This is the third book I have read by C.J. Tudor, and she keeps getting better with every book. This book centers around a vicar named Jack (female) and her daughter Flo's placement in the remote countryside. The reader would think that the countryside would be peaceful and serene, but as the saying goes never judge a book by its cover. The village where Jack is placed is full of history (none of which is good) and secrets. Jack is welcomed to the village with an exorcism kit from someone anonymous. Thus begins the spook-filled ride that is The Burning Girls. Will Jack and Flo uncover all of the secrets and solve the long unresolved mystery of two missing girls? One must read to find out. C.J. Tudor has done a phenomenol job with The Burning Girls which is so much more than a psychological thriller, horror book. She brought in English History along with a touch of the "conventional" role of women in today's society. This book ends with a twist that even the most seasoned reader will not see coming. Strong 5/5 Stars!

I’m not big on any book where the occult or demonic type stuff is involved. So I was preparing myself to be okay with not finishing this one. Only reviews and chatter got me to pick it up in first place.

Nope, sucked me in from the start. AND aside from the fact that Jack is a vicar, the religious elements were nil.

The entire thing had great pacing. Never did I feel the urge to skim. I loved Jacks character, Flo was described perfectly as a moody teen, the town characters were great. I kept thinking, is the gonna go all Scooby Doo on me? “And I would’ve gotten away with it I too if it weren’t for you meddling kids”?

Luckily, the author didn’t go that route. I did NOT see that ending coming, so that was fun. One thing that did kind of irk me was the Jacob character a little too absent..til the last 1/4 of book. Tell me more about that guy.

And whoa...Jack. Complex character that one is.

Pleasantly surprised with this one!

Great quote:
“Or perhaps all adults feel like that at times. Like we’re just playing at being grown-up, but inside we’re still children, shuffling around in oversized clothes, wishing someone would tell us that monsters don’t exist.”

Bewitching, Spooky, and Suspenseful!

Jack Brooks is the new Vicar in Chapel Croft. She and her daughter Flo are new in town. Unfortunately for them, Chapel Croft has a history, and the community itself isn’t exactly welcoming.

What is the town known for, you ask? Exorcisms; Burning Girls; Martyrs; Missing Girls; and Murder.

Not exactly homey, if I do say so myself.

Upon moving into the cottage next to the Chapel, both Jack and Flo find themselves in danger, and neither is willing to admit it to the other.

Tsk tsk. Big Mistake! Huge, in Fact.

Ghosts of burning girls appear. Is it a trick of the eye? Most of the townsfolk act nice. Can they be trusted? Long kept secrets are discovered. What pray tell does it all mean?

The devil, my friends, is in the details.

Atmospheric, Dark, and Wholly Entertaining.

A brilliantly plotted, taut, character-driven suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. “The Burning Girls” is yet another winner by C.J. Tudor, who continues to impress me and give a nod to one of her (and my) favorite authors, Stephen King. 4.25 Stars

A huge thank you goes out to Kathleen Quinlan at Random House Publishing and NetGalley, for the arc.

Published on Goodreads on 12.27.20.

Single mom Rev. Jack Brooks and her teenage daughter Flo move to a small village in the English countryside, where Jack will be the new Vicar. But it soon becomes clear Chapel Croft is far from the idyllic peaceful village they were expecting. The town’s inhabitants are a quirky bunch and don’t give them the warmest of welcomes.

The village has a dark history involving the Sussex martyrs who were burned at the stake, the unsolved disappearance of two young girls 30 years ago, and the unexpected death of the previous Vicar. The spooky church and an exorcism kit complete with a dire warning complete the picture. Things turn even more ominous when Jack begins to experience strange dreams and Flo sees visions of the burning girls, said to be a harbinger of bad things to come. When the story takes off, the twists and revelations come fast and furious.

But what I loved the most about this story were the characters. Jack is a bit of an unconventional vicar, with a unique viewpoint for a woman of the cloth and lends out practical advice and wisdom to the villagers, along with acceptance and understanding. But not in a ‘holier-than-thou’ way, more of a ‘aren’t you a cool vicar’ way.

Tudor also nails the mother-daughter relationship. Flo is a good kid, an amateur photographer, but also a normal teenager, meaning she sometimes makes stupid decisions, and Jack handles it with love & skill.

If I have any complaints it’s that I would have preferred fewer points of view and chapter headings to indicate whose POV I was reading. The ending required a bit of suspension of disbelief but I expect that with this genre, and the journey to that point was so engaging I was able to look beyond it.

C.J. Tudor is a master storyteller who weaves a delicious tale with subtle humor and wisdom, and the usual nod to Stephen King. I highlighted. A lot. Kudos to the author for completely surprising me with her ending – I didn’t see it coming. But looking back through my highlights I realized the breadcrumbs were there all along. Well-done!

Reverend Jack Brooks is uses to the reactions she gets when meeting someone for the first time and they realize that their new vicar is a woman. After an incident at her church leads to unwanted media attention, she and her daughter, Flo move to a run down church in the tiny village of Chapel Croft. When they first arrive they are met with a series of events that does not bode well for their new home, small straw figures the locals call “Burning Girls” left on their porch, a blood soaked child, an exorcism kit delivered and the new that the previous bicarbonate had hung himself in her new church. Both Jack and Flo try to reach out to people in the village but are met suspicion, hostility and a mystery in which two young girls disappeared. They also begin seeing eerie apparitions of girls burning and are told that they only appear as a warning. This small town is hiding more than one secret and they do not know who to trust.
As Jack tries to keep them both safe there is a recently released prisoner making his way towards her.
C.J. Tudor is an author that continues to improve. While I enjoyed “ The Other People”
I feel this is even better. Jack and her daughter are both great characters. While I felt there were several clues dropped that gave away a villain, there was also a surprising twist that o did not anticipate. This author has firmly planted herself in the realms of must reads.
Thank you to #netgalley and #randomhousepublishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
This will be released on February 9, 2021 but would be a great gift if you pre-order it now.

Great book! So many good twists and turns. All the different moving pieces required quite a bit of focus but everything was very satisfyingly resolved. In my opinion this is Tudor’s best book yet! Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for granting access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I will post this review tomorrow to my Bookstagram and companion Facebook page @thatreadingrealtor.

I was so excited to see that CJ Tudor had a new book out as I loved the previous 3 books I read of hers. This one left me feeling uneasy. Reverend Jack Brooks and his 15 year old daughter moved to Chapel Croft where he finds lots of secrets over the last 500 years. For me, I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters and I had a hard time following the storyline. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

You would think this would be a nice safe position to be placed in for a young priest, a vicar in a small hamlet outside of Nottingham but this turns out to not be the case. Jack (Jacqueline) Brooks has been sent to Castle Croft to replace a former priest.

Once a year, the hamlet celebrates a special day to honor the memory of eight missing women burned at the stake during Queen Mary’s purge of Protestants from 1553 to 1558. The martyrs are represented by twig figures which are set ablaze during the celebration.

May 24, 1990 (two) fifteen year-old girls disappear from the area. Half-hearted searches turn up nothing and the community considers them runaways. The mystery continues but the search ceases. Tough place to become the new Vicar, particularly for a female priest.

The characters are well developed and believable. Jack has been blessed with a fifteen year old daughter named Flo. Mother and daughter have a tumultuous relationship as so many do. Flo is a fairly free spirit and is not the least bit happy with coming to this hamlet from Nottingham and leaving all of her friends.

