I am ashamed to say that I have been sleeping on CJ Tudor for way too long. I've always almost taken the plunge and picked up their books, but I always chicken out at the last second. Welp, it's my loss because clearly I have been seriously missing out on this fantastic author and their wonderfully thrilling stories.

Sometimes thrillers can feel a little formulaic to me and I feel like I almost become desensitized to them if I read too many in a row... but paranormal suspense never fails to scare me straight. This book felt like such a refreshingly smart callback to religious-tinged horror stories like The VVitch and The Exorcist that balance suspense with superstition, and explore the centuries-long and deeply complex relationship between women and the church.

There is such a darkly magical element to Tudor's writing and I love how they are able to incorporate paranormal elements into their real-feeling every day settings. Under Tudor's pen, shadows at the edges of your vision and bumps in the night become real, foreboding and terrifying things. I love how they are able to harness humanity's most primal fears and ugliness and make us question who the real monsters truly are.

I read The Burning Girls during an ice and snow storm and I can't think of a better setting to read such a chilling book because it just upped the creep-factor of the story even more. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves a good scary story... even scaredy cats like me - embrace the scare and do it!

As the new victor in Chapel Croft, Reverend Jack Brooks never expects to stumble upon decades of secrets when she moves to a small, countryside town with her teenage daughter. Soon, she finds herself entangled with shady townspeople who have a history of exorcisms and martyrs. Visions of the “Burning Girls” haunt the rundown church – and Jack – as she uncovers more and more that the town buried away.

“The Burning Girls” is the perfect thriller. It’s so unsettling and C.J. Tudor builds a very claustrophobic town where you can’t trust anyone. “The Burning Girls” was such a creepfest – I had to read it during the afternoon because I was too stressed out to read it after dark. A twist was always right around the corner. It was just so suspenseful.

I loved Jack as our main narrator and she had such a solid relationship with her daughter, Flo. There’s always a balancing act for rebellious teenagers and Tudor completely delivered. Flo went around her mom’s wishes, but she wasn’t clueless and you could feel the trust between the two characters. Flo really acted like a moody teenager – never over the top – and you could feel the love between these two women who only had each other.

The atmosphere and characters of “The Burning Girls” really set this book apart. So good, so creepy. Also, I’m obsessed with that cover art!!

3.5 Stars

This review is difficult for me to write for some reason. The premise is perfect, but the book was a little slow in between the intermittent action, ghost and murder scenes.

I enjoyed the book and I appreciated the fact that it didn't become preachy with the main character Jack since she was a vicar.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I saw a couple of reviews on Goodreads for The Burning Girls and immediately went to NetGalley to request a copy. When my request was approved, I did a happy dance around my stunned toddlers, who also clapped and jumped excitedly. So needless to say, I was HYPED for The Burning Girls before I’d even taken the time to read the actual synopsis.

side note/question: this is becoming a habit. i’m curious… am i the only one who has developed a habit of not reading the goodreads or “official” synopsis of a book and just dives right in based solely on what you’ve read or heard from others (reviewers, friends, etc.)??

The Burning Girls is the story of a vicar named Jack and her daughter, Flo. They’ve recently been sent to a small church in Chapel Croft after an unfortunate incident in Nottingham. Jack has already been having horrible nightmares due to the horrible event back home, so she has no desire to go to Chapel Croft, but is left with no choice. Immediately, things begin to go the way of a horror movie.

They are welcomed to their new creepy old chapel home by a weird caretaker, a child covered in a blood, a headless burning girl/apparition with no arms — oh, and a bunch of macabre twig dolls the townsfolk set on fire once a year. And that’s just the beginning of the novel!!!

It was almost impossible for me to set this down and I sped through it in about two days. It kept me guessing, trying to figure out what was going on, who was doing what, and although I did figure out one really big “twist” fairly early on, I enjoyed every minute of the twisty turny path that led to “The End.”

I definitely recommend The Burning Girls to thriller fans!

I loved The Burning Girls! It was such a unique story and the twist at the end had my jaw on the floor! I look forward to reading more by this author.

