The Chalk Man is the debut novel from C.J.Tudor. I was instantly hooked on this novel. Easily one of the top Mystery/Thriller novels of 2018. The events in the story alternate between 1986 to 2016 and follows Eddie and his friends (Fat Gav, Nicky, Metal Mickey and Hoppo). This gave me fond memories of The Body by Stephen King (the film, Stand By Me). I loved Tudor's character development and the pacing of the story was great, full of suspense and plot twists. I applaud C.J. Tudor on creating a such a fantastic debut novel and I look forward to future works. In case I have not made it clear, I highly recommend this novel!

4.5 Now this is what I call a fantastic mystery. I love the way this was told, our narrator now in his fifties, takes us back to a summer that changed everything. Has sort of a Christmas story or It vibe to it, in the way it is told. We Tavel back to the eighties, and the author does a great job of portraying this time. Ed, our narrator and his group of friends, four in all and one a girls, as they ride their bikes everywhere, build actual forts, not virtual ones. When the games played were mostly outside except for Pac Man and Donkey Kong. Felt like I was back there with him. It would prove to be a summer when many strange and unforgettable things happened, culminating in the discovery of a body. When one of the boys, he a man, who hasn't been seen for over thirty years, reappears in town, claiming he know who done it, everything seems to start up again.


An old time mystery, with a follow the clues type of storyline. What really happened that summer and who is responsible? The chalk men were a nice and creepy touch, though the story as a whole does not have that graphic, shocking horror that so many storylines have now. This entertained without going over the top. A well done job all around, even the ending was satisfying and had many aha moments. Looking forward to more from this talented author.

A sisters read where we all agreed this one is a winner.

ARC from Netgalley.

2.5 stars

In 1986, Eddie and his 'gang' are typical neighborhood kids. They come up with an idea to leave each other 'codes' in chalk by drawing chalk men to let each other know things but keeping the adults and others out of their business. But someone else discovers their code and leaves chalk drawings that lead the kids to a dismembered body.


Told from viewpoints of the 1986 timeline and present day, the story is seen through the eyes of Eddie aka Eddie Munster. In present day Eddie is all grown up and is pretty much a loner. He doesn't even hang out with his previous friends much anymore.
Then a letter arrives for each of them featuring a chalk man drawing.

+

Then one of the 'gang' ends up dead.

This book is being loved by most everyone that reads it. Honestly though? I've read much better. To me it's nothing I have not seen done many times before..and done better.



I was going to just give it an even two star but the ending was pretty good and it bumped it up some.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review

This was a fabulous read! Alternating between 1986 and 2016 it follows a group of early teens through a horrific accident and then an even more horrific death. I thought the alternating chapters and the overall pacing was really successful at creating great suspense and the clues were meted out perfectly along the way allowing me to slowly work through them myself. I am so glad to have read this and want more from this debut author!

Wow, I’m so impressed that this is a debut novel. I loved Eddies voice and enjoyed seeing the story unfold through his childhood eyes. The ‘gang’ and their interactions had a kind of ‘Stand By Me’ vibe which I really enjoyed. This will definitely keep you guessing the outcome right up until the end. I’ll be looking forward to seeing more work from Tudor. 4.5 stars.

I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, C. J. Tudor, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

In 1986, Eddie and his friends are just kids on the verge of adolescence. They spend their days biking around their sleepy little English village and looking for any taste of excitement they can get. The chalk men are their secret code; little chalk stick figures they leave for one another as messages only they can understand. But then a mysterious chalk man leads them right to a dismembered body, and nothing is ever the same. In 2016, Eddie is fully grown, and thinks he's put his past behind him. But then he gets a letter in the mail, containing a single chalk stick figure. When it turns out that his friends got the same message, they think it could be a prank . . . until one of them turns up dead. That's when Eddie realizes that saving himself means finally figuring out what really happened all those years ago.

