Hmm...I don't know about this one. The thing is, this book didn't have any egregious errors. The story made sense. I liked the jump from the 1986 timeline to 2016. Even so, I just couldn't get into it or find myself engaged with the plot. The fact that the beginning seemed like a rip off of Stephen King's IT didn't help either (i.e. the 12-year-old gang of outcasts, the pretty red haired girl of the group, the intense bullying, the 1980s, the 30 year time gap...).

Occasionally the story felt a little too perfect with a whole bunch of coincidences. Sure, thrillers nowadays are rarely believable, but various events were wrapped up a little too nicely and thus making it feel rather formulaic.

I didn't love The Chalk Man, but I think I'm probably in the minority on that one. There were certainly some good points (don't skip the acknowledgments in the end!), so I'm sure lots of people could find enjoyment out of this book.

A thriller no, but definitely suspense. As a first book i would say well done. I wasn’t crazy about the back and forth chapters but do see the necessity of it. Twists and turns abound and the who was a surprise but not a great one. I did like how all the puzzles were answered and how is made sense, but the best was the absolute end, priceless. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this new author.

The suspense never ended for me, because each time I thought I had figured things out; I was wrong! I really appreciated that Eddie was such a complicated character, so many flaws but still someone you pull for as a child and as an adult.

For a début novel The Chalk Man was very good. The book was a mixture of Kate Atkinson and Mo Hayder, two very skilful storytellers to my mind. I like books that move from past to present, the author did a good job of moving gracefully between the periods.

You get the sense that not everything is as it seems. Not really sure whats what, Eddie, who is recounting the story tends to neglect telling you all, leaving a bit for later. So do not get comfortable while reading cause you never know what is right around the corner.

C.J. Tudor has created quite the twisty, creepy page turner with The Chalk Man. Switching time periods between Eddie’s younger years and his life now thirty years later, the novel focuses on a crime scene that Eddie and his friends had stumbled upon when they were twelve. A twisted web of sinister acts happened back when they were growing up, and it seems as though Eddie had grown beyond those events, the case was solved and everyone moved on. Until Eddie gets a letter with a stick figure and a piece of chalk, flooding back the memories of the details and events leading up to the crime. Who sent the message? How did they know about the childhood game and the role those chalk figures played? Was this an open and closed case, or is the real killer still out there?

Once I started, I could not put this book down. Tudor continued to leave little hints and cliffhangers in just the right places that made me stop and think, wait a minute. And when I thought I had something figured out, she turned it into a new direction, leaving me to question someone else once again. This thriller has a great flow to it. The switching of time periods helps to create suspense, while gradually pieces new information together richly.

My only issue with the book was that I felt that there was a little too much of Murphy’s Law going on. It seemed that anything that could possibly negatively impact the characters continued to happen, almost to an unbelievable amount. I found myself rolling my eyes thinking, seriously? a few times. Though, I didn’t let this bother me too much.

I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller. I am hoping C.J. Tudor is working on a second novel. As a debut novel, I was very impressed with her work. Looking forward to reading more from her.

In 1986, 12 year old Eddie and his friends spend their summer riding their bikes and exploring town. A couple of experiences that summer change the children and their friendships including meeting a strange new man in town, creating a code made of chalk drawings and finding a dead body. Thirty years later, the group of friends begin receiving a strange letter and when one of group ends up dead, Eddie tries to solve the mysteries from the summer of 1986. There are a lot of mysteries along the way and the way the book is written alternating between 1986 and present days keeps up the suspense.

Eddie and his friends -- Fat Gav, Metal Mickey, Nicky and Hoppo -- do everything together. Summer break in 1986 is filled with bike rides, innocent mischief, and playing. All the things 12 year olds enjoy. They even draw secret code messages in chalk to each other. But then the chalk drawings turn much darker.....someone leaves a message that leads to a dead body in the woods. Flash forward to 2016....much has happened in their lives. Then Eddie, now a teacher, receives a letter in the mail. The only thing on the paper is one figure drawn in chalk. Turns out, they all received the same letter. Eddie starts dredging up old memories and investigating to see if he can finally uncover exactly what happened that summer 30 years before. The summer of The Chalk Man.

