Wow, I was thoroughly engrossed in this book from page one. What a masterfully written story. This was not anywhere near any book I have ever read. I loved it. I started it and couldn't put it down until the end.
When grief of loosing a loved one spirals out of control and infects so many lives. C.J. Tudor has put another story together to highly entertain!. It's a Must read.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE OTHER PEOPLE by CJ Tudor in exchange for my honest review.***

Loss. Grief. Fear. Gabe searches for his missing daughter, who the police say was murdered along with her mother three years ago. Fran and her daughter are on the run for their lives. Katie still mourns her father, murdered nine years ago. Their stories intersect in terrifying, and possibly deadly ways.

Had I known THE OTHER PEOPLE had a supernatural element, I might not have requested this ARC, so I’m glad I didn’t. The story started off with a big question mark. How could Gabe had have seen his daughter in the back of a strange car when the police found her body near her murdered mother? Was the girl in the car Izzy? A lookalike? A vision? Schrödinger’s Daughter?

I don’t want to give anything away by saying too much about the plot. I will say Beware THE OTHER PEOPLE.

Wow! I LOVED The Chalk Man and The Other People is as good or better! The characters are rich, compelling and flawed. They drive a complex tale through a labyrinth of murder and deceit. Her writing brings to mind early Stephen King. A must-read for thriller fans!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and CJ Tudor for the opportunity to read and review her latest thriller. 5 stars - her books just keep getting better!

Gabe saw his daughter taken - he was following a strange car with lots of bumper stickers when Izzy's head popped up and she mouthed "Daddy!" But it couldn't be - Izzy was home with his wife, Jenny. He stopped to call her to be sure and the police answered the phone - Jenny and Izzy had been murdered. No one believed that he saw Izzy and he was even blamed for their deaths. Three years later, Gabe has quit life except for driving around looking for Izzy and the car.

Kate is a waitress at a service plaza where she frequently waits on Gabe. She knows he lost his daughter. She lost her father to a murderer when she was young and her sister left home and never came back.

Fran and her daughter, Alice, are on the run from the proverbial "bad guys." She has many secrets and lives in fear that they will find her.

Eventually, these storylines will intersect. I did not want to put this book down - there were just too many twists and turns and I couldn't wait to see how everything played out. Don't miss this read!

l truly enjoyed the pacing of the story and the well written characters. This book took me by surprise. It kept me interested throughout the story and I needed to see what was going to happen. I would recommend this story to all thriller lovers.

This is my first book by C.J. Tudor and it won’t be my last! Gabe is driving home one day and sees what he thinks looks like his daughter in the car ahead of him. It can’t be, though, because she is supposed to be at home with his wife. When Gabe arrives home, he learns that his wife and daughter have been killed. But Gabe doesn’t give up hope that his daughter is still alive. After all, he saw her in the car after she was supposed to have been dead. I think going into this book knowing as little as possible is the best idea, so I won’t explain what the other people are.
This was such an interesting story. It had me guessing up until the end and I love how the end of the book really tied all the loose ends up. You don’t leave the book not understanding why something happened in the story. What an interesting premise for a book! I definitely enjoyed it!

Thank you netgalley and #randomhouse publishing for an advanced copy of this book. #TheOtherPeople #NetGalley

After reading C.J. Tudor's previous books I had high hopes for this one and it did not disappoint! In this one we find Gabe on his way home when in the beat up car in front of him his daughter Izzy looks out the back window and mouths "daddy". After losing that car in traffic, Gabe calls home only to find something terrible has happened to his wife and Izzy. From here this fast paced story takes off and I found myself reading it in one setting (very late into the early morning hours). I couldn't put it down! The author does a brilliant job of doling out information, giving you pieces of a puzzle you know fit together somehow but can't figure it all out. With the prerequisite twists and turns this one had me trying to fill in the blanks (unsuccessfully) right up to the very end. With an original plot, perfect pacing, suspense galore and a terrific ending, I think I like this one even more than The Chalk Man. If you love psychological thrillers, put some time aside and pick this one up, I highly recommend it!

This is my second book from Tudor and after loving The Chalk Man so much, I just knew I had to pick this one up and it with all it’s atmospheric eeriness and suspense it was so worth the wait and the read!

This story is given in three POV’s. Gabe, a father searching for his kidnapped daughter. Katie, the waitress who lives life working and caring for her children. Fran, who lives in fear and never stays in the same place for long. We are also given little snippets of a pale girl in a white room who sleeps. Sounds mysterious right!?

So, lets start from the beginning. Gabe suffered a terrible tragedy with the murder of his wife and daughter. The problem is, he saw his daughter in a car the night they were supposably killed and has been on the hunt for his daughter ever since. He knows it was her in the car and that she is not dead and nothing is going to stop him from finding her, even three years later and with still those who don’t believe him. He gets a break in his search when an associate of his finds the missing car. The very one that he saw his daughter in that fateful night. But this big break also send him down a path he was in no way prepared for leading him towards “The Other People”.

Katie is a single mom of two adorable kids, working the night shift at a crappy truck stop. She might not have a lot but she is a great mom who is going to do everything she can for her children. She knows who Gabe is and having been through a similar tragedy, her heart goes out to him. When he is attacked in the parking lot of the restaurant without thought she goes to help him not knowing what she was getting herself into. Fran and her daughter Alice stay off the radar. Flitting from one place to another, always watching over their shoulders in fear. Alice suffers from narcolepsy and when she wakes, it is with a new pebble in her hand, adding to the many that she keeps in her bag. How she gets them is a mystery all in it’s own.

We’ve all heard of the “dark web” but most of us probably don’t know a whole lot about it, I know I didn’t, but this story takes us down the rabbit hole right to “the other people”, whose motto is “an eye for an eye”. When the justice system fails, they step in with a quid pro quo type thing for families. And with amount of secrets each of these characters held and the breadcrumbs riddled throughout as to how they were all connected, I just couldn’t put this down till I knew everything. There were plenty of twists and turns along the way, some I saw coming and some that I didn’t expect at all and the supernatural element with Alice and her pebbles fit so well with the eeriness of the story already. The pale girl sleeping is something that I won’t give anything away about though. That is a must read for yourself kinda thing as it plays into everything. Now as for the ending, all the clues fall into place bringing everything together making for a one great conclusion!

The Other People is a story of both mystery and suspense with a little bit of a supernatural element to it, but is also a story of grief and loss and the things we do with it. In the end, is it justice or just revenge? Kinda makes you sit back and think. And it all made for one captivating read!

3 stars to the first half, a slow burn with multiple seemingly unconnected characters and a vague paranormal aspect, 4 stars to the second half, where the pacing speeds up considerably and the characters become more distinct.

I found the dark web/Other People aspect of the story fascinating... the idea of retributive justice in a Strangers on a Train kind of way. I wish it dwelt more on that part of the story than the odd connection with Izzy and mirror girl, the Samaritan, Sandman, etc.

The writing was engaging, the characters were sympathetic, and if 50 pages or so had been cut out of the first half of the book, it would've been much more successful in my opinion.

3.5 stars

Having read CJ Tutor’s other books, I was excited to read The Other People - and I was not disappointed. This is a wild, psychological, page-turning thriller that simply keeps you guessing until the end.

Gabe thought he saw his daughter taken but no one believes him. Three years later, Gabe is still searching for his daughter and the car that took her. Katie, a waitress, often sees Gabe. She knows his story and understands what it’s like to lose a loved one because nine years ago her father was murdered. Fran and her daughter Alice are on the run, trying to keep ahead of the people who want to hurt them. Because Fran knows the truth.

This is a tightly woven story with interesting “good guys and bad guys”, strong dialog and many “aha” moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine books, the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This is a heart-stopping thriller that will send readers on quite an adventure. It captured my attention from the first sentence and throughout the story, I was kept guessing as to what would happen next.

Just imagine that while driving home, you see your own child in the back of a strangers car! This is what happens to Gabe. He follows the car, but loses it in traffic and pulls over to call home. That’s when he finds out that something horrific has happened and his life takes a drastic turn.

The police believe that his wife and daughter were murdered, but Gabe knows his daughter is alive and spends his days driving the highways in search of the car that took her away. One day, he gets a tip that leads to evidence that backs up his belief that his daughter is alive.