THE CHALK MAN's blurb says everything that needs to be relayed about this utterly fantastic thriller: "Expertly alternating between flashbacks and the present day, The Chalk Man is the very best kind of suspense novel, one where every character is wonderfully fleshed out and compelling, where every mystery has a satisfying payoff, and where the twists will shock even the savviest reader." This plot is dark, gritty, eerie, and so captivating that you'll definitely read it in one sitting. Do yourself a favor, and pick up a copy of this book.

Wow! What a creepy, scary read for this Halloween! CJ Tudor grabs you from page one & keeps you hanging on for a trill of a ride!

C.J Tudor has an exceptional style of writing that flows beautifully across the pages! Metaphoric, symbolic, and absolutely brilliant.

The Chalk Man is a creepy and unique thriller that will leave you aching for more! Beware of the chalk men. This thriller packs a good spicy punch my fellow GR friends!

This novel alternates from 1986 to 2016. The discovery of a body in the woods leads to many unsettling nightmares, visions, and creepy memories for Eddie and his gang of friends. The story is told from Eddie's point of view which lays the storyline for these mysterious chalk drawings that ultimately connects to their present unstable adult lives. Tudor creates a small town boyhood atmosphere that has the strong feel of Stand By Me.
Oh my gosh I loved Eddie, Fat Gav, Nicky, Metal Mickey and Hoppo! What a strong and amazing set of characters that Tudor has created! Each character is slowly unraveled and you are given a vivid image of how each character is wound in this web of mystery, deceit, and darkness.

The ending left me a little bit confused and unsettled. I felt there was soooo much going towards the end that my mind/head got caught up in the spiral. There were so many more questions that I had running through my mind. I feel like the author left just enough bread crumbs for the mouse.

I am extremely curious on fellow GR thoughts on this one! Come share your thoughts/opinions with me <3.

Overall, 4 creepy and compelling stars! Put this on your TBR! :)

Thank you to Netgalley, Crown Publishing, and C.J Tudor for an advanced arc in exchange for an honest review.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS THIS YEAR!!

Immediately diving in, you can sense a Stephen King vibe - the telling of a chilling tale from the perspective of a 12 year old - think Stand by Me (AKA The Body) and IT. Yet, we also get the perspective from the main characters adult self, still harboring mystery and a LOT of secrets. C.J. Tudor goes back in forth over the years from chapter to chapter with seamless perfection. I adored and feared every character, never guessing til the final moments who was the TRUE Chalk Man.

I would not recommend this book, which is a shame because it came highly recommended to me. I felt the author used too many cliches and borrowed too many ideas from Stephen King. While I know what a huge influence King is on horror writers, authors still need to develop their own material. This book was a disappointment to me.

"And it felt good, to confess."

Confession is good for the soul they say...but then again there are characters in this book who would disagree. Who feel the complete opposite. Who believe that well, "sometimes......it's better not to know all the answers." But we do learn the answers in this psychological/suspense thriller. I'll be entirely honest, when I first began reading this book I thought "what is all the fuss about?" I thought the first chapter or so was dull. All I can say is, if you feel the same way I did when you first pick up this book, KEEP READING. Things got interesting fast.

This book flips back and forth between 1986 and 2016. Going back and forth in time used to really annoy me as did differing POV chapters. Either Authors have master how to do this or I have surrendered myself to this story telling device. Either way, I found this really worked in this book in the unraveling of the story.

So What is the story?

In 1986, Eddie and his friends (Fat Gav, Hoppo, "Metal" Mickey, and Nicky) draw chalk men, they use them as their secret code that only they understand. They each have their own color and leave messages for each other about meeting up, etc. Then one day thy discover a chalk figure that points the way to a grisly discovery in the woods: A local teenager, Elisa, has been dismembered. Elisa is the young woman who Eddie helped save at the carnival after a moving piece fell off a ride and landed on Elisa. Eddie and the new teacher in town, Mr. Halloran helped save her life and became local heroes in the process. Who would have wanted to kill Elisa and why?

Flash forward to 2016, Eddie still lives in his childhood home and is a teacher at the local school. He has taken on a lodger and is happily unhappy living his life and drinking a little too much. Then he receives a letter in the mail. A letter which changes everything....The letter contains a chalk stick figure. He then learns that all of his friends have received the same letter. Has the past come back to haunt them?

"An ADULT is only an illusion. When it comes down to it I'm not sure any of us really grow up. We simply grtow taller and hairier. Sometimes, I still feel amazed that I am allowed to drive a car...."

One of his friends comes back to town and then turns up dead. The letter was no prank. Who could have been behind it? Why? They only found the body, they had nothing to do with the teen girls murder. Eddie decides that it is time to look into the past. Try and put the pieces together. Time to determine who is responsible.

This book may have started slow for me but it built...and when I say it built I mean EVERYTHING built. The suspense built, the plot and subplots built, the suspense built, the revealing built. The story came together so flawlessly that it was actually quite brilliant. There was more than one "AHA" moment in this book. Truths both large and small are revealed. It was brilliant and I have to say that I am really surprised that this is a debut novel. I have not been this impressed sine I read "The Summer that Melted Everything". This book also has a bit of a nostalgic feel to it. By going back and forth from childhood to adult hood this book had a "IT" and "Stand by Me" feel to it. The teens deal with bullying, parental issues, anger, death, family secrets, etc. C.J. Tudor really pulled off the Nostalgia aspect of this book quite seamlessly. How one event experienced in childhood, can not only change a person but change friendships forever. Tragedy can either pull people closer together or tear them apart.

As I mentioned there are other sub-plots going on in this book as well. This makes for a very interesting read. Plus, they all blend together and make for a captivating read. I loved when the "aha" moments and revelations were revealed. They all seemed to come at just the right time to keep the pages turning and the story moving. If this is C.J. Tudor's first book, I can't wait to read the next!

I received an ARC of this book from Crown Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for making the book available for me to read and review.

Creepy mystery that keeps up the suspense until the end. The beginning it a bit gory but the gore surrenders to a haunting mystery quickly. At times, this book reminded me of Jo Nesbo’s The Snowman in all the best ways.

Thirty years ago, five misfits banded together while growing up in the small town of Anderbury. Eddie, Mickey, Hoppo, Gav, & Nicky weren’t cool or popular. And sometimes they didn’t even like each other all that much. They shared adventures, pranks & secrets. They even had their own way of communicating by leaving chalk stick figures for each other on pavement & fence posts.

Looking back, it’s hard to pinpoint when it all began. Maybe it was the summer of 1986. That was when new teacher Mr. Halloran came to town. And when Eddie, Mickey, Hoppo & Gav found the body.

In the present, Ed is a bachelor still living in the same house. His days are spent teaching at the local school & occasionally meeting Hoppo & Gav for a pint. He’s a quiet, solitary man who rarely thinks about that summer. But someone wants to jog his memory. Ed receives a letter with only the drawing of a stickman in a noose & a piece of chalk. Then Mickey suddenly reappears on his doorstep after a long absence. And he’s got a proposition. Somehow you know this won’t end well.

Not another peep about the plot. It’s layered with so many twists that it’s better you go in blind to get the biggest bang for your buck. All you need to know is this is a fabulous read. The past & the present are told in alternate time lines. As we follow Ed the adult, we slowly learn what happened to those kids 30 years ago. And it’s quite a tale.

Chapters set in the past will feel familiar to anyone who grew up in a small town. There’s a clannish culture where everyone knows your business & outsiders are viewed with suspicion. We get to peek over their shoulders as the kids struggle to fit in & deal with family problems while something sinister stalks them from the shadows. Each character has such a distinct personality that they pop off the page fully formed as you meet.

