A little bit Stand By Me, a little bit Mystic River, The Chalk Man delivers mystery, suspense, and horror in a tight story with no loose ends.
Alternating between 1986 and 2016, the protagonist, Eddie, is still haunted by violence that he witnessed the summer when he was 12. He and his friends discovered the body of a dead girl in the woods, and chalk drawings of stick men lead them right to the site of her murder. The circumstances of the crime seem obvious to police, but evidence comes to light 30 years later that puts all of the pieces together, and Eddie figures out the police had it all wrong. There is also the added nightmare of Eddie seeing the chalk men. When the drawings of chalk men appear, something bad is going to happen.
It’s suspenseful, often frightening, and always exciting. The Chalk Man is a captivating thriller with enough drama to give it some substance. The pacing makes the pages fly, and I looked forward to reading this book every time I had the chance to crack it open.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to bloggingforbooks.com for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
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