My thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I only got round to reading this towards the end of 2023. I was prompted into grabbing this as the series based on the book aired on TV last October and I was keen to read it before the series started.

Telling the story of Rev. Jack Brooks and her daughter as they arrive in a village. Like a lot of us Jack has a past, the village that she is sent to has a past and is surrounded by secrets that many would prefer remained in the past. As the two collide how will Jack deal with what is about to happen to her and her daughter Flo?

With a mix of thriller, horror and supernatural themes this book is the sort of read that we have come to expect from this author. I enjoyed the read and always look forward to seeing where C.J. takes us in her journey through her warped mind as she translates it to the pages of her books.

Keep them coming and long may your mind continue to be warped.

Absolutely brilliant! Chilling, creepy and riveting. I couldn't put it down! Once again, C.J. Tudor does not disappoint.

I liked this thriller and found it to be a little different.
The setting is so creepy and atmospheric
This is a huge page turner and a great thriller

Now that I've read The Burning Girls, I've read all of CJ Tudor's novels and she never disappoints. Reverend Jack Brooks and her daughter, Flo, have moved to Chapel Croft from Nottingham. It's isolated, but the residents all know each other and they all have secrets. CJ Tudor creates this type of environment really well and I loved the creepy atmosphere of the location, which drew me into this story, which is part crime, part horror and part supernatural, immediately.

The central character of The Burning Girls is Reverend Jack (short for Jacqueline) Brooks. Jack is not necessarily what you would expect in a vicar, and I love how CJ Tudor uses her character to subvert expectations and explore issues such as good and evil which really made me think. As a character, I found Jack quite easy to warm to and I loved her determination to get to the bottom of the mystery in the story.

The Burning Girls is incredibly well plotted. There is lots to unpack and some impressive twists all the way through. It did get a little complicated towards the mode, but I was completely invested in the story from beginning to end.

Oh this was bonkers! A lot of times in a good way but sometimes it didn't quite work for me just because it was so out there. C J Tudor is a bit of a hit or miss for me - I do recommend this as a fast read if you're looking for a solid mystery/thriller, the kind to devour in a few days.

Tried to love it, couldn't get into it despite the hundreds of good reviews. Definitely seems to be a case of me being in the minority though so give it a go for yourself!

Thank you for providing me with an advance review copy of this book. Enjoyed reading, would recommend....

Another excellent novel from C J Tudor. I love how the author makes you feel on the edge of your seat and the plot and character development is thrilling from beginning to end.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝘾𝙅 𝙏𝙪𝙙𝙤𝙧

When I first picked this up I felt a bit unsure about where this was going as it seemed to be very church based with language I didn’t really understand but I was really eager to read another of Tudor’s books after enjoying THE CHALK MAN and I am SO glad I was able to read this.

I really enjoyed the fact it was set in Sussex, literally down the road from where I grew up, meaning I could imagine the remote countryside location and narrow isolated roads perfectly which just added to the thrill of this creepy story. And creepy it was- you would not catch me dead visiting that old cottage/graveyard/chapel combination, let alone living there, I am an absolute whimp!

I think this was the perfect blend of thriller and supernatural. With a LOT of sub plots, an unconventional vicar, a defiant teenager, a spooky old church setting and many chapters detailing secrets from the past, you are never left bored - this book really is incredibly written. I normally pride myself on being pretty good at guessing a plot twist but holy SMOKES I did not see this one coming - one of those goosebump inducing twists that leaves you reeling, rushing back through the book in your mind to piece everything together.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (4/5)

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 + 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂!

This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed it. It's but of a slow burner but keeps your interest at the same time, building to an epic finish that I didn't see coming.
Well written and enjoyable.

I adored this thriller and it was a little different to any that I have ever picked up in the past. The setting is so creepy and atmospheric meanwhile the plot sent me on a wild twisty unpredictable ride. This is a haunting and page turning thriller that you are best knowing as little as possible before going into it. At every turn I found myself equally creeped out and surprised and I can't recommend picking this one up enough.

After the vicar of a small Sussex village killed himself, Jack is relocated by the diocese to take over the parish.

Along with her daughter Flo they move to Chapel Croft where the martyrs where burned at the stake 500 years ago including two young girls ‘the burning girls’ who are said to haunt and appear to those in trouble.

Add in two 15 year old girls who disappeared in the 90’s - and you have a real mystery on your hands.

This was a story of local legends, corruption within the church and betrayal.

Jack and Flo make a great team as they trust each other implicitly and have each other’s back.

I really wanted this to frighten me but I think many years of reading horror it takes a lot to do that.

Nevertheless I really enjoyed the two aspects of the story, even though some of the twists I had just about figures out by the end.

It all comes together at the end; some of those you trust turn out to be complete psychopaths and others are just misunderstood and easily led.

A really great stand alone if you are easily spooked!

Another brilliant book by CJ Tudor. I was gripped from the very beginning. I love how the book all came together in the end. This book was very atmospheric and thrilling with many twist and turns along the way and the characterisation is incredible. Thanks to Netgalley

I'm usually a huge fan of this author but sadly this book didn't live up to it's expectations. It felt more like a horror than a thriller? I know there is a very fine line between the two, but horrors are not for me and I think that may be what let me down here.

