TLC Book Tours – The Hiding Place by C.J. Tudor

Rounding out the month of January with a great thriller!

Thanks to Crown Publishing and TLC Book Tours for the free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

THE HIDING PLACE – C.J. Tudor (Releasing February 5th, 2019)

Make sure to check back for the #allthebookreviews thoughts on this one 🙂

Book Description:

The thrilling second novel from the author of The Chalk Man, about a teacher with a hidden agenda who returns to settle scores at a school he once attended, only to uncover a darker secret than he could have imagined.

Joe never wanted to come back to Arnhill. After the way things ended with his old gang–the betrayal, the suicide, the murder–and after what happened when his sister went missing, the last thing he wanted to do was return to his hometown. But Joe doesn’t have a choice. Because judging by what was done to that poor Morton kid, what happened all those years ago to Joe’s sister is happening again. And only Joe knows who is really at fault.

Lying his way into a teaching job at his former high school is the easy part. Facing off with former friends who are none too happy to have him back in town–while avoiding the enemies he’s made in the years since–is tougher. But the hardest part of all will be returning to that abandoned mine where it all went wrong and his life changed forever, and finally confronting the shocking, horrifying truth about Arnhill, his sister, and himself. Because for Joe, the worst moment of his life wasn’t the day his sister went missing.

It was the day she came back.

With the same virtuosic command of character and pacing she displayed in The Chalk Man, C. J. Tudor has once again crafted an extraordinary novel that brilliantly blends harrowing psychological suspense, a devilishly puzzling mystery, and enough shocks and thrills to satisfy even the most seasoned reader.

My Thoughts: 3/5 stars!

So like a lot of other thriller fans THE CHALK MAN was an extremely popular and well-liked debut last year. I was anxiously awaiting the release of CJ Tudor’s newest release because I loved the blend of thriller and some added horror to the mix. THE HIDING PLACE was a little harder to place for me – I love her writing and the way she weaves a thrilling story, but something just didn’t work for me.

Joe Thorne is doing something he never thought he would do – returning to his hometown. With a dark past he tried to escape, he must now face his old friends that have since turned against him, as well as his enemies in town. What happened all those years ago? Who was at fault? What really happened with his sister? All questions that Tudor has you wondering as she pulls you through the story with a good pace and enough building suspense.

This one was hard for me – this was very different from THE CHALK MAN for me. I think I’m more middle ground on this but I can see why this worked incredibly for other readers. I got major Stephen King vibes in this one, but things felt a little too similar to PET SEMATARY (a book that I love). I know I’m not the only one that feels this way. I’m all for paying homage to an author you admire and love, but there were too many similarities to the story for me.

If you’re a fan of some supernatural elements thrown in with your thrillers, then this will be perfect for you! If you enjoyed Tudor’s previous book, then I highly recommend picking this up. There is no denying that she can weave a suspenseful and intricate story and I will continue to look for her future books.

About the Author:

C. J. TUDOR is the author of The Chalk Man, and lives in Nottingham, England, with her partner and three-year-old daughter. Over the years she has worked as a copywriter, television presenter, voice-over, and dog walker. She is now thrilled to be able to write full-time, and doesn’t miss chasing wet dogs through muddy fields all that much.

Connect with C.J.

Facebook | Twitter

Where to Purchase a Copy:

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble