C. J. Tudor is an Englsh author from Nottingham whose debut thriller The Chalk Man was hailed by book critics as an exemplary psychological thriller novel and put her on the map of the genre's most promising new writers. I've only read one book written by her, The Taking of Annie Thorn, and I instantly became infatuated with the brilliant plotline and choice of narrative style that is reminiscent of the genre's most well-known representatives such as the master of horror fiction, Stephen King. The Burning Girls is her latest work that will be published on January 21st 2021 and I was lucky enough to have my request for an ARC approved in Netgalley. The setting of the book is the small village of Chapel Croft in East Sussex, out in the English countryside and the protagonist is Jacqueline- "Jack"- Brooks, a female Reverend who is ostracised there, after a terrible event that took place in her previous parish in the city of Nottingham. Chapel Croft is a hamlet that carries a dark history of martyrdom that is connected to the Marion persecutions of Queen Mary in 1556. Two young girls have burnt alive along with six more villagers and today their ancestors commemorate their sacrifice by setting alight two small twig dolls on the anniversary of their execution. This horrific backdrop still haunts the small community who suffered another tragedy when thirty years ago, in 1990, two teenage girls, Merry and Joy, have disappeared from the face of the earth without anyone knowing the reasons behind their vanishing.

Jack is sent as an interim vicar to Chapel Croft after a horrid case of an exorcism gone bad in Nottingham that resulted in the death of a young girl, Ruby. Even so, she is annoyed to hear about her exile in some god-forsaken place in the countryside, especially if one considers that she has to move along with her teenage daughter, Florence -"Flo"- who resents her mother for forcing her to abandon her home and friends in Nottingham. Jack is a woman that is filled with secrets from her past life regarding her family that neglected her since she was little and led her to a rough livelihood. Furthermore, her husband and father of her daughter has committed suicide several years ago, adding another black spot in Jack's personal history.

The protagonist becomes quickly acquainted with the village's murky history and she is soon engrossed with the case of Merry and Joe that was at the time hastily dismissed by the authorities as another teenage runaway case. As Jack digs deeper and starts asking probing questions that rattle the cage of some of the community's most spotlighted residents, she will find herself in a position of danger that extends to her daughter who is haunted by visions of the burning girls. Flo who has to deal with a number of issues and challenges created by moving to a place where she knows nobody will begin doubting her own sanity and will have to collaborate with her mother in order to make sense of her disturbing, supernatural, experiences.

The story unravels mainly through Jack's eyes, who is also the sole first-person narrator in the novel but the author also uses the third-person narrative in the case of Flo and an unknown man who comes from the past set to take revenge on Jack. This mixed narrative style adds to a quick pacing while the suspenseful, ominous descriptions in several parts incorporate successfully the horror element in the story. The characters, both primary and secondary, are well-written and plausible while the reader can easily identify with Jack, regardless of her obvious flaws and weaknesses. The Burning Girls balances masterfully between the thriller, mystery,and horror dimension and confirms C. .J Tudor's writing skills and talent. It is a perfect choice for a cloudy winter's day during the Covid-19 quarantine that dominates the Western world today.

I'm a big fan of C J Tudor and do I was looking forward to reading The Burning Girls.
And I wasn't disappointed! I don't want to give anything away but the plot is fast moving and full of the unexpected twists I like, the fact that I read it in two days tells you everything you need to know. Highly recommend!

I’ve read several books by this author and this was the best one yet. Quite a complicated story with many twists and unexpected turns and a most surprising ending. I loved the characters of the female vicar and her feisty teenage daughter and as another reviewer has remarked, they reminded me of Merrily Watkins and her daughter from the Phil Rickman series. Recommended .

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
This is a very disturbing story, it concerns girls who disappeared and girls who earlier were martyred hence the title ‘The Burning Girls’ by CJ Tudor. Jack is a priest and together with her daughter Flo, they are transferred to a new parish. The previous priest is supposed to have killed himself. In fact different people have gone missing or absent through the years and it all comes to a climax involving Jack and Flo.
It is a very disturbing story of priests and young girls and people pretending to be different.
Highly recommended.