There is no part of this book that moves slow! I am reminded of the young girls who go into the barn in the “Chainsaw Massacre.” You would think they would learn from some of the gruesome stories and tales of killings in those places. And the grave yard outside of the chapel at Chapel Croft adds the macabre to the setting. A rational person would avoid the location like a plague. The locals guard all of the towns’ secrets jealously. A dark and chilling suspense thriller nee horror. Can the vicar solve the mystery of the disappearance of the girls? 5 stars – CE Williams

C.J. Tudor is an extremely talented female author, as she has shown us in her previously published novels already. In the same manner, The Burning Girls certainly does not disappoint. It is a literal page turner, that has more twists than a roller coaster. I often find myself already knowing what will happen in mystery books, but in this case I was absolutely clueless all the way to the end.

I was a bit hesitant about the main character being a reverend at first. I’m not a religious person, and I don’t enjoy overly religious books either. But in this case Tudor did a superb job keeping it subtle, and when religious points arose, she handled it amazingly well. She actually handled it so well that she has now become an auto-read author for me!

Thanks to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the review copy.

A story that follows a vicar and her daughter who move to a new town with a creepy history - missing girls, martyrs, and the "burning girls" which is a creepy back story similar to witch trials. This book started off with so many different story lines, all creepy and suspicious. The author was able to connect them perfectly and the ending was great. A creepy read that had me reading under a blanket late into the night. I always enjoy this author. Check out "The Burning Girls" on sale February 9, 2021.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

I finished this last night right before bed and literally had a nightmare very clearly inspired by this book. Thanks, CJ Tudor.

This one is quite the page turner, the build up is amazing. I was nervous going in because I don't really like religious-heavy reads, but it was definitely not what I thought it was going to be. Tons of suspense, plenty of interesting characters, and a rich history to uncover.

CJ Tudor does an excellent job of alternating points of view to give you different bits and pieces of the story until it all comes together in a climactic ending. Tudor's books will always be put on my to-be-read list.

If you're into mystery/thriller/whodunnit, I think you would like this book. This is a tiny bit scarier than previous CJ Tudor novels I've read. There are elements of horror that I didn't expect, but very much enjoyed.

Happy reading!

"A vicar with blood on her hands"..

After a scandal arises at her church, Reverend Jack Brooks is sent to the small town of Chapel Croft to serve, and to say the least, her and her teenage daughter Flo are not warmly welcomed. The house is crumbling, the chapel is decrepit, and soon after their arrival Jack receives an eerie exorcism kit and a scripted warning.

That's not all that's wrong with Chapel Croft though. The town has a sordid history revolving around a tradition of the Burning Girls, and martyrs burnt at the stake, oh, and teenage girls going missing..

As if this one couldn't get any creepier, there are subsidiary chapters about a man recently released from prison whom Jack would prefer never to see again.

CJ Tudor never disappoints me! This is a totally creepy, nail-biting, and twisty read! I loved the big finale in this one, so even if you happen to find yourself struggling thought it, (although I don't think you will), it's worth it for the big reveal.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for this ARC! Set to come out in February 2021!

I was given a copy of this novel by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of C.J. Tudor. I've read everything the author has published. I was eager to get a copy of this arc when I saw it. I had no clue what the novel was about and I jumped straight in.

Tudor has a writing style that I just love. Her chapters are short and you just keep wanting more. I read this very quickly. I loved the topic. Burning girls, exorcisms, moving to a tiny English village with a past that was clouded in mystery. All good stuff. At times this book kind of reminded me a little be of watching Grantchester with vicars and mysteries. I enjoyed all of the povs.

I should have loved everything about this book. My only issue is that I figured out almost every twist early.on. I don't know if that is because it was obvious or if I've read the author so much I just pick up on things. So I'm stuck somewhere between a 3 and 4. I'd still recommend the book to fans of thrillers with horror elements (my favorite) but not Tudors best work. But that being said much better than a lot of other authors out there. I'll still continue to read everything Tudor comes out with.

3.5

C.J. Tudor is one of my favorite authors! Ever since I read her debut I've been anxiously awaiting her next release and this one (like the rest) did not disappoint! This is a nail biting, pull out your hair kind of read. One that you'll be anxiously flipping the pages but wanting to slow down reading so you don't finish it too soon! I loved it so much!

