The Other People tells the story of Gabe and the search for his daughter. The police and his family members claim she is dead but he swears she is still alive and will stop at nothing to find her. This one was a bit of a weird ride. It reminded me a bit of The Chain in some ways and I liked that aspect of it. It’s told from multiple viewpoints and at times I found this a bit distracting. I kept trying to figure out how everything was connected and had trouble staying with the storyline at times. There were also some “supernatural” I guess you would say, aspects to this and I felt they weren’t properly explained. Or at least not to my satisfaction.

I couldn’t put this one down! A wild ride from the first page to the last that had many surprises. This was the type of story that really made me think, “could this really happen?” and I truly believe that it’s possible (which adds to the creepy factor). This is the type of book that starts out somewhat confusing and eventually all of the pieces fall into place perfectly. I don’t want to say much about the plot because I feel that it’s best to go into this one knowing as little as possible. I definitely recommend this book, I read it in one sitting.

I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and Random House to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own

See goodreads for my review of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to preview the galley and provide feedback.

This was a fast paced page turner. There was twist after twist! I had to know what the connection was to Izzy and if she was still alive. While some of the twists are a bit predictable if you are a mystery/thriller fan it doesn’t take away from the story and there are still a few twists I didn’t see coming. I enjoyed this one!

"𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻'𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲. 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀." -𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝗝 𝗧𝘂𝗱𝗼𝗿
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Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for my copy!
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Review: 4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I saw this book posted by @crimebythebook in November and once I saw Abby’s post, I knew I had to get my hands on this one! It was creepy, unsettling and twisty. While it took me a while to enjoy the pace, the eventual ties coming together really had me turning each page wanting more. Highly recommend for my friends that are psychological thriller fans!
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Driving home one night, stuck behind a rusty old car, Gabe sees a little girl’s face appear in its rear window. She mouths one word: Daddy. It’s his five-year-old daughter, Izzy. He never sees her again.
Three years later, Gabe spends his days and nights traveling up and down the highway, searching for the car that took his daughter, refusing to give up hope, even though most people believe she’s dead.
When the car that he saw escape with his little girl is found abandoned with a body inside, Gabe must confront not just the day Izzy disappeared but the painful events from his past now dredged to the surface.
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#bookreview #bookobsessed #bookphoto #booksofinsta #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #bookaddict #currentlyreading #thriller #suspense #bookaddict #charlottesville #cville #bookphotography #readersofinstagram #goodreads #lovebooks #bibliophile #bookrecommendations #bookish #booksharks #booksparks #qotd #cjtudor #theotherpeople

This book was fast paced and a fun ride throughout. There were so many threads and perspectives that the author expertly weaved together. For a long time I had no idea what was going on, but still couldn't put the book down. Then things start getting revealed and I just had to know how it all ended.

I was all set to give this one 5 stars, but I didn't end up liking how the supernatural elements fit into the story. Overall, though, this thriller was really entertaining.

My review is posted on Goodreads and will be on my Youtube channel (Cozy Reader Kelly) by February 7.

Imagine that while driving home one night, you notice what looks like your daughter in the back of an unknown vehicle. Would you pull over and call home to check on your family or follow the vehicle?
When Gabe pulls over to call his wife, he learns she has just been murdered, along with his daughter Izzy. But wait, didn’t he just see her in that car?

After years of driving around, constantly searching, Gabe discovers the existence of the mysterious Other People. They offer their “services” to anyone who asks but can only be found on the dark web if you know exactly what you’re searching for. If you ask for help, they require a favor in return. So who are these Other People and did they take Izzy? Will Gabe ever see his daughter again or was he mistaken on that fateful night?

Thank you Random House for giving me a copy in return for an honest review.
This story is told from multiple perspectives which I enjoy. It started out promising and I never considered not finishing. However, I was unsatisfied with some aspects that were never explained. Like what was up with those mirrors breaking and why would Alice aka Izzy find random pebbles when she woke up from her narcoleptic episodes? I’m sure it has something to do with Isabella and her fondness of the beach. Speaking of the girl, no the 37 year old woman in a coma, why and how did she have that unexplainable connection to Izzy? I didn’t understand the scene where Isabella and/or Izzy seemed to have short-lived supernatural abilities that ended up preventing Miriam from killing Gabe. That whole scene was out of place. I didn’t care for the twists involving the Samaritan and Fran at the end. Overall was not impressed and wouldn’t recommend.