As the story unfolds, readers learn that Gabe experienced a traumatic event as a teenager that changes his life’s path. The same happens to some of the other characters as well. Add in a sinister group from the dark web and it makes for a harrowing and exciting thriller.

I would have never expected how this story would turn out. Hats off to CJ Tudor for her vivid imagination and wonderful storytelling.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

Gabe is sitting in traffic on his way home from work. He’s reading the bumper stickers on the car in front of him, when a young girl pops up in the rear window. Gabe is almost positive it’s his daughter, Izzy, but why would she be in that car. When she mouths “daddy” at him, he knows it’s her. He watches her disappear, and no one believes that it was her. They believe she died in a robbery where his wife was murdered as well.

Three years later, Gabe still has not given up hope. He has given up everything else, including his home and his job, to hunt for the car with the bumper stickers that Izzy disappeared in. He lives in a camper van stopping at service stations along the highway to get coffee and a couple of hours of sleep. Katie works at one of these service stations and sees Gabe when he stops for coffee. She feels sympathy for him because she too lost a loved one, her father, years ago which tore her family apart. Fran and her daughter, Alice also spend a lot of their time on this highway running from people who want to hurt them. They want to hurt them because Fran knows what happened to Gabe’s daughter, but she also knows what The Other People will do if the truth gets out.

Wow! What a wild and thrilling ride The Other People by C.J. Tudor was. The author did a great job of keeping us on our toes throughout the entire story. I couldn’t predict anything that was going to happen, and honestly I didn’t want to. I just wanted to be on this journey and to see what would happen next. There were times I wasn’t sure who each character actually was, but the way that Tudor puts it all together in the end made so much sense. This was a fantastic read, and I really hope they make a movie out of it. There is a bit of a paranormal aspect to this book that I did not think was necessary to the plot which is why I gave 4 out of 5 stars, but it’s definitely worth reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

“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.”

“None of us know, until pushed, what our limits truly are. How far we would go for those we love.”


Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for sending me an ARC of The Other People in exchange for an honest review.

Gabe Forman is driving home when he sees what he thinks is his young daughter, apparently kidnapped, in a car he can’t catch up to. He thinks he must be imagining things, but when he calls home, a detective answers and informs him that his wife Jenny and daughter Izzy have been killed.

Three years later, Gabe’s life has been reduced to endlessly driving up and down the highways, searching for the daughter he refuses to believe is really dead. He interacts with almost no one aside from Katie, a waitress in a roadside diner, and a mysterious man he calls The Samaritan. Then one day Gabe finds the kidnapper’s car, and he slowly begins to untangle what really happened to Izzy and why.

To say more about the plot would risk spoiling the story. It would also be a challenge because there is a lot going on here. There are at least ten different characters with a significant backstory. There’s a supernatural element that plays a small, somewhat crucial role in the resolution of the tale. And that’s without even mentioning the “other people,” who they are or their agenda.

Stephen King’s influence on Ms. Tudor is obvious, and this story is pleasantly reminiscent of his work. Indeed, and I’m not sure I’ve ever written this before, I think this book would have worked better if it had been at least 100 pages longer. At the current length, there just wasn’t enough room to understand all of the characters’ motivations and let the story breathe. Solid, but ultimately a bit disappointing.

I was completely intrigued with the synopsis of this book and rightfully so! It took me a minute to get into it but after about 1:4 of the way I couldn’t get enough! Gabe is a man who lost his wife and daughter to murder. Except he insisted that he saw his daughter being kidnapped in a car when said murder occurred and she was very much alive. Throw in his father in law positively identifying the body so whaaaaat? I can’t give away too much on this one because the less you know the better it is. You have multiple characters and twists and turns of how they may or may not connect. It was quite a satisfying read and finish.

The Other People by C. J. Tudor is a very highly recommended unsettling thriller.

Three years ago Gabe Forman was driving home on the M1 stuck in traffic behind an old rusty car covered with bumper stickers when suddenly his five-year-old daughter Izzy's face appears in the back window and she mouths "Daddy." Gabe tries to follow the car but loses it. When he returns home, he finds out his wife and daughter were killed, but Gabe knows what he saw and he knows his daughter is still alive, despite the fact that his father-in-law positively identifies the bodies. He was a suspect in their murders for a while, but cleared. Now he spends his days driving up and down the motorway looking for the car he last saw his daughter in.

