An eerie story about a down on his luck teacher who returns to his hometown to evade a gambling debt and settle old scores. Something strange happens to some of the residents after they visit part of the old mine. A bit reminiscent of Pet Cemetery by Stephen King. Well drawn characters and a screwed up hero you can't help but like.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

Another great thriller by CJ Tudor,however I’m a little disappointed that it’s never clearly revealed what happened to the children who disappear for a few days and then reappear - where were they and what was done to them to make them so different when they returned? Otherwise great story.

Creepy good! This thriller mixes suspense with just right amount of possibly supernatural events. Joe Thorne has returned to his hometown, set on settling childhood scores and dogged by Big Trouble.

I selected C.J. Tudor's first book, The Chalk Man, when it was a Book of the Month Cub selection, and though I don't really remember the details of it, I know I liked it. So when I saw that C.J. Tudor has a new book coming out soon I was thrilled to receive an ARC via NetGalley.

I read the book over a period of about a week, which I think had more to do with the fact that I was reading it over the Holidays than with the story itself. Any other time of year, I bet I would have read it over a day or two. Some reviewers have said it was slow to start, but I found it paced perfectly. I felt myself settling into the world created by the author and getting to know the main character, Joe, and his hometown. Joe has had a pretty rough go of it lately, but his recent problems have nothing on the high school summer when his sister and father died in a car accident that left him partially crippled. So yeah, he drinks a lot and likes to gamble, which may or may not have led to his current "financial" problems and recent acquaintance with a certain woman who's mission is collecting on his debt.

To pay off this debt, Joe has a plan to return to his hometown and capitalize on his former relationship with an old "friend" of his from his childhood who is now a prominent figure in the community and who would prefer some information that Joe has to remain unsaid. As the story unfolds, we learn not only how this plan turns out for Joe but we also learn exactly what happened that summer that led to the death of Joe's beloved little sister and his father.

I loved the atmosphere the author created. At times I forgot the book took place in England, so I think the author did a great job immersing me in the world of her characters. Some readers seem to have been bothered by what they call the supernatural element to this story, but I liked it. It reminded me of Jennifer McMahon, another author that I love, in that nothing about the story seemed so outlandish as to take me out of the story or break the spell, if you will. I will be recommending this book to my husband, who also loved The Chalk Man, as I know he will love this book as well. I can't wait to see what C.J. Tudor writes next! I am hoping for a woman main character next time...

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for this honest review!*

I loved the author's debut novel, but this one left me a little underwhelmed.
I finished it but it didn'tdidn't really grip me as I expected.
It is dark and creepy with horror/supernatural element that felt really creepy for my taste.
It explores different time lines with surprising twists, but I dude's find the ending satisfactory.

My thanks go to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC to review this is my honest opinion.

I looked forward to reading this, but ultimately, was disappointed in it. It is very well written, but I'm not a big fan of the supernatural. If you are, then you might like this. #TheHidingPlace #NetGalley

Joe Thorne is a man with a history. There is a murky history in his hometown, too. Nevertheless, Thorne returns and begins work as a teacher at the local school. Bit by bit, layers are peeled away - from man and town - to reveal a terrible truth. Part mystery, part horror, completely original and compelling.

When Joe was a teenager, his sister Annie went missing and everyone assumed the worst, but then she came back. Many years later, Joe returns to his hometown to work at the now failing school he attended many years ago. Joe is desperate because he has debts to bad people, who will follow him everywhere he goes, but he came back because he got an email saying I know what happened to your sister, and it is happening again. Coming back means he has to face all the people he left behind and the things he did. Joe is about to find out that places have secrets too and the deeper you go, the darker it becomes.

I found this novel gripping right from the prologue and I couldn’t wait to get more into it and dig deeper into the story. I loved the dark and creepy atmosphere that Tudor seems to excel at! This novel wasn’t at all what I expected, but it a good way as I was unsure on where this book was headed and what had happened to the children in this novel. I found the character quite interesting and I enjoyed Joe’s character and all his flaws and I hated Stephen and how far he went to try to push Joe out of town. Some people are just written for you to hate them and I love to hate those characters. I did enjoy the novel more when it started to go back and forth between the past and present so that you can start putting the pieces together to solve this mystery. This one was totally different and a bit farfetched, but I loved that about it! Definitely give it a try if you enjoyed The Chalk Man!

