A paranormal mystery that left me a little deflated compared to The Chalk Man. This was dark and had a well balanced plot. The main character was not likeable, I found him irritating at times which was not good. Overall I did enjoy it but had to may high hopes after reading the chalk man.

Joe never wanted to come back to Arnhill. After the way things ended with his old gang–the betrayal, the suicide, the murder–and after what happened when his sister went missing, the last thing he wanted to do was return to his hometown. But Joe doesn’t have a choice. Because judging by what was done to that poor Morton kid, what happened all those years ago to Joe’s sister is happening again. And only Joe knows who is really at fault.

If you’ve read reviews about this book and you’re wondering about the supernatural element – don’t let it put you off. Had I really known that this might have been where the book was going at times, I wouldn’t have read it because I just can’t get gripped by those sorts of storylines. However C.J Tudor has opened up a whole new world to me and I know that if you have even the tiniest doubt about delving into that sort of genre you won’t regret it by starting with this book.

“If newspapers are the place where facts become stories, the Internet is the place where stories become conspiracy theories.”

That being said this book is so much more than ‘Supernatural’ in genre. It has a bit of Psychological Thriller, Drama, Mystery and Horror all rolled into one. I’ve read great things about C.J. Tudor’s first book (The Chalk Man) and definitely will be going to read that one this year now that I’ve read this.

“…when my sister was eight years old she disappeared. At the time I thought it was the worst thing in the world that could ever happen. And then she came back.”

So as well as achieving something that spans multiple genres and therefore should be attractive to many different types of readers… C.J. Tudor is a woman…and writes entirely from the point of view of a man. It’s not hard to do that – but to do it well is entirely different. Tudor completely does it well, in fact, she is the main character – utterly and completely.

My only little bit of feedback – the title. It’s boring actually and is why it took me so long to pick this out of my list of 80 books to review and actually get stuck in and read it.

Having read The Chalk Man and very much enjoyed it, I snapped up the chance to read C. J. Tudor’s second novel. I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed. As with The Chalk Man, Tudor grabs us by the throat in the opening chapter, and doesn’t let up all the way through. Full of interesting, detailed characters, you’re never sure who to trust.
Initially set in modern day Nottinghamshire, as the story progresses you start to get parts of the 90s back story of when the protagonist’s sister, Annie, went missing when she was 8 and he was 15. Each part to this leaves you wanting more, but the interwoven modern day tale is equally gripping, and I found I couldn’t put this book down and read late into the night to finish it.
There’s a few otherworldly / supernatural elements to the story that you never get quite to the bottom of, and I’m sure that will annoy a few people (probably the same people who got cross with Bird Box for not showing the monsters), but I found that leaving this aspect to the imagination was far more powerful than explaining it all in detail could ever be.
Overall a 5* read for me, and I will definitely be picking up the author’s future books too.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC.
Oh My! - if you like Stephen King then you'll love this. A sinister opening where a police discover the bodies of a local teacher and her son in their cottage at Arnhill. Apparently the mother committed suicide after murdering her son, leaving a message 'not my son' formed in blood. Shortly before, her son had disappeared for 2 days before reappearing - changed.
Tom Thorne has received an email telling him 'it's happening again'. He returns to the town where he grew up as a new teacher at the local Academy and rents that cottage.
Told via past and present the story unfolds.
Twenty-five years ago, 5 rather miss-matched school 'friends' including Tom, explored an underground chamber they believed to be part of the old mine at Arnhill. His sister Annie follows her brother and subsequently disappears for 2 days before reappearing and having no memory of what happened to her. Only Tom and his friends know the truth. Those 'friends' now have children of their own who carry-on the traits of their fathers. Once a bully - always a bully. As Tom finds out as he starts at the Academy.
A chance meeting of teacher and bullied pupil in the ancient graveyard: "Why are there no babies buried here?"
This novel is rather creepy; in film it would come across as a horror; nonetheless it is absorbing, atmospheric, and well-written.

