This is a thriller which, at the beginning, this seems like just a paranormal mystery, but it soon turns into something more sinister.

The general concept is that a vicar by the name of Jack (a female) has been involved in something that seemed shady and so they transfer her to the church of a tiny town. This town has a strange tradition in which people build little dolls that remember the burning girls of long ago. They consider these to be martyrs, as they burned them at the stake for witchcraft rather than renouncing their own beliefs. Legend has dictated that these girls will appear to people who need their help of some description. The reason the position of vicar is free is that the former vicar had taken his own life.

This is where the mystery begins as Jack and her daughter get visions of the burning girls. It soon takes a turn where history is uncovered, leading to stories of missing girls as strange goings-on in the present.

As everything ramps up here becomes a race to learn the truth, especially as Jack’s past is determined to catch up to her even though we don’t know what that is.

I would definitely describe this as a page turner as you are trying to work out what is going on at the same time as the characters. The ending is certainly not one that you would expect from reading, which makes this a brilliant piece of work. The writing is superb and the descriptions are wonderful enough that you would think you were actually there in that village and watching everything that is going on.

If you are a fan of a fast-paced thriller that will have you second-guessing everything, then I would highly recommend this. Don’t worry about the paranormal aspect of the burning girls themselves, as it is simply a byproduct of the story rather than the major thrust. That would be in the mystery that involves uncovering the past and deciphering the future.

The burning girls it is a very enjoyable book to read and I would highly recommend it. It is actually difficult for me to find any fault with this book, so I would give it a 5/5 rating. (There probably are several floors but I was so caught up in the mystery of everything that I did not notice them!)