I have read all CJ Tudors books and loved them, this was no exception.

The Burning Girls is gripping from page one with lots of twists and turns that keeps you guessing right the the very end.

Great read

My thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Burning Girls’ by C.J. Tudor in exchange for an honest review.

Over the last few years C.J. Tudor has established herself as a major British writer of chilling thrillers. This was my first experience of her writing and I was completely blown away. It proved a gripping mystery that kept me guessing combined with elements of horror. As with most thrillers, I suggest reading without too much prior information.

The novel is set in the small Sussex village of Chapel Croft where five hundred years ago eight people were burnt at the stake as part of Queen Mary’s purge. The victims included two young girls Their deaths are still commemorated in an annual Burning Girls festival. In addition, thirty years ago two teenage girls disappeared and recently its vicar committed suicide.

Rev Jack Brooks has been sent as his interim replacement. Jack is raising her teenage daughter, Flo, who isn’t at all happy about leaving Nottingham. Strange things begin to happen. Flo has a vision of a burning girl in the graveyard and Jack starts receiving threatening notes. Further mysteries present themselves as Jack seeks answers.

This was fast paced and consistently delivered on the thrills with some great twists along the way. Tudor draws on a number of established horror tropes including the insular village brimming with gossip, secrets, and superstition. The tiny twig figures were especially chilling. As Flo remarks “That is way too Blair Witch”. I also appreciated the popular culture references sprinkled throughout.

Having enjoyed this so much, I now intend to catch up with C.J. Tudor’s previous three novels as well as to look out for her future projects.

📚BOOK REVIEW📚⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
#theburninggirls by @cjtudorauthor @michaeljbooks @netgalley

Well I might have dreams of moving to a quiet country village but I think I’ll give this one a miss...

This is such a great book! I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to read this author! It was so easy to read, that I read it in 24 hours!!!

It’s all about the story in this book; mixing whodonnit murder mystery with a horror element just worked so well. It was a gripping, creepy, and atmospheric psychological thriller.

I loved how the story was set out, with the use of characters back story, going back in time and the swapping of narrating perspectives, really kept the plot plowing forwards. I could of read a whole separate book on the village and it’s traditions and enjoyed how it is based on elements of history.

The characters really complemented the story and worked well within their roles. The author wove all the twist and turns so deep within the village and characters history that they were very hard to workout; it kept me guessing and my suspicions were rife.

Really enjoyed this one! I’ll be going back and catching up on her other books!

➡️for synopsis

This one was an #arcread so thanks to author #cjtudor #michaeljosephbooks and #netgalley for allowing me to read this one early!

Out Jan 21st🔥

-Emily

@the_book_girls_1

Another brilliant book from CJ Tudor.
Jack is a Reverend and is asked to move to a new Parish following an incident at her old Church.
Jack and her daughter Flo move to Chapel Croft and struggle with the rural location and lack of wi-fi.
Jack finds out that the previous vicar is dead and allegedly killed himself, although not everyone in the village believes this.
Jack knows the history of the burning girls but when her and her daughter see them in and around the chapel, they are both are bit unnerved by this.
Flo meets Wrigley and despite Jack’s concerns, Flo starts to like him and spend more time with him.
There’s another story running through this one about the two teenagers who disappeared and also another vicar, so this is definitely not a sleepy village when it comes to mystery and death.
The story reaches a nail biting conclusion and several strands are then pulled together to complete the story.
This is a great read that well and truly had me hooked.
Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book

I always enjoy C J Tudor's books - this one was no exception! The author is brilliant at writing twisty, turny stories that keep you guessing the whole way through. Definitely couldn't predict the ending and it kept me gripped till the very last page. Highly recommend the burning girls - C J Tudor at her very best!

I absolutely loved this book. It had me guessing right from the start and thrown into the world of the characters Jack and her daughter Flo. If you love thrillers then this is the book for you! Be prepared for twist after twist

The Burning Girls is a tale full of twists and turns and I found myself desperate to pick it up throughout the day. Jack is a great multi faceted character who I enjoyed learning more about as I worked my way through the book. I enjoyed the fact that the book was written from different viewpoints and with flashbacks interspersed throughout too. The mystery of Merry and Joy intrigued me and uncovering the truth surrounding this kept me gripped but I was also kept engaged by the other mysteries that revealed themselves along the way. There were many tense moments and these really built in the last third of the book. A great creepy, mystery novel. I devoured it and enjoyed every second. My first C. J. Tudor novel but definitely not my last!

Yet another cracking read from the excellent CJ Tudor. A vicar and her daughter are moved from Nottingham to a country parish following an unfortunate event, only to be met by an unwelcoming and at times violent set of parishioners. The town is infamous because of historic crime and the events of the past hang over this intriguing tale.

The protagonist in this book is Jack, a female vicar, that has been sent to a little village to take over the church that has been vacant. Her daughter Flo is a teenager that had to change her life from Nottingham to Chapel Croft. I really loved the brilliant selection of characters. They are all mysterious, intriguing and different. I thoroughly enjoyed Jacks thoughts about being a priest, the church’s role and religion in general. It was very modern and stigma defining. I really liked Flo as well, she seems like a very smart young lady, full of curiosity and teenage rebellion. 🙂

Like always, the narrative is creepy, mysterious and very well planned out. There are multiple stories running through this book. This book is told from multiple perspectives, and I absolutely adored that. Jack’s perspective investigates a story of two young ladies that disappeared thirty years ago and a mysterious suicide of the previous vicar. And Flo’s perspective shares very creepy encounters with local youth. The whole book is covered in a mysterious shroud, suspense is seeping through the pages, and the story simply had me absorbed. The topics discussed in this book are religion, evil youth, parenting issues, over the top religiousness, church work, vicar’s life, tight community nuances, murder and many more.

The writing style of this book is impeccable. C.J. Tudor’s writing is evolving with every single book. The setting and the mood of this book is perfect for horror, and the mystery just drives suspense through this novel. The chapters are pretty short, so it is a fast and gripping book. The culmination and the ending are brilliant, and I loved how the book was rounded up. I have to warn the reader, that this book has murders, pretty gross stories, burning people and psychopaths.

So, to conclude, this was my first book of 2021 and is going straight to my top 10 of this year. I loved everything about this novel, it has very unique and complex characters as well as an amazingly delivered plot full of twists, intriguing stories and mystery. I strongly recommend to anyone who loves Stephen King or a good mystery.

“You want to believe the world is black and white. But, as an adult, you realise that most people exist in the grey area in between.”

If Stephen King is the King of Horror, then I shall henceforth dub CJ Tudor the Queen of Creep. We may not have gelled from the beginning, her books and I, but with each new instalment I have seen both the writing, the stories, and the creep factor grow exponentially.

This latest book sees Jack Brooks, a Vicar and a single parent, sent to a small village parish with a deep and dark secret. There’s a fascination with a traditional and appalling ritual, some very shady characters, and a past that just won’t stay hidden, no matter how well it has been covered up.

The Burning Girls is equal parts a story of faith and a story of survival. One that is both redeeming and damning. The part that was supposed to be the horror, paled in comparison to the real life horror committed by real life humans. And despite figuring ‘it’ out long before the final chapters, the reveal was much more sinister, and it played out marvellously.

Many thanks to CJ Tudor, Penguin Michael Joseph UK, and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars
Who wouldn't be worry as a single mother trying to start a new life in a new place? I know i will.
This is one of those stories that stays with you for a while and make you more aware of the places you visit or live. Each house or land has its own history, sometimes you can read about it, sometimes you hear tales and sometimes everything is hold as the most precious secret that won't be unveiled no matter what happens. Here's the case of those secrets, an old setting in the countryside will always hold hidden treasures and most of the times they aren't the good or happy kind.
The culminant act was build with so much anticipation and suspense, and even if i thought i knew what happens and who was playing up on her, most of my theories were demolished one by one in the best way.
There's a tale of witches , a tale of old traditions where the past and the present are intertwined and this is definitely a must read story

I really really enjoyed The Other People by C.J. Tudor so I had pretty high hopes for The Burning Girls. I can confirm it is not just as good as The Other People but somehow even better. I loved it! The story follows Reverend Jack Brooks and teenage daughter Flo in their sudden move to Chapel Croft, a small place with a dark history and an even darker present. Secrets from the past are beginning to surface and Jack and Flo are drawn into a sinister and spooky mess.

This book was honestly the perfect read to start my 2021 with. I was glued to the pages with my heart in my mouth. The Burning Girls is a fantastic mix of intense thrills, fantastic characters and a seriously creepy setting. C.J. Tudor does the ‘hint of the supernatural’ better than anyone. Her writing makes it feel so real and genuinely plausible that you will be jumping at every shadow. I ended up reading this book well into the early hours of the morning which was possibly a mistake as I was so freaked out but I just could not put it down without getting to the end. The twists and turns come fast and furious, I absolutely couldn’t predict where this story was headed which I just love in this kind of intense book. I don’t want to give away any plot points because I would hate to spoil the expert pacing but if you are a fan of compelling, atmospheric thrillers full of brilliantly engrossing characters and chilling secrets then The Burning Girls will not disappoint. Highly recommend and I am already eagerly awaiting whatever Tudor writes next!

The feeling is tingling and immediate when you realise that you have discovered something truly good. And it happened with this book. And it started at the beginning.

It has everything that makes a great novel: suspense, mystery, ghosts, murder, folk-horror, atmosphere, solid and likable but unusual characters, tortured souls, vulnerable baddies, gothic setting, identifiable situations and places. There is a darkness that includes events from history - the burning of heretics in Tudor times, common in this area - and missing children from a few decades ago. Secrets everyone in the idyllic rural village know about but only hint at (especially after a few beers).

The story is about a single-parent vicar, who is transferred abruptly to a a hamlet far removed from the city in which they work, Nottingham. The social issues that the vicar was involved in are painful memories, and they will bubble to the surface again, no doubt. The main hook though, is the strange tradition of making twiggy figures to represent the martyrs who were burned under the orders of Queen Mary, also known as Bloody Mary. These effigies are left in the cemetery. There are plenty of odd goings-on around the chapel and its ancient graveyard and lots of people, some much darker than others.

The priest is a great creation. Modern and witty with a few little endearing vices that make this story a joy to read. Mostly told from the vicar's perspective in the first person alongside the teenage daughter's point of view, there is a good balance of interaction between the generations. However, the story also runs parallel with someone else's. Fresh out of prison and living rough, we know their lives will connect at some point. This journey is very disturbing.

A riveting, unsettling and brilliant book. Highly recommended.

I LOVED this! I've enjoyed C. J. Tudor's other books but this one is definitely the best so far in my (humble) opinion. It's not often a book genuinely makes creeps me out and makes me feel uneasy reading it in bed at night! The writing was great and so atmospheric - I really felt like I was there, right in the middle of it all.

We follow Jack, who is a reverend, and her daughter Flo as they move to a small village with strange and eerie traditions. It's meant to be a fresh start for the two of them but within days there is blood and catastrophe! There are strange ghostly sightings, missing people, creepy people hanging around and a mysterious old chapel.

I highly recommend this if you enjoyed any of Tudor's previous books, or just any sort of spooky, psychological thriller.

C.J Tudor is 1 of those rare authors who can write down a Macdonald menu and give it a creepy spin! Her books are all stand alones and the style is different in each 1 which is not an easy thing to do!
This is another winner with a fascinating storyline! I was intrigued by the story of the Sussex Martyrs because not being British it is not a story that is familiar to me. So I had to do some research about this part of history.
"The only difference between truth and a lie is how often you repeat it"
This story is set in a small town called Chapel Croft and like in all small towns, there's a lot of secrets. The deeper your pockets are the more you can get away with.
Reverent Jack Brooks is sent here to stand in till they find a new Reverent but soon she realizes that strange things are happening here. How is it linked to the  Sussex Martyrs but also to the disappearance of 2 15-year-old girls that disappeared 30 years before? She is also struggling with some personal issues. Who is she running away from and why is she so protective over
her daughter?
The twists keep coming until the end and I must admit I was floored!
A brilliant must-read with some nice eerie scenes! It is very well written en the story pulls you in from the start.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

The story follows Jack and her teenage daughter, Flo as they move towns and find their lives completely change for them but not in the idyllic way they were hoping.

Both are now having to deal with the issues of been outsiders in a strange town.

Jack is a reverend who finds herself dealing with the aftermath of a suicide by the previous reverend, dead bodies now been dragged up, potential ghosts of two girls who died thirty years ago and a haunted church. Uncovering the town’s history, she soon finds out women were previously burnt at the stake and is now also has to dealing with nightmares which have now begun since moving town.

Question is, is it the ghosts of the burning girls causing strange things to happen? Can they even trust anyone? And are their lives now in danger?

POV changes throughout the novel between Jack and Flo as the truth unravels. There’s also a bit at the end about the missing girls and their background. It’s interesting to learn what happened to them but I felt it wasn’t really necessary to the story.

This is a thrilling ride and a page turner. I loved the atmosphere throughout the story and there was lots of build up towards the end.

I felt on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next and was constantly and pleasantly surprised.

Expect lots of twists and turns in this beautifully haunting and chilling story.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the ARC.

Wow! what a chilling thriller. It's so well-written with well-rounded characters and believable dialogue and absolutely loads of atmosphere.
Couldn't put it down.

Reverend Jack Brooks is forcibly transferred from her successful inner-city church and community in Nottingham to a small chapel in the wilds of Sussex. The chapel and community had secrets - some more sinister than others. Historically Chapel Croft is famous for its Protestant martyrs, burned to death 300 years ago - two of them were young girls. A monument to them stands in the churchyard where each year they are commemorated with twig figures representing the burning girls. Simon Harper, a local landowner and generous benefactor to the chapel leads commemorations as his ancestors were amongst the martyrs.
Things start to take very sinister turns. The previous vicar has bequeathed an exorcism kit to Jack; Jack finds paperwork in the cottage basement showing the previous vicar had been researching the disappearance of two girls 30 years previously; visions of young burning girls make their appearance and gruesome discoveries are made, before the real truth behind the chapel's history, and the burning girls, is revealed.

Menacing and very twisty - edge of your seat stuff. Excellent reading.

Ive read a number of books by C J Tudor, enjoyed them but Burning Girls is at yet another level. It’s a rare author that can actually evoke physical feelings in the reader. Tudo’rs writing is incredibly powerful. This is a story filled with brooding menace. It’s a genuine edge of your seat thriller, with skilled and intricate plotting that leaves the reader unsure where the story is going next.

My heart rate actually increased a few times as the pace hotted up and I was hit with the unexpected. It’s atmospheric, with relatable characters and it feels so real. Chilling and clever. Definitely one of my favourite authors and I can’t wait for the next book. This is a must read, bestseller for 2021.

My thanks to the publisher for an early review copy via Netgalley.

The Burning Girls is a super horror thriller.
In a village where everyone has a dark secret, a new vicar takes over their pastoral care. How far back must the newcomer delve to reach the village’s dark heart? To sixteenth century Protestant martyrs burned at the stake? To thirty years ago when two teenage girls suddenly disappeared? To two recent, unexplained deaths by hanging? Or has the vicar’s own buried past brought evil to the village?
With crazy clergy, a dilapidated chapel, abandoned cottages, mutilated apparitions, exorcisms, rotting flesh, blood and fire, there’s plenty here for the horror fan. But there are also some cracking mysteries and a large, fully-realised cast, expertly wrapped up in an intricate, well-written plot. This will be a big hit and deservedly so.
I am grateful to the author, the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

This is the first book that I have rea y this author and I cannot wait to read more. This is a real twisty book that ends with a final unexpected twost. I just adored this book.
From the first chapter I was engrossed and did not want to put it down. The characters and scenery are so well defined that I felt that I was there in the village with them all.
Cannot recommend this book enough. I would give more than the 5 stars if it was possible.