise for The Chalk Man
“Wonderfully creepy—like a cold blade on the back of your neck.”—Lee Child
“An assured debut that alternates between 1986 and 2016 with unpredictable twists. The Chalk Man fits well with other stories about troubled childhoods such as Stephen King’s novella Stand by Me. . . . Tudor never misses a beat in showing each character as both a child and an adult while also exploring the foreboding environs of a small town.”—Associated Press
“Utterly hypnotic. The Chalk Man is a dream novel, a book of nightmares: haunted and haunting, shot through with shadow and light—a story to quicken the pulse and freeze the blood. A dark star is born.”—A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
“If you can’t get enough of psychological thrillers with sharp twists and turns, you need to read The Chalk Man”—Hello Giggles
“I haven’t had a sleepless night due to a book for a long time. The Chalk Man changed that.”—Fiona Barton, New York Times bestselling author of The Widow
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Want to read something good?…If you like my stuff, you’ll like this.
I really enjoyed this book. When a young girl’s body is found dismembered and missing a head, the town folks all have theories as to who is behind such atrocious evil. Quick to condemn to solve the case, but were their convictions correct?
Narrated primarily through the eyes of Ed, the stories is told in alternating time periods from both his youth and now as an adult. While the murder may have happened long ago, a visit from a childhood friend suggests that there is new evidence and that the actual killer was never charged with the crime he (or she) committed.
In many ways this book was a great coming of age story. Events witnessed through a child’s eyes are often misconstrued and the lines between right and wrong can be quite blurry. Tudor does a remarkable job exploring some heavy themes such as death, sexual assault, and abortion in a thought provoking way.
Without a doubt, the book had a strong plot, great characterization, and (in my opinion) an unpredictable ending that was quite satisfying. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author!
Outstanding debut novel by C.J. Tudor, absolutely an author to watch! This book is creepy, terrifying, and filled with great twists and turns that in-the-end, all fit and make sense. Narration by Euan Morton is excellent, I immediately added him to my list of favorites. Start to finish, I loved The Chalk Man!!! Highly Recommended!!!
The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor is her debut novel about 12 year old Eddie and his group of friends, and the meeting of Mr. Halloran, the Chalk Man.
Plot 5/5: This is a horror mystery with so many twists and turns. It kept me engrossed.
Characters 5/5: The characters are well fleshed out. I loved getting to know the characters.
World building 4/5: The story goes back and forth from the present to 1986, when it all happened.
Pacing 4/5: The pace was steady.
Writing 4/5: There were a couple of errors, but did not in the least interfere with the flow of the story.
Overall: 4.4
I highly recommend this book to lovers of Stephen King stories.
Good read, especially for a first time writer.
There’s a reason this book has been compared to Stephen King…by the master himself! I’ve been a King fan as long as I can remember, and I found so much to love in this book. The relationships between the children, that feeling of an endless summer…and the threat that looms over them… I will buy everything CJ Tudor writes from now on. Very happy to have found a new favourite writer.
Creepy good! The last two pages will freak you out!
This was an entertaining mystery/suspense novel. I was excited to read this book as it was talked about a lot on the book pages. It was on my list of book club reads.
The story of five childhood friends told from present day and 1986. The story starts with the discovery of a body, in parts, in the woods where the kids (four boys and one girl) were playing. The story takes us back in forth unraveling the mystery of the deaths that happen in the story. Eddie, Fat Gav, Hoppo, Mickey and Nicole experience many tragic things in their childhood, which carry over into the present day. Including the chalk figures that are drawn as a secret “code” for the friends to meet up etc. The adult friends receive a letter with a piece of chalk, causing all the memories to come back. There are many twists and turns that lead us to what really happened in the woods that fateful day.
This was a fast paced mystery/suspense debut from this author. Looking forward to more thrilling reads.
I loved this book. detailed, creepy and the end blew my mind!
