The Chalk Man

October 2, 2017
In 1986, Eddie Adams, the narrator of British author Tudor’s promising debut, and his four best mates, all early adolescents, become ensnared in a series of ghastly events in the picturesque English town of Anderbury, with the nightmarish inevitability of the Grimmest of tales. In the most shocking episode, a mysterious man leads them to the dismembered remains of a teenage girl in the woods. Not surprisingly, these traumas, which also include abuse, sadistic bullying, and a prank that turns deadly, cast a sizeable shadow over the friends’ futures. In 2016, Mickey, one of Eddie’s old friends, returns to town after more than 20 years away, planning to write a book about the girl’s murder upon the occasion of the murder’s 30th anniversary. Danger looms after Mickey announces that he knows who really killed the girl (the prime suspect killed himself before his likely arrest). Though Tudor makes a couple of rookie missteps, including excessive plot twists seemingly for the sake of surprise, her storytelling prowess is undeniable. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Literary (U.K.).

November 1, 2017
Murder, mayhem, and chalk figures in a sleepy English village.In 1986, 12-year-old Eddie Adams enjoys spending time with his group of friends: Fat Gav, Metal Mickey, Hoppo, and the lone girl in the group, Nicky. He's largely insulated from his mother's work as an abortion provider and its accompanying risks, and it's her income that keeps the household afloat, since his father's freelance writing jobs are hit and miss. When Eddie finds the decapitated and dismembered body of a local girl in the woods, it stirs up terrible secrets and forbidden passions. In 2016, Eddie is a teacher who harbors a mild crush for his much younger boarder, Chloe, and isn't eager to revisit the traumatic events of '86. He still feels particularly bad about his part in the downfall of a teacher with albinism who was kind to him. When he's contacted by Mickey Cooper, who claims he knows who really killed that girl, it opens old wounds, and a body count follows. Readers will undoubtedly be reminded of the kids of Stand by Me and even IT. The dynamics among the kids are similar, complete with Nicky's flaming red hair, and Eddie's first-person narration alternates between past and present, taking full advantage of chapter-ending cliffhangers. The chalk markings the group works out to communicate tap into kids' universal love for secret code and, of course, getting one over on their parents. Things takes a creepy turn when the symbols are twisted to fit someone's not-so-innocent agenda.A swift, cleverly plotted debut novel that ably captures the insular, slightly sinister feel of a small village. Children of the 1980s will enjoy the nostalgia.

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November 15, 2017

DEBUT A band of preteens in a quaint English village in the late 1980s confront true evil and grapple with the lifelong consequences in this gripping debut mystery/thriller. Eddie and his sometimes-buddies/sometimes frenemies Fat Gav, Metal Mickey, Hoppo, and Nicky, spend a summer hanging out at the playground, inventing a message system using sidewalk chalk, and avoiding the psychopathic attentions of Metal Mickey's violent older brother and his gang. They bear witness to a horrific accident, observe the ongoing battle between prolife protestors and the doctors and clinicians who run a local Planned Parenthood-type facility (headed by Eddie's no-nonsense mother), and, finally, are led--via ominous chalk drawings--to the remains of a gruesome murder scene. Fast-forward to 2016, when Eddie, still living in his hometown, gets mired in his grim past again. In addition to the core murder mystery, Tudor plays with themes of aging, memory, and paranoia. While the ending is a bit melodramatic and unlikely, readers who relish dark, twisty thrillers will be kept guessing. VERDICT Taut plotting, smooth writing, and a compelling premise will satisfy fans of Jo Nesbo, Camilla Lackberg, and Tana French. [See Prepub Alert, 7/24/17.]--Kiera Parrott, Library Journal

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2017
Childhood pals Eddie, Fat Gav, Mickey, Hoppo, and Nicky started the summer of 1986 gleefully covering their English village of Anderbury with chalk stick-figure codes. But their game turned dark when they found chalk figures pointing to the drowned body of Mickey's brother and, later, the body of a teenage girl. Police zeroed in on Mr. Halloran, a popular teacher whose scandalous relationship with the murdered girl was recently outed. Despite a lack of evidence, Halloran's guilt was cemented in the public eye after the teacher committed suicide. The town moved on, relieved. Now, more than 30 years later, Mickey returns to Anderbury, courting Eddie to collaborate on a documentary about the deadly summer. The day after their meeting, Eddie discovers chalk figures covering his hearth, and Mickey's body is found near the spot where his brother died. As police eye Eddie as the last person who saw Mickey alive, he learns that his lodger and only friend, Chloe, has been hiding devastating secrets. An absorbing debut with a well-crafted mystery and a solid dose of Stand by Me creepiness.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)