The Burning Girls

A Novel

By: C. J. Tudor

Narrated by: Gemma Whelan, Richard Armitage

An unconventional vicar must exorcise the dark past of a remote village haunted by death and disappearances in this explosive and unsettling thriller from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man.

Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Public Library and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Hypnotic and horrifying.... Without doubt Tudor’s best yet, The Burning Girls left me sleeping with the lights on.” (Chris Whitaker, New York Times best-selling author of We Begin at the End)

A dark history lingers in Chapel Croft. Five hundred years ago, local 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.

©2021 C. J. Tudor (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Fans of Gillian Flynn, Tana French, and Jess Lourey will leap at the chance to read [C. J. Tudor’s] new psychological thriller.... Gruesome and haunting, The Burning Girls is worth every page turn.” (Booklist, starred review)

“The kind of novel that’s so creepy, it might just seep into your dreams.” (PopSugar)

“Tudor’s uncanny twisty plot is populated with intriguing, damaged characters and the slow-burning suspense leads to a crackling ending.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Interesting and Twisty

I detest spoilers, but I’m finding it a little difficult to review this book without any. So, this is about all I can say. Overall it was very good. There were lots of twists which kept me guessing. The one part I figured out, I’m pretty sure that I was supposed to figure out at that point, or I would have been dense. I did find Vicar Jack’s views and level of faith interesting, but I think I understood it more by the end. I can certainly say it was worth my time and that I can recommend it. The narrators were very good, yet I felt possibly there should have been a little more difference between voice or tone for Vicar Jack’s first person telling of the story and Flo’s third person story. I believe Gemma Whelan is talented enough to have accomplished that. I can’t say that it truly hurt the overall story, but I do think it could have added to the experience to have had some difference. I’m a fan of Richard Armitage, but again, some difference between his first person narration and third person could have added something. I’m surprised I actually feel this way because I’m one of the few Audible listeners who is perfectly happy with a well read book without any voices. I do thoroughly appreciate the talented narrators who can do realistic male and female characters, but for those who can’t, I’d rather they just read without bad voices. Yet, in this particular book, zero change between Jack and Flo’s parts felt strange.

Good in theory

I feel like this story had an interesting appeal and than fizzled out at the end.

Twists and Turns OH MY!

Wonderfully written suspenseful thriller! Every time I thought I hand an idea I was challenged and the ending was one I didn’t see coming. Perfect book, binged it in one sitting!

Rushed ending

I feel like the author wasted a lot of time within the main part of the story and then felt rushed to end it. It lacked a lot of substance in how the end occurred. I figured out the plot pretty quickly and then thought the main character would have tied up the ends better, but instead, I found that there were still a lot of loose ends left. Much of the story was hard to believe, as it involved a lot of the characters being outright obtuse in their recognition of very obvious details.

Storytelling at it's best

The story is fantastic and highly captivating. If I was reading it, it would be a book I couldn't put down!

compelling mystery

Slow to start but develops into a compelling mystery. really enjoyed but requires patience in the beginning.

Good... Not my favorite... but good. 👍🏻

The performance was great
... voices and switching male to female... the story pretty good also... unfortunately I guessed the ending well before.... still recommend 👌🏻

Well written

Loved the book!A page theater! It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. Would like to read more by this author.

Her Very Best!

Critics and fans alike have coined "The Burning Girls" C.J. Tudor's best work and I agree completely! The perfect combination of a human family story with a deep family secret, signature Tudor creepiness and a strangely satisfying, almost uplifting ending. As always, Richard Armitage's narration was excellent, but Gemma Whelan more than matched it. I could listen to her all the time! This one is not to be missed!

Love every word of this thriller!

C J Tudor is masterful! The characters were fully fleshed out and the plot lines were riveting. I highly recommend this listen.