This was odd, there is no other way of putting it, but, importantly, though there were times the reality of the thing was fuzzy, it was absolutely enjoyable the whole way through.

I love this authors so was definitely excited to jump into this newest novel. It was a bit confusing to keep track of all the different characters and storylines at first, but once you got the hang of it, it all came together well. The development of the storyline was so great - it was totally unexpected which made it that much better!

This was a strange one for sure! As it started out, I was trying to figure out who all these different people were and how they were connected. There seemed to be no pattern, no indication any of them knew each other. Little by little, the author drops hints that are just enough to be intriguing - and keep the reader turning the pages.

The character development is good and the story - while wild - is somewhat believable and always exciting. There's a bit of the supernatural thrown in there that requires a bit of 'willing suspension of disbelief' but that's ok. It's an interesting addition. Everything is brought together in the end with a jaw-dropping twist I didn't see coming.

Good thriller!

I LOVED The Chalk Man, so I was very excited to read CJ Tudor’s latest!

The Chalk Man was more of a character-driven thriller, which followed one complex and mildly dysfunctional character and was surrounded by a cast of bold and interesting characters. The Other People felt much more plot driven, which makes sense because it was definitely more high concept, which is an entertainment term which means a unique ‘what if’ premise. And this ‘what if’ premise is EXCEPTIONAL. I love, love, love it.

Summary:
Three years ago, Gabe's family disappeared. Most people think they died. Some of them blame Gabe. Hardly anyone believes the truth--that Gabe saw his daughter the day she and his wife disappeared, smiling at him from the back of a rusty old car speeding down the highway. So even though it's been three years since that day, Gabe cannot give up hope. Even though he has given up everything else. His home, his job, his old life. He spends his days travelling up and down the highway and sleeping in service stations, searching for the car that took her.

It's hard for most people to understand. But Gabe has found some who do in an online group set up by people who have also lost loved ones--who have suffered like him. They call themselves "The Other People." Because isn't that what everyone thinks: bad stuff only happens to "other people."

When the car that Gabe saw driving away that night is found in a lake with a body inside, Gabe is suddenly under suspicion--and in danger. In desperation, he turns to The Other People for help. Because they are good people. They know what loss is like. They know what pain is like. They know what death is like. There's just one problem . . . they want other people to know it too.

The beginning is FANTASTIC. What a great opening to a thriller!! But as I continued deeper into the story, at certain moments, I felt pretty confused. I’ll be honest, life’s been busy, so I had to read this in small sections, which definitely didn’t help me keep clear about what was happening. Even so, there were a good number of characters and a lot of switching POVs, and those character’s lives didn’t intersect until deep into the book. I had issues keeping them straight. There’s a big pay-off for it, though, once it’s finally revealed what is happening, about a third of the way in.

Unfortunately, I found the ending a bit confusing as well and a bit disappointing. The Chalk Man had a couple of small, dangling unexplained threads which I was easily able to look past because the roller coaster ride was so much fun. This one had some things at the end that I just really didn’t understand. I don’t know, maybe that’s just me? Maybe, during my busy week and rush to get this read, I missed some things?

Overall, I think the premise — that high concept ‘what if’ — is very compelling, but also very ambitious and probably incredibly difficult to pull off. Besides some confusion at the beginning and end, it was a very fun read! Some great scenes, some excellent twists and - of course - a lot of suspense. I’ll continue to read whatever Tudor’s dark and imaginative mind comes up with in the future.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Near perfect first book of 2020! If you love a thrilling puzzle, this is for you.

Full review to come this week!

FAQ: Why are you called the Other People?
A. We all think that tragedy happens only to other people. Until it happens to us. We are people just like you. People to whom terrible things have happened. We’ve found solace not in forgiveness or forgetting. But in helping each other find justice.
Q. What kind of justice?
A. That depends on the individual. But our ethos is a punishment that fits the crime.

Starting the new year off with a bang! The Other People is electric, twisty, inventive - everything you want in a thriller - wrapped up into one package that will keep you guessing the whole way through. It’s better to know less about the plot before going in, but I’ll give you a teaser of what you can expect.

Gabe, a young husband and father, is driving home one evening, frustrated at rush hour traffic. He is behind an obnoxious beater with idiotic stickers on the back (“Honk if you’re horny;” “Horn broken - watch for finger”). Suddenly, he sees a face in the back that he instantly recognizes: his five-year-old daughter, Izzy. But how can she be in this strange car? She should be at home with her mother, safe and sound. He starts honking and flashing his lights at the car, which immediately begins to speed away. He tries to give chase, but convinces himself that he was mistaken - it’s not his daughter. He pulls off to a gas station and before he can call home to make sure his wife and child are okay, he gets a call from the police. His wife and daughter are dead.

Years later, Gabe is haunted by what he saw. He is a ghost of a man, unable to accept what the police tell him is the truth, obsessed with finding that ugly brown car with the rude bumper stickers. He goes from service station to service station every night, searching and searching. One day, he discovers The Other People: a group on the dark web that gets you justice when your life has been struck by tragedy and seems absolutely unjust. The only catch is this: when you submit a request for justice to be served, you now owe a favor that can be called in anytime. All requests are filled. All favors are owed. If you can’t do your favor, the integrity of the Other People is threatened; you don’t want to know what happens next.

Told in rotating perspectives of many characters who are all connected - you learn the connections slowly throughout - The Other People is perfectly paced, serving up satisfying reveals and twists in nearly every chapter. I’m only taking off one star for the ending, which felt slightly rushed and required a bit of suspended disbelief compared to the perfect execution of the rest of the book. However, this is nonetheless a fantastic, thrilling read that I highly recommend to kick off 2020 thrillers. Thank you to Penguin for the ARC via Netgalley!

The layers of this story were unwrapped slowly and purposefully to create a twisted tale of revenge and forgiveness that I really enjoyed!

This was a gripping book full of suspense and surprises. I really enjoyed the unique story line and it was like nothing I have read before.
Gabe is driving home one night when he sees his daughter Izzy in the back of a car and he attempts to chase the car down but loses it in traffic. This causes him to stop and call home to check on his family, only to find out that his wife and daughter have been murdered. But Gabe can’t accept that because he saw his daughter when the police claim she was already dead. He is heartbroken and spends the next 3 years traveling the highway in search of that vehicle.
Fran also spends her time traveling but to escape the people who want to hurt her and her daughter, Alice. Fran knows what really happened that night with Izzy and her mother and the awful truth of why and how.
Now that the car has been found, Gabe is forced to confront the sins of his past to find the connection which leads him to The Other People. They want to help but also want you to hurt and are willing to do anything to anyone to get what they want.
This was definitely a book that I didn't want to put down. Staying up late to finish because I couldn’t sleep without knowing how everything turned out.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 Brilliant, Captivating, and Truly Addictive Stars!!

Well, wasn’t this a wild ride?!! I loved this creepy, dark, and twisted thriller. This is definitely the best thriller written by C. J. Tudor so far.

I will admit that the beginning was a little overwhelming for me, with all the characters and different plots going on at the same time, but once I got through it, everything was slowly falling back into its place...Well, not exactly...This was not a cookie-cutter thriller like many others out there...oh no, no, no...hold on to your seats because the twist and turns just keep coming. This puzzle has so many pieces floating around that even the most advanced puzzle builder will have a hard time to put it all together. My head was spinning at times and I couldn’t stop turning pages fast enough. Every time I thought I had things somehow figured out things got even more twisted. There were times where I was a little worried how the author is going to explain everthing and if the end will be disappointing with loose ends floating in the air everywhere...However, I am glad to report that the author did an excellent job at getting all those loose ends tied up into a beautiful, red bow on the perfect ending.

Ah, and lets not forget author’s little sprinkle of the paranormal twist...delicious idea.

And did I mentioned that I LOVED this book?!!

Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Publishing, and the talented author, C. J. Tudor for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

When we first meet Gabe, he is driving home from work and sees his little girl in the car in front of him. He starts to follow the car and then questions his sanity and calls home. The news is not good. Both his daughter and his little girl have been murdered in their home. Did he see a ghost?
Then fast forward a couple years. Gabe is a mess. Who wouldn’t be? But he’s the kind of mess that has just given up on life and is nomad because the only life he had was gone when he lost his family. Then we meet Fran, who is on the run with her little girl. Then we meet some random girl lying in a bed somewhere. And this is where I got confused.
But it’s strange because usually confusion is frustrating, but having read The Chalk Man, which really paid off, I was patient and gave it some time. Sure enough, Tudor does an amazing job slowly feeding the reader just enough to keep the mystery and avoid reader frustration.
There’s a type of dreamy, mysterious aura in a CJ Tudor book. It’s a great feeling to wrap yourself in like a warm blanket as you read her books. The Other People has some twists and turns, none that seem out of line with the narrative, but all that take a little bit of time to get there.
I can’t say much for fear I will provide spoilers, but this one is a great one to read while snuggled under a blanket with a warm cup of tea, cocoa or whatever your poison. Special thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, CJ Tudor, Ballantine Books, and Random House Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

I enjoyed the first two books offered up by CJ Tudor and hoped that the same could be said for this third book. While it has received high praise on Goodreads from a variety of people whose views I hold in high regard, I could not find myself as drawn to this piece as I stumbled my way through it. While driving home from work one day, Gabe sees his daughter in the back of a vehicle. He cannot see the driver and has no idea what Izzy might be doing on there. When he calls home to check-in, he learns that his wife and daughter have been murdered. Holding true to what he saw, Gabe has spent the past three years trying to find Izzy and those who may have taken her. Kate is a waitress at one of the late-night diners that Gabe frequents while searching for his daughter. She seems to be living a quiet life, but there is something in her background that could raise some real issues. Fran and her daughter, Alice, are on the run and must steer clear of mirrors. All three of these storylines progress throughout the novel and yet they are inextricably intertwined. As Gabe learns about the ‘other people’ and their purpose, he begins to understand a little more about why he saw Izzy that night. There are additional revelations to come, allowing Gabe, Kate, and Fran to come together in the oddest manner, all part of the larger ‘other people’ plan. There are mysteries and plot twists piling up on top of one another here, which the reader may enjoy as the story gains momentum. Those who have an open mind to the supernatural and can fathom some of the reaches that Tudor tends to make will enjoy this one, though I found that it did not pull me in as much as I would have liked.

While I tend to like stories that are grounded in reality—realism, I suppose, is a better word—I have always found CJ Tudor was able to mix it up a bit by peppering some great mystery into her pieces as well. Her previous two novels sent chills down my spine and left me wanting more, but this third standalone left me shrugging my shoulders as I prepare to duck from all the rotten tomatoes fellow reviewers are likely to lob in my direction. The premise was strong and the opening portion of the book had some potential, but I felt the momentum lagged in the middle and tried to find itself moving into the resolution portion of the book. With three loose—sometimes weak—storylines progressing throughout, the reader is left to wonder how it all fits tougher. Gabe has the most prominent storyline, though his search for a daughter he is sure is not dead ends up being a meandering rather than a passion-fuelled need to know by a father demanding answers. The introduction of the ‘other people’ had great potential as well, but I was left wanting more grit and added scare factor. Maybe I wanted too much, but, as a reader, I should be able to hold those authors I hold in high regard with such expectations. Tudor has not yet attained the abilities of her idol, Stephen King, but I will not give up on her anytime soon. We all have off days and perhaps it is I who is wrong here, based on the sentiments of many others!

Kudos, Madam Tudor, for a great attempt. I may be the one who is off when it comes to this book, but I suppose you cannot please everyone all of the time.

Disparate story lines all come together to create a seamless psychological thriller. Driving home one evening, Gabe sees the face of his daughter framed in the rear window of another car and chases after Isabelle, only to lose the car in traffic. He arrives home to find his wife and daughter murdered. So who did he see in the back of that car? Fran and Alice are on the run, always. The bad people will catch them if they stop. A young woman lies in a hospital bed, surrounded by beeping machines that keep her alive. Kate is raising her two children on her own, working in a small cafe off the highway. Gabe begins to frequent that cafe as he searches for the car and his daughter. The police think he is the prime suspect in the murders, but he knows that was not his daughter that was buried. Soon, Fran and Alice arrive together and all the separate lives begin to merge. First rate thriller. Highly recommended for its tight plot and characterizations.

Gabe believes that he saw his missing daughter in the back of a car and that she is alive and so he travels up and down the highway looking for her. Is she still alive? Great thriller well worth reading.

C.J. Tudor does not dissapoint! I was so excited I got to read this book early as I am a big fan. Well, let me tell you, once I started this book I had to finish it! I did NOT see the big reveal coming and I thought it was such a smart idea. If you like mysteries and thrillers this is your jam. Of course, the author seems to always add a little bit of supernatural element to his books but I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT. I can already see this book being made into a movie.

Do yourself a favor, get yourself a glass (or bottle) of wine, and allow yourself to read this book in one sitting. You wont be dissapointed.

A creepy read. This was my first book I read by this author. The cliffhangers popped up when I wasn’t expecting it.

3.5 stars, rounded up

In C. J. Tudor’s prior two books, she did a great job of combining a good mystery with a great creep factor. This book follows that format, although not as successfully. Gabe is a writer, whose heroes including Stephen King. So, maybe King is also a hero to Tudor. Because there’s a similar feel here.

The main characters of The Other People are those that live at the edges. Gabe spends the nights perusing the roads, looking for his missing daughter. Fran and Alice are on the run. Katie is a nighttime waitress at a service station. One by one we are given clues, like breadcrumbs dropped along a path, discovering the connections between them

I love Tudor’s writing. “People say that hate and bitterness will destroy you. They’re wrong. It’s hope. Hope will devour you from the inside like a parasite.” Or this “The time when the demons would emerge, slithering and sliding out of shadows, trailing mucous membranes of bitter bile and stinging misery and regret.” She just has a poetic way of writing that grabs me.

The story here draws a little too heavily on coincidences. And I really didn’t care for the supernatural bit which was never really explained to my satisfaction. But if you overlook that, it’s engaging. It moves along at a good clip. Not my favorite of Tudor’s, but still good. My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

An engrossing thriller that hooks you from page one. Suspenseful and at times, frightening. Appreciated the supernatural element of this story as well - subtly presented and not over-explained. Solid character development. A quick read -- but in a good way. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favorite books this year. This author just keeps getting better with each book. This one had me on edge and so full of twists. Much recommended.

What a creepy book! This book kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end, when I was shocked by the ending. I would definitely recommend this book, even if it's not the kind of book you normally read. It will draw you in immediately!

This was a 5 star read for me, even though at times was completely lost! Loved the way she left so many cliff hangers, although it made it hard to find a spot to set the book down. Loved that so many characters were connected, but while you may have an idea or hunch of how, it takes reading the book to find out exactly! Very creepy, sad at times, brutal, and thrilling! I think Tudor has a way with those supernatural thrillers, which really make for a great reading! Twisty as a bag of pretzels, chilling as a haunted house! Make sure you grab today, if you like those thrillers that chill you to the bone!
Will make sure I buzz this book up!