Wow, this book immediately drew me in. I love the fact that it’s told from twos dies of it. The past and the present. The ending will leave you with a chill up your spine. Not one I could have predicted as the author kept me guessing. Truly loved this one.
I really enjoyed this book because it was so reminiscent of Stand by Me and It by Stephen King, and those are a couple of my favorite stories by him. And although there are a lot of parallels between The Chalk Man and those two books, C.J. Tudor still puts her own twist on this novel.
This was a great coming of age story that also shows the results of the children’s actions twenty years later. Tudor had me wondering for awhile if this was an unreliable narrator situation, and I was happy to find out it wasn’t. Tudor leaves lots of clues hanging around if you pay attention, but even with all the clues I didn’t see all the different threads and to where they were leading.
I really enjoyed the ending and how it all came together and you realize everyone is twisted or has a secret. And the very ending with Eddie put a little smile on my face. His upcoming situation is horrific, but the story cycle will continue.
I’ve been on a real suspense kick the past few weeks and I think it’s making me a bit jaded. If I had read this book before I read some of the others I have lately, I may have given it five stars. As of right now though, it sits at a solid 4 for me. It has the creepy factor from the beginning. I only wish it had stuck with it. It became quite clear early on that the creeps were thrown in only to distract the reader from what seemed obvious from the start. It has quite a few good twists and turns but ultimately you end up right where you first imagine you will. The narrator was fantastic and the cast of surrounding characters reminded me of old school King where he managed to create a group of childhood friends that felt more like a gang than just kids. I won’t point out the other plot points that hearken back to King because spoilers but I will say, it was a fun read. I’ll definitely be looking for more from Tudor.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is very well written – captures your interest from the very first and doesn’t let go for an instant. Lots of twists and turns for the mystery addict.
This book captived from the first “page”. I thought I knew the direction it was going then…
Suspenseful, unpredictable, interesting and captivating! Love the characters. Keeps you guessing and speculating the whole way through. It didn’t take me long to read – started yesterday, finished today. Great read!
Wow…just Wow!?! I still cannot believe this was a debut novel?!? Well-written and so worth reading!!!!!
A real treat for all fans of everything dark and haunting, which had me turning pages well into the night. Super atmospheric and memorable. I promise, you’ll never see the end coming! Highly recommended to all fans of the genre.
The Chalk Man by CJ Tudor was a terrific read. Love her realistic characters and intricate plot. I found it to be a page turner that I didn’t want to put down. It has an excellent twist ending and moves at a swift pace. Would definitely recommend this book for fans of Stephen King, nostalgic reads and dark thrillers.
“The Chalk Man” by C.J. Tudor reveals its psychological mystery from two perspectives – that of a young man in 1986 palling around with his chums in their little English village and that of the same man thirty years later. The story touches on some serious subjects, with murder and decapitation being a big one.
In the 1980’s, the group of pre-teen friends use stick figure chalk men to communicate with each other. One fateful day, those chalk men lead them to the woods and a grisly murder scene. Although the girl’s murderer is tried and convicted, her head is never found, and the conviction never sits right with the POV character. Thirty years later, he and his one-time friends receive mail from the Chalk Man that lures them to confront a past where justice may not have been delivered.
Presented in dual timelines with hints and twists, this is anything but a cozy mystery. Stephen King himself recommended this book, and fans of King will hear echoes of his “It” and “Stand By Me” in C.J. Tudor’s storyline.
It tells the story of Eddie and his pals, Fat Gav and Hoppo. Although they are now in their forties, they have never been able to grow up and away from what happened when they were twelve years old and a childish game with chalk drawings turned sinister. With ex-friend Metal Mickey back in town, the past is about to pursue them into an even darker present.
It is a masterclass in how to write a thriller: well-drawn characters (no easy feat with such a large cast); snappy dialogue; a page-turning plot; good twists; and a sneaky sleight of hand in the first half. There are blood and guts and spooks, but the bit that got my heart pounding was the very last page.