Published 21st January 2021 by Penguin Michael Joseph.
From the cover of the book:
500 years ago: eight martyrs were burnt to death30 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 . . .
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C.J. Tudor is an author that has been on my reading wish list for a while now, especially after reading her creepy short story in After Sundown the Flame Tree Press horror anthology last year, so when The Burning Girls appeared on my bookish radar I was pretty excited... and I am happy to report that this excitement was completely justified as it was everything I was hoping for. In fact, I totally loved every dark, creepy, suspenseful moment!
Welcome to Chapel Croft, where history tells that eight martyrs were burned to death 500 years ago - a sacrifice that is commemorated with a ritual burning of creepy wooden effigies in the years that have followed, and one which still bestows a certain amount of prestige today on the families that can claim one of the eight among their ancestors.
Fresh to the village and under a cloud due to 'unfortunate' goings in in her previous parish in Nottingham, Reverend Jack Brooks has arrived with her teenage daughter Flo to take temporary charge of the Chapel Croft flock. Armed with the knowledge of the Burning Girls ritual and the suspicion that trying to fit into the close knit rural community will be far from easy, Jack has little choice but to face up to the challenge and make the best of it for them both. However, before long, it becomes apparent to Jack that something 'feels off' about Chapel Croft - something connected to the mysterious disappearance of two teenage girls 30 years ago, and the tragic fate of the previous vicar - and trying to unearth the truth looks likely to bring danger to their door.
I don't often read a book that has me turning the final page and uttering a "wow", but this is one of those rare and glorious beasts. There's bags full of menace, nightmarish happenings, and heart stopping moments, as the exposure of both long-held dirty little secrets and more recent crimes unleash their bloody fallout on the inhabitants of Chapel Croft, and it will keep you on tenterhooks all the way through as you put each little piece of the puzzle together, until the twisty strands play out to their shocking endings. By the way, the manner in which the threads pull together in this book is simply outstanding and will leave you breathless - probably in need of a lie down too.
One of my favourite things about the whole deliciously dark thing is the way our author incorporates into the story the film, book and popular culture references that spring to mind as you read. It's almost like you are sharing some kind of 'in' joke, which I found very entertaining in a grisly sort of way - but I can tell you now that you will not be prepared for what follows... no matter how much you may think you are.
I absolutely loved this book and it rates way up there with some of my all time favourite chilling thrillers like The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (which I was reminded of at a certain point). I cannot wait to indulge myself with C.J. Tudor's entire back catalogue now - oh, and everything she writes in the future too!
The Burning Girls is available to order from your favourite book retailer in hardcover, e-book and audio formats.
Thank you to Gaby Young at Michael Joseph Books for sending me a copy of this book in return forn an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the author:
Over the years she has had a variety of jobs, including trainee reporter, radio scriptwriter, dog walker, voiceover artist, television presenter, copywriter and, now, author.
Her first novel, The Chalk Man, was a Sunday Times bestseller and sold in thirty-nine territories.
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