The burning girls is yet another great read from C.J Tudor. I loved the history behind the twig girls and the plot around the chapel. The characters were strong and I found myself routing for Jack and Flo to find the killer amongst the village of chapel Croft. I didn’t see some of the twists coming which is always a bonus and I can safely say this was one her best books yet. Being from Sussex myself I looked up the history however it is just that, a story, there are reference on the internet about the Protestant Martryrs in Lewes so I’m guessing this was a background reasoning to the plot. Definitely the best book I have read so far in 2021.

I loved CJ Tudor’s previous books so naturally, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one - and it didn’t disappoint. It’s just a joy to read and I did so in one sitting until late in the night - ell plotted, with rounded characters, that eerie atmosphere that she does so well in all her books, but somehow you feel safe in the knowledge that she will bring the story home and tie it all up nicely.
This one gets pretty bonkers towards the end, and I loved every word of it - brilliant effort!

C. J. Tudor is yet to write a bad book, and this one lives up to all the hype! I really loved the setting of a small tight knit village, and how well it worked to produce such an unsettling atmosphere as the story progressed. Jack was one of the best female main characters I've read about, and I absolutely adored how honest she was and her relationship with Flo. She was a very proud Reverend but always a mother first, and that side of her was beautiful to see. The cast of characters within Chapel Croft all worked well with each other and as the story unfurled I was completely captivated with what would happen next. I loved the split timeline from present day, to back when Merry and Jo disappeared, it was so interesting to see both stories play out. I really loved this and I am convinced that C. J. Tudor can only write masterpieces!

An unconventional vicar, a scandal, and a sudden move to a small village. It’s supposed to be a fresh start for single parent, Rev Jack Brooks, and 14-year old Flo, dragged along against her will. But dark things lurk in Chapel Croft’s past. Martyrs, burning girls – celebrated with twig figures to this day – and legends that they will appear as a harbinger of trouble. But perhaps not all the horrors are hundreds of years old…

It’s so rare for me to read horror books these days, but CJ Tudor hits such a great combination of strong, modern writing and wholly tapping into my nostalgia from being a teenage Stephen King fan. Indeed, I enjoyed her previous books, The Chalk Man and The Taking of Annie Thorne, both giving me strong King vibes. Those aren’t as obvious here, but the story and writing are still enthralling.

Now, either I’m getting braver, or this book wasn’t as creepy as I’d feared (which meant daylight reading only ;)). That may be a plus or a minus depending on your tastes. There are more than a few scares, but after a couple of early supernatural shivers, a lot more of it seemed to come from more mundane threats. Like King, the real evil tends to be people and the awful things they are capable of. With carefully limited flashbacks and chapters from a new, unknown point of view, the layers of the story – or stories – start to build as the book goes on. Twists and turns aplenty, meaning some things I suspected, and others caught me by surprise.

The setting is perfectly done, conjuring the claustrophobia of small villages miles from anywhere ‘civilised’, and I thought the characters were very well realised. A far from vicar, goth teenagers, uptight local ‘gentry’, and more, all felt like real people. That only adds to the sense of danger and menace.

Overall, I probably think this isn’t quite as strong as the previous books from the author, at least on the creeping-me-out scale. But it was completely worth it for the atmospheric mood conjured, and an intriguing, multi-layered story.

Rev Jack Brooks and her teenage daughter, Flo, move to the small village of Chapel Croft in Sussex from Nottingham, after a scandal has forced Brooks from her last diocese. She's only the temporary vicar in Chapel Croft but it will take a few months for the church to assign a new vicar and for now she's the stand in. Chapel Croft is a small, close knot community, and central to community life is that five hundred years a number of villagers were burnt at the stake in Queen Mary's persecution of Protestants. Ever since this has been commemorated by the burning of small effigies fashioned out of sticks and these are left at a monument outside the church.

Soon after arriving at the village, Jack discovers the local community, and the local church establishment, is a hive of secrets. Two young women disappeared from the village thirty years before and have never been seen since. One of the girls' families disappeared not soon after. The vicar before Jack arrived committed suicide, while someone keeps sending her threatening messages and even an exorcist kit.

The Burning Girls is the author's fourth novel, and it doesn't disappoint. All of C J Tudor's novels have been strong, and this continues The Burning Girls. When her debut novel, The Chalk Man, was released, Tudor was compared to Stephen King. The comparison is apt, but the truth is she's carved out her own niche now for supernatural crime thrillers set in small English communities.

