The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor is a good read for a cold winter night, if you enjoy a good mystery. The mystery begins with a group of teenage boys living in their English village, making their way through the trials of adolescence and a bucket of chalk given as a birthday present. The boys' teacher, Mr. Halloran, gave them the chalk as a gift and inspiration to enact a secret code of chalk figures to communicate with each other throughout the long summer days. The boys primarily use the chalk figures to warn each other of the town bullies and plan meeting locations but when Eddie, the main character finds a drawing that leads him to a murder, everything changes. Years later, as adults, the mystery resurfaces and one of the boys, now an adult is killed. To solve both crimes, Eddie learns he must solve the mystery to protect himself as well.
I tend to be a judgmental critic when it comes to mysteries. They often feel predictable and staged to me, using well worn plot lines. I am pleased to say that The Chalk Man is not that way. I was pleasantly hooked from the beginning of the book to the end. It is easy to recommend The Chalk Man as a wonderful engaging read.
FTC disclaimer: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.
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