Author:Simon Lelic
*THE OBSERVERTHRILLER BOOK OF THE MONTH*
*A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK*
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The perfect couple. The perfect house.
. . . The perfect crime.
Londoners Jack and Syd moved into the house a year ago. It seemed like their dream home: tons of space, the perfect location, and a friendly owner who wanted a young couple to have it.
So when they made a grisly discovery in the attic, Jack and Syd chose to ignore it. That was a mistake.
Because someone has just been murdered outside their back door.
AND NOW THE POLICE ARE WATCHING THEM.
This thriller will hook you and not let you go. Perfect for fans of He Said / She Said, and The Couple Next Door
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What authors and readers are saying:
'DELICIOUSLY DARK AND CLEVER WITH A SATISFYING TWIST. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED' Mark Edwards
'AN INTRICATE AND POWERFUL THRILLER' Tana French
'HUGELY GRIPPING AND SPOOKY AS HELL' Mark Billingham
'TAUGHT, TENSE AND TERRIFYING, I LOVED IT' Sharon Bolton
'O.M.G . I just devoured this gem...Perfect execution of a psychological thriller right here.' Reader review
'A brilliantly tense and shocking thriller. I literally couldn't put it down!' Nuala Ellwood, author of My Sister's Bones
'Thisterrifying thriller sent shivers through me' Jane Corry, author of My Husband's Wife
'A bundle of creepy chills, perfectly timed for Halloween . . . Read it' Thriller of the Month, The Observer
'Deeply creepy . . . This clever, twisting plot, told in convincing voices, will haunt you in the very best way' The Sunday Mirror'
An intriguing and suspenseful read' Cath Staincliffe
'Brilliantly dark and gripping...Plays on the fundamental fear that the building blocks of our existence - home, relationships, family - may not be as secure as we like to think' Thomas Mogford
'Clearly influenced by the great Alfred Hitchcock, this is not so much a ghost story as an homage to the master's expert touch with dread' Daily Mail
'Creepy and totally gripping. A real page-turner. I loved it' Claire McGowan
DELICIOUSLY DARK AND CLEVER WITH A SATISFYING TWIST. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
—— Mark EdwardsClearly influenced by the great Alfred Hitchcock, this is not so much a ghost story as an homage to the master's expert touch with dread
—— Daily MailStephen King-like...At once a whodunit, a dark love story and a saga of three dysfunctional families The House continually and compellingly wrong-foots the reader, from its faux-gothic opening to its deftly worked ending
—— Sunday TimesA masterpiece of duplicity, a psychological thriller of the highest order...fans of he said/she said suspense will love this tense and gripping story. Highly recommended!
—— Karen Dionne, author THE MARSH KING'S DAUGHTER[A] gripping thriller . . . brilliant characters . . . and a clever, twisty plot
—— The PeopleDeeply creepy . . . This clever, twisting plot, told in convincing voices, will haunt you in the very best way
—— The Sunday MirrorA bundle of creepy chills, perfectly timed for Halloween . . . Read it
—— Thriller of the Month , The ObserverA creepy and unnerving read
—— GuardianThe heart-stopping thriller about a husband and wife who are hiding something from each other...and from you. This book won't let you go until you've found out the truth. Perfect for fans of Erin Kelly, Gillian Flynn and Fiona Barton.
—— From the publisherPrepared to be scared. The House is a gripping psychological thriller. Simon Lelic knows how to turn the screw
—— Mari Hannah'HUGELY GRIPPING AND SPOOKY AS HELL'
—— Mark Billlingham'O.M.G . I just devoured this gem...Perfect execution of a psychological thriller right here'
—— Reader reviewHUGELY GRIPPING AND SPOOKY AS HELL
—— Mark BilllinghamAN INTRICATE AND POWERFUL THRILLER
—— Tana FrenchTAUGHT, TENSE AND TERRIFYING. I LOVED IT.
—— Sharon BoltonThis terrifying thriller sent shivers through me
—— Jane Corry, author of My Husband's WifeA brilliantly tense and shocking thriller. I literally couldn't put it down!
—— Nuala Ellwood, author of My Sister's BonesLelic can plot like a demon
—— GuardianA writer to whom attention must be paid
—— IndependentThere are uncommon books and films that crack the ‘safe place,’ that have us forgetting it’s only a story. Nobody knows exactly how this is done, but when it’s done, we know it. Final Girls is operating on that plane; you will check your own arm for a wound a character suffers, you will look across the room when a character hears someone coming, and you will wonder if you yourself have the mettle to endure being a Final Girl.
—— Josh Malerman, , author of BIRD BOXSager cleverly plays on horror movie themes from Scream to Single White Female, creating an homage without camp. Despite comparisons to Gone Girl, this debut’s strong character development and themes of rebirth and redemption align more closely with Flynn’s Dark Places
—— Booklist (starred review)This contemporary love story wrapped up in a thriller is a brilliant read. Compelling and intense
—— Sunday MirrorA gripping, compelling page turner that kept me up half the night
—— Liz NugentYou won't be able to put it down!
—— Hollie OvertonAn utterly unique story . . . my heart was in my mouth the whole time
—— Holly SeddonAn assured and gripping debut
—— Alex MarwoodTense and compelling
—— Paula DalyI found myself wanting to pick it up at every opportunity. Brilliant
—— Jenny BlackhurstTop domestic noir
—— SunOnce I'd started I was powerless to stop. Brilliantly executed, clever and utterly realistic
—— Jill MansellThis is a book to devour
—— Elizabeth HaynesStartlingly good. Gillian McAllister is a new star in psychological thrillers
—— Miranda DickinsonIntriguing and atmospheric
—— Sheila O'FlanaganBreathlessly brilliant
—— HeatA thrilling book club read
—— PrimaPrepare to be gripping by this tense thriller
—— Fabulous MagazinePrepare to be gripped by this tense thriller
—— Fabulous MagazineGenuinely creepy books don't come along very often, but this one can hold its missing head up high
—— HeatThere are shades of Stephen King in this very creepy timeslip, as well as an evocative portrait of small-town life in 1980s Britain
—— Guardian, Books of the YearMy favourite crime book of 2018 would have to be The Chalk Man. It initially brought to mind twisted tales of suburban Americana such as Stand by Me and Carrie. However, by weaving in authentic and evocative period detail C. J. Tudor manages to create a story that tells of the darkness at the heart of small-town life that is, like the rotten pastoral in a M. R. James ghost story, uniquely English. Unsettling, taut and skillfully plotted, The Chalk Man grabbed me by the throat from the very first sentence and didn't let go until the final, heart-stopping page
—— Nuala Ellwood, author of The Day of the Accident[I] haven't had a sleepless night due to a book for a long time. The Chalk Man changed that. Many congrats C. J. Tudor
—— Fiona Barton , bestselling author of The WidowWhat a great book. A twisty thriller and downright creepy ending. 5 stars.
—— Sarah Pinborough, the number 1 bestselling author of , Behind Her EyesTense, skillful storytelling
—— Ali Land, bestselling author of , Good Me Bad MeAbsolutely brilliant. I was expecting a creepy horror story that I'd have to read with all the lights on but this book is so much more than that - it's witty, insightful, clever, thoughtful, mysterious, gripping, nostalgic and utterly compelling. Publishers often talk about "an exciting new voice in fiction" and I genuinely think C. J. Tudor is going to be huge. This book has bestseller written all over it and if it doesn't go to number one I will eat my crime writing hat
—— C. L. Taylor , author of The MissingWhat an amazing debut! Such an ingenious, original idea. I was engrossed from the very first page. I loved how the 1986 and present day storylines weaved so skilfully together to create that unforgettable and unexpected ending. Compelling, taut and so very, very chilling. This book will haunt you!
