You know I really mucked this review up. Of course, I gobbled up The Other People like I was fricken cookie monster after a stint in cookie rehab. And then I got hella lazy from eating such a big, delicious cookie. And now here I am two months after I’ve read the story trying to write a review. So I’m making a short list on why others should check this out. Translation: Mostly, I will be stating a lot of the obvious. It is CJ Tudor after all!

1. CJ Tudor published her first novel in 2018. She is pretty fresh to this whole author thing. And yet I will literally name my first child Rumpelstiltskin if it means getting an ARC of anything she writes.

2. Have you read her Goodreads bio? I mean she is one cool ask chick!

3. The concept of The Other People is so delicious and disturbing. Like I want to write Tudor a personal email begging her to create a sequel because she basically teased the hell out of readers with this. And I demand justice!

4. You’ve read the whole “a kid gets kidnapped and Mom or Dad will never see them again” trope about 10 million times. And yet, Tudor manages to make it original as hell with her special blend of herbs and spices. I mean is this lady magic? Or did she sell her soul to the devil? Either way, don’t ever stop sacrificing to the cauldron and f*** a soul!

5. Last reason: Treat Yo’ Self! This is damn good and entertaining.

So there you have it. A review containing little to no information. While total re-enforcing the idea that your life will not be complete until you’ve read this.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the read!

Gabe is driving down the road following a vehicle covered with bumpter stickers. He sees a young girl looking out the rear window who mouths "Daddy" and realizes it is his 5-year-old daughter, Izzy, and then she is gone. Gabe does not give up hopes of finding Izzy and travels this road trying to find her for 3 years. Another woman and her daughter, Fran and Alice, are trying flee from people who want to harm them. A waitress sees him and knows his story and nicknames him "the thin man." This isn't the usual type of book that I frequently read but I did enjoy it. Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for the ARC of this very interesting and suspenseful book in exchange for an honest review.

Gabe is driving home from work when he notices the blond child in the car ahead of him. It's his 5 year old daughter, Izzy, ... he never sees her again.

Three years later, he lives in his van and he cruises the roads day and night looking for the car, even though most people believe that his daughter died the same night his wife was murdered.

He gets help from a man known only as the Samaritan. And that leads to a website .. the deep dark web. What Gabe discovers is worse than any night terror he's ever had.

And there's one person out there who knows the truth ... she knows who is responsible. And she knows what they will do if they ever catch up to her.

This is a terrifying psychological thriller with a great deal of suspense and twists and turns that resemble a roller coaster ride. It's a real page turner from the very start to the very unexpected ending.

Many thanks to the author / Random House - Ballantine / Netgalley for the digital copy of this gripping story. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Gabe is on his way home when he sees his daughter in the back of a strange car. Shaken and confused, he calls home and a detective answers urging him to come home immediately. When he learns his wife and daughter were murdered in a brutal home invasion, Gabe refuses to believe his daughter his dead and devotes his life to finding her.

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

Is Gabe’s daughter really alive or has he lost touch with reality?

“...you can only button yourself inside that chemical straitjacket for so long before you realize that your jailer is you and there is only one way of release.”

Though the story takes place in the present, multiple narrators share a detailed and well developed history full of premonitions to weave the story and develop the characters.

The Other People by C. J. Tudor was a wonderful read! My first book by this author, it has left me aching to read more from her. The book was fast paced from the first page until the very end of the book.

When Gabe is driving home from work one night he sees a little girl appear in the window of the car in front of him and recognizes his own daughter. When he gets home he is told that his wife and daughter have been murdered. Unwilling to accept this, and not believed by the police, he spends the next three years driving the same road he saw her on, never giving up his search.

From here the story splits into three narratives. With this style of story, the big payoff is always seeing how the three narratives will eventually connect, and this book does an excellent job of connecting the characters. Some of the connections I could see coming, but some shocked me to my core. All of them kept me completely entertained.

The author tied up most of the loose ends, but there were still some unknowns in the end. Normally this would bother me, but the major questions were answered and the unknowns made me think about what the really important part of the story was. In the end, this is one of the best suspense/mystery/thriller books I have read in a long time and I hope to read more from this author in the future.