This is a fantastic novel and having read all of CJ Tudor's work, I look forward to book 5.

A vicar ,Jack Brooks , and her teenage daughter Flo are sent from Nottingham to a village called Chapel Croft . She has been moved because of something that happened at her previous ministry . The vicar she is succeeding had committed suicide and people in the village seem to be keeping secrets from incomers . Flo meets a teenaged boy Wrigley who suffers from spasms and tremors and who she becomes friendly with . They are attacked by Rosie and Tom with an airgun , which damages Flo.s camera which is her pride and joy . Flames and spirits appear around the church and the adjacent graveyard . These seem to be spirits of 2 martyred girls from the past who , along with others ,were burned for their beliefs. They are celebrated yearly by the making and burning of twig effigies by the villagers .
Back to the present and there are stories if 2 young girls from the village who disappeared under mysterious conditions and had never been fully investigated presumed to have run away .
A truly gripping well written story with many twists and unexpected turns as the tale unfolds.

What another fabulous read from C J Tudor, again combining crime, history and gothic supernatural horror, my perfect mix. I loved her main character, Jack - someone I could easily relate to as the parent of a teenager, and also a very modern vicar. Some of the interactions between Jack and Flo did make me laugh, so I loved the humour too. I guessed quite a few of the twists, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story at all. I raced through the book, reading into the early hours to finish it. At times, I had to remind myself to breathe. I've read all of CJ Tudor's books so far and can't wait to read the next one!

I'm struggling to put into words how much I enjoyed this book!

Reverend Jack Brooks and her daughter Flo move from Nottingham to Chapel Croft after a tragedy in Jack's former parish. It's immediately apparent that there's something off about Chapel Croft. Twig dolls burnt every year to commemorate villagers burned at the stake. Missing girls. Suicide. Ghostly visions. Secrets. Lots of secrets.

I love a good mystery, but I also love a good spooky story, and The Burning Girls combines these two things into a gripping story.

I absolutely loved the characters. Jack is not your typical vicar. She smokes, has modern views on a lot of subjects which in a small village like Chapel Croft rubbed a few people up the wrong way. Her teenage daughter Flo was realistically done too. She has the naivety of a child but still wants to be seen as an adult. She's headstrong and does not like to be told she's wrong. She reminded me a lot of my own teenage son.

I will say that the ending wasn't entirely a surprise, but I still enjoyed it and it fitted perfectly with the story.

The Burning Girls is a well written supernatural thriller that just sucked me in from that very first chapter.

Welcome to Chapel Croft. Five hundred years ago, eight protestant martyrs were burned at the stake here. Thirty years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace. And two months ago, the vicar of the local parish killed himself.

Jack Brooks and her 14 year old daughter move to this quiet corner in the English countryside, after an incident with her job. As the new vicar in the village, she is hoping to make a fresh start and find some peace. Instead, Jack finds a town mired in secrecy and a strange welcome package: an old exorcism kit and a note quoting scripture: "But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known."
As they come to terms with living here with no internet for a few days, they get acquainted with the village and the strange people that live there; they are drawn into their rifts, mysteries and suspicions. When they both start to see strange sightings around the chapel, it soon becomes apparent that the ghosts here refuse to be laid to rest.
I loved this book so much and found it hard to put it down. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it and wanting to read it. Full of brilliantly written characters and twists a plenty, there was something happening from the word go.
The main twist in the story was a shock but following that some of the things that happened with some of the characters were a little predictable but it wasn’t enough to stop me enjoying it and I loved the smaller twists that came together as it came to its climax. It had a great ending with a little bit of leeway, I would love to know what happened after the end events.
As with every other C.J. Tudor book I have read, it has become a favourite read and definitely becoming an auto-buy author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely a freaky atmospheric read. My first Tudor book gripped me right from the first page. Sheer talent flowed down the pages as the author combined gothic horror with a murder mystery. This was UNPUTDOWNABLE

A kickass heroine, Vicar Jack and her daughter Flo were my main characters. JACK was forced to move to the creepiest place on earth, Chapel Croft, supposedly haunted too.

The history of the place had me shivering. 500 years ago 8 protestant martyrs, among which were 2 children were burned alive and 30 years ago, 2 teens disappeared from their homes.

