This was a creepy, well-paced thriller. I found myself having a hard time putting the book down. The ending was perhaps a bit too twisty to be completely believable, the main "creepy thing" in the book seems lifted almost straight from Pet Sematary, and there is a whole side plot involving the main character owing a gambling debt that felt kind of tacked on and took away from the creep factor of the main plot. On the whole, though, this was an immensely enjoyable book.

"The past isn't real.
It is simply a story we tell ourselves.
And sometimes, we lie."

This is one of those books that you cover your eyes with your hand while still looking through the space between your fingers, saying no, no, no, not that. It can't be THAT!

It only took me a few chapters to start comparing Tudor's writing style to that of Stephen King, and I mean that in the most flattering of ways.

I cannot believe the author is a woman. Now calm down feminists, this is a huge compliment. This story is told exclusively through the POV of a male protagonist and I am astonished at how competently Tudor was able to cultivate this character as if she had lived and breathed in his shoes. This is not an easy feat and one that, more often than not, is not attempted by female writers, and certainly not to this level of proficiency. I'm still not convinced she's not a man.

Once the concluding storyline was revealed, first I gasped and then followed that up with the thought of... wait a minute, I've read this story before (again a nod to Stephen King). But I was wrong. So wrong. The author took things so much further than I could have ever imagined I was left thinking Stephen who?

This a complex, multilayered story with an unreliable narrator that peaked my curiosity from sentence one until the final period of the epilogue.

I'm left wondering why, up until now, I haven't felt compelled to read Tudor's debut novel The Chalk Man, which I promptly corrected by adding to my tbr list upon completion of this book.

Highly recommended to readers that enjoy a dark thriller peppered with moments of complete horror.


I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't even know how to review this book because it was NUTS in the best possible way. Mr. Thorne is a teacher that goes back to his hometown to work at his old school where he needs to work out something that happened to him in high school. You aren't ever really sure if he is a good guy or bad guy and exactly what is happening in the town but when you do, you better hold on. Such a creepy, amazing book that I read in a few hours. If you enjoyed The Chalk Man, run and buy this one.

Almost gave up on this one midway through... glad i stuck to it as it did get better. Loved his Chalk man book so had high hopes for this one. Was an overall good read not an unputdownable one but does deserve a solid 4.

Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of The Hiding Place.

I wasn't a fan of the author's The Chalk Man but I was intrigued by the premise of The Hiding Place.

Joe is a troubled 40-year old English teacher. He is a gambling addict, an alcoholic and he is nursing a limp, thanks to his loan shark's gorgeous, but deadly enforcer.

He seeks refuge in his small hometown, finagling (lying) his way into a position at his old school, in the hopes of righting past wrongs and making amends with his foes (or not). But the past has been waiting for him. Just like his dead sister, Annie.

The premise had hints of the supernatural and horror, which I enjoyed; a creepy mining town, superstitions and small minded townsfolk, all the necessary elements to create a kind of creepy atmosphere.

Joe is seriously screwed up; the deaths of his father and younger sister, Annie, has pretty much shaped the messed up path he has taken since. He is flawed, but not without honesty in regards to his failings and his snarky sense of humor adds a touch of brevity when confronting his past transgressions and the regrets he had in failing his sister.

The enforcer moll character was a bit overhanded, but I could see how she worked with the narrative. Her presence added a necessary touch of urgency to Joe's circumstances; he needs to come to terms with what happened to his sister, Annie, all those years ago in the mine, along with his current predicament.

The problem is that the author ties up all the loose ends, jus a bit too neatly. That would never happen in real life.

Another moment of the inability to suspend disbelief comes at the end when Joe resolves his gambling debts. There is NO WAY that would happen. EVER.

There are various plot twists revealed in the last 20 pages as lies and subterfuge are exposed, but it is up to the reader to decide if its believable or not.

For me, I could suspend disbelief for a moment, just enough to finish the book.

