A Sliver of Darkness

By: C.J. Tudor ISBN: 9780593500163

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Publication Date: 11/08/2022

Format: Other

My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC)

SHORT STORY COLLECTION

NOV 2022 MUST-READ BOOKS

The debut short-story collection from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man, hailed as “Britain’s female Stephen King” (Daily Mail), featuring eleven bone-chilling and mind-bending tales

“All hail the queen of scream. A Sliver of Darkness is C. J. Tudor at her spine-tingling, nightmare-inducing best. Read it if you dare.”—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End

Time slips. Doomsday scenarios. Killer butterflies. C. J. Tudor’s novels are widely acclaimed for their dark, twisty suspense plots, but with A Sliver of Darkness, she pulls us even further into her dizzying imagination.

In “The Lion at the Gate,” a strange piece of graffiti leads to a terrifying encounter for four school friends. In “Final Course,” the world has descended into darkness, but a group of old friends make time for one last dinner party. In “Runaway Blues,” thwarted love, revenge, and something very nasty stowed in a hat box converge. In “Gloria,” a strange girl at a service station endears herself to a coldhearted killer, but can a leopard really change its spots? And in “I’m Not Ted,” a case of mistaken identity has unforeseen fatal consequences.

Riveting, macabre, and explosively original, A Sliver of Darkness is C. J. Tudor at her most wicked and uninhibited.

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#ASliverOfDarkness

Praise

“Beautifully barbaric, creepy as hell, and crammed with barbed wit . . . Tudor can say more in one short story than many writers can manage in a full-length novel.”

—John Marrs, internationally bestselling author of The Passengers

“Brilliantly creepy and perfectly executed.”

—James Oswald, author of the Inspector McLean series

“A decadent and phantasmagorical descent into the dark chasm where I first fell in love with horror fiction. Told with real heart along with demonic savagery, these are stories to luxuriate with in the tenebrous.”

—Matt Wesolowski, award-winning author of Six Stories

“Tudor . . . provides plenty of subtle chills in this superior collection of eleven stories. . . . Twilight Zone fans will hope for another collection from this gifted writer.” —Publishers Weekly

My Review

A spine-chilling, mind-bending collection of eleven gripping stories from the queen of suspense, C.J. Tudor (Chalk Man)—A SLIVER OF DARKNESS.

~End of the Liner

~The Block

~Runaway Blues

~The Competition

~The Lion at the Gate

~Gloria

~I'm Not Ted

~Final Course

~The Copy Shop

~Dust

~Butterfly Island

If you have read any of C.J. Tudor's books, this collection is a must for chills and thrills!

From Stephen Kingish to Dean Koontz vibes, and Tudor's signature style, each story is unique, fun, and different. Each can cater to a different audience. Each reader will have their favorites. Mine was the “Runaway Blues," and I also liked, The Copy Shop, The Final Course, and I'm Not Ted; however, all were great!

I enjoyed how the author provided an introduction that was personal and appreciated her sharing this with her readers. (I think readers need to realize these authors have a life, and things happen to them as does to all of us).

I also enjoyed the intro before each story and how the story was inspired. I love it when an author provides this—as it makes the story more enjoyable and engaging.

If you enjoy dystopian, supernatural with a touch of horror, dark, and creepy —a gripping teen mystery/ sci-fi, apocalyptic last dinner theme, a Titanic vibe, laugh-out-loud dark sinister humor, a post-apocalyptic journey, a darker side of Narnia, a psychopath-cleaning lady, a despicable anti-hero—The Twilight Zone—there are many twisted ones to get your adrenaline pumping.

A great collection of stories for the thriller enthusiast. Looking forward to her next book, coming Jan 31, 2023, The Drift!

Thank you to #RandomHouse #BallantineBooks #NetGalley for a gifted ARC.

🎧 AUDIOBOOK: I also listened to the audiobook narrated by an entire cast: Richie Campbell, Dakota Blue Richards, Roy McMillan, Richard Armitage, and Adam Sim for an engaging and suspenseful performance for all voices.

In addition, the intro to the book and the intros to each story are read by the author, which I adored and gave it a more personal flair. I enjoyed her part and hope she will narrate more of her books to come. Highly recommend the audiobook!

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks

My Rating: 4 Stars

Pub Date: Nov 8, 2022

Nov 2022 Must-Read Books

The Drift

COMING JAN 31, 2023

Three ordinary people risk everything for a chance at redemption in this audacious, utterly gripping novel of catastrophe and survival at the end of the world, from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man.

“[A] tour de force . . . This is a masterpiece of its kind.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Hannah awakens to carnage, all mangled metal and shattered glass. Evacuated from a secluded boarding school during a snowstorm, her coach careered off the road, trapping her with a handful of survivors. They’ll need to work together to escape—with their sanity and secrets intact.

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About the Author

C. J. Tudor lives with her partner and young daughter. Her love of writing, especially the dark and macabre, started young. When her peers were reading Judy Blume, she was devouring Stephen King and James Herbert.

Over the years she has had a variety of jobs, including trainee reporter, radio scriptwriter, dog walker, voiceover artist, television presenter, copywriter and, now, author.

Her first novel, The Chalk Man, was a Sunday Times bestseller and sold in thirty-nine territories.

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