Grim and violence and guilty secrets "The burning girls"
THE BURBIN G GIRLS by C.J.TUDOR
Reverend Jack Brooks, a single parent with a fourteen-year-old daughter and a heavy conscience, arrives in the village 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.”
The more Jack and daughter Flo get acquainted with the town and its strange denizens, the deeper they are drawn into their rifts, mysteries, and suspicions. When Flo is troubled by strange sightings in the old chapel, it becomes apparent that there are ghosts here who refuse to be laid to rest.
But uncovering the truth can be deadly in a village where everyone has something to protect, everyone has links with the village’s bloody past, and no one trusts an outsider.
REVIEW: The Burning Girls tells the story of Reverend Jack Brooks and her (yes, she’s a woman, sorry for spoiling the first plot twist) teenage daughter Flo. Due to some dramatic circumstances, you’ll discover further in, that Jack and Flo leave Nottingham and move to the small village of Chapel Croft. In the middle of nowhere, Jack comes in to replace the previous vicar, who allegedly killed himself. If this wasn’t creepy enough, the village is known for the eight Sussex Martyrs, including two young girls burned to death 500 years ago, and the mysterious disappearance of two teenage girls 30 years ago.
If this already seems a lot, you haven’t seen anything yet. Within the genre, this is the story with more different mysteries developing simultaneously than I’ve ever read. But worry not, you’ll never feel lost, and in the end, every plot thread comes together and paints the whole picture of what is happening.
As the story moves forward, you follow Jack and her efforts to uncover what happened to the previous vicar, as well as Flo and her love of photography. There are also some occasional outsider POVs and flashbacks.
Jack has a dark past and isn’t your typical religious person, although she works as one. She’s not preachy, not God-fearing, and she clearly loves her daughter. This is also noticeable with Flo, your typical teenager outcast. She doesn’t care about fitting in, and keeps a close and understanding relationship with her mother. This is so refreshing in a mother-teenage-daughter dynamic. Even if sometimes they omit things and keep secrets, they’re together for better or worse and always support each other.
The story starts slow, but you won’t be able to drop it as the mysteries pick up. There’s a looming feeling of dread that is literally portrayed in the story like something terrible is about to happen, but you don’t know where it will come from.
Expect a lot of creepiness, some graphic violence, a small dash of supernatural horror, bullying, and psycho teenagers. Personally, I enjoy horror and mysteries related to religion, and the spooky Bible verses added to the atmosphere. The last 20% of the book is filled with plot twist after plot twist, and you’ll completely change your opinions about the characters as the plot clears up.
OVERALL
WHAT I LOVED:
- So many twists and turns I didn’t see coming!
- Multi-layered plot
- Well-developed, complex characters
- Side characters that played small, important roles
- Paranormal aspect
- Fast pacing, very well-written
The Burning Girls is a compelling and addicting mystery/thriller. It will hook you in with its multiple mysteries, exciting characters, gothic and dark atmosphere, and plot twists that will make your jaw drop. Just give it a go.
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