This is my first C J Tudor novel. If you like your thrillers local town , dark mystery, troubled characters then this is for you. Joe Thorne lost his sister not once but twice, how could that be? And what does local bully turned councillor Hurst have to do with it?
It is at times unexpected, and twisty,. It is packed with characters who on the surface might be any old town,s population but then again, is everyone who they seem to be?
Flashes of imagination lift it from the ordinary, and surprise the unwary reader. See what you think?

Joe Thorne returns to his childhood hometown to start a new job at a troubled school. he brings with him a dark secret and an ulterior motive. Wanting to get to the bottom of an incident that occurred when he was a teenager he moves into the area and begins to try to piece together the mystery.

Overall a very good read, well written, fast paced and interesting with a twist that I really didn’t anticipate.

My first CJ Tudor book and I think I’ll go find some more.

I received a free ecopy of this book in return for an honest review. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

Having read and loved The Chalk Man, CJ Tudor’s first book, I was expecting great things of The Taking of Annie Thorne (also released as The Hiding Place). This second book is an altogether darker thriller with a supernatural element, reminiscent of Stephen King. There is a sordid feel to CJ Tudor’s writing, as she lingers on nicotine stains, badly designed buildings and misery. She is, though, very good at capturing life growing up in eighties England, with Panda Cola, Smash Hits magazine and endemic bullying.

The Taking of Annie Thorne revolves around Joe Thorne, a gambling addict, as he heads back to the town of his childhood to take up a teaching place at his old high school, pursued by his past. The narrative swings between his present and his fifteen year old self. We quickly learn that Joe is a liar and a rather unsavoury person, but a surprisingly good teacher who cares about his pupils. Joe remembers his little sister Annie who was sweet and loving, but as the story progresses we feel cold with the inevitability of approaching horror.

For someone from the North of England I spend a lot of time watching and reading fiction set in small town America, so it’s a refreshing change to read a story set in small town England, in all its mundanity. Tudor paints it with deft strokes. The key word here is ‘local.’ Local people, local places, local legends, plus the local (pub) all feature heavily. The book could almost be set in any Northern pit town. There is one thing I love about Tudor’s writing, it is very down to earth. It could be written by someone down the street from me, labouring away in their back bedroom because all her images are familiar ones.

One of the more unusual aspects to this book is that, the picture isn’t always entirely complete. The final action scenes have a deliberate hole in the narrative. The dots are all there but we are left to join them up ourselves. I feel like I want someone else to read it so I can see if they drew the same picture as me. Drop me a line when you’ve read it and we can compare notes.

A heart-stopping, stomach churning, read. Can’t wait to see what Tudor’s third book will be like.

When Joe Thorne receives an email with the words “I know what happened to your sister. It's happening again” he knows he must go back.
Years ago his younger sister went missing, only to return 48 hours later. Joe seemed to be the only one to notice she wasn't the same when she returned.
Being in debt through gambling he decides to leave town and apply for a teaching job at Arnhill Academy, a school he used to attend as a youngster, but not everyone is happy to see him back.

C J Tudor has a brilliant way of drawing you in and this one is no different. I enjoyed the way you learn about Joe's life, past and present, then bit by bit through flashbacks you also find out just what happened to 8 year old Annie when she went missing all those years ago. As the truth comes out not only is it full of shocks, twists and turns but you also realise why some are not happy at his return.
I have no hesitation in recommending this book which gets five stars from me.
My grateful thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for my copy.

I read C. J. Tudors first book, The Chalk Man and I loved it. The Taking of Anne Thorne is every bit as good. It's creepy and thrilling right to the last page. Stephen King recommended this book and I can see why. The writing is very like Mr. Kings. I highly recommend this book.

A multi-faceted story, taken from the perspective of the rather troubled Joe, who has returned to the old mining village of Arnhill. to try to find out why 'it's happening again'. With its gruesome opening and its dark, creepy Stephen King-esque storyline, what's not to love?

Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

This is CJ Tudor's follow up novel to her brilliant debut The Chalk Man, and it is a fantastic macabre horror mystery featuring Joe Thorne, a has-been teacher whose gambling addiction has transpired to burden him with debts that he cannot afford to pay off to the scary and menacing Fatman. Joe returns home to the old mining village of Arnhill in Nottinghamshire. Arnhill has a history of misfortune, with a failing Academy, a school where Joe has been taken on as a English teacher, a post he conned his way into. Being short of funds, he rents a notorious house where a recent tragedy still haunts the place. When Joe was a child, his beloved 8 year old younger sister, Annie, disappeared for 48 hours, only to return a completely different girl. Joe is a man of secrets, prone to bearing grudges and holding on to resentments as he confronts the past, the fallout from his membership of a gang run by the brutal bully, Stephen Hurst, a suicide, a murder and his childhood infatuation with the beautiful Marie Gibson.

Joe is not welcomed by the community with open arms, his former gang members and others project deeply held animosity and hostility and willing to express this violently. Stephen Hurst is now a powerful and wealthy man locally, on the school governing board, and makes it transparently clear he will do anything to ensure that Joe leaves. Stephen married Marie Gibson, now a dying woman suffering from cancer. Joe's problems have followed him to Arnhill with the appearance of Gloria, a hitwoman intent on ensuring that Joe pays his debts. Joe befriends the art teacher, Beth Scattergood, and becomes aware that little has changed at the school and in a community harbouring dark deeds. He is plagued by vibrantly vivid nightmares and the house is exhibiting some eerie and creepy vibes linked to the dreadful events that occurred there. As the past haunts the present, and the pressure piles up on Joe, we learn of what happened to Annie, and of an ancient evil that has dwelled in the area.

There is no doubt there are familiar horror tropes in this utterly gripping story, from a one eyed doll called Abbie Eyes, to the overflowing presence of beetles and more, but Tudor uses them with panache as she spins the most spellbinding of yarns in an area littered with abandoned mines. Joe is a terrific protagonist, the anti-hero returning home to address the issues that drove him away. There are twists galore as Joe learns that not all his perceptions of past history are accurate. I found this a riveting novel that drew me in instantly from the moment I began to turn the pages. Tudor is a talented and entertaining storyteller, and I cannot wait to read what she writes next. This will appeal to those who enjoy dark unsettling mysteries with elements of the supernatural. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

Joe Thorne left Arnhill with no intention of ever returning. However, here he is being interviewed for the post of english teacher at the secondary school which he had attended as a child. His life is a mess. He is in debt up to his eyeballs – to very much the wrong sort of people. He has returned to look for answers following an obtuse email – “it is happening again”. This refers to the disappearance of his sister, Annie when she was aged 8. However, it wasn’t the disappearance that was the problem but the return.

There is a lot going on in this book. Joe is very dysfunctional with a habit of rubbing people up the wrong way. However, against all odds he seems to be a good teacher and the pupils and some staff like him. Joe has his money worries, the strange email, the lies on his CV and some old scores to settle – and that is just before breakfast!

I very much enjoyed this book. I have read the much acclaimed “Chalk Man” by the same author which I enjoyed but found this one even better. The plot is complicated yet well structured. The characters were well defined with excellent personalities so all the threads were easy to keep separate. That includes the dips into the past to explain what happened to Annie.

Add into a well constructed plot some twists and turns and what you have is a good thriller which is well worth reading. A good description for this book. There are several twists at the end which I really hadn’t seen coming & thought were excellent.

There is a slight supernatural element to this book. It is central to the plot though quite minimal in the descriptions. Much of this is left open to your own imagination.

This was almost a 5 star review but not quite. I am not sure why but there was just a small element of “wow” missing. Maybe I am getting hard to please in my old age? Well worth a read though.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

I really enjoyed The Chalk Man so was looking forward to this. C.J. Tudor has delivered another unputdownable page-turner. I have to say that it didn’t quite engage me as much as The Chalk Man. The supernatural elements at the end were a bit too unbelievable for me to accept and I ended it feeling there were maybe too many loose ends. But despite those quibbles, a very enjoyable read. C.J Tudor is a great writer and I look forward to more in the future..