—— Claire Douglas , Sunday Times bestselling author of Last Seen AliveIt's been a while since I've read such an impressive debut. The pace was perfectly judged, the characters superbly drawn and there's a creeping sense of unease that starts with the prologue and grows throughout the book. And then that ending! It feels so fresh and deserves to be a huge success
—— James Oswald , Sunday Times bestselling author of the Inspector McLean seriesUtterly Hypnotic. The Chalk Man is a dream novel, a book of nightmares: haunted and haunting, shot through with shadow and light - a story to quicken the pulse and freeze the blood. A dark star is born
—— Mr A. J. FinnImpossible to put down, cleverly constructed and executed
—— Ragnar Jonasson , author of the bestselling Dark Iceland seriesKept me up until five in the morning. Wonderfully written. I loved it!
—— Kimberley Chambers , bestselling author of BackstabberI absolutely loved The Chalk Man . . . It's a dark, mesmerising thriller with an ending that left me with goosebumps!
—— Nuala Elwood , author of My Sister’s BonesOne of the best books I've read since I first read Stephen King's IT when I was 14. Go get it!
—— Rachel Burton , author of The Many Colours of UsI've just finished The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor. WOW! I could not put it down. If you like Stephen King, you'll LOVE this!
—— Hayley Barker , author of ShowstopperAt the heart of this accomplished debut lies a shocking crime stumbled upon by a group of teenage friends. It is a discovery that shatters their innocence and haunts the whole community. Now, twenty years later, someone is sending anonymous letters - chalk drawings of a stick figure with a noose around its neck - someone who hasn't forgotten what happened in the woods all those years ago. The past is very much alive in this book where memory is unreliable and old secrets fester, threatening to turn as odorous as a rotting corpse. Tudor's sharp eye for detail and ear for dialogue lend the childhood scenes an immediacy and authenticity that completely convince. With its driving plot and sensitive evocation of friendship and loneliness, The Chalk Man is an utterly gripping read, with an ending that will make the hairs on the back of your neck bristle
—— Karen Perry , bestselling author of Can You Keep a Secret?Just finished The Chalk Man. Dark and addictive. This page-turner is more twisty than a rollercoaster. And one hell of a ride.
—— Will Dean , Dark PinesThe Chalk Man is a stunning debut, a riveting thriller about the powerful grip of the past and the unbreakable bonds of childhood friendship. The ending of this smasher will completely throw you for a loop
—— David Bell, bestselling author , Bring Her HomeThe Chalk Man is an intricate and surprising book that will reward the reader who approaches it with the attention it deserves
—— Thomas Perry, New York Times bestselling author of , The Old ManAbsolutely loved it! Creepy, brilliant and tense, I could not put it down!
—— Karen Hamilton , The Perfect GirlfriendBlasted through this beauty in one intense and thrilling sitting
—— S R Masters , The Killer You KnowThe Chalk Man stole my weekend! Wow. Just wow. The tension just builds and builds. And what a final page . . .
—— Simon Lelic , The HouseFinished reading The Chalk Man by C.J Tudor last night. What a book! Enjoyed every minute of it. A total banger!
—— Amy Lloyd , author of The Innocent WifeC.J. Tudor brilliantly weaves past and present into a haunting, vividly imagined tale. Much more than a murder mystery, it is a sharp, terrifying exploration of the bonds and limitations of childhood friendships and of secrets that refuse to remain buried. I fell in love with the guiding voice of this novel, the thoughtful and solitary Eddie. Prepare to be surprised again and again, even until the final page
—— Michelle Richmond, author of , The Marriage PactThe Chalk Man is an unpredictable and engaging thriller: sinister, tragic, and with a beautifully rendered sense of time and place. That final page still haunts me
—— Helen Callaghan, bestselling author of , Dear AmyThe grip the past has on the present reveals itself in ever more sinister and macabre ways in this utterly original and relentlessly compelling psychological thriller. The Chalk Man kept me guessing all the way to the end
—— Fiona Neil , bestselling author of The BetrayalsThe Chalk Man is superb: compelling, beautifully written and utterly chilling
—— Steve Mosby , author of I Know Who Did It