Jack and Flo are characters were strong and I found myself liking them quite a lot. I found myself not getting to know the other characters too well which caused me to struggle following who was who which was a big no for me as I love getting to know the characters in depth and relating to them as much as can be.

The story was slow to start with but picked up in places. I wasn't as gripped as I would have liked to have been and found myself easily distracted at times.

Sadly this book just wasn't for me and that's fine. I loved the rest of C.J. Tudor's work so cannot wait to see what they come out with next!

Oh wow this book was such a brilliant read. It’s a creepy and atmospheric thriller that had me hooked from the start. I loved it .

I was all set to give this 4 stars as was very much enjoying the book, the narrator, the pace, storyline was interesting and just the right side of spooky but then the book lost me towards the end and I ended up feeling very frustrated by it. I cannot go into more detail without giving things away though and so I will leave it at that for this one.

In the 16th century, 8 protestants were burned at the stake at Chapel Croft.
Then 30 years ago, two local teens disappeared
Then . . only a month ago the vicar committed suicide.

Rev. Jack Brooks is a single parent and a female vicar. She and her daughter , Flomove to this peaceful parish to take over the church. Personally, I think that if I moved somewhere where the welcoming gift package included an exorcism kit, I'd be off. ..but that wouldn't make for a very interesting read, would it?
Anyway, Jack and Flo are slowly drawn into the mystery and legends of the village as they find their feet.
But when Flo sees strange things in the old chapel, Jack wants to lay the ghosts to rest.


I'm not at all into scary books and due to this, I have had to take my time reading this. It was one that I had to keep putting down to read a couple of others before returning again.
I don't remember when I've read such an atmospheric book before. I honestly felt shivers at times.

Very highly recommended.

I’m a huge fan of CJ Tudor’s previous standalone books and having heard so many glowing reviews for her latest book The Burning Girls I saved it for a 7 hour plane journey, popped my seat back, snuggled under the airlines blanket and started the book.

CJ’s books cross over several genres of fiction, they are always creepy with an element of supernatural, a dash of horror with a large dose of mystery and suspense and The Burning Girls is no exception.

Set in a small village steeped in history and legend, Jack Brooks is a Vicar who has been sent to Chapel Croft from Nottingham after a tragic event with a parishioner to escape the press and start afresh. The saying “out of the frying pan, into the fire” springs to mind as this sleepy village has so many secrets, unexplained deaths and spooky going ons.

What I particularly loved about this book is CJ’s ability to shock me and keep me on my toes and despite reading lots of books, there were several moments during this story that made me stop and think “aha” or “ooooh” or “WTAF?”.

The fictional village of Chapel Croft is described so vividly and in such detail that it was easy to visualise and the historical elements based on the true story of the Sussex Martyrs gives the reader plenty of goosebumps and cold shivers.

If you love a good scare, a story with enough ghosts and supernatural elements to give you the heebie-jeebies, characters that you care about and characters that you can despise, several gory murders, a number of unexplained deaths and a 30 year old mystery to solve, then I can highly recommend The Burning Girls.

4 ⭐ a creepy, atmospheric small-town story, this was right up my alley

“Bad memories are like splinters. Sometimes painful, but you learn to live with them. The problem is, they always work their way to the surface eventually.”

Chapel Croft is not your usual quaint countryside village. Five hundred years ago, eight protestant locals were burned at the stake for refusing to renounce their faith, including two young girls. Three decades ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace, only to be marked as runaways and never really looked for.
Now, the town's vicar commits suicide inside the chapel. And Reverend Jack Brown is appointed to take his place.

Jack and her daughter, Flo, move from Nottingham to Chapel Croft. Leaving the big city lights for the small village, controlled by tradition, reputation, and religion. Jack, running from her own demons, starts to settle down at Chapel Croft, but it seems things will not be as easy for her.

I was absolutely shocked by some of the plot twists in this book. Some I could predict but oh boy, not all of them! I started thinking Jack had a secret identity about halfway through the book, mainly due to Jacob's description of their mother and her rages. But Wrigley and his mom? Never saw it coming! Poor Flo, she liked him and he was a psycho!

I really feel for Poppy, having her sister be so mean to her, seeing her best friend die right in front of her at such a young age, poor thing.

I love Joan, she is really funny!
And Clara, who could have thought! I imagined she would not be too happy about Grady giving that much attention to the girls but oh my!

This is such a good book! The small-town atmosphere really makes it feel claustrophobic. Not to mention the description of some of the places in Chapel Croft!
The cast is exceptionally written. I feel like having so few characters in the story really brought the claustrophobia and the feeling of "someone is watching" to a new level. Some of the characters were very layered and I just wanted to keep reading to know more about them.
The way multiple mysteries were explored was very good, it kept me on my toes. Never knowing if there was one main culprit or multiple storylines.
This book has a bit more creepy vibes than your regular thriller, so be warned, but it is sooo good!

This thriller was great, I had high hopes going in and it didn't disappoint. Lots of twists and turns that you were never sure where you stood. Clever storyline with great characters. Definitely a fan of this author.