The Chalk Man

This is a very impressive debut. CJ Tudor generates a great atmosphere of intrigue, with a jumping timeline between childhood and the present and a slow unravelling of the truth behind events in the past. In The Chalk Man we follow the story of a group of friends, jumping between what happened in a summer break during their childhoods and their interactions today. During this summer these children happened to come across a body, and the impact of that had a profound impact on their relationship and the community they are in.

CJ Tudor effectively manages to blend these timelines to create an intriguing mystery that is slowly revealed. Her characters are sympathetic, varied and interesting. The community feels like a real living breathing community in the south of England, with the hypocrisy and pettiness that communities always hold. She has a nice easy reading prose

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable read!