There’s a definite Stephen King vibe to the story & it reminded me of the movie “Stand By Me” which was based on on his novella “The Body”. But the creepiness is balanced by humour, heartbreak & poignant moments that resonate as they remind you what it was like to be 12. With the possible exception of finding a body…you probably missed out on that.

After the chalk man arrives, Ed is forced to remember what it was like to be Eddie. As he sifts through events from that pivotal summer, he reexamines his own actions & how they affected the terrible crimes. Looking back with adult eyes, he sees things he couldn’t understand as a child. And he realizes he is surrounded by people who have kept their own secrets for decades.

This is a spooky, addictive read that forces me to trot out that tired old phrase….I couldn’t put it down. It’s a gripping mix of chilling suspense & coming-of-age. And it’s not just great story telling. Once finished, I found myself thinking about memories & how they can be coloured by a specific place & time. Why I can remember a throw-away moment so clearly while something others would deem significant is a blur. It’s a running theme on several levels from beginning to end where the author takes one final jab at your heart on the very last page.

I’m now officially freaked out by stick men. And…sorry kids…henceforth, all chalk is banished.

Hi all. This book just wasn't for me. I found i couldn't really get I to the story or the characters

This is a great thriller!

Eddie Munster, Metal Mickey, Fat Gav, Hoppo and Nicky are close friends in 1986, they are twelve years old and go to school together. They come up with a secret code using chalk and use it to communicate messages, calls to action, meetings and other fun things preteens do at that age. Then a murder happens to a beautiful young girl they all know and this event brings repercussions that change everybody's lives after that.

The novel is narrated by Ed (Eddie) and alternates between 1986 and 2016. It takes place in Anderbury, a small English town and is told at a moderate pace. The story is chilling, engaging and mysteriously dark.

The friendship that these kids have reminded me of the characters in the TV show Stranger Things , maybe because they are preteens and it takes place in the 80s.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to all lovers of thrillers, mysteries and contemporary fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley, the C.J. Tudor, and Crown Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.

Started reading this blind not knowing anything about the plot except that The Chalk Man was a creepy title. This book did not disappoint. I was left mouth agape from the start. Tudor weaves a fine tale with murder, intrigue, and mystery.

Told in two parts, one in 1986 and one in 2016 the story follows Eddie as both a 12 year old and a 42 year old. There are multiple mysteries included.

. The book was an easy read though uncomfortable in parts. Overall I found the story and ending a very satisfying read. The subtleties included really made the story here.

Absolutely amazing! I was sucked into this book and could not put it down for anything! Such a compelling and gripping novel. This author has hit their mark and I can't wait for the next work to come out already. 5/5 stars.

A great, suspenseful mystery where every answer adds additional questions. We switch back and forth between Ed in current time and looking back at 1986 when he was 12. He and his small group of friends play a central role in a series of deaths. We slowly discover what happened that summer and how intricate the web is. I liked this much more than I expected. I loved the unique voice of Eddie and the great characters.

One of my favorite thrillers this year! C.J. Tudor gives Stephen King a run for his money in this chilling tale. Definitely hard to put down. My customers are going to love this book.

The Chalk Man is an impressive ,gripping psychological debut thriller by C.J. Tudor

12 year old Eddie , Hoppo , Fat Gav, Metal Mickey and Nicky were enjoying a lazy summer when Eddie meets the Chalk Man for the first time while saving a teenage girl. The Chalk Man gives Eddie an idea about creating a secret code among friends using chalk where each friend has a special color chalk so that everybody knows who the message is from. This creates a lot of fun until the chalk symbols lead them to find a dismembered body. Now 30 years later when Eddie receives another letter with a stick figure drawn in chalk , he realizes the deadly game has started all over again.

Powerful writing , interesting characters , intriguing suspense , lots of twists and turns makes this book a compelling read . I cannot recommend it enough .

Many thanks to Crown Publishing & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

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