The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor

☆☆☆☆1/2
.ePUB, 337 pages
Expected Publication: February 9th 2021 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine

About the Book:
A dark history lingers in Chapel Croft. Five hundred years ago, Protestant martyrs were betrayed—then burned. Thirty years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace. And a few weeks ago, the vicar of the local parish hanged himself in the nave of the church. Reverend Jack Brooks, a single parent with a fourteen-year-old daughter and a heavy conscience, arrives in the village hoping for a fresh start. Instead, Jack finds a town rife with conspiracies and secrets, and is greeted with a strange welcome package: an exorcism kit and a note that warns, “But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known.” The more Jack and daughter, Flo, explore the town and get to know its strange denizens, the deeper they are drawn into the age-old rifts, mysteries, and suspicions. And when Flo begins to see specters of girls ablaze, it becomes apparent there are ghosts here that refuse to be laid to rest. Uncovering the truth can be deadly in a village with a bloody past, where everyone has something to hide and no one trusts an outsider.

My Review:

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was pretending he didn’t exist.

This is my first book by C.J. Tudor, what the heck was I waiting for!? This book was way above average for this particular genre...The plot is tight and just dramatic enough to be interesting, without the over the top antics that often plague these type of books and make them laughable. The descriptive language was so fitting and creepy and made it such a page turner that I read it in one sitting.

I loved the elements in this story; it's more than Good vs Evil...It's a little bit of Believers vs Non-Believers and mostly a giant test of faith. If you enjoy slow built fear in your horror stories indulge in this one. This book is an experience, and builds its characters and situations layer by layer all the way to the end. As with any exceptional experience, it deserves your attention. It certainly earned mine and had many surprises along the way.

A wonderful, brilliantly written, frightening and haunting story. Take heed, if reading this alone...remember to keep the lights on!

Disclosure:
Thank you NetGalley, C.J. Tudor and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

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