A very dark book that doesn't really let up. I'd describe it more as horror than a thriller though the thriller aspect did keep me reading to the end.

I have to say I preferred the second half of the book to the first and found it hard to put down. Because of this and the timing of my reading (dreary January!) I'll probably pick it up and re-read later on in the year.

The book is about a man who goes back to his home town to find answers to things that happened a number of years ago around the title.

Although the book wasn't really my cup of tea the writing is very good and I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of horror, especially British Horror.

Interesting little book, i was expecting something similar to the Chalk Man book, but this book is different but none the less an excellent read..
If you are looking for a good 'who done it' then this book is for you.

Highly recommended.

I've heard of C.J. Tudor and I am aware that she wrote a great debut novel called The Chalk Man, but I am yet to read that one. I have a copy somewhere, but when NetGalley accepted my request to read this one I couldn't help myself and jumped in with both feet - not literally obviously.

My thanks to the Publishers via NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review. I gave this an 8/10 or 4 stars.

When recent occurrences begin to mirror things that happened in the past, Joe Thorne feels it his duty to return to where he grew up in the hope that he can put a stop to what is going on. Joe's sister disappeared one day and then reappeared some time later, but life was never the same for them all when she came back. No one really wants to return to the past especially if it holds too many secrets that are better left there, but for Joe it looks like he's not got too much choice.

Joe Thorne is not your typical hero, he's flawed, he's done things in the past that he regrets and his present life isn't that much better, he has troubles aplenty. Fate has other plans in store for him though and to find out what those plans are you'll have to grab a copy of this for yourself.

With publication day looming in February, 2019 this looks set to be as much of a success as The Chalk Man.

I found this to be a well written character driven story that keeps the reader gripped as the story develops, it's a mix between a thriller and a horror story, as it has elements of both. To be honest it was right up my street and I look forward to watching this Author take off, as I feel she has a great future ahead of her.

Really enjoyed this - the writer actually managed to create a main character that you can actually care about right from the start, which is rare. Slightly rushed conclusion/climax which stopped 5* rating but if you can suspend a little disbelief, this is a good read and crates questions about the wisdom of revisiting the past..

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, had me gripped and wanting to turn each page to find out what else would happen. Well written, with a great story line, highly recommend

Creepy. To be honest it is a mystery and it's thrilling in a very creepy sort of a way. When a child is lost they are different when they return. So different that they're difficult to live with. Why? Joe Thorne had lived through this before and twenty years later it looks as though the past is repeating itself. He has to try and stop it - but can be?

I'm not into horror, but I enjoyed this book.

This isn’t just your run of the mill psychological thriller. Why not? Well it’s a book by Tudor and she likes to mix her thriller and mysteries with an element of the inexplicable, which in turn often wanders into the genre of horror.

Joe is drawn back to his hometown when he starts receiving emails that reference the disappearance of his sister many years ago when they were both children. It reminds him of the fact that he has scores to settle and perhaps he will finally find out what happened to Annie. Then again maybe he has a fair idea about what happened and just doesn’t want anyone else to come to the same conclusion.

He starts working at his old school as a teacher, which throws him straight into the same kind of debilitating oppressive atmosphere of bullying and intimidation he had to put up with as a kid. History is repeating itself, but this time he isn’t going to sit by and watch it happen.

It also brings back memories of a traumatic event in his life and the disappearance of a second child under similar circumstances makes people start to ask uncomfortable questions again. Is it just a coincidence or is there a bigger plan at stake?

I really enjoyed The Chalk Man by Tudor and highly recommend it if you haven’t read anything by this particular author yet. The story of Annie Thorne may just leave you with nightmares or at the very least a healthy fear of entering underground caves. You just never know what might be waiting there for you.

It’s so much more than just a psychological thriller. The whole essence of the story is infused with a feeling of menace, a silent threat just waiting to welcome the reader into its inner folds. It surrounds the characters like a soft blanket of mist and even manages to penetrate the pages and draw the reader inside its nefarious web.