Thank you so much to Random House for sending me a free copy of this book. Unfortunately, I was unable to get into this book. Some thing about either the way it was written, or the subject made it difficult to fully connect with. A few chapters in and decided it was a DNF. Maybe I can come back another time and try it.

Wow! Was this unexpected! I certainly wasn’t expecting to love this as much as I did, which is always a good thing. Tudor is definitely getting better with each new book. This had some twists to keep you guessing. It was fast paced to the point you never got bored. Lastly, you won’t want to put it down once you start. Highly recommend.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Why do we hate our girls so much that history echoes with their screams and the earth is pitted with their unmarked graves?"

Jack Brooks does not so much get offered a new position as have it foisted upon her. She is to be the new interim vicar in a remote village, but she does try to make the best of things since an incident in her past is making life difficult for her and her daughter to remain where they are anyway. Perhaps the fresh start will do them both good. It's not long until their fresh start begins to sour, and it is not only due to the strange superstitions and mysterious apparitions.
The chapel is in rough shape and their cottage leaves a lot to be desired. The townspeople are weird and Jack's daughter is the target of bullies.
Part thriller, part murder mystery, C.J. Tudor's latest work held me captive from first page to last. Quirky characters and unexpected twists kept me reading long past my bed time.

CJ Tudor is a must read for me! Great character development, great mystery and great writing. When I see there's a new book coming out it's a definite pre-order. Can't wait for the next one.

C. J. Tudor's new thriller is set in the small hamlet of Chapel Croft which has a dark and disturbing history. Five hundred years ago protestant martyrs were burned at the stake. Thirty years ago two young girls vanished. Two months ago the local vicar committed suicide. Now a new vicar has arrived in town with her teenage daughter and receives an exorcism kit from an unknown person. The more the new vicar gets to know the town and it's inhabitants, the stranger it becomes. Soon she and her daughter are having visions of burning girls. What does it mean? What other dark secrets is Chapel Croft hiding.

I LOVED this book! It is everything I want in a thriller. A great protagonist- Jack is an unconventional vicar. She drinks, she curses, she listens to modern music. She is flawed yet strong and I loved the relationship she and her daughter have in the novel. It seemed real. I really enjoy thrillers that are character driven. I find myself more invested in them. I loved the setting. It doesnt get much better than a small village with a tortured past. This book is genuinely creepy and I for one loved every second of it.

It is a slow burn in the beginning and really takes the time to let the characters develop and lets the suspense build which is my favorite kind of book. This book really straddles the line of thriller and horror which is one reason I enjoyed it so much. It has an eerie atmosphere and parts of it will send chills down your spine. Definitely my top read of the year so far.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for this free ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.

What is it about quaint, remote English towns and dark, mysterious happenings? Seriously, is there a similar genre in French or German that we don't know about? Because they've got the same kind of towns... Anyway. The quaint, remote town in question has a Dark History due to several people being burned during the whole Bloody Mary thing, and they make dolls out of twigs and, on the anniversary of said burning, burn them. As a remembrance or something. But in today's world, they need a new vicar and Jack (short for Jacqueline) Brooks is assigned to go there, partly as punishment for something (we learn more as the book goes on). And then - surprise! - things start to get weird.

I loved that this wasn't a completely unreliable narrator, just one keeping certain secrets close to her chest. The other main POV is that of her daughter who is one of the best cranky teen voices I've read in this genre.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.

Reverend Jack Brooks moves herself and her daughter, Flo, to a remote town, hoping to make a fresh start. Five hundred years ago, eight Protestant martyrs were burned at the stake in Chapel Croft. And two months ago, the priest of the local parish committed suicide. Moving to Chapel Croft only brings secrets and strange occurrences for Jack and Flo. Everybody has something to protect, and uncovering the truth can be deadly.

The Burning Girls is suspenseful and full of twists. The beginning was a slow buildup, but once it got going I was invested. Jack is a flawed, but likable character. She is an unconventional priest— one who curses and doesn’t push her beliefs down anyones’ throats. She accepts everyone she meets for who they are.

The third unknown narrator was an intriguing touch. The supernatural element was definitely out of my comfort zone, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. Some twists that were revealed felt like they were breezed over, but most of them caught me off guard and I had to see how the ending played out. C.J. Tudor did a great job of weaving in dark, eerie moments that kept me on my toes. This is one of the more sinister and unique thriller novels that I’ve read.

