The Drift by C. J. Tudor

Listen up, people. Have you read C. J. Tudor yet? If not, you are missing out!

I read The Drift when it came out in hardcover, but was very neglectful about typing up my review. Now that it's out in paperback, I'm rectifying that!

The book is told in three parts. But they intertwine in such a way that the connections aren't immediately clear beyond setting. 

A school bus overturns on trip to evacuate a group of students to a place called The Retreat. These chosen few should be safe there. If they can only make it. 

Meg was also on her way to The Retreat when she awakens in a stopped cable car. Neither she or her fellow passengers can remember how they got there. But with no power and temps dropping fast, they must find a way to survive!

Carter lives comfortably in a ski chalet. But they live at the mercy of the generator. And when it starts to fail, it means facing the things both inside and outside that put everyone at risk. 

Tudor says this was a bit of a passion project. One delayed by but also made possible by the pandemic. 

After all, even I as both a reader and agent had my doubts about ever being able to read a post-apocalyptic thriller in the days around and beyond 2020. 

But I actually found it a bit cathartic. And by the time The Drift released here in the States, I was more than ready for this particular book!

First, I have a thing for snowed-in reads. And absolutely fits the bill! Which is perfect because it's February and I especially like to read snowed-in books while it's nasty and snowing outside!

The world of The Drift unfolds somewhat slowly through the eyes of these three narrators. And it's in part because of the structure—alternating short chapters between each of these characters means you get snippets of what each of them are experiencing alongside the world around them. And I have to say that the deliberate delay in what is otherwise an exceptionally fast-paced read made for a deliciously agonizing experience!

I desperately wanted to know what was going on in this world. Why the desperation to reach The Retreat. Why the secrecy around the facility!

And the dawning of understanding that begins to set in at a certain point in the reading was truly a wonderful discovery and reveal. 

Again, if you've not been reading Tudor, you absolutely need to. There's a new adaptation of one of her works (The Burning Girls), there's a new release (The Gathering) on the horizon, there's plenty of backlist to tide you over, and there's even a TV adaptation of The Drift in the works! Add her to your must-read list today and ENJOY!

Order a copy from Bookshop today!

The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

Happy Friday! Today I'm a stop on the TLC blog tour for C.J. Tudor's latest, The Hiding Place. 

Arnhill isn't a town Joe would choose to return to without reason. A mining town whose mine has been closed for decades, it's a miserable place to live. But Joe has come home and he does have a reason to be there after all. A very personal reason. One that traces back to his childhood and the fate of his beloved sister. 

Arnhill hasn't aged well in the time that he's been away. And it seems the very things that caused him to leave in the first place might be happening again.

Joe takes a job as a teacher at the very school he once attended. Immediately he recognizes the son of one of his old gang as the local bully, stepping in on his first day as the boy relentlessly picks on another student. And earning himself an enemy for his efforts. But that's just the beginning and the least of Joe's worries. 

C. J. Tudor's latest is dark, dark, dark. Just the opening pages alone are enough to warn away a reader without a strong stomach! Diving into The Hiding Place was like jumping down a rabbit hole of creepy. And considering I started at bedtime... well, it did not make for a restful night!

We don't know from the start exactly what Joe's motives or history are. He alludes to his sister's disappearance, he also alludes to her return, and he outright lies to those around him about what happened to her (which means the reader is in the dark for a good bit as well). We do know he's prompted to return to Arnhill after receiving and email that cryptically says it's happening again. And he chooses to move into a house where a teacher killed herself and her son under incredibly disturbing circumstances.

We also know Joe is on the run and in debt.

And that's it. That's what we start off with. It was enough to hook me, that's for sure! That and, as I mentioned, the incredibly dark and creepy nature of the story. Because even with very little information, Tudor deftly builds an almost overwhelming sense of dread and suspense. I had to know what was going on! What happened to Joe as a teenager? Why is he back in Arnhill? And what does the teacher's death have to do with it all? Agh!

The payoff, the big reveal, and the twists along the way were all worth it! Tudor straddles a fine line between horror and thriller and is a perfect read for fans of both genres. Given, of course, that you can handle the opening pages!

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour site here.

For more on C.J. Tudor, you can like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor + a Giveaway

Hi, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the TLC blog tour for C. J. Tudor's The Chalk Man.

1986: Eddie and his friends were twelve years old the year the Chalk Man came into being. Between the five of them, it started as a way to send secret messages: leaving chalk men and symbols for each other in corresponding colors. And then chalk figures began showing up around town, alongside increasingly brutal crimes.  The year, and the crimes, hit a gruesome finale with the discovery of a beheaded girl's body. 

2016: Tthe chalk figures are back. Eddie receives a letter at the same time one of their group returns to town to discuss the possibility of writing a book about that terrible year. And then one of the old gang is found dead. It could be an accident, but a letter just like Eddie's is found on the body. Has the past returned to haunt Eddie and his friends? And if it has, will they finally be able to unmask the identity of the Chalk Man?

I quite enjoyed this one. When I started, I thought it was going to be a quick read - and indeed it begins with a scene that seemed to set the tone for a fast-paced and shockingly gory read. And yet, that really wasn't the case. After that scene, an accident at the town fair when Eddie is twelve, the book became a bit more of a slow burn.

Chapter alternate between past and present, with Eddie leading the way on a dark trip down memory lane. See the discovery of the girl's body would seem to be the worst a tween could possibly face, but unfortunately that's not true here. 1986 is a particularly bad year that has long lasting ramifications, not the least of which is Eddie's "collecting" habit.

Eddie also admits to having a bit of a drinking habit in 2016 as well. He's a teacher who's never married and lives in his childhood home with a lodger much younger than he is. He and two of the others remained in their hometown and occasionally meet up even though Eddie doesn't feel they're friends in the true sense of the word. And yet, they are inextricably linked by the happenings of 1986.

Which becomes even more clear as the book progresses.

Though I expected quick and got simmering instead, I found I loved the progressing build and the chance to spend more time with the book than I'd anticipated.

I should also add that this book has been on my radar for well over a year now. A little bird in the publishing industry mentioned it to me after having read it in manuscript form and I immediately added it to my must have list. That much lead time means a whole lot of expectation, so I'm very glad that the book was able to live up to that - of course, the bird in question has great taste, so I never doubted I would love it!

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy to give away on the blog. To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, February 19. Open US only and no PO boxes please.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here.

For more on C. J. Tudor and her work you can like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble