The Taking of Annie Thorn by C J Tudor – Book Review

PUBLISHERS BLURB 

When Joe Thorne was fifteen, his little sister, Annie, disappeared. At the time, Joe thought it was the worst thing in the world that could ever happen. And then she came back.

Now Joe has returned to the village where he grew up, to work as a teacher at the failing Arnhill Academy. Not an act of altruism, but desperation. Joe has bad debts – and bad people – he needs to escape. He also has an anonymous email: I know what happened to your sister. It’s happening again.

But coming back to the place he grew up, means facing the people he grew up with, and the things they did. Five friends: Joe, Stephen Hurst, Marie Gibson, Nick Fletcher and Chris Manning. They were the five who were there that night. Something they haven’t spoken about in 25 years.

Coming back means opening old wounds, and confronting old enemies and Joe is about to discover that places, like people, have secrets. The deeper you go, the darker they get.

And sometimes, you should never come back

MY REVIEW

Joe Thorne is a teacher, he’s also a gambler with a large debt owed to the Fatman, who is after his money.  So he returns to his childhood village to teach in his old school, to settle some scores and to raise the money to repay this debt. There he meets with some remaining members of his old gang and they are not happy to see him. They all have secrets, secrets that begin with his sister Annie…

This is a dark and creepy thriller, that just simmers with tension right up to an immensely satisfying end…….but is it ?

I loved this, It reminded me a little of Stephen King’s, Salem’s Lot, as in returning to a troubled town with a little of the same atmosphere of an ancient evil lurking nearby. There are some real heart thumping moments and it honestly gave me the creeps at times, in a great, horror story way……Abbie Eyes will stay with me for a long time. Brilliantly atmospheric with great twisty, nerve jangling writing. I can thoroughly recommend this and I will definitely be reading more by C J Tudor albeit with the lights on !

I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

#TheTakingOfAnnieThorne #NetGalley

Published by Michael Joseph (Penguin Random House)