The book is definitely 🔥

Shortest Summary Ever: There’s a new vicar in town bringing her teen daughter from the city to the sticks (Bwahaha pun points). 500 years ago some martyrs were burned and now the townspeople burn stick people annually (how quaint). Weird and horrible things happened to the last vicar and now Vicar Jack and teen daughter Flo are experiencing strange moments as well. The townspeople are secretive and quiet and Jack sets out to discover the story...no matter the consequences.

Thoughts: I love mysteries set in the British countryside. I don’t know why.. lol. I also love folklore in haunted towns. Pardon the pun but this story was 🔥. Visions? Creepy twig dolls? Count me in. Narrated by vicar Jack (short for Jackie), this story twists more than my wine corkscrew (that’s a lot, don’t judge) as she navigates her way through this new assignment, all while playing the role of the amateur sleuth.

Jack is the star here and as stories from the townsfolk emerge, the reader starts to go “he did it! Wait ... no SHE did it!” It was truly one that left me guessing... and then shocked. Bewildered. Befuddled and bewitched by this amazing story. Truly one that’s unique and heart-pounding.

Heebie Jeebies? 7/10

All my reviews available at scrappymags.com around time of publication.

Genre: Mystery/British

Recommend to: Anyone lovin’ a good Brit mystery with some spooky elements, looking for a face-paced what-the-heck-is-happening book.

Not recommended to: hmm... I suppose if you hate British people but than you are bloody awful!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making me swear off The Blair Witch Project, the forest, and anything else with wayward sticks.

C.J. Tudor is one of my favorite writers and I was excited when I saw she had a new book coming out. The Burning Girls is a tensely atmospheric thriller that held all the suspense and intrigue that I’ve come to expect from this talented writer.

Vicar Jack and her daughter, Flo, have moved to Chapel Croft from Nottingham, it is remote and rural and the people there a bit of the old-fashioned country folk type. Some still practicing superstitious traditions which explains the title, The Burning Girls; twig dolls made to commemorate the Sussex Martyrs during Queen Mary’s purge of the Protestants when two young girls were murdered at the very chapel where Jack will preside. As Jack and her daughter, Flo, settle in, strange things occur and soon the mystery of missing girls, both past and present, is brought to the forefront. It seems that everyone has a secret and more than one person has blood on their hands.

This is a shocking and twisty thriller, gorgeously plotted with a supernatural element that I really enjoyed. The interwoven narrative of past and present is brilliantly done along with morally grey characters and a plot twist that was gasp inducing. I’d highly recommend this to any fan of the genre!

Thank you Random House Publishing/Ballantine for gifting me a DRC in exchange for my review.

Another excellent supernatural thriller from CJ Tudor. This is the second book of hers I’ve read and enjoyed. Her first two books I haven’t read yet but will soon be rectifying that. I like the way she writes about regular situations that quickly turn not so regular.

An English vicar named Jack and her teenaged daughter are moved by the church from a large city to a small village in the middle of nowhere called Chapel Croft and bad, creepy things quickly happen when they get there.

If you like a fast moving mystery story with a hint of the supernatural then be sure to read this one! I also recommend this highly to fans of folk horror with its tiny English village setting and ancient customs. Once I really got into the story I couldn’t put it down. #TheBurningGirls #NetGalley

Jack, a vicar who formerly worked in an urban parish in the North of England, has now been reassigned to a rural parish. She and her 15 year old daughter Flo are dismayed by the situation, but try to make the best of it. Bullies and obnoxious parishioners are part of the problem, but there is also a lot of superstition in the village--.Is the chapel really haunted? Jack doesn't know what to make of the exorcism kit someone has anonymously left, but things are about to get much worse. Will her daughter be safe? Can she trust anyone? The author skillfully manipulates the characters so we don't know whom to trust either. The ending is a surprise--if you are in the mood for a well-written, somewhat creepy story, this is an excellent choice. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book had me genuinely creeped out at times (which I love), and had a twist at the end I absolutely never saw coming!

