Author:Gladys Mitchell
Rediscover Gladys Mitchell – one of the 'Big Three' female crime fiction writers alongside Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers.
When Rupert Sethleigh's body is found one morning, laid out in the village butcher shop but minus its head, the inhabitants of Wandles Parva aren't particularly upset. Sethleigh was a blackmailing moneylender and when the peerless detective and renowned psycholanalyst Mrs Bradley begins her investigation she finds no shortage of suspects. It soon transpires that most of the village seem to have been wandering about Manor Woods, home of the mysterious druidic stone on which Sethleigh's blood is found splashed, on the night he was murdered, but can she eliminate the red herrings and catch the real killer?
Opinionated, unconventional, unafraid... If you like Poirot and Miss Marple, you’ll love Mrs Bradley.
Stunning plot twist which I never saw coming . . . brilliantly done
—— Crime Fiction Lover on My Bloody ValentineA truly terrifying debut novel
—— My Weekly on The Advent KillerThis is a strong, spell-binding crime novel that shows much promise of dark treasures to come from this author
—— Crimesquad on The Advent KillerYou can hear the ominous music from the first line onward - this is a fantastic thriller.
—— Lee ChildI read The Innocent Wife in one sitting - a deliciously wry and dark exploration of fascinating subject matter that will keep you guessing until the last page. Amy Lloyd is a fresh and original new voice in thriller writing who deserves to go straight to the top.
—— Sarah Pinborough, author of Behind Her EyesIf you're an addict of true crime documentaries, you will binge all night on The Innocent Wife. In this breathless, pounding ride, Amy Lloyd keeps us guessing about a convicted killer thrust into the world as innocent online hero and the woman who begins to reluctantly dig into his murky past.
—— Julia Heaberlin, author of Black Eyed SusansThe Innocent Wife is a stunner that leads the reader down a twisty path to a surprising, yet satisfying conclusion. You won't be able to stop turning the pages!
—— Karen Dionne, author of The Marsh King's DaughterI devoured The Innocent Wife in one sitting! A unique setting, deeply flawed characters, a crackling mystery, and an unexpected ending make this one of 2018's must-reads!
—— Hollie Overton, author of Baby DollSlick, smart and very timely, this confident debut will hook you in.
—— Sunday MirrorDeliciously tense and twisty.
—— The Sunday TimesWritten with panache, the book skilfully captures the nature of obsession and its consequences, and culminates in a climax Patricia Highsmith would have admired.
—— Daily MailA talent for nail-biting fiction
—— Irish IndependentExcellent book - Great characters and plot. I would highly recommend this book.
—— reader reviewGood, fast paced and well written.
—— reader reviewAbsolutely brilliantly written, characters are well-drawn and believable and I cannot recommend it enough.
—— reader reviewThis book completely gripped me from the very start. I love books that make me think. I also love finding out about what makes people do the things that they do. So for me I was hooked from the very first line of the synopsis. What makes a woman fall in love with a death row inmate? What makes them believe that they are innocent? And what makes someone do that bad things they do which result in them ending up on death row? This is a really good fast passed psychology thriller. Which I raced through to find out what actually happened on that brutal night.
—— reader reviewThe Innocent Wife is a brilliant read. I was hooked from the start and read in within a couple of days. I loved how much depth there was to each character making you are the reader feel you really knew them. I cannot wait to read more from Amy Lloyd, I believe she will be an author to watch.
—— reader reviewEver since I learned about women who write to, fall in love with and marry men on Death Row, I've been fascinated by this phenomenon, so this book was a must-read. Lloyd keeps the first three-quarters or so beautifully on track as Samantha obsesses about a handsome killer, gets involved in the campaign to free him and marries him, despite him being effectively a stranger. Alongside this main story is a sub-strand which calls into question Samantha's own past behaviour and quite how balanced she herself is. This keeps the tension high and I changed my mind a couple of times as to where I thought the book was going, and ended up staying up late to find out whether I was right (sort of!)
—— reader reviewThe Innocent Wife was a brilliantly immersive read - if you watched Making A Murderer you'll probably like this - taking that type of premise as a starting point then taking the reader on a kind of ‘behind the scenes’ journey - focusing on Sam, obsessed with the subject to the point that she drops everything, moves to the States and ultimately marries him. Then, however, the campaign is successful and she's faced with living with a man she barely knows and who may not be as innocent as he seems. Through her we meet the television crew, the people from the hometown of the dead girl, various other involved parties and start to slowly uncover the genuine truth of the matter. What I loved about it was the way the author obfuscates her characters, making it hard to see realities but done in a very realistic manner.Dennis is a mass of contradictions, one moment you are full of sympathy for his plight, others you think "ooh this guy is dangerous" but until you reach the final pages you are never quite sure. Overall a really great, gripping, page turner of a read. You just want to know - I also thought the ending was cleverly thought provoking. Recommended.
—— reader reviewDeeply unsettling
—— The iExquisitely subtle
—— Fully BookedWhat a gripping, chilling book!
—— Words from a Reader blogA grim and unbearably tense debut chiller with an unexpected and utterly fitting finale.
—— Kirkus ReviewsA compulsively readable thriller.
—— Booklist (Starred review)I’m gripped
—— YOU Magazine onlineFans of Gone Girl, Serial and Making a Murderer will not be able to put this book down. I promise you all that!
—— Let's Start With This One BlogA must read
—— I Love Reading This blogI 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