📖 BOOK REVIEW⠀📚
BOOK: The Other People
AUTHOR: C.J. Tudor
@cjtudorauthor
Stars: 🦌🦌🦌🦌
Published: January 23, 2020
Purchase on Amazon https://amzn.to/2t6e5EM

This is one of the (almost) perfect thrillers I have read this year. It follows the story of 3 different characters with trauma in their life and how their stories connect. It was riveting, deep, and a wonderfully engaging read. My only critique is that there was a small plot point that wasn’t exactly explained as best as it could be. But other than that, I whole heartedly agree. Watch my video review (on Youtube and IGTV) for more on my thoughts!

Short Synopsis (abbreviate from Goodreads):
Three years ago, Gabe saw his daughter taken. In the back of a rusty old car, covered in bumper stickers. He was driving behind the car. He watched her disappear. But no one believes him. Most people believe that his daughter, and wife, are dead. For a while, people believed that Gabe was responsible.
Three years later and Gabe cannot give up hope. Even though he has given up everything else. His home, his job, his old life. He spends his days and nights travelling up and down the motorway, sleeping in his camper van in service stations, searching for the car that took her. Searching for his daughter.
Katie spends a lot of her life in service stations, working as a waitress. She often sees Gabriel, or 'the thin man' as she has nicknamed him. She knows his story. She feels for him, because Katie understands what it's like to lose a loved one. Nine years ago, her father was murdered. It broke her family apart. She hasn't seen her oldest sister since the day of the funeral; the day she did something terrible.
Fran and her daughter, Alice, put in a lot of miles on the motorway. Not searching. But running. Trying to keep one step ahead of the people that want to hurt them. Because Fran knows the truth. She knows what really happened to Gabe's daughter. She knows who is responsible. And she knows that if they ever find them, they're dead.
*****
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from Netgalley.

Unfortunately, this one did not work out for me. I'm not sure why. The reader gets propelled straight into the action, which normally I enjoy but in this case felt a bit jarring. I was having a hard time understanding where the plot was going and if it was mystery or supernatural, or a combination of the two. I am burnt out on books with little kids that are maybe being haunted (Imaginary Friend, etc.) so I think this is just a case of this is probably good for others but not for me. Is it terrible to say that I didn't care about the man's quest to figure out what happened to his family?

My face the whole time I read The Other People: 😳. I was completely enthralled from the get go and could not put this down! I was also entirely creeped out and was casting furtive looks around my dark yard while letting my dog out. This is a paranormal, psychological, suspense, mystery, family drama thriller. Yep, you read that right! It’s like the author was trying to see how many genres she could fit in one book. And surprisingly- it works! This was a wild ride from the start and a total head scratcher. The Other People was unique, creepy, and completely captivating! The end got a little muddled for me but overall, this was a 4⭐️ read. Thank you @randomhouse for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Loving an author’s first book can be a gift and a curse. Discovering a new author is wonderful but I tend to measure all subsequent books released by the author against the first book. Creating an unfair standard which is almost impossible for the author to meet. Tudor’s latest release The Other People did not manage to dethrone The Chalkman as my favorite but it is a close second.

Three years ago while driving home, Gabe Forman got stuck behind a rusty old car, covered in bumper stickers. Through the car’s rearview mirror a little girls appears, his five year old daughter Izzy. Initially he believes he is mistaken; however he is disturbed by the little girl’s resemblance to his own daughter. Gabe calls home to make sure his family is OK. They are not and Izzy has disappeared. Three years later, Gabe now drives the highways in search of the rusty sticker covered car and his daughter. This is not the first time tragedy has struck Gabe. Is his daughter’s disappearance a result of a random tragedy or has Gabe’s past come back to haunt him?

I love a flawed character and Tudor does flawed characters extremely well. In every book I have read by Tudor she has created a character who behaves in an unscrupulous manner but I still found a portion of their character to like. In fact I grew to even cheer for the character in spite of their questionable behavior. Authors who are able to make a reader feel such strong and extremely different emotions are rare. Tudor does this flawlessly.

I am extremely critical of crime fiction books with a supernatural element. In some cases the mystic element takes over the entire story; overshadowing the central mystery. However Tudor was able to strike the perfect balance between a ghost story and crime fiction. The mystic aspect links all of the characters together, in a unique and enthralling manner.

It is extremely hard for me to believe The Other People is Tudor’s third novel. The writing has a seasoned and engaging quality. Tudor is an author to watch, her storytelling evolving as she incorporates different types of fiction (horror/ghost) into her books. I am so excited to find out what else Tudor has in store for readers.