Like all her previous novels, Ms. Tudor has created an intricately woven story that keeps you engaged in the lives of the local community. This time the themes of passion and friendship intertwine with those of folklore and the supernatural.

In a small town full of big secrets, it is hard for Jack and Flo to know who to trust, and who to believe. Creepy ghosts in the night, graveyards, haunted houses…it is a tantalizing dish of thriller, horror and twisty storylines.

The mood of the novel builds slowly yet steadily until the final reveal, and I did not expect that ending, not once!

A beautiful cast of characters and a scary-movie setting makes this a novel you must read!

I fell in love with Ms. Tudor’s writing after reading her first novel, and each one I read reaffirms my devotion. If you have read her writing before, you know what magic to expect. If you have not – why not?

#netgalley #cjtudor #theburninggirls #penguinmichaeljosephuk

CJ Tudor knows how to unravel a mystery and she does it expertly here. I was totally gripped by The Burning Girls, with its Russian Doll-style plotting, sharp characterisation and stark moments of horror. Film fans will predict a few of the key twists, but the big reveal is a doozy and brilliantly handled. There are A LOT of characters to keep track of, but Tudor’s world-building is elegant and clear. Really enjoyed this and can’t wait to see what Tudor does next.

CJ Tudor's latest offering is an atmospheric psychological thriller shot through with elements of horror and the supernatural, set in the Sussex hamlet of Chapel Croft, defined by its 500 year old history where 2 young girls, the burning girls, were amongst a group of burned martyrs, an event still commemorated with the burning of twig girls. 30 years ago, two 15 year old girls, Merry Lane and Joy Harris went missing, assumed to have run away. More recently, the Reverend Fletcher committed suicide by hanging himself, leaving a vacancy that is filled temporarily by the widowed Reverend Jacqueline 'Jack' Brooks, a single mother with a 15 year old daughter, Flo, neither of whom are happy to be moving from Nottingham to a rural backwater after Jack's notoriety over the fate of young Ruby.

Jack is not your traditional vicar, a woman with vices and the common touch, with a troubling and traumatic personal history, and a close and tender relationship with her photography mad Flo, a bond strengthened by their outlier personalities, and the love of the underdog. Jack is greeted with the strange and creepy exorcism box and lines from the scriptures, on her arrival, and her worries are increased when Flo begins to see apparitions of the burning girls, one of whom is headless and armless, an ominous portent according to local folklore. Their baptism of fire continues with cruel and bullying teenagers, locals sent notes alluding to Jack's troubles in Nottingham, and Flo meets the bullied and shunned Lucas Wrigley suffering from dystonia. A troubled Jack can't identify why Flo's developing relationship with Wrigley makes her feels unsettled, although she admits any boy getting close to Flo would not be welcome.

As accidents, exorcisms, abuse, historical untruths, blackmail, missing knives, ancient skeletons, and murders, old and new, and much more come to light, not to mention the release of a prison inmate showing an inordinate interest in Jack, the narrative becomes loaded with tension and suspense, as grave dangers from numerous directions start to close in on Jack and Flo. Tudor excels in building an ever growing sense of dread and terror, in this compulsive and intense novel, her characterisation is so good, particularly of Jack, Flo and Wriggly. This will appeal to those who love their crime and thrillers on the darkest side of life and packed with twists and turns. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

Incredible book!
It’s super fast paced, twisty and turns you just don’t see coming despite how hard you’re looking for them. Absolutely could not put this down.

Great book! Didn’t see the twist coming. It was a fast paced book which kept me flying through it, unable to put it down.

Brilliant book! Had me hooked all the way through, full of twists and turns. The ending is shocking, definitely did not see that coming. Definitely worth reading.

