Once again another great read from c j Tudor! She knows how to write a thriller and I would highly recommend

CJ Tudor returns with another scintillating standalone psychological thriller and the potent mix of thriller, mystery, horror and supernatural elements once again combine making this an atmospheric and riveting tour de force. When Reverend and single mother Jacqueline ’Jack’ Brooks is asked by her boss to vacate her placement in St Anne’s in Nottingham and take up a more rural one in the small village of Chapel Croft, Sussex it's primarily to serve as interim vicar for the community until a suitable replacement can be found for the previous vicar, Reverend Fletcher, who Jack later discovers had hung himself from the rafters of the chapel. Moving along with her mum is 14 year old Flo, who is far from impressed by the tiny hamlet and misses the action of the big city almost immediately but she understands this could be just the fresh start her mother needs after a tragic incident that happened at St Anne’s regarding youngster Ruby that Jack has been beating herself up over ever since. It isn't long before the picture-postcard perfect hamlet begins to unveil a series of bizarre events, tragedies and a plethora of sinister secrets to its new residents; it's certainly had more than it's fair share of strange and suspicious deaths as well as disappearances. Jack learns that the village is famous for the Burning Girls, aka the Sussex Martyrs, who in the 16th-century under the reign of Queen Mary (I) were burned at the stake with two of the victims only being young girls.

It is said that Abigail and Maggie now haunt the churchyard, warning of impending doom, and it is an event still commemorated in the village 500 years later - by the burning of twig girls. More recently the locale has been preoccupied with the still unexplained vanishings of two teenage girls 30 years ago. Merry Lane and Joy Harris, both only the tender age of 15 were presumed to have run away in 1990. Will Jack and Flo soon find their feet and grow into their new home environment? This is every bit as chilling, compulsive and deliciously dark as I had expected from Tudor who never disappoints with her unique brand of thriller, and despite not being a fan of supernatural aspects in such books I make an exception for Tudor as she uses ghosts and apparitions to create an even more disturbing unpredictability to her plots. It also helps weave a spectacular atmosphere - palpably tense, claustrophobic and downright creepy. The 3 different timelines worked exceptionally well with each weaving an additional layer of intrigue and the effortless shift between the times immersing you in the intense drama creating a fully rounded and timeless view of Chapel Croft and it's irrefutable ties to the mysterious through the centuries gone by. Tudor, utilising her superb storytelling panache, cultivates an atmosphere so richly-imagined, unique and oppressive that I find it impossible to compare it to anyone else's fiction accurately. Complex, eerily beguiling and refreshingly original whilst also historically accurate, I cannot recommend this nightmare-inducing read highly enough.

I raced through this incredible book and then wished I hadn't, I wished I had savoured every single page. It is not your typical crime thriller as the police are on the side lines. The story is mainly about the village, the church, the people and the gruesom history connecting them. and the present day murders. The vicar Jack and her daughter Flo are the leading charecters, they didn't want to move to the village in the back of beyond but they had no choice, if Jack wanted to keep her job she had to go where the church sent her. There is an element of the supernatural that is linked to murders that occured hundreds of years before, chilling apparitions that can't be explained, they soon come to realise that the secrets aren't going to be given up easily or freely. C J Tudor never dissapoints and this book is no exception, Brilliant from start to finish

C. J. Tudor is one of my favourite horror authors and The Burning Girls is another electrifying read! It's my favourite of her books yet. I really connected with the characters and loved the exploration of the mother/daughter relationship. The unravelling unease works really well against the backdrop of a suffocating village and the horror elements were genuinely frightening. Other things I really enjoyed were the pop culture references and the fact that the plot took me completely by surprise (something that doesn't happen very often!). A new favourite!

Welcome to Chapel Croft. Five hundred years ago, eight protestant martyrs were buned at the stake. Thirty years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without trace. Two months ago, the local vicar killed himself. Reverend Jack Brooks, a single parent with a fourteen year old daughter arrive in the village hoping to find some peace. Instead, Jack finds a village steeped in secrecy and recieves a strange welcoming package.

