The Chalk Man

Author: C.J Tudor
Genre: Suspense
Type: Trade Paperback
Pages: 288
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Crown Publishing 
First Published: January 9, 2018
First Line: "The girl's head rested on a small pile of orange-and-brown leaves."

Book Description from GoodReads: In 1986, Eddie and his friends are just kids on the verge of adolescence. They spend their days biking around their sleepy little English village and looking for any taste of excitement they can get. The chalk men are their secret code; little chalk stick figures they leave for one another as messages only they can understand. But then a mysterious chalk man leads them right to a dismembered body, and nothing is ever the same.

In 2016, Eddie is fully grown, and thinks he's put his past behind him. But then he gets a letter in the mail, containing a single chalk stick figure. When it turns out that his friends got the same message, they think it could be a prank... until one of them turns up dead. That's when Eddie realizes that saving himself means finally figuring out what really happened all those years ago.

Expertly alternating between flashbacks and the present day, The Chalk Man is the very best kind of suspense novel, one where every character is wonderfully fleshed out and compelling, where every mystery has a satisfying payoff, and where the twists will shock even the savviest reader.


Disclaimer: This ARC was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

My Review: C.J Tudor has written an impressive debut novel that gives readers a dose of small town creepy as she reveals the twists to her readers. The plot includes a selection of culprits and victims and some of the twists include chilling and gruesome moments that will keep readers on their toes as they try to figure out what really happened that summer.

The story begins in 1986 with 12-year-old Eddie and his group of friends who are eager for their summer holidays to hang out, ride their bikes, leave secret messages for each other in chalk and wreak mild havoc in their small town. But after a chalk figure leads them to a dead body their idyllic summer comes to a quick halt. The story jumps back and forth from 1986 to 2016 as readers become privy to how their lives were irrevocably changed after the events in 1986. 

I was impressed by Tudor's writing which was descriptive and has a touch of humour to balance the sinister feel. Her characters are well flawed and add their own baggage to the plot in varying degrees. I enjoyed the camaraderie of these boyhood chums which immediately reminded me of childhood movies, Goonies with a strong, and obvious, nod to Stand By Me.

But I had a few issues with the book. First, it felt like the reader is kept at arm's length from the characters, so I didn't feel a connection to them (who honestly weren't an overly likable bunch anyway). I also found the book was more creepier than it was suspenseful and while the book started out strong, the middle section quickly ran out of steam. Things pick up at the end but it's a bit of a rushed ending.

Overall, this was a good (not great) thriller and a different kind of suspense read. Readers who enjoy a creepy setting with a group of culprits and a small town feel should enjoy this book. I look forward to reading more from this author.