Murder and Moore Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars

C.J. Tudor has done it again with The Other People—another twisty, creepy, suspenseful page-turner that leaves your gut wrenched and heart pounding. This is her third novel, and like the others, it is a dark psychological thriller, stark and raw in its honesty and emotion in the face of life’s harsh realities, yet it also leaves something scratching at the back of your mind, teasing at the possibility of something more supernatural and sinister at play.

The story begins with an introduction to our protagonist Gabe, an overworked husband and father who recognizes deep down that his time away is likely hurting his relationship with his wife Jenny and their young daughter Izzy. It’s the reason he made a solemn promise to his family that he would be home early that day, and yet it appears the bumper-to-bumper traffic in the rush-hour commute is about to make a liar out of him—again. To take his mind off the time and his frustration, Gabe turns his attention to reading the gaudy bumper stickers on the rusty old junk bucket in front of him, but then notices the face of a small, frightened child suddenly appear in its rear window. It is only a brief flash, but Gabe would recognize the girl anywhere, with her pigtails and bright eyes and the gap in her mouth from a recently lost tooth. It’s his five-year-old daughter Izzy. And the last he sees of her is in the back of that old car, mouthing one word: “Daddy.”

Fast forward a few years and Gabe is alone and the life he once knew is gone—shattered the day he saw that car drive off with Izzy. Unable to give chase due to the horrendous traffic, he had returned home to find police crawling all over his house, telling him his wife and daughter had been murdered in a burglary. But Gabe was sure he saw Izzy that day, in spite of what witnesses and the coroner’s report might say. He knew his little girl had to be alive and was still somewhere out there, waiting to be found. He vowed he would never give up until he found her, and so he spends his days driving up and down that same stretch of highway, hoping to catch a glimpse of that car with its bumper stickers that has haunted his dreams every day for the last three years. Eventually, his search does bear fruit—though perhaps not the kind he wanted. Vague hints lead him to the dark corners of the internet, where he learns of a group who call themselves The Other People. If you’ve lost a loved one, The Other People claim, they can help. All they ask for is a favor in return.

As always, the draw of Tudor’s novels is the way they hook you so thoroughly. It always starts with the characters, who have deeply complex backgrounds, but sometimes the whole truth isn’t made clear until much later. This was definitely the case with The Other People. We have Gabe, a tortured soul who tragically lost his family, and the only thing that gives him reason to go on is the belief that his daughter is still alive. Everyone else has given up on him, dismissing his obsession as a symptom of his grief and delusion. I won’t lie, the author’s books tend towards darkness, with an atmosphere of hopelessness and despair. I felt Gabe’s pain like a gut punch, especially as a parent. It was easy to sympathize because he was so desperate, dejected, and broken. Then there was Kate, a waitress at a service station diner he frequently stops by on his drives up and down the motorway. Kate herself is a stressed out single mom working long hours to make ends meet. She’s also lonely and unhappy, but she sees how Gabe is and hopes that one day he will find what he’s looking for. And finally, there is Alice, whom we know the least about. She and her mom Fran are on the run from something, but she’s never told what. All Alice knows is that they must remain hidden, and that’s why they’ve moved from place to place, never setting down roots anywhere, for as long as she can remember.

And that brings us to the other aspect of C.J. Tudor’s books that make them so riveting: the mystery. It digs itself into your skin and settles into your bones. You keep turning the pages because you just need to know what everything is building up to—the whys, whats, and hows. Why are Alice and Fran on the run? What exactly did Gabe witness in the car that day? How could he have seen Izzie if she had been murdered, as the police say? And of course, the biggest mystery of all: Who are The Other People? The pieces of this puzzle will fall into place eventually, but on the journey to this point there will be questions upon questions to keep you guessing. I’m deliberately being vague to avoid revealing any spoilers, but what I will say is this: all the characters have secrets, and the things they’ve done in the past will be the key. Layer by layer, the narrative will reveal the truth behind all the years of lies and deceit.

All told, I highly recommend The Other People if you enjoy darkly clever psychological thrillers tinged with just a slight hint of supernatural horror. If you’re a fan of C.J. Tudor previous novels, there’s also a good chance you’ll like this one too. I love how they’ve all been quite different in terms of premise and plot, but the amazing characters along with the delicious atmosphere that infuses all her work is what keeps me coming back to her stories.

