The Chalk Man by CJ Tudor

I think I wanted to like this book more than I actually did due to the fact that I had heard so many intriguing things about it.  This is a solid first go from CJ Tudor and it was a fun, light read for me but not so much of a thriller like the pre-release reviews would have us believe.

The good.  Tudor did a good job with the back and forth timeline of the novel.  It is hard to get that right but, with a few exceptions of where the linearity got a little muddy, she did well transporting us from 1986 to 2016 and back again.  The world building was lovely and believable especially the fair (some imagery that I won't forget there), and the woods.

The not so good. The characters reminded me of other novels and movies almost exactly.  Not to draw to fine a line, but I pictured the characters of Fat Gav and Nicky as Dustin and Max from Stranger Things.  There seemed to be quite a few loose ends that were left unexplained and, in the end, I saw the identity of the real murderer coming from the halfway point.

All in all, if you are a fan of murder mystery novels, please pick up this debut offering from CJ Tudor.  I have a feeling this summer is going to be a great time for this book and I wish her so much luck.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher and author for allowing me an advanced look at this novel in exchange for an honest review.