The Taking of Annie Thorne by CJ Tudor

The Taking of Annie Thorne
By CJ Tudor
Published by Michael Joseph (21 February 2019)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher 

Publisher's description

Then...

One night, Annie went missing. Disappeared from her own bed. There were searches, appeals. Everyone thought the worst. And then, miraculously, after forty-eight hours, she came back. But she couldn't, or wouldn't, say what had happened to her.

Something happened to my sister. I can't explain what. I just know that when she came back, she wasn't the same. She wasn't my Annie. 

I didn't want to admit, even to myself, that sometimes I was scared to death of my own little sister.

Now... 

The email arrived in my inbox two months ago. I almost deleted it straight away, but then I clicked OPEN: 

I know what happened to your sister. It's happening again...

My verdict
The Taking of Annie Thorne is creepy crime fiction at its best, from its compelling characters and strong sense of place to its fast-moving plot and action-packed ending.

Centred around a small mining village, the book is chilling from the outset, told through the mesmerising and often humorous voice of teacher Joe Thorne, who has returned to the place of his childhood. His little sister, Annie, disappeared for 48 hours when she was eight and was never the same again.

Joe is flawed and unreliable with an underlying vulnerability, haunted by memories of his dead sister and a creepy doll called 'Abbie Eyes'. The book swings between his past and present, as old mistakes, teenage rebellion and unfinished business gradually bubble to the surface.

The Taking of Annie Thorne is dark, shocking, atmospheric and entertaining, filled with elements of supernatural, horror and psychological thrillers. This is a book you'll want to keep reading well into the early hours - though that may not be advisable if you ever want to sleep again!

It made me nostalgic for my teenage years, when I was addicted to Stephen King and James Herbert books. And very soon, I'll be re-reading those books again.

Looking forward to seeing what's next from CJ Tudor.

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