500 years ago, girls were burned at the stake. 30 years ago, two girls disappeared. The town comes together every year to build tiny burning dolls in order to remember the tragedy 500 years ago, however there isn’t much to be said about the teenage girls disappearance 30 years ago. It’s crazy to think they are connected- but could they be? The town vicar has questions and as soon as he finds the answers, he hangs himself.

A new vicar, Jack Brooks comes to town to take over and is greeted by a close-knit community and everyone has a secret. Jack must get to the bottom of what is going on in the town and fast, before it is too late for her and her family.

This was soooo good! This get a little bit dark as you keep on reading brushes the line of horror novel. You have the small town village, the old folklore and a recently appointed female vicar. Absolutely loved her character, even though she’s the vicar she is also flawed. Little by little mysteries are unraveled and did I guess the end and the major twist? That’s a big NO! And that’s exactly why I give this all the stars!

Chapel Croft is a village with a dark history. 500 years ago, Protestant martyrs were betrayed during Queen Mary's purge and then burned. 30 years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace. And just a few weeks ago, the local vicar hanged himself in the chapel of the church. Rev. Jack Brooks arrives in the village to replace the hanged vicar, with her spunky 15 year old daughter Flo in tow. After a rocky patch in her career, Jack is looking for a fresh start. Instead, she finds a town that is clearly hiding some deep dark secrets. She is welcomed with an anonymous package: an exorcism kit and a warning note: "But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be know…" Is it a threat or a warning? Jack and Flo are quickly drawn into the town's long held mysteries and superstitions.

The Burning Girls is a very fast paced thriller with a generous handful of horror thrown in for good measure. I really enjoyed the mix of supernatural and psychological drama. There were a lot of twists from the very beginning to the end that kept me guessing. There was a good creepy atmosphere created - the old timey English village with long buried secrets - a favorite trope of mine. There were plenty of scares to really build up the tension. Lots of different horror elements were brought into play - this book was really packed full of thrills and chills. The characters were well developed and varied - there were some to love, some to pity and some that I loved to hate. This book would be great fun for any lovers of horror and dark thrillers. Thank you to Random House Ballantine and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I must admit, I did not realize this was quite as graphic or gory when I requested it but that’s what a lot of reader like. I’m a bit more of a bump in the night, a few good ghosts and a little scary. This book scared the pants off me in the first few pages! I decided this was not quite my type but I’m sure many loved it. I’m giving it five stars for a strong creepy start!

“The Burning Girls” follows Jack, a vicar who has been transferred to a small town. Chapel Croft has a history involving eight protestant martyrs that were burned at the stake. There is also a pair of girls who went missing 30 years prior to Jack’s arrival. And to top it all off, the previous vicar hanged himself. Needless to say, Jack doesn’t really know what to expect nor enough about Chapel Croft to be fully prepared for the horrors that are to come.

I thought Jack was a very complicated character and C.J. Tudor did an excellent job of giving little tidbits of information in tiny increments. There were a few times when I was slightly annoyed that we weren’t getting to the point, but it is all part of the experience. We can’t know the answers before the characters do. This felt very much like a character-driven plot, which can mean that the plot moves slowly. I also really appreciate that there were no tropes or simple characters. Every character in this story was complex with intricate backstories and complicated motivations.

Thank you, C.J. Tudor, NetGalley, and Ballantine Books for the ARC. I will be posting a spotlight post on Instagram (@lyatslibrary) on Thursday, February 18.

Several people have told this is their favorite Tudor novel and y’all…I completely agree!! Special thanks to the author, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the review copy!!

Rev Jack Brooks and her daughter move to Chapel Croft as a fresh start. From the get go things are not what they seem. Creepy things begin to happen and as they learn more about the history of Chapel Croft, the worse things get.

Hauntings, murder, shock, scary ex cons and so much more fill this novel. You can never prepare yourself for what comes next, the shock value just keeps amplifying.

I thoroughly loved this newest edition of C.J.’s. She is truly a brilliant author and I highly recommend this one!