A great suspense story has moments that totally catch a reader by surprise. For me, this book had several of those surprising moments. I really wasn't expecting this story to be this good. I am always wary of books that have a lot of hype.....I get all excited, looking forward to really being wowed....only to usually feel disappointed when the story doesn't' match the hype. This time, I am glad to report that the book totally lives up to the hype and great reviews. I was totally taken in by this story from the beginning....and it had shocks in store for me clear up to the very last page. Normally I don't like novels that jump around in time. It just becomes too confusing. This book manages to leap back and forth from 1986 to 2016 with ease. It never became confusing, but added to the suspense of the story. The writing and the story are just top notch! The Chalk Man is an awesomely chilling and creepy story! Great debut novel! I can't wait to read more by this author!

To learn more about the author, check out her facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/CJTudorOfficial/?ref=br_rs

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Crown Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

A little McCammon, a little King, 100% Tudor.

For me, The Chalk Man absolutely lived up to every bit of the hype surrounding it. I'm still shocked that this is a debut novel! Tudor captures perfectly the tangles of adolescent friendships, and just how easily those tangles can become knots. Twisted, gnarled, and binding.

The characters feel both relatable and unique. You can certainly feel influence from many great coming-of-age novels, as well as thrillers from across decades.

The plot feels like sifting through a pile of autumn leaves, certain that what you seek is at the bottom. Only to reach the bottom and find dead grass and dirt. Leaving you to move on to the next pile.

She effortlessly twists the path, leading the reader in one direction only to whip the trail and send you hurtling into another.

Lies, distrust, small-town secrets, and murder. Everything you could possibly want from a novel of this nature.
I had so much fun with this read, and I absolutely cannot wait for more work from this amazing author!

.I decided to get this book in my BOTM box, changed my mind, instantly regretted it, and then waited what seemed like months to hopefully be able to review it via NetGalley.
I am so freakin' glad I was approved for this book.
I really really liked this book.

It's hard to write a review without spoilers, so I'll just cover the basics.
Did Like:
You could definitely see the parallels between adult Ed and his friends and their childhood counterparts. Tudor did a great job with this.
There were multiple deaths/accidents/tragedies spilled throughout these guys lives. It definitely made it more interesting to read when there's more than one horrible situation going on.
The alternating time periods. I'm a sucker for stories told from two different times, and it definitely made this story that much better.
The ending. I had a hunch about the whodunnit, and even though I turned out to be right there was still a lot that I missed, plus a lot of other surprising facts were thrown in at the end that made it that much better.
What shapes us is not always our achievements but our omissions. Not lies; simply the truths we don’t tell.
Didn't Like:
Alcoholism. I swear there's a rule in new thrillers where the main characters has to have a drinking problem of sorts. It pisses me off and adds absolutely nothing to the story.
Lots of loose ends. Even though most of the plot elements were tied up at the end, I still had a lot of questions and pretty frustrated that I didn't get answers.
Mental illness. Too many characters had some sort of mental illness to be believable and seemed like they were written just to make the story a little more convenient.
This particular route is dark, overgrown with tangled knots of lies and secrets, and full of hidden potholes.

Overall I definitely recommend this novel. It's a fast-paced easy to read thriller that will have you hooked from the very beginning.

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

1986, Eddie and his friends are 12 yrs old. A girl they all knew is killed, chopped to pieces and left in the woods. 2016, Eddie is haunted by what happened and now they are receiving messages from The Chalk Man.

Overall, the book was interesting and the mystery had a decent twist at the end. I can see Colin Farrell playing the lead, lol.

3.75☆

I really liked this book. Well written, excellent character development, intriguing, I read it in two sittings as I didn’t want to put it down. The author’s wry humor and astute observations of life were a joy to read. Moving and and forth between past and present was a successful device in the unfolding of the story. And the final ending…WOW!