I’m a day late for this one’s pub day since I’ve been crazy busy with work 😓


I really really liked this one! This is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 in my book! It started a bit slow for me, but once I picked up on the fact that all of these characters were connected, I was hooked on trying to unravel the mystery of The Others and how everyone was linked. I really enjoyed the subtle clues and comments throughout the alternating perspectives that alluded to different characters, and I felt like this book kept me on my toes with paying attention to these clues in understanding their connections to one another. 🧐


The reason it wasn’t a 5 in my book was because I just couldn’t get with the paranormal vibes in this one. Which is pretty disappointing because my last read book had serious paranormal vibes that worked so well in it! In The Other People I just felt like it wasn’t necessary, or perhaps I just didn’t get it in this one. Either way, this book was so different and really kept me thinking, which I love in a book! 👍🏼👍🏼 Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for this advanced reader edition!

Chills.

This book was incredible. I stayed invested through the entire thing, all the connections and overlaps made it even more immersive. The characters were in depth and easy to understand, everything was explained even if it took time to figure out. This was wonderful and I’m very interested in the authors other books, I already was but this was my first by her. Even more so now I know I’ll be picking up the others. Fingers crossed this becomes a movie or tv show.

No other author I’ve read before manages to write quite like C. J. Tudor does, she blends a classic thriller with just a hint of the supernatural and she freaking knocks it out of the park every single time for me. If I had to describe her books in one word it would definitely be creepy, there is always a sense of menace and something sinister at play in all of her books and this was no exception.

As much as this made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up there was also an emotional component here that raised the stakes even higher. You have a father at the end of his rope, his despair and desperation was a palpable thing and the combination of a twisty thriller, the emotional connection to the characters and the spooky unknown stuff at play made this one a true page turner. In a time when most thrillers feel stale and frankly bore me to death, this one was a breathe of fresh air for me. All of the authors books are solid reads and this one is too!

I was given a copy of The Other People by C.J. Tudor by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Last fall I read another book by Tudor called The Chalk Man and loved it. When I saw Tudor’s latest novel pop up on Netgalley, I knew I had to get it. Tudor’s writing style is so ridiculously compelling. I was almost immediately drawn into the story. I couldn’t put this book down. I kept finding excuses to read just one more chapter. Gabe seemed like such a sympathetic protagonist. I want to know what happened with what he saw. Was it real? Guilt? Is he crazy? Tudor did a wonderful job in laying so many twists and turns that seemed totally natural. Things at times would just turn and be batshit crazy and I’d just have to pause and take it in. The story was so complex I’d have to stop and figure out what was going on between the lines. I loved the ending just like I always do with her books. Tudor is now an autobuy author for me. I’m so happy to have read this.

WOW. This book left me virtually speechless. After reading "The Chalk Man," I had high expectations for C.J. Tudor but after just fishing this wild ride, my brain hurts, I'm exhausted, and totally blown away.. I spent the first 50% of this book being completely confused. The storyline switched back and forth between Gabe, Katie, and Fran, and I couldn't seem to keep everything straight or understand how they were all related. But after finishing, I realize that was exactly the point. Midway through I thought to myself "this is either going to end up being completely amazing, or total shit," and I'm so glad I stuck it out. This story has so many twists and turns that I never saw coming, and it kept me guessing up until the very end. Tudor wraps things up beautifully, intertwining all of the characters and tales in a nearly perfect explanation, that still leaves just enough room for disbelief. Stellar novel, a thriller like no other I've read before. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy of this book!

You know that book where you think it's going to be a straightforward thriller but it ends up being a little more? But you don't quite know how to describe it? That's this book. VERY SLIGHT SPOILER AHEAD! This book for me is kind of like The Chain by Adrian McKinty meets Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. It's a thriller that has a just a drop of magical realism. Which is probably why I didnt rate this 4 stars. PS Magical realism just isn't my thing.