The Burning Girls honestly covered all of the things I love in books: dark history (The Sussex Martyrs), horror/supernatural elements, unreliable/mysterious narrators, and creepy small towns. While I did think this dragged in the middle a little bit and I got all of the characters confused at times, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time with this book!

4.5 stars

Why haven't I read C. J. Tudor before? I have a couple of her books on my TBR pile: they are now moving up to the top.

I liked this--a lot. One of the things I liked best was the character development of the protagonist. Too often, I find myself liking the plot of a book but not connecting to the main characters. That was not the case here. In this novel, we meet Jack--a female priest who is sent to an out-of-the way church to escape some bad PR after a tragic event that occurred at her church. I loved her inner dialogue and the cultural references she made throughout the story. I felt like she was someone I might really know and actually like. I also really liked the fundamental questions Tudor makes the reader consider here about good and bad--and how humans manifest both qualities. I don't want to give much away, but the end leaves you with lots to think about in this regard.

The reason I didn't give this 5 stars straight up was just a minor niggling point or two. First, I saw the big twist coming early on. Like, really early. Sometimes that doesn't bother me, but I think here I would have really LOVED this if I could have been more blindsided at the end. The story would have spooled out differently for me had I not seen something coming. And the second minor point that sometimes distracted me was the number of characters we're initially introduced to. It wasn't unmanageable, but I found myself having to stop and think several times to try to remember who was whom and how they were related/connected. Not sure what could be done about that, really, given the nature of the story, but it was a distraction.

Ultimately, I liked the blend here of mystery and ghost story--the supernatural is very subtle but I thought it lent a great, creepy vibe to the overall narrative. I highly recommend The Burning Girls and am now off to read some of Tudor's older books!

have enjoyed other books by C.J. Tudor, and this one definitely did not disappoint! The new vicar in Chapel Croft, a small hamlet in Sussex, is Jack Brooks, who — along with her fifteen-year-old daughter Flo — have uprooted themselves from bustling Nottingham to get a fresh start. Jack and Flo soon discover that Chapel Croft has a dark history which goes back to the rein of ‘Bloody’ Queen Mary when local girls girls were burned at the stake as an act of religious persecution, an event that is still commemorated annually in the area. They also become aware that two months before their arrival the former vicar had killed himself, and thirty years ago two teenaged girls mysteriously disappeared. All of this background forms the dark and creepily eerie mystery that ensues.

Both female characters are smart, quick-witted and sort of kick-ass, and the odd assortment of villagers only adds to the suspense of the story, which is told in alternating points of view. Twists and turns abound, there are plenty of gothic and semi-horror overtones throughout, and the well-crafted ending is definitely an excellent one.

All in all, this was a great read, and I look forward to Tudor’s next.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House / Ballentine books for this ARC...Wow! CJ Tudor does it again. I loved The Other People so I knew this one would be great as well. I could not put this book down and felt pretty sleep deprived from staying up late telling myself "one more chapter". The Burning Girls is completely unique- I haven't read a book that this one reminded me of. The mystery is 3-fold and all comes together in the end. Is the ending a little far-fetched? Definitely, but did not take away from my overall enjoyment. The characters were well developed and you can picture the creepy setting as you read.

If you've read C.J. Tudor's previous four books, you'll know she has a singular way of teasing the creepiest stories from rather ordinary settings. She's done it again with The Burning Girls, which centers around a scandalized vicar who is sent to work at a crumbling church in the English countryside which may or may not be haunted by the spirits of girls who were burned alive for refusing to denounce their faith hundreds of years ago.

As Jack spends more time with the town's residents, she learns that the previous vicar died mysteriously, and the town's most powerful farming family doesn't seem to like her dredging up the past.

Things just get scarier for Jack and her daughter as they keep uncovering more about their new town that may put them in danger. This was a unique premise with lots of fun twists.

I’m a huge fan of anyone, fictional or real, who is an example of what faith can be. Jack is a female vicar, so already pushing the gender boundaries of her chosen profession. But she’s also messy, and realistic, and loving and real. And she’s a reverend. And she loves God, and she wants to help people. I love a character that shows what religion can and should be.

And that really has little to do with the actual plot of this book (well, maybe a bit), but Jack is a refreshing character. So when we can see what has been going on in the little town of Chapel Croft through her eyes, it makes it all that much more interesting.

There’s a legend in the town of the two burning girls, girls who were burnt at the stake for being witches back when the town was being founded a really long time ago. And sometimes, people see them. And when they appear, it’s legend that it is some type of warning. So there’s that. Then there are the two girls who disappeared 30 years ago, without a trace. And that’s not the least of it.

The Burning Girls has a certain Salem witch hunt feel. There’s the history, there are modern day mysteries, there are people living in the town who aren’t quite right, and there are the exorcisms, all in the middle of a quaint village. It’s a terrific read for anyone who loves a good thriller with a touch of ghosts and horror.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out February 9!

The thing I love about C. J. Tudor’s writing is that without a doubt, you will be confused for about 80% of the story. The story will suck you in enough to keep you reading, but there are pieces of the puzzle that make absolutely zero sense, until you get to the end and suddenly every tiny piece comes together in a nice “holy shit” wrap up.

This story centers around Jack and her daughter Flo. After some bad press back home, Jack is the new reverend of Chapel Croft, where things are not quite right. Between the last Reverend committing suicide, ghostly apparitions in the cemetery, and the mysterious disappearance of Merry and Joy years ago, there’s a lot of weirdness happening in Chapel Croft.

So lets break down the mysterious:

We have Jack’s mysterious past, whose stalking her, and what happened with the little girl back home.
The ghosts that Flo is seeing in the graveyard
The disappearance of Merry and Joy 30 or so years prior.
The mysterious suicide of the former Reverend and the secrets hidden within the church.
Strange behaviors and mysterious within the residents of Chapel Croft and the secrets they’re hiding.
So we have FIVE major mysteries in this small town tale, and the way they all come to together is absolutely brilliant. Our main mystery is what is currently happening in Chapel Croft, and how both Flo and Jack are sucked into it all. One thing I really liked about this was the paranormal aspect of this story. There’s a few elements that seem to be supernatural, but you’re not quite sure if it really is, or if there’s more going on. (you know, like everything else in the book).

There’s a lot of small clues to the secret of these mysteries, but its not always easy to pick up on them. One of the main mysteries I *sort of* pieced together early on, but I wasn’t 100% sure if I was right and kept having “wait this doesn’t fit into my theory” moments, but when everything finally came together it fit perfectly!

One thing I absolutely loved about this book was how hard it was to separate the “good guys” vs the “bad guys”. The majority of them are more like “morally grey bad-leaning guys” or “I seem like a bad-guy but apparently I am secretly not”. Some characters that I hated in the beginning, I grew to love at the end. And some that I loved, were my least favorites by the time I was done.

My absolute favorite character in this book was Jack. Now I don’t know anything about vicars and reverends, but I can’t imagine everyone that wears that little white collar acts quite like Jack. She is truly her own person and lives (mostly) by her own rules. She is the type to fight to bring church standards into modern times, lets her daughter decide her own faith, and bends the rules a little bit. We slowly learn more about Jack as the story goes on, her past, the story of what happened to Ruby, and her husband.

Okay this review is getting VERY rambled. It’s so hard to talk about mystery/thriller novels without accidentally revealing details or plot twists.

So I’ll finish with this, The Burning Girls, will keep you sucked in until the very last page. If you pay close enough attention, you’ll discover the secrets to a few of the mysteries as the story goes on, but everything will come together. This is now the third book of Tudor’s that I’ve read, and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next. Her writing is compelling, and keeps you intrigued and wrapped up in the mystery.

Another great read by C.J. Tudor! After being involved in a scandal, Reverend Jack along with her teenage daughter is sent to Chapel Croft to take over after their Reverend commits suicide. Instead of finding a fresh start and some peace they find that the townspeople here are very troubled and determined to keep their secrets a secret. I really enjoyed this book as it was very well written and intensely creepy and suspenseful.

I loved this book even though it scared me! Vicar Jack Brooks and her daughter Flo, are sent to a parish in the country from a busy parish in the city. Chapel Croft has a long interesting history. From 8 Protestant martyrs being burned at the stake to missing girls never to be seen or heard from again. When strange things start happening at the chapel, can Jack and Flo figure things out before they become one of the strange happenings in the town? This was a fantastic thriller that I just couldn't put down. I loved Jack and Flo and their relationship. The descriptions have you right there in the middle of everything. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.