It's not often that I read a mystery/thriller where I'm so caught off guard by the ending, that after finishing, I immediately feel the need to reread the novel to see if I could have possibly predicted where it was going.

Instead of doing that, I will be picking up other C.J. Tudor novels.

A chilling gothic noir that has a deep rooted flair for the paranormal and the darker arts. The storyline plunges readers into the sinister and downright gruesome past of a village while intertwining mysteries of the present. A fantastic, creepy read with formidable characters. #keepthelightson


Thank you to #NetGalley and #BallantineBooks for the ARC of #BurningGirls. Reviews posted by Wayward Readers Book Blog are from publications read voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Amazon/Facebook Blog posts will run week of publication.

#cjtudor #gothicreads #mysteries #imnotscaredyourscared #bookstagram #bookblog #booktweets #gimmemorebooks #bookish

A modern day Gothic mystery that will literally unearth a treasure trove of secrets and lies.
Anticipate the presence of deserted and desolate buildings with the walls festooned with Leviathan crosses, goat-heads, and pentagrams. …. chapels in disrepair with rotting and broken flooring and surrounded by a graveyard inhabited by tilted headstones with illegible
markings and partially covered with overgrown grass and brambles. …. and hauntings and apparitions. This is only a small portion of what’s to come on this fascinating journey.

Chapel Croft is a small hamlet in East Sussex, England which is steeped in a bloody history of martyrdom, mutilation, murder, suicide and the unexplained disappearance of two teenage girls. All events shrouded in secrets, lies and half-truths. In the sixteenth century, during the Marian Persecutions that took place during the reign of Queen Mary, eight villagers were burnt at the stake, for failure to renounce their Protestant faith. This included two girls, Maggie and Abigail who hid in the chapel. They were betrayed, and they were mutilated before being burnt.
Maggie’s eyes were put out, while Abigail was dismembered and beheaded. The town has continued to commemorate this senseless event by yearly placement of “stick dolls” at the base of the tall grey obelisk memorial that resides in the church graveyard. The villagers fashion these small partially burned stick figures in recognition of the two “Burning Girls”
Legend has it, that the ghostly apparitions haunt the chapel grounds. They appear to those in trouble. If you see the burning girls, something bad will befall you. The villagers hope that this yearly tribute will ward off the girl’s vengeful spirits.
To continue the ever present dark cloud over this community, thirty years ago, in May of 1990 two teenaged girls disappeared without at trace. Merry Lane and Joy Harris, were both aged 15 and the best of friends. There was a brief community outcry but no frenetic police search or dredging of the local rivers and streams. Without fanfare, it was presumed that they ran away. And, just weeks ago the local vicar hanged himself in the nave of the church. The motivation for the suicide was unknown, but multiple parishioners commented on his obsession with researching the history of the village. The search for an interim vicar to replace the recently departed Reverend Fletcher was short lived. Reverend Jack (Jacqueline) Brooks is encouraged to transfer from Nottingham with her 14 year old daughter, Flo, to fill the void.
Bishop Durkin recommends the transfer due to the “situation” with Ruby . Jack is being hounded and vilified in the press. “The priest with blood on her hands “…. assuming she didn’t
do enough to stop the beating, torture and death of “little” Ruby.

