Perfect paranormal suspense for fans of early Stephen King like Stand by Me.
Eddie, Fat Gav, Metal Mickey, Hoppo and Nicki are 12 year old friends in an English market town one summer in 1986. At the suggestion of their school’s new art teacher, Mr. Halloran, they use different colored chalk stick figures to send secret messages to each other. However, someone is also playing with chalk leaving messages to a dead dismembered body in their local woods. In 2016, the remaining friends begin to receive ominous chalk messages again.
Alternating time lines between the past and present, life catches up with the friends and their families. The Chalk Man contains graphic dead and ghostly bodies. There are several mysterious deaths. The book also refers to bullying, extremist religious views, rape and abortion.
The Chalk Man has a great atmosphere of dread. Evil is everywhere. Everyone has secrets within their past. There are mysteries within mysteries here. However, The Chalk Man compels the reader to speed toward the denouement as fast as possible. It is highly recommended for thriller readers looking for a paranormal, almost horror, component along with the traditional mystery. 4 stars!
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway but that has not impacted my review.