This is the first C. J. Tudor book I've read and I'll definitely be reading the rest of her books. This is a brilliantly twisty read, that kept you guessing until the end.

I will firstly admit to being a C.J. Tudor fan. I was lucky enough to be given a pre-publish copy of The Burning Girls to review by NetGalley and I was not disappointed.
Tudor has once again managed to creep me out most pleasantly.
Jack and Flo have had to moved from their parish, where Jack is the vicar, due to events that become clear later in the book. Jack obviously has secrets in her past. and, I have to say, I guessed the big one quite early on, although I couldn't see how that was possible until the end.
The new village is one of those creepy Straw Dogs type places, with old traditions surrounding burning straw dolls based on the martyrs burned to death hundreds of years ago. You know the type.
We are also introduced to Jack's brother; just out of prison for murdering Jack's husband. He's not a pleasant chap, but everyone has some good in them ... don't they?
Anyway, I loved the book

The latest novel from C.J.Tudor The Burning Girls follows the Reverend Jack Brooks as she moves to a sleepy Sussex village with her daughter Flo.

The village has its share of mystery and tragedy from martyrs, to missing girls to suicide and it’s not long before Jack and Flo sense something evil lurking....

I enjoyed this book although not as much as the authors previous work. Even though I felt I had sussed out the plot line early on it still held my attention and built suspense to the end.

I have read all this authors books and really enjoyed them all with this one certainly not disappointing. Very creepy and atmospheric I read this in a couple of sittings as I couldn’t put it down. Unique storyline with some good twists I didn’t see coming

500 years ago: eight martyrs were burnt to death
30 years ago: two teenagers vanished without trace
Two months ago: the vicar committed suicide

Welcome to Chapel Croft.

Jack is a vicar and a single parent to teenage daughter Flo, but there have been problems in their home town of Nottingham so, when they are moved to the sleepy village of Chapel Croft in Sussex, they believe it's going to be a fresh start for them both, but things are not quite that simple in this tight knit community, where traditions are important and religious beliefs are upheld. Just as they are starting to settle in, strange things start to happen, Flo keeps seeing visions of burning girls and Jack is receiving threatening messages. Someone clearly doesn't want them there and Jack wants to know why, but maybe, for their own sakes, the past is best left where it belongs before Jack's secrets are uncovered too...

The Burning Girls is a dark twisted tale of superstitions, obsession and religion. The village of Chapel Croft, with its derelict buildings and ramshackle homes seemed the perfect setting for this supernatural thriller, with twists that will have you rewinding through parts of the book to check if you'd read it properly in the first place. It's a tense and gripping story, fantastically written by this uber talented author, which gave me shivers down my spine. My heart went out to Jack and Flo, being cruelly ripped from everything and everyone that they were close to in Nottingham and dropped in Sussex where their lives would never be the same again. I've read all of Tudor's previous books and each time she raises the bar, this was another incredible read that I devoured in less than 48 hours.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

I was taken aback by just how much I enjoyed this book. Right from the start, I felt connected to Jack and to Flo. It was evident they had both been through a lot in their previous lives in Nottingham, and were hoping for a fresh start in so many ways in a quiet village of Sussex. Being from Sussex myself, I felt more connected and drawn in to the novel, and it was even easier to become lost in the myths that surrounded the village and the chapel itself.

The book is told from multiple perspectives, some we know, and some we don't. Between this, and between the mission that the vicar can't help but undertake, gathering information as the book progresses, we find ourselves swept away in complete terror as myths and martyrs collide. Within pages of the book beginning, we see ghostly apprehensions and lights in locked rooms.

If you're looking for something that is brilliantly written, easy to engage with, and will utterly terrify you long after you've finished it, look no further.

Content warning for talk of child abuse, suicide, old fashioned beliefs of mental illness from minor characters, bullying.

A nail-biting psychological thriller, The Burning Girls had me reading up until the early hours of the morning. Partly because I was too scared to turn off the light, but mostly because I could not put it down.

Brilliantly written with enjoyable characters who have a great sense of humour, the book has a slightly slow start but it soon grips you in every way possible. With a fast pace and many satisfying twists, it's a book that keeps giving and giving. It had my heart racing from start to finish and doesn't slow down to allow you to catch your breath.

Creepy and sinister with a hint of the paranormal, it's also an incredibly haunting read. I was genuinely scared when reading this book and would certainly consider it more of a horror than a thriller. Tudor sets the mood perfectly, detailing a richly atmospheric setting alongside a brilliantly developed thriller that is sure to have a lasting effect.

This was the first book that I have read by CJ Tudor, although I have a few others on my kindle that I have been eager to read, but I will definitely be getting to them soon as this five-star read has left me desperate to read more of her work.

3.5.

‘If you see the burning girls, something bad will befall you.’

Reverend Jack Brooks, widowed, with a teenage daughter Flo, reluctantly takes on the temporary position of interim vicar in a tiny Sussex village.

Chapel Croft has seen its fair share of tragedy.

The sixteenth century saw eight Protestants – including two young girls Abigail and Maggie – burned to death in front of the church.

In 1990, two teenagers Merry and Joy, disappeared without a trace. They have never been found.

And Jack's predecessor – Reverend Fletcher – hanged himself in the chapel.

The ghosts of Abigail and Maggie are said to haunt the church grounds, and building.

So, when Flo sees a girl on fire in the graveyard, who promptly vanishes, and a box addressed to Jack containing an exorcism kit is left on the chapel doorstep, It appears evil is still afoot in Chapel Croft and it's set its sights firmly on Jack and Flo.

The Burning Girls contained its fair share of wickedness and intrigue, but I craved more. Her first two books The Chalk Man and The Taking of Annie Thorne (a.k.a. The Hiding Place) were truly terrifying and chilled me to the bone, but I never experienced that level of terror while reading this. In fact, it was slow to begin with and parts of it were kind of boring. The building sense of ominous dread was absent. Despite the macabre premise, dark history, and gothic setting, I never felt unsettled.

What’s more I guessed one of the bigger twists early on, so that really hampered my enjoyment. A smaller one I figured out too, but that one was very obvious. I'm not even sure it was supposed to be a twist. However, there were several other big reveals that shocked me to the core which I really enjoyed.

The two main characters were what really kept me invested. Jack and Flo were both strong independent flawed people and their pain was real. I loved their relationship, teasing banter and witty remarks. Even when they were at odds their bond was unbreakable.

Just like C.J.Tudor's previous work, The Other People, I can see The Burning Girls appealing to a wider audience as it wasn't as weird, sinister or ambiguous as TCM and TTOAT but those were the qualities that first drew me to this author, so I couldn't help feeling disappointed. Overall, a satisfying, suspenseful, somewhat surprising mystery but little about it separated it from other's in the thriller/supernatural genres.

I'd like to thank Netgalley, Penguin Michael Joseph UK, and CJ Tudor for the e-ARC.

Publication Date: 21st January, 2021.

A gripping thriller full of some huge twists. Lots of interesting and varied characters and a creepy back story to add to the plot.

I’ve always been a fan of C J Tudor’s and was pleased to receive an advance review copy of Burning Girls.

Jack is an unconventional vicar who has moved to a small village with daughter Flo. The village is full of secrets and death and disappearance seem to be the norm. This book features ghosts, mysteries and suspicions and will have you hooked from page one.

I would rate this book 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Michael Joseph UK and the author for the chance to review.

The Burning Girls was everything I expected a new release from C.J. Tudor to be: addictive, punchy, eerie and very gripping!

There’s plenty of atmosphere packed into this read, told largely from two point of views – Jack, the new vicar in a quiet rural town, and Flo, her daughter. They’ve moved from inner city Nottingham and are finding getting used to their new home quite an adjustment! We also see some chapters from other characters, which add to the story a little but aren’t necessary in my opinion. From these, however, we know there’s someone linked to Jack’s past who is coming to find them, and this adds an extra element of tension to the story.

The story starts off fairly slowly, but really builds up as it goes, and I found myself feeling quite chilled at times. At times I was shouting (internally) at the characters for their stupidity, but couldn’t put the book down even if I wanted to! It’s very readable and the story flows really well.