The main character in The Hiding Place is Joe Thorne. He left Arnhill, the town where he grew up a long time ago and had no reason to return. He has never forgotten his younger sister Annie, who vanished when she was eight, but then came home looking the same, but inside, a much different girl. Joe is now a teacher, though not a very successful one with no long-term employment on his resume. He comes home and takes a teaching job when an anonymous email alerts him to some strange occurrences that mirror what happened to Annie. Physically and emotionally, Joe is a wreck, but he realizes he may be the only person who understands all the secrets and lies Arnhill contains, and he has to try and do the right thing for Annie.
I really enjoyed going on Joe's journey as his struggles in the past and present were well written. The setting was creepy, the mystery surrounding what happened to Annie, engaging, and mostly, I hoped Joe could find some resolution and dare I say peace. He is a man who has been carrying a soul-crushing burden for many years and if he can make things right in Arnhill, perhaps he will be on the road to recovery. The supporting characters mirrored those you would encounter in a small town(or any place, really) with the affluent, the bullies, the downtrodden, the alcoholic, and just plain and ordinary good people. There is more than a touch of the supernatural in Arnhill and Casper the Friendly Ghost is not someone Joe expects to meet.
C.J. Tudor's The Chalk Man and The Hiding Place remind me of some of Stephen King's books(The Shining, Doctor Sleep, It, The Talisman, just to name a few). What King doesn't always do is tell a story in one book where the point of view shifts between someone as a child and as an adult. C.J. Tudor is able to write about an adult with let's say an issue, then take us back to a traumatic childhood event. We learn how the past often influences the present and how some things will never really let you go.
I don't know what is harder for an author, publishing their first book or the second. The sophomore slump is such a common term, that I am sure there must be some trepidation in regard to reader reaction(though a debut certainly has its own set of challenges). For me, The Hiding Place was suspenseful and it is a good thing that my Kindle is adept at handling furious page flipping. I do prefer the U.K. cover and title, but underneath, it is the same great book. I look forward to where the author goes next.
I received a DRC from Crown Publishing through NetGalley.

I was completely blown away by C.J. Tudor’s debut novel The Chalk Man, so needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity to read her second novel! The Hiding Place lived up to all of my expectations and blew them right out of the water—my mind is still reeling! C.J. Tudor has an amazing gift in writing brilliantly twisted storylines that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. C.J. had me 100% hooked throughout the entire book—unputdownable! To call The Hiding Place a 5 star read is a massive understatement, this novel combines several genres with many layers that will take you by surprise! I encourage everyone read this book even if psychological thrillers aren’t your norm!

Joe never wanted to come back to Arnhill. After the way things ended with his old gang--the betrayal, the suicide, the murder--and after what happened when his sister went missing, the last thing he wanted to do was return to his hometown. But Joe doesn't have a choice. Because judging by what was done to that poor Morton kid, what happened all those years ago to Joe's sister is happening again. And only Joe knows who is really at fault.

Lying his way into a teaching job at his former high school is the easy part. Facing off with former friends who are none too happy to have him back in town--while avoiding the enemies he's made in the years since--is tougher. But the hardest part of all will be returning to that abandoned mine where it all went wrong and his life changed forever, and finally confronting the shocking, horrifying truth about Arnhill, his sister, and himself. Because for Joe, the worst moment of his life wasn't the day his sister went missing. It was the day she came back.

Creepy, intriguing, heart pounding... These are just some of the words I would use to describe this book! I've read a lot of Psychological Thrillers, but none like this one. I couldn't read fast enough. Loved it!

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheHidingPlace
Pub Date: 05 Feb 2019

C. J. Tudor sure knows how to write a creepy story! This is my second book by this author and loved them both! Horror/thriller, dare I say borderline Steven King(ish) ?!

A mining disaster struck this town decades earlier when 18 men lost their lives in the "pit". Ghost stories and rumors abound over the years which leads to many curious kids trying to find their way in to this mysterious place. Joe returns to his hometown 25 years later determined to get some justice as well as revenge for his little sister who disappeared years before. Friends turned enemies and the past repeating itself..... What does the woman and the boy killed in the cottage have to do with Joe and why would he want to stay where the crime took place?

This author knows how to ramp up the suspense and I love her writing style. I couldn't put it down once I started. Can't wait to see what she comes up with next!
A huge thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

Such a creepy and addictive story! I loved it!! Tudor has once again written a story that will captivate and thrill. Can't wait to read her next book!!

A generally creepy thriller with plenty of horror thrown in. Lots of twists and shocks, a must read for all horror fans.

Well, C.J. Tudor you had me at Hello! I loved The Chalk Man so I was delighted to get approved for this title! And once again she proves she knows her characters and her audience! When Joe returns to his hometown, it's not for a friendly visit but because of some sinister happenings and past secrets that continue to haunt him. And haunt him they do! This novel will have you flapping in the wind like a flag with its twists and turns as it had me saying, "Huh? What just happened?" continually. I also appreciate when a woman can write from a male's perspective (and vice versa) and I found myself wanting to meet Joe with his self-deprecating humor and flawed character. Yes, I did have to remind myself he was a FICTIONAL character! That's how good Tudor is! And while I'm not always a fan of supernatural elements, in this case it all works. Bravo!

They say you can’t go home again. Or can you? Tudor’s second novel, like her first, is a journey through the dark foggy English countryside and coming face to face with childhood terrors decades later. An absolutely terrific thriller, this book explores returning to the scene of childhood nightmares, a small fading mining town where the mines have been closed as they became too dangerous to work, although every schoolkid searches for a way into the mysteries of the earth.