4.5/5

I was immediately a fan of C.J. Tudor after reading The Other People back in February 2020, so I was incredibly excited to read The Burning Girls. I am happy to report that I loved this book just as much! This was creepy but not scary, and while it definitely gave me the eerie and suspenseful vibes I wanted, it wasn't all that gory, and it definitely didn't scare me at all. It should be perfect for all you readers that don't want to read with the lights on. I loved the multiple viewpoints and I really liked both Jack and Flo. I was hooked right away as far as the writing, but it did take me a minute to get into the book itself. Once I was into it, I loved it though, and I loved that it has multiple suspenseful moments where I felt like I was on the edge of my seat. I also love that Tudor employed an unknown narrator as well and these things coupled with the really short chapters made this a quick and engrossing read.

Another fun thing about this author is that she loves to leave you on cliffhangers at the end of chapters before moving on to a different viewpoint. This made me want to keep reading and I can see how it would be a "just one more chapter" book for a lot of readers. Unfortunately, I did figure out a major part of the mystery before it was revealed which would usually be a huge bummer, but in this case, I didn't mind it. There are still plenty of other twists I didn't see coming, and it was quite the wild ride. Highly recommend to fans of the author and readers who like a dash of horror with their mysteries.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Could not/would not put it down until I finished it!

After a horrible incident at her church, city-based vicar Reverend Jack Brooks is transferred to a small-town church in the countryside. This little town is known for the myth that surrounds the Sussex Martyrs; and according to legend, seeing the burning girls is a sign that trouble will befall you.

Myth aside, the town looks like the perfect place to “hide” while the whole incident in the city blows over. But weird stuff starts happening from the moment Jack and Flo get off their car: dead vicars, kids covered in blood, twig dolls with cryptic messages, visions of burning girls, secret crypt, unidentified dead bodies, and townspeople determined to keep the secrets of their town secret. But Jack is determined to find and uncover the truth of what’s going on in this town.

And if that wasn’t enough, then add that someone from Jack’s past got out of prison and is determined to find her.

Great mystery/thriller book. Absolutely loved this book!

The Burning Girls is a dark and twisted psychological thriller. I'm not a religious person so I wasn't sure how well I would like this book. This was a great book. It was well-written with a gripping plot and the characters were likeable and relatable. Reverend Jack Brooks is definitely not your ordinary vicar. A single-parent, raising a teenage daughter, having to uproot their life from a big city to a small village. There's the creepy small town setting with the small run-down chapel with the graveyard and the dilapidated house where the kids hang out. I liked how the story unraveled itself at the end. Not predictable.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and C.J. Tudor for a copy of "The Burning Girls" in exchange of an honest review.

The Burning Girls was quite the intense book. 😱 If you’re looking for dark, creepy vibes.... this one is for you!!
It starts off with a vicar being reassigned to a small English town.... there’s murder, a deep history of martyrs being burned at the stake, and two girls that disappeared as teenagers. SO many secrets and twists & turns! 🤯 AND that ending?! I mean... what?! 😱 I’d definitely say there’s a Blair Witch flair with the creepiness of The Ring..... It was different from my normal physiological thrillers, which was refreshing. -it feels a little odd calling this book refreshing, but you book lovers know what I mean! 🤣 Anyways, highly recommend this one by CJ Tudor , I’m looking forward to reading more from her!! 👏🏼

The Burning Girls by C.J Tudor

Another can’t put down book by C.J. Tudor.

Jack is the new Vicar in town full of secrets: 500 years ago Protestants being burned alive, 2 young girls who stand out “Burning Girls”; 30 years ago 2 girls went missing and a suspicion young Priest, now Jack the Vicar comes to town with her own secrets. With several mysterious swirling around the author weaves a story that you can’t solve or put down till the very end.

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine Books and C.J. Tudor for the intense read.

I was delighted to be selected for an advance copy of 'The Burning Girls' - I'd bought her novel 'The Chalk Man' and had left it untouched on my Kindle app for ages before I got around to reading it and was sorry I'd waited so long. The story in 'The Chalk Man' is tight and the writing pulls you along and it's got a hint of the paranormal about it.

'The Burning Girls' has some of the same themes and I enjoyed that. The author plays with your assumptions right from the off and leads you down many dead ends but not to the point of exasperation. It's intriguing. It envelops you in the claustrophobic life of a small English village and the religious and social norms that bind the people who've lived there for generations or who've just moved in. Like 'The Chalk Man,' there is a hint of the paranormal or English folk-horror about this novel and that's a good thing.