I enjoyed this book, but I felt it was a tad drawn out with the last few final pieces of the puzzle being thrown in during the last 5-10% of the book. I saw the identities if the characters and their connections coming from a mile away. I do think that the author was purposely making it obvious of the connections, though.

Overall, good read. Not great, but I definately enjoyed it.

3.5 stars

*Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

5⭐

Finally my first foray into a novel by C.J. Tudor and I certainly was not disappointed. I devoured this book in two days and loved every minute of it.

Gabe is driving home and he’s shocked when he sees his little girl Izzy in the back window of a car on the road. He starts to pursue the vehicle, can’t catch it in traffic and finally decides it can’t be her, she’s home with her Mom. But when he pulls off to call home he hears the news that his wife Jenny is dead and Izzy is too. No one believes him that he could have possibly seen his daughter in this car. Gabe spends the next three years driving night and day searching for the car, “sticker guy” because of all the crazy bumper stickers all over the back of it, and for his daughter he knows has to be out there.

“People say hate and bitterness will destroy you. They’re wrong. It’s hope. Hope will devour you from the inside like a parasite. It will leave you hanging like bait above a shark. But hope won’t kill you. It’s not that kind.”

Fran is also on the run on the roadways with her little girl Alice who suffers terrifying bouts of narcolepsy. But she’s running from people to protect their lives because she knows what these people are really capable of.

“She glanced at Alice. She was staring out the window, a familiar lost look in her eyes as she fumbled with the bag on her lap. Clickety-clack. Clickety-clack. The shell from the bath had disappeared, added to Alice’s collection. Where did they come from? she thought again. Who was the girl on the beach, and what did she want? “The Sandman was coming.” Why did that phrase seem so damn ominous?

Add in the fascinating and mysterious man known by The Samaritan, who seems to be helping Gabe in his search for clues about Izzy’s disappearance. As well as Katie, a single mother and waitress at one of the service stations who sees Gabe like clockwork during his cycle of stops for coffee. Oh and yes, of course- The Other People, the ones who help people find justice when something tragic happens to them, no matter the cost.

“We fulfill all requests.”

A really terrific mash up of mystery, thriller and horror without a dull moment. Once again in a January, I can see this being one of my top reads of the year. I’m also extra happy I holiday gifted myself the author’s earlier books, The Chalk Man and The Hiding Place. Already snuck them way up higher into my rotation to tear into as soon as I have a night here and there, looking forward to them even more now.

*My thanks to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an ARC copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Gabe is late getting home, stuck in traffic and reading the bumper stickers of the car in front of him when suddenly he sees his own daughter in the back. Three years later, he is looking for that car. Driving up and down the motorway, stopping at every service station, handing out flyers. To people like Katie. Katie is a waitress whose family was torn apart by tragedy years ago. Fran is on the run with Alice. They have to avoid an unknown threat. The Other People. They somehow bring them all together.

The best part of this was guessing the connections, and then revising those guesses as you read. I love a book with twists and turns that are not all obvious or so far out as to be unbelievable, opportunist, and manipulative. Another great CJ Tudor.

Dark and very creepy. A total nail biter. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review..

Gabe is late coming home one night. While stuck in traffic, a rusty car cuts in front of him with a little girl in the window that looks just like his daughter, Izzy. Gabe even believes that she mouths the word Daddy as she looks back at him. Distressed, he attempts to follow the car, but ends up losing it in traffic. When he calls home to check in with his wife someone he doesn’t know answers the phone. It’s a police officer saying that he needs to get home immediately and that his wife and daughter have been killed.

Fran and her daughter, Alice, have been on the road for months. They are on the run from someone, but Alice doesn’t know who. Constantly living in a state of fear, the mother and daughter can never feel comfortable. One day Fran is confident someone has arrived at their door bringing danger. It seems that the danger for Fran is linked to Gabe’s tragedy and a group known as The Other People.