Jack and Flo arrive at the chapel site. It is small and in disrepair with a surrounding graveyard overgrown with grasses and populated by tilted and illegible headstones. They enter the tiny musty adjacent cottage. …. their new home? On the kitchen table is a package with Jack’s name on it and an attached rather melodramatic Bible verse. Jack opens this ‘present” only to find a leather case, outfitted with a leather-bound Bible, a heavy cross, holy water, strips of muslim cloth, a scalpel, and a serrated knife with several rust brown stains on the blade. Flo queries her “mum” what is that? Jack states , rather simply, it is an exorcism kit.
C.J. Tudor, a masterful storyteller, unwinds a devilishly twisted narrative with elegant prose and characterization of the supporting cast. As Jack is pushed into her own investigation of the intricate events surrounding the history of Chapel Croft, multiple reveals and unexpected secrets and lies are divulged. I cannot avoid presenting a representative cinematic sequence
In the story, that nicely illustrates Tudor’s power and imagery. The following scene represents Jack’s initial presentation to her congregation …. “Welcome every one. The figures in the chapel start to raise their heads. I see my husband, Jonathan. He is smiling, Even now, when his head is caved in one one side, and matted with blood and brain matter. Next to him is Ruby - her face is bruised and swollen from where they beat her with their fists, boots, and even her own wooden toys. I feel something brushing the top of my head, I look up and Reverend Fletcher hangs from the balcony above me, feet twitching in a macabre death dance. I bite back a scream. Two figures rise from their pew and begin to shuffle down the center of the aisle toward me. Halfway down, they burst into flames. …. Mum, wake up!” ( Just a pleasant dream heralding the upcoming calamity of discovery ). Interspersed between the chapters narrated by Flo and Jack , are those relating events through the eyes of Merry and Joy and an unknown man. He has been released from prison and is making a pilgrimage to meet up with Jack … leaving in his wake a path of death and destruction.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House / Ballantine Books for supplying an Uncorrected Proof of this gem in exchange for an honest review. Be prepared to be thoroughly entertained along this twisted and creepy tale, that is destined to be a modern classic.

As usual I was once again creeped out, scared, and thoroughly entertained by C.J. Tudor's newest book, The Burning Girls. My goodness, that girl sure knows how to keep the spookiness going and creating a story that has all the things I love in my thrillers.

Welcome to Chapel Croft and interesting little town where their claim to fame is the killing of eight Protestant martyrs five hundred years ago. To this denizen of volatile happenings, comes Reverend Jack Brooks and her daughter Flo, assigned to Chapel Croft to fill a gap left by the suicide of the former reverend. They have their work cut out for them for they are the newbies in town, who themselves bear some dark secrets. To add to the mixture, there is also a creepy stalker out to find them having been just sprung from prison.

Things get spookier when facts present themselves. Two young girls went missing some thirty years ago, an exorcism kit turns up plus bloody girl "welcomes" them to the community. Who can forget the very strange young man cozying up to Flo, or the creepy suspicious parishioners who round out a team of chilling participants in a story that keeps the heat on until the last page is turned?

Jack's life is turning to the evil side as she is seeing things, burning girls, and also experiences ominous nightmares. Flo seems also to be chased by the evil that seems to be prevalent in the town and the church. There are uncanny things afoot and though the theme is frightening, the actual cruelty of some of the young characters is what really is eerie.

There is a plethora for the reader to think about, and as usual Ms Tudor hits us with the one two punch, this reader has come to love. I was so looking forward to this book and happy to say, I was not disappointed in the presentation, the writing, and the aura that this author masterfully creates.

So grab this one when it comes out on February 9, 2021. You will not be disappointed.
Thank you to C.J.Tudor, (keep them coming girl), Random House Publishing, and Netgalley for a copy of this stay up all night until your eyes bug out) thriller.

The Burning Girls is Chilling, horrifying, tense, and twisted. This story goes way back to an event that happened many many years ago, about five hundred years ago. Where two girls were burned at the stake. The story is of a vicar and her daughter that relocated after a previous incident, a tragic accident, in her previous diocese. Neither one is happy but they are willing to try. When they hear what happened to the previous vicar the daughter starts to see visions of the burning girls. Is she in danger...
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

CJ Tudor has done it again! If you enjoy historical fiction and supernatural thrillers you will certainly enjoy this. Started a little slow at the beginning but picked up the pace and leaves you wanting more! Excellent book and if you have read her other books you will certainly enjoy this one!