This story is a mixture of horror, superstition, thriller and historical fiction. Reverend Jack Brooks anfd her daughter Flo were relocated to the small village of Chapel Croft in Sussex after a scandal occurred in her old Nottingham Parish. The story flips back and forth in time and told from both Jack and Flo's perspectives. It did take me a little while to get into the story and the pace for the first half of the book was slow, but it did set the scene. There's also a un-named character who seems to have an obession with Jack. I did figure out where the story was going but that never spoils a good book for me.



I would like to thank #NetGalley, #PenguinMichaelJoseph and the author #CJTudor for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I always have a real sense of excitement when there is a new book out by this author as I know, from past experience, that she will never let me down and the story will be every bit as good as I want it to be. The Burning Girls is a story which is so fraught with danger and menace that just after reading a few pages I was already frightened of my own shadow!

Reverend Jack Brooks and teenage daughter Flo are sent to the tiny village of Chapel Croft to replace the last vicar who has died in tragic circumstances. Their arrival in the village is met with a great deal of mistrust and from the start it is obvious that the villagers are not going to give up their secrets easily. A series of events threaten not just Jack and Flo's safety but also their peace of mind and as tensions start to run high so danger is never far away.

This is one of those clever stories which is all to easy to spoil by giving away even a little snippet of something which later bears relevance so I won't do the author a disservice by recounting her clever plot. What I will say is that after reading all this author's books, and there are four, this one is my favourite, but then I've said that after each book, and that's just how good this writer is that after finishing you are always eager for more.

The Burning Girls is not for the faint hearted and won't be everyone's choice but if you enjoy a deeply suspenseful novel with lots of genuinely creepy moments which make you jump at shadows and which give you a burning desire to sleep with the light on, then do give it a try. It's perfect escapism.

This is a dark thriller set in a small village in Sussex with a dark history. Five hundred years ago, eight villagers were burnt at the stake for refusing to convert to catholicism during Queen Mary's purge of Protestants. Two of those burned to death were young girls and on the anniversary of their deaths the villagers make twig dolls which are thrown into a bonfire to commemorate the Sussex martyrs. It is said that the burning girls still haunt the village chapel and it's said if you see the burning girls, something bad will befall you.

Thirty years before the village was plagued with disappearances. First two teenage girls disappeared, possibly running away from home. Then a popular young verger disappeared and a year later the mother and brother of one of the missing girls disappeared. None of them were ever seen again. More recently the vicar committed suicide by hanging himself in the Chapel.

The Reverend Jack (Jacqueline) Brookes has been sent to fill the role of vicar until a permanent replacement can be found. She's a widow with a fifteen year old daughter, Flo who is not happy at leaving Nottingham for this backwater in Sussex. However, they have a lovely warm relationship with a friendly level of banter and Flo knows she'll just have to make the best of it. Flo is a keen photographer and it is while wandering around the chapel and graveyard taking photos that she meets teenager Lucas Wrigley, called wriggly Wrigley by everyone as a result of jerky limb movements caused by dystonia. They form a close friendship despite Jack's reservations about Wrigley.

The novel has a very gothic feel with so many dark and sinister events. On her arrival in the village Jack is anonymously left a gift of an exorcism kit. There are sightings of the Burning Girls and twig figurines left around the Chapel and there is a burnt out house with satanic graffiti and an evil feel about it. There are also several disturbing teenagers playing at dangerous games. Jack is a very down to earth vicar with many vices and a difficult past of her own and Flo is a level headed girl, but they nevertheless both get into serious trouble in this disturbing village. The plot is chilling and the terror is palpable in this highly addictive read. To top it all off there are several surprising reveals at the end that will explain much.

C. J. Tudor knows how to tell a creepy story that is going to make the hairs on your neck bristle and send shivers down your spine. Dark, spine-tingling and absolutely mesmeric, this is a 21st Century ghost cum horror story that absolutely works today.

It is deliciously dark and thrilling and kept me riveted for hours at a time. Jack and her teenage daughter Flo have come to the ancient Sussex village of Chapel Cross where Jack is to be the temporary vicar. Nether really wanted to come here from the bustling Nottingham city where Jack had previously worked, but Jack is out of options and this is where she has been sent. A fresh start is always good, right?

Chapel Croft has quite a history. In the 16th Century Protestants Martyrs were burned to death in the churchyard and local folklore has it that two of them, young girls named Abigail and Maggie now haunt the churchyard, warning of impending doom.

More recently the village has been preoccupied with the disappearance of another two young women. In 1990, two teenagers Merry and Joy, disappeared and never been found. Disconcerting enough, but when Jack learns that her predecessor did not die a natural death and then is given the creepiest of gifts, you know she is in for a bumpy ride.

Central to the success of this book is the relationship between mother and daughter. Flo is fed up and a bit rebellious but she and Jack understand each other well and their relationship is strong and though at times it can be combative, it is a loving one.

As they try to settle in to their new home Flo finds that not everyone is welcoming and she is the target of a couple of unpleasant teenage bullies. Fortunately though she has a friend in Wiggly, a young man she met while taking photographs in the churchyard. Wiggly has a disability but he is kind and Flo is drawn to him.

This being C. J. Tudor, it is not long before creepy things start to happen and once they do the action is unrelenting and furious. Tudor weaves an intricate plot where the threads intersect and as she pulls tightly on the ends, the whole thing comes together to form a tapestry that really holds the interest as you watch the picture unfold, open-mouthed.

A recurring motif in the book is the image of stick figures left menacingly on Jack’s doorstep and in other places where they are guaranteed to sopok people. These are reminiscent of Twanas, which readers may recall are are a recurring nightmarish theme in the Blair Witch Project. They are mysterious, humanoid stick figures that is the signature symbol of the Blair Witch and they were used in her unholy black magic rituals. All of which just adds creepiness to this already ultra creepy story.

Told mainly from Jack’s first person perspective, there is also a third person narrative for Flo and an outsider who creeps around the fringes of this book intent on finding Jack for reasons of his own, until it is time for him to take centre stage. The pacing is strong and quickens every time danger approaches (which it does – a lot!).

Verdict: Excellent characters, hugely atmospheric settings, sinister goings on and murderous intent all combine to create a tense and chilling ghostly atmosphere where you fear for the lives of characters you have come to both like and respect. A fabulous blend of crime, horror and psychological thriller which will have you cowering under the duvet and not just because it is winter! Highly recommended.

The style of writing in this book is quite something to admire. The book is horrifying, gripping & wonderfully compelling. A real page turner that is hard to put down.

When the first thing you read is how someone finds horrible proof of an exorcism, you don’t immediately think of a very well written story with a large amount of surprises. There are multiple layers to this story that starts so simple. Jack and her daughter Flo relocate to Chapel Croft and are met by strange circumstances and not very welcoming villagers. I must admit that I was a little confused sometimes because the author uses first names and surnames during the story, so it took me a while to get into the flow of the book.
But I did get in and was awarded with the kind of story that can sends shivers down the back of readers. Afraid of the dark? Shivers. Afraid of your parents? Shivers. Afraid of your school mates? Shivers. Afraid of… you fill this out. For me it was the bullying – and I don’t think I’m the only reader here who has (too much) experience with that. The book is creepy, full of suspension and it has a certain atmosphere that is difficult to describe – so very well done!
It was interesting to read how Jack, despite being a Reverend, is clearly aware of how the world works when you do not devote a large part of your life to God. This is not a thirteen in a dozen story about exorcism and ghosts returning to wreak havoc on an innocent group of people. It is from the onset on clear that a big part of this story will revolve around the two girls that went missing thirty years ago but it doesn’t follow the lines among which lots of these stories are written. No, C.J. Tudor chose her own lines and provides us with a great story with many underlying stories – and I’m happy to say they all come together in the end. Which doesn’t necessarily mean this book has a happy ending.

The story is set in the tight-knit community of Chapel Cross, and is primarily told through the eyes of Jack, a single parent vicar with a teenage daughter Flo. Jack was not particularly excited about the move to Chapel Cross, but after an incident in the previous parish which hit the news & left Jack under a bit of a cloud, it was a chance to make a new start. Flo was not impressed at the thought of having to move to a remote country village, especially when the mobile signal was poor & the promised internet connection took a while to get set up!
Chapel Cross is a village with an unusual past & some very strange traditions. 500 years ago, eight villagers (including two young girls) were burnt at the stake as Protestant Martyrs. Local people remember & commemorate this incident by making small twig figures which are burned I an annual commemoration of the incident (much as the “guy” is burned on bonfire night). This could be a quaint tradition if it weren’t for the visions of burning girls seen every now & then, and the unsolved mystery of two teenage girls who went missing 30 years ago and the revelation that the last vicar committed suicide … The more Jack and Flo get to know the village & its inhabitants, the deeper they are drawn into the centuries-old mysteries, and the deeper the reader is drawn into the story which is becoming darker, creepier and more chilling …

I was worried about the “horror” claims as that sort of book doesn’t generally appeal, but I actually found this was an atmospheric psychological thriller with supernatural elements. The storyline is well plotted with revelations coming at the right moment and enough twists of all sizes to keep it well-paced and interesting to the end - whilst I did guess most of the twists, there were still a few surprises and it didn’t ruin it for me, actually it made me realise that the writing was very strong as the clues had been there and uncovered layer by layer … Throughout the story, we were reminded again & again not to make assumptions and I really liked the way Jack was introduced and the assumptions made about the vicar! The only thing I would have liked more of was to have a bit more closure on the Jacob/Jack situation.
I had to double check that “The Burning Girls” story wasn’t real – it isn’t, but there is a famous example of Protestant Martyrs in Lewes, and I guess that this is another example of fiction with grains of fact. It certainly reads as real/believable, albeit a bit gruesome!

Overall this book is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a solid thriller with plenty of twists & turns.

Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own.

#TheBurningGirls #NetGalley

I’d been looking forward to reading The Burning Girls ever since finishing and LOVING Tudor’s third novel, The Other People, early last year. It was my first read of 2021 and, I just hope all of the books I read this year are this good because if they are I’ll be absolutely ecstatic – I loved it!

I am such a huge fan of this author’s unique style; sort of thriller meets horror with hints at the supernatural. She is the master of creating just the perfect amount of creepiness and suspense within a gripping and believable storyline. In The Burning Girls she got me hooked right from the off, and I genuinely struggled to put it down!

The novel is narrated from several different perspectives and on different timelines. Knowing that all these threads are somehow connected and yet having no clue how, really got me thinking. Of course, as usual, my guesses were all hugely wide of the mark. But the way the plot strands are all drawn together towards the conclusion of the book is basically awe-inspiring, emphasising Tudor’s magnificent attention to detail throughout.

There’s something very atmospheric about this very small rural church setting. Add into it the old, possibly haunted churchyard, an abandoned mansion house that’s only accessible via the woods and some shady characters and you’ve got yourself a riveting, tense read.

A stylish, compelling and haunting, twisty thriller that comes highly recommended from me!

Ever since exploding on the thriller scene with The Chalk Man a couple of years ago, C.J Tudor has gone from strength to strength, and is now of the best thriller writers in the United Kingdom. The Burning Girls is her latest book and I have no doubt that it is going to be another best seller. Rev Jack Brooks has to move from her diocese in Nottingham after the death of a young girl, and moves to the quiet town of Chapel Croft with her fifteen year old daughter Flo. But on arrival she seems to have gone from one trouble parish to another, and a village where outsiders are treated with suspicion. With a history dating back to the sixteen century when six residents were burnt at the stake under the reign of Queen Mary, something commemorated each year with residents leaving corn dolls at the memorial. Why does Flo start to see the burning girls, why did the previous vicar commit suicide and what happened to two young girls who disappeared thirty years ago? With more questions than answers, and a gothic feel this thriller will keep you up at night with its compelling and sinister plot.

The Burning Girls is mainly narrated from Rev Jack’s point of view but there are also chapters from Flo’s point of view, an unknown male and chapters that go back thirty years to the events leading up to the disppearance of two teenagers, Joy and Merry. This mix of the different voices disjoints the book in a good way, in that it is like a jigsaw where you are looking for that one piece that will give you the complete picture, and see all the loose ends knit together. There is a sinister feel running through this book, but I found it most prevelant in the chapters telling the story of Joy and Merry, ironic names for two troubled girls that ultimately just disappeared. They are an unlikely pair and are total opposites; one blonde, on dark, one from a comfortable home, the other living in poverty. The one thing that they do have in common is the church, religion and the bible classes. There is an inevitablity to their story as we know they went missing, presummed runaway, and I found myself with my heart racing as their shocking stories were played out. The religious theme is very much at the centre of this book, not only with the main character being a vicar, but also within the community, their reverance to the church, their pride at having religious martyrs in their history and their continued religious superstitons around the burning girls, said to haunt the church. There is also the mystery of why the previous vicar committed suicide in the church, why no one wants to talk about it, and why there are some that really don’t want Jack and her daughter in Chapel Croft.

I found the main character of Rev Jack Brooks really interesting and was fascinated seeing the events through her point of view. I will admit that when I read the name Rev Jack, I automatically thought of a male character, a prejudice on my part, and one I don’t know why I had. Being a female vicar does bring prejudices from the characters in the book as well, especially in a small town who are conservative in their opinions; there is an instance where a young couple don’t want a female vicar to officiate at their wedding as it won’t look right in the photos. As a person Jack has a troubled past, her husband murdered and an insinuated troubled youth before finding the church, where she can help others. She left her previous church after a tragedy with one of the families in her congregation, but she doesn’t seem to be able to leave the troubles behind her. Her big heart and sense of duty sees her become invested in the lives of her parishioners, and if she senses something is wrong she can’t let go, she has to follow her instincts at any cost. Jack and Flo have a close relationship, Jack’s sense of right from wrong, and helping those who need it have been passed down to Flo. I did like the irony though of Flo trying to get her mum to stop smoking, and Jack hiding her tobacco and sneaking outside for a quick smoke. Seeing Jack as a singe mother, struggling financially, gave her a more relatable persona facing the everyday trials many of us face. There is a memorable cast of supporting characters that all seem to have secrets to hide, so you never know who to trust, adding to the sense of unease in this book.

The Burning Girls is a dark and chilling thriller with a gothic feel. The sense of unease runs through the centre of the plot, you never know which characters to trust and which to be wary of. C.J Tudor captures the menallity of a small town, where generations of the same family lived for hundreds of years, where their history gives them power and privilege and everyone knows everyone else business. C.J Tudor draws you in, grabbing your attention from the first page, and then takes you on a nail biting and unforgettable journey that has twists and turns aplenty. Tense and sinister, there is no doubt that this will be another bestseller and one I highly recommend.

It is a strange feeling that you get when you start a book and you are not sure whether the main character, Jack, is male or female and it took me a while to work this out. I then was given to ask myself further questions as I expected this to be a psychological thriller but it was interesting that horror and supernatural were also intertwined within the story and so I really did not know what to expect.
This was the first book I had read by the author so did not know how it would go but the book just pulled me in and I totally enjoyed the journey through every page. This is the kind of book that you would want to take to a desert island with you as you could read it over and over again.
The book is really well written and you really get into the heads of the characters and live their dreams and experiences. I also really enjoyed the mother/daughter relationship with each of them telling their part of the story. I will definitely be looking out for more books to read from this author.. She has been called by some as the British, female version of Stephen King and I would definitely agree with that.
Totally recommend this. Get me a hardback copy and find me my desert island.
Being of an older generation I was not sure about a female vicar as the main character but I really enjoyed her thoughts and actions and if you want a psychological thriller that has characters that are a little different then this is the book for you
5 out of 5 stars for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Michael Joseph and C J Tudor for providing me with a digital advanced review copy of this book in return for a honest, unbiased review.
The book is issued in hardback, Kindle and Audible formats on 21st January
#TheBurningGirls #NetGalley

