Release Date: January 21st 2021
Publisher: Michael Joseph Books
Pages: 400
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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 . . .

Review

The Burning Girls is the newest dark and twisty thriller from The Chalk Man author C. J. Tudor. As soon as I read the synopsis for this one I was dying to read it. The story follows Jack and her daughter follow as they move to Chapel Croft, a small village incredibly different from the busy city life they’ve left behind. Chapel Croft is the fresh start they need and Jack is taking the spot of the new Vicar in the close knit community. As Jack and Flo begin to settle in they learn that there’s much more going on in Chapel Croft than meets the eye – will Jack be able to uncover the truth and protect her daughter from the sinister goings-on in Chapel Croft?

The Burning Girls is the type of book you pick up at the weekend to occupy you for a few hours and before you know it, it’s the middle of the night and you’ve read to the very last page. This is such an addictive read, full of surprise moments and I read it pretty much in one sitting. It was absolutely worth being exhausted from staying up so late, the story had twists I absolutely didn’t see coming and the whole story was incredibly well executed. This is a fast paced tale and one that will hook you in right from the very first page.

C. J. Tudor has crafted a really clever tale, mixing in ancient superstition, a decades old disappearance and some sinister goings on. I loved the way Tudor weaved the different strands together created a complex multi-layered story. The characters in the book were also well created, I really liked Jack and Flo as main characters and it was so fascinating to learn about the history of Chapel Croft and their burning girls. The story has quite a sinister, unsettling atmosphere and I loved the slight supernatural element Tudor brought into the story. It’s a brilliantly addictive read and one I think thriller fans will completely adore.