C.J. Tudor’s debut novel, THE CHALK MAN, blew me away. When I heard the premise of THE OTHER PEOPLE I knew I needed to read it. I went into this book largely blind to the synopsis, which I think is honestly one of the best moves a reader can make.

Tudor alternates the narration of THE OTHER PEOPLE between events happening in Gabe and Fran’s lives, as well as some additional viewpoints. These two main characters seem completely unrelated, but as you get to know them better and tag along with the events happening in their day to day, Tudor provides pieces to the puzzle and their connection. I love how subtle Tudor is in her delivery of hints for not only the connection between these characters, but also to the truth of their lives. Gabe and Fran are both hiding secrets that have shaped the outcomes of their lives, but what those secrets are is not clear from the beginning. I will say that I was able to guess a lot of what was revealed, but I didn’t feel like that took away from the story for me. I actually felt reading this book like I was solving a puzzle and it was rewarding to guess correctly.

One of the elements to Tudor’s writing that I’ve come to appreciate after reading two books by her is the multifaceted dimensions she gives her characters. The reader can truly feel the development of each of them coming into their full personality through things like revelations from the past. This character development helps to make the interactions between individuals throughout the story feel genuine and realistic. The reader has an easier time understanding why certain decisions are made, which makes the entire story flow smoother.

I absolutely enjoyed the creepy, unsettling vibes that THE OTHER PEOPLE possesses. This book is by no means something I would put down as horror, but there are definitely things that made me think in this book. I was very unsettled by the feeling that every action you make could have irreparable consequences and bring harm to others seeking revenge. The manner in which this is done in this story made me judge myself and ponder what I would do in other’s shoes.

I highly recommend THE OTHER PEOPLE to anyone who is a lover of the crime fiction, mystery, and thriller genres! This book is incredibly bingeable and downright entertaining!

A huge thank you to Random House for sending me a free copy of this book!

Brilliant! I went into this book excited to read another thriller, even more so because it was written by the same author of The Chalk Man, which I thoroughly enjoyed. There is a particular scene in it (The Chalk Man) that I wish I could erase from my brain (it made me squeamish), but it was memorable.
The Other People started off with a bang and didn’t let up until the very end. Oh, what a twisted web we weave! I wasn’t sure if this was some thriller with paranormal elements or what was going to come of everything happening. But, I was fully along for the ride. Literally, in Gabe’s camper van untangling the mystery right along with him. There were several surprises though-out and I caught myself a few times saying, “What the heck is going on?” I was upset, angry and empathetic to what the characters felt, their reasons for doing things they did or living like they had. Frustrated at not having answers, frustrated with answers yet blown away by the puzzle itself. I have to say this is my favorite book of this author’s. This is story telling at its finest and I’m so thankful to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for providing an ARC copy to review.

Awesome and heart pounding. This well written story will keep you happily reading late into the night. Pick up this winner of a book. Happy reading!

Just over two years ago, I read and enjoyed Tudor's debut novel, so I was looking forward to reading this one as soon as I heard about it. And wow - what an opener this one has!!! Gabe is running late on his way home and looks up in a traffic jam to see a distinctive station wagon covered in stickers - and his own young daughter in the back, waving at him. He calls home and his wife isn't the one who answers the phone... The narrative then skips forward three years, where Gabe is a ghost of himself, haunted by grief and relentlessly searching the motorways for that car, his daughter... This jump in time also widens the cast of characters to include a concerned service station waitress and also Fran, a woman with a young child on the run from an unknown threat. Immediately the book raises a lot of questions and combined with the spooky atmosphere, this one is hard to put down!

For the most part, Tudor provides answers without ever slowing down the pace. I definitely could not put this one down at all. I stayed up late to finish this in just one sitting. But I had to know not only what happened, but why! Some of the plot's twists were easy to coming, but there are some real surprises there too! It does rely on a few coincidences, but I was so swept into the story that this didn't bother me at all. And I liked the supernatural angle, too - this book actually reminded me a bit of John Connolly's Charlie Parker series in a lot of ways. I thoroughly enjoyed this and am happy that my TBR stack also includes her second novel - and I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for more from her in the future!