3.5 stars.
likes:
- I loved the "is it supernatural/is it not" aspect
- was super engaging at first
- the Other People concept is really interesting & different

dislikes:
- although I really liked the supernatural aspect at first, I didn't love where this storyline went
- this hooked me from the beginning but as it went on it felt really slow to me
- I wish the Other People concept was explored more - I think it could have went darker & more in depth to it
- the ending felt a bit messy to me, like it wasn't really well thought out and some things I'm still confused by

overall, I did enjoy this & would recommend!

Rating: 2.5

I felt like I was reading a weird Netflix thriller. I would've probably enjoyed it a lot more if I actually was. It was really slow and boring and I lost interest at around 15%. Also, I'm not really sure if this is a spoiler or not but I was expecting just a normal thriller, not a thriller with a scifi twist. So that was a little confusing and disappointing for me.

Most people seem to love this book, so I definitely think that if it interests you at all you should give it a try.

Ordinarily i would call this a just a very good mystery/suspense, but there is more creeping underneath the story. When you really think about it, maybe there are groups like the Others. I recommend this book for readers looking for a very good mystery with a twist of something scary and possible out there.

The Other People grips your attention immediately. Gabe is on his way home when he thinks he sees his daughter in the back seat of the car in front of him. What happens from that point on is beyond imagination. The author puts together a story so well intertwined. Does fate or karma or just bad luck drive your destiny or is there other people who take over. The author also delves into the age old question " what would you do for revenge".

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC...very much appreciated.

What would you do if you’re driving down the road and you see what appears to be your little girl in the car in front of you? Only it can’t be her, she’s at home with your wife. Or is she?? This is a gripping thriller unlike anything I’ve ever read and there are so many twists and turns, I wasn’t sure what to think. It’s 3 different story lines and they go back and forth and I was getting a bit confused but I kept going. It all comes together at the end. I found I could not put it down and just wanted to finish it as fast as I could. Wow! What a book! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

Another knockout from CJ Tudor. A first purchase for collections where thrillers and his previous titles are popular.

So this wasn’t as good as Chalk Man and I had high expectations after that; still haven’t read the book before this and will do that at some point. This had a great premise and seemed promising but there really wasn’t much emphasis on ‘the other people” and it became predictable 😓

I still love CJ Tudor’s writing but this wasn’t up to par with Chalk Man. Still a very readable and twisty book so don’t let my opinion bother you.

Thanks to NetGalley, CJ Tudor and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book started off strong for me and kept me guessing a majority of the time, but the supernatural element of the story felt totally out of place. I could imagine something like this happening like this in real life minus the crazy supernatural stuff. Just no.

And then to bring in the "privilege" element? Big eye roll.

The things I did like about this book though were the mystery and suspense factors which created a bit of anxiety to keep me reading to find out what really had happened.

I do plan on reading this author's book The Chalk man because I have heard good things.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book prior to publication.

Another suspenseful, twisty and unputdownable story by one of my favorite authors. A dark touch of creepiness and cliff-hanging chapter endings propelled me to keep reading for hours at a time to get to what turned out to be an intense and satisfying ending. Seeing the oft-used word ‘clickity-clack’ brought shivers down my spine. I simply cannot get enough of this author!


*will post in online venues upon publication. Great, great, story.

This book starts off on a strong note, hooking the reader in immediately. Gabe is on the highway going home when he is caught in traffic behind a rusty, old car. The face of a little girl appears in the back window and she looks eerily identical to his daughter Izzy. She mouths the word “daddy” to him and the car speeds off, leaving Gabe confused and bewildered. He knows his daughter is safe at home with his wife, but unsuccessfully chases the car regardless because of an instinctual feeling that something is wrong. He calls home and a detective picks up the phone letting him know that his wife and daughter have been murdered in their own home. He is too broken to formally identify them, leaving the task to his father-in-law.

Because he saw his daughter’s face in the window of the rusty car, Gabe is convinced his daughter is still alive out there somewhere. He spends the next three years driving up and down the highway looking for that car and handing out flyers of his daughter’s face. Fran, another character in the book, uses the same highway, but she is running for herself and her daughter’s life. She knows something about the truth regarding what happened to Izzy but cannot reveal it due to fear of her own life being at risk.

This book was dark and creepy on another level, with a lot of grieving characters who have experienced loss and a great multi-layered back story intertwining everything and everyone. The writing is phenomenal and the plot does require suspension of disbelief as it has supernatural elements. If you love a good mystery with a small supernatural element thrown in, you’ll have a trip with this book.