Review – The Other People by C.J. Tudor

Posted May 6, 2020 by Carole in 2020 New Release Challenge, Book Reviews / 18 Comments

The Other People by C.J. Tudor
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: January 28, 2020
Date Read: April 28, 2020
Length: 336 pages
Source: Publisher
★★★★★

A gripping thriller about a man’s quest for the daughter no one else believes is still alive, from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man.

 Q: Why are you called the Other People?

 A: We are people just like you. People to whom terrible things have happened. We’ve found solace not in forgiveness or forgetting. But in helping each other find justice.

Driving home one night, stuck behind a rusty old car, Gabe sees a little girl’s face appear in the rear window. She mouths one word: Daddy. It’s his five-year-old daughter, Izzy. He never sees her again.

Three years later, Gabe spends his days and nights driving up and down the highway, searching for his daughter, refusing to give up hope, even though most people believe she is dead. When the car Gabe saw that night is found abandoned in a lake, with a body inside, Gabe must confront not just the day Izzy disappeared but painful events from his past, now dredged to the surface.

Q: What sort of justice?

 A: Our ethos is a punishment that fits the crime.

My Review

I had such a great time with this book!  After loving this author’s previous work, I was pretty excited to give this book a try.  When I started reading this book, I hoped that this would be a story that would really capture my attention and it was.  I was completely swept away by this story and found myself trying to figure out what was really happening to these characters even when I wasn’t reading the book.  I enjoyed this page-turner of a story from the first page until the last.

On his way home one night, Gabe sees a car covered in bumper stickers weaving in and out of traffic in front of him.  It wouldn’t have been that big of a deal if he hadn’t seen the face of a little girl sitting in the backseat of the car.  He knew that face because it belonged to his daughter.  Years later, he cannot let it go and spends his time driving up and down the same roads looking for either the car or his little girl.

This is one of those stories where it is better to go in knowing little about the story and letting things unfold as you work your way through the book.  There are tons of twists and turns during this story and sometimes a new detail would have me questioning everything I had previously thought.  We see this story from several different points of view that become more connected as the book progressed.  There were times that I had no idea where the story was going but I wanted so much to see Gabe find his Izzy that I couldn’t put the book down.

I would highly recommend this book to others.  I thought that this was a wonderfully crafted and quite complex story filled with interesting characters.  This book kept me guessing until the very end and I liked the fact that there was just a bit of supernatural worked in as well.  I cannot wait to read more from this very talented author!

I received a review copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books.

About the Author

C. J. Tudor is the author of The Other People, The Hiding Place and The Chalk Man, which won the International Thriller Writers award for Best First Novel and the Strand Magazine Award for Best Debut Novel. Over the years she has worked as a copywriter, television presenter, voice-over artist, and dog walker. She is now thrilled to be able to write full-time, and doesn’t miss chasing wet dogs through muddy fields all that much. She lives in England with her partner and daughter.

Author Links: Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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18 responses to “Review – The Other People by C.J. Tudor”

  3. Anonymous

    Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed this one. I really liked the multiple pov’s and watching everything from every angle.

  9. Olivia's Catastrophe

    It sounds like this was a twisty and unpredictable novel that you could really enjoy! I love when it is wonderfully complex and so well woven that you just have to keep reading and go along for the ride.

  12. Barb

    I'm glad you enjoyed this one. I have a weird relationship with this author. I didn't care for The Hiding Place or The Chalk Man and really should in all aspects move on. However, I keep adding the new books to my TBR. Sort of the same as with Riley Sager. I can't even figure it out myself. That being said, I do plan on picking this one up. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment!

  15. Katherine P

    This sounds so good and creepy and definitely a book that would keep you reading. I'm a bit iffy since there is a child in peril involved but it sounds like a serious page turner!