After a traumatic event in St Anne’s in Nottingham, Reverend Jacqueline Brooks and single mother to fifteen-year-old Flo has been assigned a new posting in the small Village of Chapel Croft in Sussex. At first Jack is adamant but thinks it will be a good fresh start for the pair. Flo thinks a bit differently. She will miss her friends and all that she knows.
When they arrive, they find out that the church is dilapidated and hasn’t been open for a while and in the middle of nowhere and normal things like internet or phone signal. Also, when they find out what happened to the previous Vicar they want to go home back to Nottingham, but Jack think she can make a difference in this small town.
The town has the old traditions typical for an only town where they celebrate The Burning Girls which were martyrs burned at the stake in the 16th Century.
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for a copy of The Burning Girls by C. J Tudor. I have been a fan of the author and when I saw it on NetGalley I automatically requested without looking at the blurb. When you know it is from this author you know it’s going to be good.
Wow this is another great book from C. J Tudor. In some parts it was spooky creepy as hell and others very intriguing. There were lots of twists and turns to keep you on your toes. This is another gripping thriller that I really enjoyed, and I liked the twist the at the end. I think this is going to be a big hit.

After leaving her church in Nottingham, Reverend Jack Brooks and her daughter Flo move to a new church and home in Chapel Croft. It’s a small community out in the sticks and neither of them are particularly happy to be there but how hard can it be, country yokels and friendly neighbours.

From the moment they arrive there are plenty of curiosities starting with the small creepy dolls that commemorate a long time village tradition. From there on out the strangeness of village life continues. The people, the deaths, the disappearances. Such a tiny place with so much going on.

This was a fantastic book. From the first page I was hooked on the story of Jack and Flo. At no point did the book stand still, there was always something going on and every little thing kept you wondering and guessing what would happen next. I enjoyed the way it was written from different peoples point of views, it was easy to follow and made sense throughout. There was a big twist which I’d not guessed and thought it was brilliant. In all a great read.

This is the first book I’ve read by the author and I will definitely be looking out fir more books by the author.

Another fantastic book by CJ Tudor! An unorthodox female priest who's also a single mum is an inspired character. The machinations of a small village and its obsession with its history, teenage drama and a hint of supernatural combine to make this a must-read.

FANTASTIC

UTTERLY CHILLING AND FASCINATING

BEST ONE YET

BASED ON A REAL LIFE HISTORICAL FACT

THOSE DOLLS WILL STAY WITH ME FOR A LONG TIME TO COME

SCARY BUT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED JUST DON'T READ AT NIGHT.

CAPITALS NEEDED AS THIS IS SO GOOD

I didn’t enjoy the book as much as the other ones there were too many storylines and got a bit lost and found the story too disturbing it’s about a vicar who after a bad experience got a new parish where 8 people were burned at the stake and two girls went missing but it wasn’t really for me although very well written and want to thank Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I just love C.J. Tudor.

The Burning Girls is fab, The twists and turns will keep you at the edge of your seat and reading long into the night............if you dare!

Thank you to Netgalley, publisher and author for an advanced copy. It did not disappoint!

5/5 stars

One thing’s for sure, "The Burning Girls" is very generous when it comes to its offering of twists. From the off, even the identity of our lead character teaches us not to make assumptions about, well, pretty much anything.

There’s so much to sink your teeth into in this cautionary tale of concealing your past, particularly how this could shape your future. The character building and the perfectly timed reveals of their less promising features is first-class, and no one flies under the radar.

While this may not be my favourite of Ms Tudor’s books, once again her gift for projecting suspense and terror enticed me back to the pages I just had to keep on turning.

Every time a new loose string appears the ‘everyday’ bleeds into something far more sinister, and it certainly kept me on my toes. Particularly love the ending – it all played out brilliantly.

Das neue Buch von C. J. Tudor hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Die alleinerziehende Jack zieht mit Ihrer Tochter Flo in ein kleiner englisches Dorf um dort die Stelle als Vicarin anzunehmen. In der Vergangenheit sind immerwieder eigenartige Dinge vorgefallen und auch Jack und Flo kommen nicht ungeschoren davon. Nichts ist wie es scheint.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Good page turner which will have you gripped to the end, great storyline and great characters. I really enjoyed it C J Tudor is one of my favourite authors.

I enjoyed this book. The gripping story kept me reading late into the night, and the characters are well-written and interesting. I didn't like the "spooky stuff" but it didn't really detract from the story. Definitely I book I will recommend.