I don’t often rate a book five stars, but this one deserved it. This should be one of the first books you read in the new year.

This classic storyline concept of childhood friends, a murder, secrets and then unearthed secrets many years later started off fairly strong for me. I love the setting of the small town English village and the time frame of the late 1980s. The tidbits of nostalgia from the 80s was actually one of my favorite parts of the whole book. 

The story is told in alternating timeframes, shifting back and forth from the kids' childhoods in 1986 to 2016 when they're all living very different lives. I have to say I found the present storyline more engaging than the past but overall I didn't enjoy the alternating timeframes structure. I felt like just when I was immersed in the present and trying to build connections with the characters, the chapters would end abruptly leaving me feeling disconnected.  I appreciate that the author was trying to build suspense with cliffhanger chapter endings and an abrupt time change but it left me feeling frustrated. 

In terms of the characters, I found Eddie to be very odd and hard to connect with, in fact, I didn't really connect with any characters which made it hard for me to care about what happened to them. I did find the pace to be steady and I didn't have the mystery figured out but I also didn't have a compelling urge to try all that hard to decipher the clues. When I reached the end my first thought was that the reveal was underwhelming and my next thought was that something that we find out about Eddie made no sense whatsoever. I absolutely know others are loving this mystery so take my review as just one opinion and try this for yourself, especially if you're a fan of alternating timeframes and stories set in the 1980s.

“NEVER ASSUME. QUESTION everything. Always look beyond the obvious.”

Creepy psychological thriller about a group of teenagers who find a dead body buried in the woods in 1986. While the killer was apprehended, all was not as it seemed.

When they were 12 years old, Eddie, Hoppo, Metal Mickey, Fat Gav, and Nicky were playing in the woods when they notice drawings of chalk men. The drawings lead them to make a gruesome discovery. This event haunts them for the rest of their lives.

In 2016,“Chalk Man” drawings begin to appear once again, causing a great deal of unease amongst the former group of friends. Events are shared from Eddie’s POV, flashing back and forth between 1986 & 2016. Secrets are slowly uncovered and friendships are tested, as Eddie tries to unearth the identity of “The Chalk Man.”

This is a well-written, multilayered thriller with an element of mystery that slowly unravels. I loved reading about the complicated dynamics of the friendships between the group, especially when they were young. The twisted ending and the strong writing is what took The Chalk Man to the next level for me. The ending worked to undo all I thought I knew, leaving many questions about Eddie’s reliability as a narrator, causing me to question everything and look at the events that unfolded in a different light: “I suppose it felt, even though we had an ending, that it wasn’t the right one.”

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A very British suspense, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and B.A. Paris.

Great character and scene building. The author is very talented. But the book is slow and there is too much description of mundane details. I almost gave up and stopped reading. When I finished, I was relieved that I was done, it took to much effort to finish.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing and story reminded me of Stephen King in his prime. It was fast-paced and full of rich characters. It kept me on the edge of my seat and there were times I could not put it down. I recommend this book to those who love good fast-paced stories that leave your breathless wondering what comes next. Thank you for the opportunity to read this and I look forward to reading the next one by this author!

*5 Amazing Stars

THE CHALK MAN by C.J. Tudor is a psychological thriller that is very well-written, creepy, suspenseful and an extremely twisted read that I couldn't get enough of. I read this in 24 hours flipping each page as fast as I could till I got to the end. I had to know who The Chalk Man was!!!

Alternating between flashbacks from 1986 and present day, The Chalk Man is a unique novel with a unique plot and believable characters. This was truly like nothing I have ever read!!!

This book packs a creepy punch right from the start and doesn't let up until the very last page. I highly recommend this addictive, deep, and mysterious novel! Buckle up for a wild and creepy ride!!!

3.5 stars

The book's narrator is 42-year-old Eddie (Ed) Adams, an unmarried English teacher who still lives in his childhood home in the English village of Anderbury. Lonely and longing for company, Ed has taken in a lodger - a pretty, twentysomething called Chloe who works at an alternative clothing shop in Boscombe.

