What readers think of The Chalk Man, plus links to write your own review.

C.J. Tudor grabbed my attention in the first pages and didn't let go until the last page. She creates vivid, fully developed characters and masterfully transports the reader to their town. The chapters alternate between the events of 1986 and 2016, and the author writes so well that the relationship between the past and the present flow easily. It is both a harsh story and yet poignant with friendship, love and misunderstandings. The mysteries unfold a little at a time and by the end I am glad about the time I spent in this quaint English town with all these flawed, wonderful characters. I look forward to reading more by C.J. Tudor.

A slow burner mystery that was way different from my usual read. The author has a very sound grasp of the thoughts and behaviors of 12 year old boys and has put her expertise to good use in this novel. The construction of different chapters that alternated between 1986 and 2016 were expertly tied together to provide a smooth flow yet made one anxious to find out more of the story from the different perspectives. How can you not be intrigued when the first sentence of a book starts out with the sentence, "The girl's head rested on a small pile of orange-and-brown leaves." Eddie, the main figure in the novel, has developed a secret code where he and his friends use chalk figures in different color chalks to designate private messages to one another, but the chalk drawings get confusing when they come upon a body severed into parts. Flash to 2016, when Eddie gets a drawing of a chalk figure in the mail and realizes it is time to put the past front and center and confront the mysteries of yesteryear. The mystery pulled me in but it was the earnest, honest voices that got my vote.

C.J. Tudor had my attention from page 1 of her debut novel about a group of friends in a small English town. When the book opens, we know that a murder has been committed, but the clues and handed out a little at a time until the very final question has been answered on the very last page. It is set in 1986 and 2006 through alternating chapters. The creepy factor kept the pages turning, but the book was also a sort of coming-of-age story with beautiful passages that were so very heart-filled. I predict Tudor will find great success. I'm looking forward to reading her next book!

If you're looking for a non-detective-centric, decently-written mystery with a healthy dose of twists and turns, The Chalk Man is for you. It is creepy and interesting, and it will keep you guessing until the end. That being said, The Chalk Man is not without it's faults. The alternating points of view (1986 Eddie and 2016 Ed) both sound like they are being told by the older Ed, and there are many instances when Tudor could show us what happened, but instead she tells us, making for a dry read. Perhaps it's a little predictable at times, and a little convoluted at others, but as a first novel, C.J. Tudor could do much worse. Looking forward to her future work.

4.5 stars Thank you to Crown Publishing for this ARC. To publish Jan 9, 2018.

This story switched between 1986 and 2016. Our protagonist, Eddie, and his group of friends, Micky, Gav, Hoppo and the lone girl, Nicky were inseparable. The 12 year olds biked to the playground, river and woods during the heat of the summer in 1986. Their personalities and family lives were very different, but their bond was strong. Until that day. The day they found another friend mutilated in the woods.

In 2016 the death of Elise, the girl in the woods, still haunts Eddie. As the tangled story starts to unwind we see the actual involvement of each of the four friends, along with a teacher, a reverend, and the families of the four friends.

This was a very good mystery. It kept you guessing at each twist and turn. However you needed to place the correct blame at each twist to guess the identity of the person to blame. This book worked well switching between time frames, more so than the abundance of current books using this format. Tudor is a new author for me, but one I will watch in the future.

The Chalk Man hits all the right notes for a creepy thriller. It's got death, dismemberment, ghosts, and how past decisions can come back to haunt us (sometimes literally). It's told from the alternating points of view of the protagonist, Eddie as a twelve year old and Ed the adult. Neither are completely reliable as a narrator, as they protect their own and others secrets. The plot is full of twists and turns and red herrings and I found myself racing through the pages to see how it all ended (which did not disappoint).

For a début novel The Chalk Man was very good. The book was a mixture of Kate Atkinson and Mo Hayder, two very skilful storytellers to my mind. I like books that move from past to present, the author did a good job of moving gracefully between the periods.

You get the sense that not everything is as it seems. Not really sure whats what, Eddie, who is recounting the story tends to neglect telling you all, leaving a bit for later. So do not get comfortable while reading cause you never know what is right around the corner.

"The Chalk Man" by C.J. Tudor is an engrossing tale of mystery (and like all good mystery novels, several mysteries are involved in the plot) and psychological suspense that grabbed me from the get-go. It would be a stretch, however, to term it a literary novel. While some of the writing is really good, it is often uneven, and some of the metaphors do not make sense (maybe because of the cultural differences between the US and the UK?). Nevertheless, it reminds me a Stephen King novel: eerie, kinda spooky, with several well-defined characters, and it would appeal to his audience. The author does a great job of tying everything together at the end to draw a satisfying - and surprising! - conclusion. Although I listen to mysteries, it is not the type of book I usually read, preferring instead good literature. Still, I enjoyed the book and would recommend for those looking for a light, yet gripping read.