Chalk Man

Title: The Chalk Man
Author: C.J Tudor
Genre:Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
Source: Hardback: Library
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws


In 1986 as a young boy Eddie witnessed a tragic event.  Eddie and Mr. Halloran (the new teacher) helped a young girl who was struck when an amusement park ride broke from it's frame.  Through converstations, Mr. Halloran gives Eddie the idea of drawing chalk symbols as messages between his friends.  But then; the chalk men lead the group of friends to a body.


Fast forward 30 years and Eddie is now a teacher in his home town when an old friend pays him a visit.  One the same day a letter arrives in the mail containing one thing...a chalk man.  When his friend turns up dead in the river, memories of the past come back to Eddie.  Is the past beginning to repeat itself?  Will he ever be able to escape the Chalk Man?

The Chalk Man is another novel I have seen recommended everywhere I looked so I pick it up from the library (I am loving my library lately). It is a hauntingly fascinating tale that took me only 2 days to finish.  I went into it with an open mind, not knowing what to expect and I am happy that I picked it up.  While I expected something else, this was definitely worth the read. 

The tale opens with a tragically morbid scene of a fair ride coming off it's tracks and injuring a girl, but as usual life goes on, the kids enjoy their summer while other more serious things happen around them such as abortion clinic protests, sordid affairs, and dark rumors.  While the book focuses on Eddie and his friends it is about so much more.  Everyone seems to be hiding something even when the story jumps ahead 30 years to 2016.  While some may think the back and forth may be tedious or make the story difficult to read, it wasn't.  The parts in 1986 give detail into what is happening in 2016.  I almost wanted more from each time period, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.


The ending, you never see it coming.  You have suspicions throughout the book, and you think you know all the answers, but you don't even as the book ends there are still some questions left open which make for great book club discussions.  C.J. expertly inserts little hints throughout the chapters giving readers subtle clues as to what will happen next, but you have to really pay attention to what he is saying.  While you know things like abuse and sex are happening, Tudor doesn't out right describe it in gruesome, heated scenes.  He does it in a way that lets readers speculate at what is happening between the lines.


I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers and mysteries.  Tudor is truly a master storyteller and I for one cannot wait to read something else from this author.  I did expect it to be more "edge of the seat" thrilling, unable to sleep til I finished.  It was thrilling enough but not as much as it was made out to be by others.  But still a wonderfully written tale that will intrigue readers and hold them captivated until the very end.