Haunting descriptions, there was something so eerie about the place that a shiver ran down my spine when the Vicar and daughter started seeing the ghost of the burning girls. They seemed to be surrounded by evil and unspeakable silence.

The villagers too were quite weird, hiding their secrets behind civility, it took all of Jack’s determination to get to the bottom of the truth. Evil seeped through sometimes so subtly that it took me unawares. The death of the previous Vicar at the chapel added to the murky depths of this place.

The pages flew fast even when I spent every moment in the heart-pounding terror of this place. Nightmares abounded for both Jack and me. I knew I shouldn’t have started the book at midnight, but I was so tempted. I got the audiobook too, I just couldn’t resist the lure of listening to the story.

The past and present were interweaved finely with many characters and multiple POVs. The ending was electrifying, I couldn’t sleep post reading the book. Yet so worth reading at midnight.

What could I say more at the end of the review? One has got to read a Tudor book just to enjoy the brilliant style of writing.

Back of the 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.

For Rev Jack Brooks and teenage daughter Flo it’s supposed to be a fresh start. New job, new home. But, as Jack knows, the past isn’t easily forgotten.

And in a close-knit community where the residents seem as proud as they are haunted by Chapel Croft’s history, Jack must tread carefully. Ancient superstitions as well as a mistrust of outsiders will be hard to overcome.

Yet right away Jack has more frightening concerns.

Why is Flo plagued by visions of burning girls?
Who’s sending them sinister, threatening messages?
And why did no one mention that the last vicar killed himself?

Chapel Croft’s secrets lie deep and dark as the tomb. Jack wouldn’t touch them if not for Flo – anything to protect Flo.

But the past is catching up with Chapel Croft – and with Jack. For old ghosts with scores to settle will never rest . . .

What I think :

When Rev Jack Brookes has a bit of trouble in her Parish in Nottingham, her superiors feel it would be best if she and her teenage daughter Flo relocate to another Parish in a different part of England. A new home and a new start is what is needed …

As soon as they get to the village of Chapel Croft in Suffolk, things don’t seem quite right. The locals don’t seem to want the new vicar and her daughter there, they don’t like newcomers who don’t understand their past and their ancient superstitions concerning the martyrs from 500 years ago.

The previous reverend found this out too his cost, so what exactly happened to him … ?

Flo, an avid photographer, starts to see weird things as she photographs the graveyard, little girls on fire. Then Jack starts getting quite distressing messages and someone is leaving little wicker dolls on her doorstep, why is someone trying to scare her ?

It would seem everyone has secrets from the past, including Jack, can Jack keep Flo safe from that past … ?

WOW !

I have loved all three of this authors other books but this one has got to be the best of all of them.

I found this novel to be the creepiest by far ! I’m not spooked that easily but I was looking in dark corners of my bedroom last night whilst reading the last few pages.

This book is such a huge rollercoaster ride that keeps you the edge of your seat right up until the very last word. I just could not put this book down. So many twists and turns that you are just getting over the latest twist then the next one is on top of you !! And that ending ! Such brilliant story telling !!

I don’t want to say too much and give things away but I do think that you should read this brilliantly spooky novel yourself.

I give this book a really well-earned 10/10 (5 Stars) My highest award !!

Horror, Thriller, Nail Biting Mystery!

Reverend Jack (Jacqueline) Brooks and her daughter Flo move to the tiny yet infamous town of Chapel Croft. It’s creepy, it’s strange and it’s now home.

The history is that 50 decades ago 8 martyrs were burnt at the stake and 2 teenage girls disappeared 30 years after. Oh and the vicar she’s replacing killed himself in the chapel...

Jack has her own murky past and secrets she’s keeping and someone’s after her. A stalker who’s just been released from prison.

This book is just full of it and it’s brilliant. Constant entertainment that makes sure you have to keep reading and cannot put it down. It’s scary, there’s constant twists and turns and overall I absolutely loved it.

My first C.J. Tudor book and I cannot wait to pick up another. So cleverly done and easily taken my top spot of favourite book in January!

My first review of the year and what a hell of a book to start the year off with!

For me this has got to be her best book to date! I loved her previous books and am a massive fan and with this new book, The Burning Girls, CJ Tudor has just rocketed herself towards the top of my all time favourite authors.

