Black Chalk
by Christopher J. Yates
We are delighted to welcome back thriller writer Christopher J. Yates to Omnimystery News.
Christopher first visited with us earlier this month, when we discussed his new thriller Black Chalk (Random House; April 2014 trade paperback and ebook formats), and today we're pleased to feature an excerpt from it, the opening paragraphs.
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I(I) HE PHONES EARLY. ENGLAND GREETS the world five hours ahead of us and I answer before my day has gained its groove.
Before long I have agreed to everything he says.
Don't worry, he says. I promise you, it'll be fun.
It'll be fun. Pause. Click.
Yes, that's what we said about the Game all those years ago. It'll be so much fun!
I hold the phone to my chest for some time after the call has ended. And then, crossing the room, I open my curtains for the first time in three years. Because now he has found me, tracked me down, and there remains no good reason to stay hidden any longer. For three cloistral years the quantity of time I have spent inside this apartment has averaged twenty-tree hours and fifty-nine minutes each day. I am a hermit, as pale as my bones, as hairy as sackcloth. But now I intend to grow stronger. I must ready myself for the impending visit of the ancient friend.
Because the timing of the call was of course no coincidence. In five weeks' time, fourteen years to the day since last we saw each other, this hermit turns thirty-four. And let me state from the outset that, whether I win or lose, I hope this story will serve as my warning to the world. A cautionary tale. My confession.
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Photo provided courtesy of
Christopher J. Yates
Christopher J. Yates was born and raised in Kent and studied law at Oxford University before working as a puzzle editor in London. He now lives in New York City with his wife and dog.
To learn more about the author and his work, please visit his website at ChristopherJYates.com or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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Black Chalk
Christopher J. Yates
A Psychological Thriller
One game. Six students. Five survivors. It was only ever meant to be a game played by six best friends in their first year at Oxford University; a game of consequences, silly forfeits, and childish dares. But then the game changed: the stakes grew higher and the dares more personal and more humiliating, finally evolving into a vicious struggle with unpredictable and tragic results.
Now, 14 years later, the remaining players must meet again for the final round. Who knows better than your best friends what would break you?
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