It is the story of broken people too haunted by their pasts to deal with their present. Joe returns to Arnhill 25 years later, taking a teaching job at his old prep school based on a false recommendation, determined to exact revenge on the town bully who still lords it over his old town. He’s determined to bring justice to his sister who disappeared in a mine, only to return broken, twisted, insane. To bring justice to a boy whose death in a small cabin rocked the town like an earthquake. He’s not sure what he’s doing back there, but he’s got debts he can’t pay and a bone breaking collector is on his heels and he knows the dirty secrets that might be worth $30,000 to be kept as secrets.

Most of all, this thriller is about returning to a haunted past and trying to make things right that never were and never will be. The atmosphere is dark, gloomy, oppressive, but this book like The Chslk Man is absorbing from the first page all the way through. Great stuff!

Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

The unattainable.........

Those things beyond reach in life, never designated as ours.

Joe Thorne knows this wrong-end-of-the-stick phenomenon since the early days of his youth. The pieces of life's puzzle just don't seem to fit together. But something is drawing him back to his hometown. Arnhill in Nottinghamshire is just about the last place he'd like to hang his hat. Too many bad vibes and too many heavy memories that wind their way into your dreams at night like odorous trickles of swamp water.

But Joe is leaving behind a questionable past from the last school that he taught at. A bit of creativity in his resume will most assuredly secure him a position at Arnhill Academy........that and the fact that the Academy is desperate to fill an opening left by the previous teacher who was found dead along with her son in the very cottage that Joe will be renting. Joe will be telling y'all about those spiffy accommodations soon.

The town of Arnhill has been plagued with many misfortunes that linger from the past. Back in 1949 a mining disaster took the lives of 18 men in "The Pit". The regional stories in the local pubs conjure up many a ghost story that take on a life of their own.

And Joe has his own personal bag of phantoms from the past. He'll be tossing back quite a few at the pub after school hours. But it's never enough to drown out the loss of his little sister, Annie. And you'll be wanting to know the mind-boggling details that won't be surfacing until much later.

C.J. Tudor has a remarkable writing style that snaps you up and brings you right in the midst of shifting sands. Just when you think you know......you most certainly don't. For those of you who have read The Chalk Man, you realize this full out.

But The Hiding Place absorbs the darkness surrounding it. It is on a far different plane than The Chalk Man. There was a true camaraderie of friends uplifting one another in her previous novel. This one dabbles in the dark underbelly of treacherous individuals engaging in treacherous acts. There's almost a Stephen King flavor added to this electrified punch. Quirky dialogue, topped with humor, always finds its way into Tudor's writing. She's a master. "Nuff said.

I received a copy of The Hiding Place through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to the talented C.J. Tudor and to Crown Publishing for the opportunity.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC of this novel.

I finished this in less then 24 hours ! Let’s just say I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night .

This is a multidimensional story with a few subplots that all tie in together at the end. Although I do feel like there were some questions left unanswered, and perhaps a little too much of the supernatural for my liking. Overall though I really enjoyed the novel and would highly recommend it.

I enjoyed Tudor’s Chalk Man, and I immediately picked up this ARC. The suspense kept building from the first few pages with the mystery of why Joe would return to teach at a place with such unhappy memories for him.

I can’t say I’m completely satisfied with the ending since good and bad aren’t as clearly defined as some stories. I’d still recommend this to patrons who enjoy a good thriller.

The Hiding Place is a terrible title for this. In the U.K. it is known as The Taking of Annie Thorne, which makes more sense.

Either way this was a fantastic engrossing thriller. I started reading it and then couldn't put it down, staying up until the wee hours of the morning to see how it ended. Highly recommend this if you like thrillers with a little bit of supernatural thrown in.

Very creepy book, enjoyed the ending with the twists. Several quirky characters to really get into and generally good thriller. Read the chalk man and was excited to see the second book was equally good.

Thanks NetGalley for the preview.

Another great book by C.J. Tudor! A mystery, a thriller, a tale of the supernatural? It's all of this and more and I loved it. This author is becoming a favorite.

Imagine having to return to the place where your life fell apart, the place where your worst nightmare came true. Joe has returned to his hometown, not because he wants to, but because another child has disappeared, just like his sister did all those years ago. Determined to stop innocent children from being savaged, Joe gets a teaching job at the local school. Facing his old friends and neighbors and the places where he used to hang out are awful, but returning to the old mine where the nightmare began is almost unbearable. When a child goes missing, what’s worse, never knowing what happened to them, or knowing the gut wrenching truth? Don’t plan on doing anything at all after you start this book, because you aren’t going anywhere. Tudor is a master at suspense and pushing her readers to their limits