Part thriller, part mystery, part horror, this book transcends multiple genres that all combined create a unputdownable masterclass in writing!

A complex, dark subject matter with a supernatural folklore tale with a unique spin that only Tudor can accomplish creating a book that is engrossing as well as at the same time chilling enough to want to put down and sleep with the lights on!

The book blurb gives you all you need to know going into this book and I would hate to say to much to take away the plot twists and turns for anyone that hasn’t had the pleasure of reading this book yet so I will leave you with just the book description and my views on the book and let you discover the rest for yourselves.

I had the honour of reading an early edition of this book but even so as soon as it was published on 21 Jan 2021 I re-read it plus I also purchased the audiobook and listening to it was just as creepy and even though I knew what was coming, it still didn’t take anything away from the plot twists. They were just as good the second and third time around!

There are not many books that I read more than once, but this book I have now read twice, plus listened to the audiobook version and I have no hesitations in recommending either formats. So if you haven’t read this yet, what are you waiting for? This is one book not to be missed. Even if you are not a horror fan this is still a must read as it is a multi genre book that has something for everyone!

The Burning Girls was published on 21 Jan and you can grab a copy now. Waterstones are even selling signed editions! (Yes, I purchased one 😂) as well as the audiobook!

"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."

Rev Jack Brooks moves to the sticks with her teenage daughter, Flo. Brooks left her last parish, Nottingham, under a cloud and was requested to temporarily fill the interim position of vicar at Chapel Croft. The chapel and the vicarage are dilapidated, and supposedly haunted by the spirits of 'The Burning Girls'; two young religious martyrs who were killed in the reign of Queen Mary I and Jack discovers that the previous vicar committed suicide. Meanwhile Flo makes friends with Lucas Wrigley, a boy who is just as much an outcast as she is, something that is confirmed when they are bullied by two other teenagers from the village. When a horrifying discovery is made, Jack and Flo realise that a sleepy village is not necessarily safe.

Wow! It started off a little slow but once it got going it was a twisty dark tale. Jack is a realistic main character and you get to hear from both her and Flo about their lives in Chapel Croft. Everyone is keeping secrets and there are some shocking revelations as the book unfolds. I worked out the main twist, but there were a couple of others that took me by surprise. Definitely recommended to anyone who likes dark mystery thrillers with a dash of paranormal activity.

CW: mention of suicide, child abuse, bullying, sexual abuse, mention of paedophilia.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Penguin Michael Joseph UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

After really enjoying The Other People by C.J. Tudor, I was very excited to receive an ARC of her latest book! If you like your thrillers to have a paranormal twist, then this could be a good choice for you.

An unconventional vicar moves to a remote corner of the English countryside, only to discover a community haunted by death and disappearances both past and present. But it seems that the parish is intent on keeping its dark secrets...

C.J. Tudor is really good at creating a creepy story that will make you feel uncomfortable. I wasn't expecting any paranormal events, so it was a pleasant surprise to find that this book takes a step aside from the generic thriller mould. From the crumbling cottage to the almost derelict chapel, everything felt murky and eerie. A very creepy atmosphere! I'm a big fan of multiple POVs in books and was delighted to see that the narrative alternates between Jack (the vicar) and her daughter. Mixing up the POV ramps up the pacing as it can create an extra layer of suspense - thumbs up from me!! Some of the twists were good, and I didn't manage to predict all of them (which doesn't happen very often!). Looking back, we are given some clues quite early on, but these went straight over my head. Finally, I must admit that I wasn't a big fan of the ending. It felt very abrupt and a tad anti-climactic given the volume of suspense in the run-up.

Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all thriller lovers! A great creepy read that had a fantastic eerie setting of English rural countryside.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This book kept me awake last night. The story is compelling, mixing a 500 year old legend of Protestant martyrs with a mystery disappearance of two young girls 30 years ago with the modern day goings on in a rural East Sussex village when a new vicar and daughter move from Nottingham. The characters are very well drawn and the setting adds to the creepy atmosphere. A very well crafted and well written mystery/thriller.

I received a free ecopy of this book in return for an honest review. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph and to NetGalley for the opportunity.

This is the fourth stand alone horror novel from author, CJ Tudor, and if you haven’t read any of her books yet, it’s time you gave them a try. Tudor writes what I think of as intelligent horror. Her stories range from unsettling to outright put the book down and take a breath, but each one is a thinker as you piece the elements of the story together in your head.