Fran and her daughter Alice are constantly on the run, trying to keep ahead of the people who want to hurt them. She knows too much and owes some people. Alice has a problem with mirrors, can suddenly fall asleep and has terrifying visions of a girl on a beach. When she wakes up from these visions, she has a pebble in her hand. Alice carries around a bag filled up with these pebbles.

These characters, along with others, are introduced and their stories are told. Eventually the stories and characters merge together at the ending of The Other People - and the title is explained. I don't want to explain any more of the plot than this as it is best to read it and experience what happens and is revealed as the narrative threads are explored. All of the characters are all well-developed and realistic. You will feel for Gabe, endlessly looking for his daughter, Izzy, and you'll be interested in what is happening to all of the characters as they rush to the point where their stories merge.

Great writing is notably present throughout The Other People. The plot is a thriller, as the mystery of what happened to Izzy is ongoing and the narrative also has mysterious undertones. Really, it's a little eerie and a little creepy with supernatural undertones. Once you start reading, you will find it difficult to stop. There are enough twists and surprises to keep you guessing until the story reaches a very satisfying denouement.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House.

http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2020/01/the-other-people.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3150290821
https://www.librarything.com/work/23424282/book/177947710
https://twitter.com/SheTreadsSoftly/status/1218992390972809217?s=20
Amazon and Barnes&Noble after publication

Reading the title I kept thinking this was about aliens. Gratefully it was not. I had been meaning to read this author since her debut. I was glad I finally read this. It was a little slow but only because a lot of groundwork needed to be established. Once I got half way I could not put it down. I started to see the connections and get answers. The twists were satisfying.

I enjoyed this book. The story was a bit convoluted but came together nicely at the end. I would give it 3 1/2 stars.

Hammurabi's Code meets the Dark Web in this creepy, atmospheric tale. Crazed by grief, how far would you be willing to go for justice?

Caught in a web of vengeance, seemingly unrelated lives intersect to leave a swath of violence. For a little girl on the run, fear is her constant companion. For the man relentlessly searching a lonely highway, stopping is not an option. Little does he realize, his quest is monitored by those around him; some in pity, others awaiting opportunity.

With both human and supernatural powers in play, tensions mount as opposing forces clash to achieve a bitter end. Who will triumph and pay the ultimate price?

If you love dark and twisty with a hint of macabre, The Other People will be the perfect page-turner for you!

Than you so much to NetGalley for an ARC of The Other People by CJ Tudor.
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Guys, I think I'm out on CJ Tudor. This is the second book of hers that I've read and I just ... I can't. I am not here for it at all. I disliked The Chalk Man, and I disliked The Other People even more. At no point did I feel compelled to 'read on', the twists didn't grip me, the characters felt unbelievable and I didn't relate to any of them, and the supernatural aspects to the story were random, boring, and over so suddenly from when they began that I was left saying: WTF.
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The premise is what interested me. A man is driving home when he sees his daughter in the back of the car ahead of him - but she should be home! Shortly after, he learns that his wife and daughter were murdered in their home - but wait, he saw her in the car! So that can't be true!
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Sounds cool, right? Well, it wasn't.
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Sigh, on to better books.

This is the first book I have read by C.J Tudor and I absolutely loved it. She described everything so well that I could picture it all perfectly. I loved Gabe's character. He loved his little girl so much and he was so determined he would find her. I also loved Katie's character because she was so relatable. Not everyone in life is dealt a good hand you just have to use what you have. She did what she had to for her kids. I loved the twists and turns this story had but I also loved that it wasn't hard to follow. But, it wasn't predictable either. There were some parts that were emotionally challenging in a good way and there were parts that were so dramatic that you had to use your imagination! I loved both contrasts. Izzy was a very interesting little girl. I wonder when all is said and done will she be normal or have her gift/ability forever? The Samaritan was very interesting. I could see potential in another book with him as the main character. I was amazed by who the "Other people" were! I didn't see that coming. I can't wait to read more by this author. Great book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Thank you so much Netgalley, C.J. Tudor and Random House for approving me to read and review this book. I really loved it.