Reverend Jack Brooks is sent to take over a small village church after the current vicar dies. With her 15-year-old daughter Flo in tow, they move into the creepy house next door to the chapel and they both get the feeling something strange is going on. The village has a lot of history, not least the martyrs of 500 years ago and the case of two missing teenagers form 30 years ago who have still never been found. With a group of strange residents and weird goings on, Jack and Flo are hoping this a temporary stay.

This was a slow burning (no pun intended!) story that keeps building up the tension and chucking in a brilliant twist here and there to keep you reading, and the ending when it all comes together is excellent, I personally did not see it coming, which I love! Definitely recommended.

Really impressive novel from an author building a great body of work after her three previous novels which were well received, The Burning Girls follows a vicar to a new parish where she confronts local tradition, history and prejudice which will leave her and her daughter in danger. The danger seems to come from all sides, but everyone has secrets, you just have to work them out. Tightly plotted, good characters and pace throughout. An author to follow. Recommended.

Horrifying, suspenseful, gripping & utterly compelling. A creepy atmospheric psychological thriller that’s hard to put down!

Sorry, I have read all of CJ Tudor's books and loved them, but for me this just didn't feel as good as the others. It felt a bit same, and a bit too close to Stephen King's style. The plot wasn't anything new and I didn't much like the characters, plus what was going to happen was obvious to me from the start. And a missing children/teenagers and witches? Seen it, done it. Sorry!

However, in saying that, I am sure other readers will enjoy this book and see things differently. It just wasn't for me.

It may also have been better to read this in a book format, as the formatting on the copy I received for my kindle was confusing to read and there were continuity issues.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

Reverend Jack Brooks has been sent to a small village who suffered a tragedy when their reverend killed himself. Along with her daughter they try to settle in but its a strange place with little twig dolls placed everywhere. Effigies of the burning girls a legend from years ago. There's something sinister going on here and when a body is found in a hidden crypt in the church it gets more scary bu what is going on?

This was an interesting story with some brilliant twists along the way. Some I guessed but not all. The ending in particular wa very cleverly done. The plot is slow to start but once it gets going, I was hooked. I loved the creepy imagery and description that is created through the story. The characters are interesting but not instantly likeable except Flo who though a teenager, I just instantly warmed to her. Jack grew on me as the plot developed. A creepy thriller.

This is the third C.J.Tudor book for me and it certainly didn't disappoint.

Right from the start the quality of the writing starts to create problems for the reader. The early dialogue between the bishop and the vicar seems to be fairly straightforward: However this could be the first red herring, or the first blind alley in the maze.

I liked the quality of the dialogue, especially in the sections describing the recent history for Jack, the vicar who is being urged, or should that be coerced into accepting a new rural parish?

From this point onwards everything becomes even more confusing. Is this book about martyrs centuries ago? Or is it about childhood disappearance a few years ago? Or is it about the suicide of the previous vicar? I could go on, but obviously I Don't want to spoil the story.

C.J.Tudor has created an excellent assemblage of characters who slowly reveal their histories and their secrets as the novel progresses. I particularly like the often humourous dialogue between Jack, the vicar and Flo, the daughter.

The book certainly doesn't disappoint in terms of a dramatic conclusion. I have eventually settled on a Five star rating, due to the parent/daughter relationship.

Once again I give my thanks to Netgalley and Penguin (Michael Joseph) for a copy of the book in exchange for this review.