Written primarily from the perspective of the Reverend Jack Brooks, this book also includes some passages from the viewpoint of Flo, Jack’s teenage daughter, as they arrive and settle in at a new posting. The church they have come to live at, is in a small English village with a history of witch burning. Two young girls were betrayed and dragged from sanctuary in the church to be burned on the church steps. The villagers still post small twig dolls called ‘burning girls’ around the churchyard, in their memory. Local legend prophesies trouble for anyone who sees their ghosts. Thirty years prior to the current story, two teenage girls went missing and were never found, adding to the legend.

Tudor seems to have the ability to encapsulate life in modern England. Not the picture postcard external view of genteel old ladies and tea with scones, but the real gritty every day England with pub quizzes, ready meals, school bullies and nosey neighbours. So many of the books I read now are set in small town America. It’s a real treat to see an imaginative story set in what I consider to be real world England. Moreover, this book is full of small moments that catch you by surprise. Reverend Jack’s character is so unexpectedly normal it’s humorous.

Early on in this book, there are an abundance of individual characters and images that don’t immediately appear to fit the plot. It’s a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle without the box, you know it all fits together somehow you just don’t know what it’s going to show when it does. I read this book obsessively, desperate to get to the final picture and I was so not expecting where it led. I’m a person who often sees a twist coming, but I have to say this book went in a completely unexpected direction and just as I thought the story was resolved, there was a final surprise to keep me awake at night.

This is another great read from CJ Tudor, with an irreverent reverend, a creepy old church, and the ghosts of burned witches. What more could you want?

Another page turning read from Tudor! I absolutely love the way she blends the elements of a classic spine-tingling thriller with the spooky supernatural (somewhat her trademark now I believe!)
This story has a few different threads which gradually pick up pace and blend together. Although not an entirely cohesive story, I did really enjoy the nail-biting climax. It is absolutely jam-packed with content and brilliantly written. Jack is an interesting, multi-layered main character, who we gradually get to discover more and more about. This gradual revelation of her character is just expertly done.
Tudor fans will not be disappointed by this latest read. It has certainly cemented her place into my list of favourite authors. Most certainly an auto-buy author for me now! The Burning Girls is OUT NOW!

Thanks to Michael Joseph for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It’s taken me a while to write this review because honestly I have no words. Just buy it, read it!! One of the best books I’ve read. What more can I say? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:

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.

For Rev Jack Brooks and teenage daughter Flo it's supposed to be a fresh start. New job, new home. But, as Jack knows, the past isn't easily forgotten.

And in a close-knit community where the residents seem as proud as they are haunted by Chapel Croft's history, Jack must tread carefully. Ancient superstitions as well as a mistrust of outsiders will be hard to overcome.

Yet right away Jack has more frightening concerns.

Why is Flo plagued by visions of burning girls?
Who's sending them sinister, threatening messages?
And why did no one mention that the last vicar killed himself?

Chapel Croft's secrets lie deep and dark as the tomb. Jack wouldn't touch them if not for Flo - anything to protect Flo.

But the past is catching up with Chapel Croft - and with Jack. For old ghosts with scores to settle will never rest . .

Thoughts: 💭 As I say one of the best books I’ve read. At the end of every chapter is a little cliff hanger, you just need to find out what happens. I read this within two days and with a 9 month old that’s quick! I just sat in bed knowing I should be asleep, but couldn’t stop reading! There is so many twists and turns. Jack and Flo are such likeable characters, down to earth, especially Flo won’t take any crap from anyone, love it! The way CJ Tudor writes is also quite witty! I found myself laughing! Jack seems to be hiding secrets, it seems like the whole village is too! It’s hard to figure out what’s happening. I never in a million years could have guessed the ending! Excellent!

If you're a fan of C J Tudor already then you'll like this one. Creepy and dark yet humorous as well. Tudor has been accused in the past of being quite derivate of other writers (isn't every story derivative in some way?) and at first I couldn't help relating this book to Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins series. Yet I have no problem with a story being derivative as long as it's a good story. Fans will like this book and for newcomers it gives a good taste of what a C J Tudor book is like with a back catalogue to read now as well. In truth it was a bit hit and miss for me but readers can make up their own minds.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for ARC.