Over the past few years I've discovered and enjoyed several novels steeped in English folk-horror - James Brogden's 'Hekla's Children,' 'The Hollow Tree,' 'The Plague Stones, and 'Bone Harvest,' Lanny by Max Porter, 'The Loney' by Andrew Michael Hurley, and 'The Essex Serpent' by Sarah Perry - and while 'The Burning Girls' doesn't go full bore folk-horror there's enough of it there and it leaves you unsettled enough, that if you enjoyed any of those, you should enjoy this.

This might be my favorite C.J. Tudor book yet! THE BURNING GIRLS follows single mom Reverend Jack Brooks when she moves with her daughter Flo to the small town of Chapel Croft for a fresh start after a tragedy at their old parish. The town of Chapel Croft knows tragedy. Centuries ago martyrs were burned at the stake for their beliefs, thirty years ago two school girls went missing, and two months ago their local vicar hung himself. As Jack and Flo get pulled into the town's drama, they find that there are some secrets that people would go to any length to keep hidden.
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This book is worthy of the hype that Riley Sager's books are getting. The plot is twisted and complex. There was no way I could guess exactly what was going to happen. As with Tudor's other books THE BURNING GIRLS is dark and creepy with explicit descriptions of horrible acts. I've seen others say that Tudor toes the line between horror and thriller and I would completely agree. I would not say this is a "popcorn thriller" to be read on vacation and quickly discarded, but a book to read on a stormy night when you want a story that just sticks with you.
4 out of 5 stars!
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Thank you to @netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy of THE BURNING GIRLS in exchange for an honest review.

Eerie and atmospheric, beware The Burning Girls...
After an unfortunate incident at her big city parish, Jack is forced to take on the assignment of vicar in a small village where things quickly go south for her and her daughter, Flo. The church is a dump and their new cottage is lacking. The inhabitants of the village are unsettling and its history is creepy. Five hundred years ago eight people, including two young girls were burnt at the stake as martyrs. Every year twig dolls are set alight in a ceremony to commemorate the Burning Girls.
I really enjoyed this character driven story. Well written with a compelling plot, this fast paced novel had me captivated from start to finish. The tension and suspense builds throughout and I didn't see the twists and turns coming. I was totally surprised by the reveal and satisfied with the conclusion. I read this one in one sitting.
If your looking for a story that pulls you in and leaves you stunned, I recommend you add this to your TBR.

Jack is a vicar who is a single mother to a 15 year daughter named Flo. They are moved to a new chapel and new home when something terrible happens at their church in Nottingham. They move into a small village named Chapel Croft well known for the Sussex martyrs, where members, including 2 young girls, where burned alive. The town marks the anniversary each year with small twig figures they set ablaze. Creepy, right? Also creepy is when Flo starts to see burning girls in the graveyard next door. They start to discover secrets hidden by the church and the small community and Jack realizes she may not be able to escape her own past. I was genuinely surprised by a few of the twists. Overall it was entertaining and enjoyable. I didn't care for a few of the religious comments and didn't care for one of the storylines in the book that didn't offer much overall. I recommend it to thriller lovers and think most people will be surprised at the ending. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of C.J. Tudor and look forward to reading anything she has coming out, this one was just as good as her previous titles, if not better. I loved this story. There were many times I thought I had the mystery solved, then the story would go somewhere I wasn't expecting and left me turning the pages faster.

I liked that "Jack" was not only a woman, but a woman in the church. You don't read a lot of stories with women of the cloth in suspense, mystery, horror type novels. It was refreshing. With that said, this isn't a religion story exactly. Think touches of the exorcist, meets the Salem witch trials, meets small town-mindedness that is set in its past and refuses to let go, and a ghost story.

The folklore behind the burning girls has a touch of wicker man vibes and fascinating to read about. I will say I found the ending incredibly spooky and heartbreaking. I couldn't help feel for well, I don't want to say his name for fear of spoiling a huge reveal... or two. Flo, Jack's daughter, is the typical teenager with a love for photography and a crush on the neighborhood outcast. One of my favorite characters was Joan. Definitely a great reminder that just because you are old, doesn't mean you're dumb.

Highly recommend!