The Chalk Man

As someone who considers themselves a literary enthusiast, it shames me to admit that I have not read a book, in a very long while. Let's not get into how or why it just hasn't been a regular thing in my daily routines. I am however pleasantly surprised to have broken this cycle of procrastination and picked up a novel that I struggled to put down. I wandered into my local WHSmith and saw it. The minimal yet creepy cover. A chalk hangman in full display. Very fittingly titled ‘The Chalk Man’. Despite the striking appearance the thing that forced me to the counter with my new treat, was the extremely intriguing blurb. It didn't give much away on the plot yet poised many questions in my mind, that I needed answered.

It was only meant to be a game

None of us ever agreed on the exact beginning. Was it when we started drawing the chalk figures, or when they started to appear on their own? Was it the terrible accident? Or when they found the first body?

The Chalk Man is the debut novel by CJ Tudor, a happy welcome for my new found past time. The novel follows the journey of Eddie, who goes through many ups and downs in his childhood that ultimately shape his now 40 year old self. The novel is set in two timelines 1986 and 2016. Each chapter alternates and leaves excruciating cliff hangers, and a little underfloor hiding space full of unanswered questions. Taking place in a little English town, picturesque and peaceful - until the white clouds of chalk fill the minds of the locals. Eddie and his friends developed secret codes through drawing chalk figures on each others driveway, symbolising a specific meeting place. The horror starts when the chalk figures arrive on their own, as they lead the gang to a dead body. The chalk men follow Eddie into his 40's refusing to let him move on. His past haunts him, as familiar and unwelcome figures emerge in real life and in his nightmares - leading to Eddie doubting his own roles in these mysteries as more of the stories unravel. This is not a tale of one big climactic event that the author is slowly uncovering, there is constant unexplained and unexpected shocks throughout leaving you questioning each theory yourself. The shadows cast by Eddies past haunt his future as you explore gargantuan consequences from the smallest mistakes. Through the trials of "friendship", loss, and deceit we learn the horrors of 1986 and the unwillingness to let it stay in its rightful time. If I was to describe the novel in one word, it would be "gripping". Absolutely gripping.