Out February 5th!

A scary mystery with a paranormal connection. Stephen King-esque in style. The plot was good and kept my attention and most of the characters were well-developed. Unfortunately, I didn't like any of the characters. There are some surprising twists that I enjoyed and overall would recommend for anyone who likes a good horror story. I can't get the picture of those horrible beetles out of my head!

Thanks to C. J. Tudor and Crown Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Joe Thorn left Arnhill a long time ago, but now he is back, a disgraced teacher who owes a lot of money to a very bad man. He has returned to find out what happened to his sister all those years ago. Arnhill sits on top of coal mines. Most of the men in Arnhill worked in the mines, even Joe's father, until they all played out, years ago. Joe's dad and most of the other men took to drinking and Arnhill fell into disrepair. Now, Joe is back to teach English at Arnhill Academy and its seems as though he never left; the same bullying is being done by the same kids, except a generation younger, including the ringleader, Jeremy Hurst, who is the son of Joe's tormentor, Stephen Hurst. Years ago, Stephen and his gang found a secret hiding place among the coal veins and bad things happened there. Now Joe wants to avenge his sister and destroy Stephen, if possible. Switching between past and present, Tudor weaves a taut mystery about redemption and evil.

If you loved "The Chalk Man" or just kind of liked it or maybe you didn't like it at all; give #2 a try. Yes, it was retitled for the US but not because the story is not good. I think it is better than the first. Watch out for black bugs now. :)

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, C.J. Tudor, and Crown Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

After the great success of her debut novel, C.J. Tudor returns with another psychological thriller that straddles two time periods to bring readers an enthralling novel. Joe Thorne left the village of Arnhill after a problematic childhood that included some tragic personal events. Now, armed with a teaching degree and having fled his last posting under a cloud of suspicion, Thorne is back to teach at the local academy. While many years have passed, Arnhill seems to still be the same speck on the map, with the problems flowing through to the next generation. As Thorne tries to acclimate himself to old grievances, he is reminded about his sister and her desire to chum along with him when she was a precocious eight. As he has memories of the events that led to her disappearance, Joe sees things differently and remembers the great changes in Annie when she turned up two days later. This led to an Annie he did not recognize, which snowballed into a fatal car accident that left Thorne orphaned. Struggling with those memories and how to handle his new crop of students, Joe Thorne’s recent past catches up to him and creates a gaping void. However, someone holds the truth to his past and a deep secret that he has spent decades trying to hide. With nothing to lose, Joe Thorne forges to rectify some of the pains of his youth and avenge Annie’s disappearance at the hands of another, while burying everything else a little deeper. Tudor presents another masterful psychological thriller that keeps the reader guessing as the story unravels at break-neck speed. Recommended for those who enjoyed her debut, as well as readers who like a little chill in their novels.

I admit that I was not as enveloped in Tudor’s opening novel as some, but I did find there to be some redeeming qualities, which is why I was happy to return for another go. Tudor makes no excuses for her writing style, which mixes a well-balanced narrative and flashback chapters to fill in the backstory gaps. Joe Thorne has an interesting role in this novel, living in both the past and present, while offering the reader a smorgasbord of development and backstory on which to feast. While he is a loner of sorts, the reader can see a Joe who has a purpose, even if it is fogged in an odd connection to his sister who died in a horrible crash many years ago. Many of the other characters prove useful vessels, both to propel the flashback sequences forward and to offer sober revisiting in their older incarnations. Tudor does well to keep the reader involved while also keeping large gaps out of the narrative. The guesswork left to the reader is interesting, though there are some nagging aspects that plague the narrative until the final chapters, rectifying an entire story’s worth of confusing in a single reveal. Tudor paces her story well and keeps the reader on edge, only pushing the final piece into place in time for the reader to catch their breath and end the intense novel.

Kudos, Madam Tudor, for another winner. I quite enjoyed this piece and hope others will find as many chills as I did throughout.

Joe Thorne left his village of Arnhill and hoped to never return. An anonymous email and a murder/suicide as well as a need to hide from gambling debts lure him back to confront the past he never truly left behind. A murder, a suicide, and a mysterious pit which still seems to call to not only the weak but those who prey on them has changed the course of many lives and is not done.
CJ Tudor first book “ The Chalk Man” was one of my favorites of 2018 And She does not disappoint with this sophomore effort and this is a must read for all fans of mystery/thriller/horror. Definitely read with the lights on and doors locked and a can of bug spray nearby. Available Feb 2019 and may be The Taking of Annie Thorne.

Creepy with a hint of horror....
Joe Thorne returns to his hometown of Arnhill. A place he swore he would never return. And now, no one is exactly over-joyed to see him back in town. Joe is here looking for answers.
His sister disappeared at the age of 8, and when she returned days later she was never the same…there were others that also came back different.

This is the second book I’ve read by C.J. Tudor. While I wasn’t a huge fan of her previous work, The Chalk Man I was ready to try again. I really wanted to love this one. Unfortunately this book also ended up falling a little flat for me. I do like my thrillers dark but this one went just a bit too far over that line.

Even with an ending that was somewhat shocking, I was still left with too many unanswered questions.
I hope it will work better for you!

A buddy read with Susanne!

Thank you to NetGalley , Crown Publishing and C.J. Tudor for an ARC to read and review.

Joe is a teacher returning to his hometown and the school he went to as a child. He never intended to come back to town, but he’s got some scores to settle. Something happened to Joe’s little sister and he’s determined to get revenge. What exactly did happen to her?

WOW! Talk about a powerful prologue! I had to take a deep breath after reading that one. This book had a little more horror than I had anticipated, but it still held my attention the entire time. This is an intense suspnseful story that you may only want to read in the daytime. I will make a note here: I have not read similar books such as Pet Semetary by Stephen King. A lot of people have compared this book to it, which I wouldn’t know much about. That being said, The Hiding Place is a first of it’s kind for me. The storyline is written like a typical suspense/horror story – nothing too unique. Again, more on the horror side than I wanted. For that, I don’t see myself reading it again.

3.5/5 Stars

This book was dark with an element of science fiction. The prologue grabbed me right away, I'm not sure anyone could read that opening and not be intrigued.

When Joe returns to Arnhill for a teaching job, it gets the town wondering why he came back and his childhood friends are not happy to see him.
There are brief flashbacks to 1992 which gets into the real reasons Joe left, and in the present day we see the real reasons why he came back.

This books dances along the line of thriller and sci-fi horror.
A fast and enjoyable read. It started off slow and then I flew through the last 50%, definitely a page turner.

Sooo….my best advice before cracking the cover is take a deep breath. And prepare to be shoved into the deep end. If the prologue to this book doesn’t grab you, find a mirror. You might be in a coma.

Initially Arnhill seems like a million other small towns. Slightly faded, nothing much to do & everyone knows your business. It’s a place that inspires people to leave which is exactly what Joe Thorne did. But Joe’s reasons were a little more personal. There are 2 time lines that alternate & as the story of his childhood progresses, we become acquainted with the ghosts that drove him away.

So it’s surprising to find him applying for a job at his old high school in the present. Turns out there are a couple of very good reasons. HIs current situation is a little dicey & he urgently needs to make himself scarce. He’s also come to realize you can’t outrun ghosts when they live in your head. It’s time to head back & learn the truth about what happened to his little sister Annie.

If you’ve read The Chalk Man, this may have a familiar ring to it. A guy returns to his home town to face the friends, bullies & trauma of his past. But the similarities end there. This is a decidedly darker story. Where the first book was more mystery/suspense, this one lands squarely in horror territory. But “Sandy” you say, “how icky could it be?” Just wait ’til the bathroom scene (told ya 😏).

The other big difference is Joe himself & the relationships he left behind. His character is nothing like Eddie. Joe is a damaged, cynical man whose main coping strategy is booze. And as we quickly discover, his old school chums have rather firm opinions about his return.

It’s a bit of a slow burner because there’s a lot of back story to establish. Joe’s present day life is complicated & it inevitably catches up with him in Arnhill. The historical story line is chock full of events that only get creepier as we learn what happened to Annie, Joe & others. For me there was a lull in this middle section. I was turning the pages thinking it was a solid read. Then I hit the the last few chapters. And that’s all I’ll say about that. Just know it made me bump up my rating.

The author excels at describing small town life & the grim, claustrophobic setting hangs over the whole story like low storm clouds. The characters are well defined & I was particularly fond of Joe’s colleague Beth Scattergood, a teacher with funky clothes & a gift for sarcasm.

We’re all freaked/grossed out by different stuff so there may be a few scenes that make you check under the bed. Whether or not you’re a horror fan, I bet you’ll keep reading just to find out what happened to Annie Thorne.

English teacher Joe Thorne has returned to his hometown, Arnhill, a village built around a now-closed mine, which he’d vowed to leave forever. He’s used unsavory methods to attain his position; at the same time, few were clamoring to take it as the previous English teacher, Julia Morton, killed her son, Ben, and then herself scandalizing the small town.

Joe learned that young Ben had disappeared shortly before his murder, but he returned changed, acting strangely, smelling foul, and hardly speaking. The same thing happened to Joe’s younger sister when he was fifteen. His return may have something to do with history repeating itself--or with the 30,000 pounds he owes the Fatman for gambling debts. Joe’s old gang, Stephen Hurst, Marie Gibson, and Nick Fletcher certainly aren’t pleased to find he’s returned. Beth Scattergood, the new art teacher, is Joe’s only ally, but she has her own secret reasons for moving to Arnhill.

The Hiding Place alternates between the present day and 1992, when Joe was in high school, to suspensefully unravel the mysteries Joe and his friends are hiding as Joe tries to make good on his debt to the Fatman who has made it clear he is out of chances. Joe himself is a frustrating main character. He is sardonic and thinks himself witty, knowing he is making bad choices as he makes them which is maddening. Beth was my favorite character and I wish the story had more of her! Some of the secondary characters were surprising--a vicious female enforcer, a manipulative cancer patient with a master plan, invisible observers who provide Joe information, and a bully who sacrificed for love.

I don’t want to say to much about the plot, but The Hiding Place obviously draws from classics in the genre in what I believe is a homage rather than a cheap copy and takes a supernatural turn I wasn’t expecting. This part of the novel wasn’t as interesting to me and led to some inconsistencies. More interesting were the relationships among the characters although unfortunately these were secondary to the plot. Many of the characters are bullied, and these scenes are difficult to take, and while no one should have to endure such treatment, the bullied characters are resilient and complex.

Although I didn’t like this as well as CJ Tudor’s previous book The Chalk Man, I did get sucked into it and found it a quick and easy read that I quickly devoured despite its shortcomings.

I absolutely loved The Chalk Man, so I was very excited for the chance to read this. It was good, but it didn’t have the terrifying edge the debut novel had. I was surprised by the twists, and the premise was pretty creepy. The epilogue was very unsettling, in a good way. Good read!

Our main character’s kid sister followed him to the town mines one night and went missing for a couple of days, but she was never the same again. As an adult he gets a message that what happened to Anne is happening again, so he goes back to the place it all began.

This books is full of great banter and dark humor. The main character is like everybody’s 3r cousin on their dad’s side. Never quite getting things right, always getting himself into trouble of some variety or another but great fun to talk to.

The first three quarters of the book was very slow paced. I wasn’t expecting the supernatural thrown in and it took me a while to make the transition from reading mystery to reading mystery\horror. It seemed to take quite a while for the story to gel and not all of the characters and tidbits of Joe’s story came together.

This novel would be of interest to people who enjoy Joe Hill and Stephen King’s works as it was more supernatural mystery than whodunit.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.