As the story opens Ed is anxiously expecting a visit from his childhood friend, Metal Mickey, whom he hasn't seen in decades. Whatever Metal Mickey wants.....it can't be good.

The story alternates back and forth between events that occurred thirty years ago, in 1986 and what's happening now, in 2016.

*****

During the summer of 1986, twelve-year-old Eddie Adams had a little gang of friends that would meet to ride their bikes, visit each other's houses, go to the playground, traipse through the woods, and so on. The group included Eddie, Fat Gav, Metal Mickey, Hoppo, and a girl called Nicky. As the novel unfolds, we learn about each of these characters - their quirks, personalities, and home lives.

When the fair came to town that summer Eddie and his pals met on a Saturday, to attend the big event. That was the day 'everything stopped being normal.' Eddie - searching the fairgrounds for his lost wallet - happened to be nearby when the Waltzer ride snapped and threw a carriage. The flying metal sheared half the face off a pretty teenage girl, and almost severed her leg. Pressed into service by Mr. Halloran - a new teacher in town - Eddie helped save the girl's leg.....and life. From that moment on Eddie thought of the mutilated teen as 'Waltzer girl', and had a lasting bond with Mr. Halloran.

When Eddie was chatting with Mr. Halloran one day, the teacher - who liked to draw with pastels - described a game he played as a youth. He and his friends made up a secret code using 'chalk men', which they employed to leave covert messages for each other - like 'meet me at the park.' Eddie and his friends thought this was a nifty idea, and invented chalk men symbols to communicate with one another. Each kid had his/her own color, to identify the message writer.

This was all good fun until the day chalk men drawn in white, which was nobody's color, led the boys to the woods. There they found the body of a dead girl, dismbembered and scattered around. An Anderbury resident was blamed for the crime, but Eddie had doubts about the person's guilt.

Skip ahead to 2016, and Metal Mickey - during his visit with Ed - says he's writing a book about the girl's murder and wants Ed to help. When Ed seems reluctant, Metal Mickey throws in the clincher - he claims to know 'who really killed the girl.'

That's the backbone of the novel, but only part of the story, since there was (and is) a lot going on in Anderbury.

In 1986, for example, drama in Anderbury included: child abuse; bullying; an accidental drowning; anti-abortion protests; an unwanted pregnancy; a man being beaten senseless; a pet tragedy; inappropriate romances; a suicide; and Eddie talking to ghosts. During that year Metal Mickey distanced himself from the gang and - later on - a car accident made the estrangement permanent.

In 2016 things are pretty quiet in Ed's life, though he drinks and smokes too much. Ed's sedate existence changes, however, when he and his friends receive envelopes containing a stick of chalk and a chalk man drawing. These mailings are followed by Metal Mickey's visit - which leads to another death.

By the end of the book, all the story's mysteries are resolved (well.....maybe not the ghosts), and Waltzer girl's story comes full circle.

The characters in the book are three-dimensional and interesting, and the story is well-crafted and engaging. There are clever surprises that aren't over-the-top, which I appreciate. (Hyperbolic revelations at the climax of thrillers seem to be very popular lately).

All in all, this is an enjoyable psychological thriller that I'd recommend to fans of the genre.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (C.J. Tudor) and the publisher (Crown) for a copy of the book.

The Chalk Man surrounds Eddie and his childhood friends. The boys found a dead body when they were younger, who was killed by the supposed Chalk Man. Years later one of Eddie’s friends, Mickey comes back, after they all received a letter with a chalk figure drawn on it. From there we are told Eddie’s story in alternating time— the present and 1986.
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This book kept me guessing about everything! Every time I thought I knew something I had no clue. Tudor does a great job with the plot. It never gets outlandish and it is quite the page turner. I don’t want to say too much because of the chance of a spoiler. But if are a fan of suspense books, I highly recommend The Chalk Man.

Fantastick book! I could not put it down. Great twists and will keep you guessing until the end. Even when you think you have it figured out, you don't