I loved the sense of atmosphere and the characters Jack and Flo were really likable. Add to this some surprising, fun twists and you have a great read! It was hard to put this novel down and I’m already looking forward to future releases by C.J. Tudor.

This is a wonderfully engrossing mystery about a vicar who is moved to a different parish with their teenage daughter following a tragedy. What happened wasn't really Jack's fault but the fallout has basically made the church look bad and Jack is the scapegoat. Chapel Croft in Sussex is a long way from Jack and daughter Flo's home in Nottingham but following the death of the village priest Jack and Flo find themselves living there, for the time being at least, until a permanent replacement is found. Compared to Nottingham the quiet village of Chapel Croft is a culture shock to say the least. Plus some of the locals are a little unfriendly and there is a monument in the chapel graveyard with some very strange twiggy dolls placed around it. Clearly there is a lot of history in Chapel Croft, and a lot of secrets too.....

Another exceptional, atmospheric novel from C.J. Tudor. A brilliant, sometimes horrific and disturbing read, with fantastic characters and plenty of twists and turns. Highly recommended.

As I loved The Chalk Man I could not wait to get my hands on The Burning Girls, and this really did not disappoint. The characters were really believable and easy to picture and so was the setting. What a gripping page turner, it kept me guessing right the way until the end (and what an end!) Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for allowing me the chance to read the e-book and leave an honest review

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this brilliantly written book

a very atmospheric book that is frightening and gripping and nail-biting right to the end and even then you are gobsmacked at that ending....but i dont expect anything less from this author...she just keeps on giving...

reverend jack brooks and daughter arrive at the village hoping for a new beginning but right from the start there are things not right and it can only get worse...much much worse....

brilliantly written and characters are easy to get to know, and like but you just know that there is something coming....

dont read this at home alone...

cant wait for the next book from this author

I have read all of CJ Tudors books and enjoyed them. But I feel she has raised an already high bar with this book, I thought it was really excellent. The characters were well written and believable ,the story was amazing, and the writing was really intelligent, very clever plot and it certainly kept me guessing .I thought it was really well done. I can't fault it and would give it more than 5 stars if I could. I think it would also make a wonderful film I could picture it as a film when I was reading it .I would definitely recommend it to other readers.

The Burning Girls
Author: CJ Tudor
Publisher: Penguin Michael Joseph UK
Publication Date 21/1/21

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
NO SPOILERS

Don’t read it alone and in the dark 😱.
Complex, creepy and involving. I kept finding myself holding my breath at times. The plot unfolded at a satisfying pace and I loved the main characters of the Reverend and Flo, plus the well drawn supporting characters. Twists and turns aplenty, particularly in the last 20%. The ending is terrific. I’ve read CJ Tudor’s previous books, (The Chalk Man, The Taking of Annie Thorne, The Other People) and thoroughly enjoyed them but for me, this is the best yet.
I’d like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I have read and loved every other book by this author and this was no exception. A dark, twisty story, that weirdly made me laugh sometimes. The author is good. I loved the main characters and the relationship of small-town folk. Amazing.

Thank you to Netgalley, CJ Tudor and Penguin Michael Joseph for my arc of The Burning Girls in exchange for an honest review.

Published: 21st January 2021

In a sleepy Sussex village, a dark history lies dormant. 500 years ago eight martyrs were burnt for their faith, 30 years ago two girls went missing never to be seen again. Two months ago, the vicar committed suicide. Now Jack and her daughter Flo have arrived to live in the tiny cottage attached to the chapel where Jack will serve as Reverend to a congregation obsessed with their macabre history.
But things begin to go wrong almost immediately, Flo is plagued by visions of ghost girls on fire, menacing letters come through the door and Flo's involvement with the local weird boy is filling Jack with dread, who can she trust in a village full of secrets and liars?

I have loved every book that CJ Tudor has written and this was no exception. Full of history, nail biting tension and more twists and turns than you can shake a twig doll at, this author brings it again and again like no other. I loved the multiple mysteries that eventually all came together, staying up while 2am to finish it (when will I learn not to start CJ Tudor books at least 4-5 hours before bed?). There is so much suspense that treads the fine line between psychological thriller and crime and I cannot express how well this is executed in The Burning Girls. It is exceptional! Really can't wait for the next book from this fantastic author!!

I am a big fan of this author having read and loved all her previous books so I was quite excited to get my mitts on this, her latest offering. But would it be as good? You bet your life it was! I blooming loved it, reading it from start to finish in just a couple of sittings. Only bad thing about it was when I go to the end and it was over.
So... there's a new vicar at Chapel Croft. One Rev Jack Brooks - along with daughter Flo - arrives in the small village to take over the helm. But as they soon find out, there are things that they weren't told. Things they really should have known before they came. Things from the near past including the death of the previous vicar. And to go with them, there's a whole far past history of the village to get to grips with. Some 500 years ago and the 8 protestant martyrs. Some 30 years ago when two girls went missing. Oh and then there are the usual secrets, lies and duplicitous behaviour from some very strange characters indeed...
And that's really all I can say here as I fear anything else will spoil things. Suffice to say there is a heck of a lot going on for such a small village with few inhabitants. And that's not even mentioning the spooky layer that is simmering around and about.
I connected with both Jack and Flo right from the off which really helped the story progress for me. Other characters are just as well drawn and all play their parts well. Pacing is mostly fast but always matches the narrative. There are a few slower parts which serve to give the reader much needed respite before it all ramps up again, thankful for those!
The only thing I wasn't quite sold on was Jack's past - to be honest I think it was too built up for me and then was a bit of a damp squib when it was revealed but that's my only niggle and it's a very minor one in context.
And with an ending that left me both wholly satisfied and breathless, this is a brilliant addition to an already impressive back catalogue. Can't wait to see what the author cooks up for her next course. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

500 years ago: eight martyrs were burnt to death
30 years ago: two teenagers vanished without trace
Two months ago: the vicar committed suicide

Welcome to Chapel Croft.

When Reverend Jack Brooks is sent with teenage daughter, Flo, to work at a church in Chapel Croft, it’s fair to say that they are not exactly enthralled at the idea of moving from the city to a sleepy town. The town has strong superstitions linked to its past and is not overly welcoming to outsiders, preferring to keep its secrets well hidden. Soon, Jack has many concerns about their new home. Why is Flo plagued by visions of burning girls? Who is sending them threatening messages? Why is no one keen to mention that the previous vicar killed himself?

As a fan of C J Tudor’s previous books, The Chalk Man, The Taking of Annie Thorne and The Other People, I was thrilled to be invited to take part in the blog tour for her latest novel, The Burning Girls. I was immediately grabbed by the premise of the book, the historical aspect of Protestant martyrs during the reign of Mary I piquing my interest greatly. Combined with the 30-year-old cold case of two missing girls, I couldn’t wait to read!

I always expect a supernatural element with C J Tudor’s books, but after being completely thrown by the plot of The Other People, I was not sure what to expect. I know that some people are put off reading books if there is a ghostly aspect but, while there are mentions of the burning girls, appearances of two of the Protestant martyrs, this is a minor part of the plot, the focus being on the mysteries surrounding this tight-knit village.

The book has a Wicker Man feel about it as we are introduced to the main characters, Flo and her vicar parent, Jack. Being forced to relocate to a completely different church than they are used to, with villagers intent on keeping their secrets hidden and their traditions alive, it’s not long before you realise that Jack and Flo’s lives are in danger. Just who is leaving the threatening replica burning girls and what are they trying to cover up? I really liked the two main characters, both of them not conforming to the traditional image of what a teenage girl and a vicar should act like.

There are several plots running through the book, each of them becoming intertwined as the story progressed. There is a sense of foreboding throughout which kept me on my toes as I tried to work out what had been happening in this village and who was responsible. C J Tudor has done a great job in tying all of these threads together to give a satisfying

conclusion, although I am pleased with myself for guessing what one of the big plot twists would be! One reveal had me shocked, however, especially as I felt I should have picked up on a movie-related clue that was given!

C J Tudor has definitely got another hit on her hands with The Burning Girls and I can’t wait to see what she gives us next.