Small-town noir meets dread-inducing horror—a sharp, gritty story that draws readers into a community with an almost unthinkable secret at its core ... C.J. Tudor has proven herself once again to be one of the most exciting, genuinely unique talents at work in the genre ... From page one, Tudor’s devilishly clever and seriously unsettling crime novel grabs the reader by the throat, never relenting until the very last page has been turned… and maybe not even then ... a riveting, compulsively readable suspense novel from one of the best crime writers in the game.
Joe’s wisecracking is well-timed comic relief from Arnhill’s pervasive darkness; Tudor has crafted another fantastic horror-tinged thriller (after The Chalk Man, 2018) in the vein of John Connolly and Brendan Duffy.
In spite of being written in the irritating first-person present point of view, this is a gripping, definitely creepy story ... he sense of dread hovering over the entire story becomes thicker and more desperate as Joe realizes his time is running out ... has enough shocks and twists to keep the reader off balance until the last page.
The Hiding Place is simply a fantastic read and one of the most effective suspense/horror novels I have read in quite some time. C. J. Tudor suffers no sophomore slump as she has penned a memorable read that I will have a hard time forgetting. This is the highest praise I can give to a writer from the heavily populated thriller genre.
With Joe, Tudor avoids going the way of the unreliable narrator: He doesn’t lie to readers, even if he lies to others, and he has a snarky sense of humor that adds levity. Tudor maintains a tone of creeping dread throughout the book, of something lingering always in the background, coyly hiding its face while whispering promises of very bad things to come. In the last quarter, however, she goes for broke with outright horror, giving readers an effective jolt of adrenaline that will carry them all the way to the terrifying conclusion. Readers won’t know what hit them ... Tudor came out swinging with Chalk Man (2018), but this one puts her firmly on the map. Not to be missed.
Sharply drawn characters illustrate the cyclical natures of violence and victimhood. Joe’s dark humor may balance the grim plot, but the epilogue is the stuff of nightmares. Tudor casts a searing light on the long-term damage wrought by grief, guilt, and regret.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay[/caption]
