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by Christopher J. Yates
One game. Six students. Five survivors. It was only ever meant to be a game. A game of consequences, of silly forfeits, childish dares. A game to be played by six best friends in their first year at Oxford University. But then the game changed: the stakes grew higher and the dares more personal, more humiliating, finally evolving into a vicious struggle with unpredictable and tragic results. Now, 14 years later, the remaining players must meet again for the final round.
A gripping psychological thriller, partly inspired by the author's own time at Oxford University, this is perfect for fans of The Secret History, The Bellwether Revivals, and The Lessons. Clever, dark, and compulsively readable, this is an ideal book group title: who knows better than your best friends, what would break you? The author's background in puzzle writing and setting can clearly be seen in the plotting of this clever, tricksy book that will keep readers guessing to the very end.
"Starred Review. Yates deftly interweaves past and present as he doles out the backstory in pieces without sacrificing plausible character development." - Publishers Weekly
"A very exciting debut - like The Secret History, but so much creepier... This is intellectually challenging psychological thriller writing at a high level" - Shots Mag
"Compelling." - John O'Connell, The Guardian
"An intricate and sinister thriller, in which the truth is slowly and subtly revealed." - Ruth Hunter, BookTime The Bookseller, September Booksellers' Choice
This information about Black Chalk was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Christopher J. Yates initially pursued a career in law before he began working in puzzles, representing the UK at the World Puzzle Championships. Since then he has worked as a freelance journalist, sub-editor, and puzzles editor/compiler. In 2007 he moved to New York City, where he lives in the East Village.
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