What Lies in the Woods: A Novel

by Kate Alice Marshall

Twenty-two years ago, Naomi Shaw believed in magic. She and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, spent that summer roaming the woods, imagining a world of ceremony and wonder - the Goddess Game. The summer ended suddenly when Naomi was attacked. Miraculously, she survived her seventeen stab wounds and lived to identify the man who had hurt her. The girls’ testimony put away a serial killer, wanted for murdering six women. They were heroes.

And they were liars.

The day she learns that Alan Michael Stahl has died in prison, Naomi gets a call from Olivia. For decades, the friends have kept a secret worth killing for. But now Olivia wants to tell, and Naomi is forced back to the town she'd escaped. She sets out to find out what really happened in the woods - no matter how dangerous the truth turns out to be.

• ISBN10: 1250859883
• ISBN13: 9781250859884
• Publish Date: 20 February 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Flatiron Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: http://melia.co.uk/page/detail/?k=9781250859884

Reviews

[Joni Reads]

I read Rules for Vanishing by this author and really enjoyed it so when I saw she had written an adult thriller I had to check it out.

I really enjoyed this book. There were more twists that most thriller books have and only one of them did I guess exactly right- and it was the mid-book twist that I'm pretty sure was meant to be figured out.

The story of this book reminds me of a true crime case but to reveal the case would reveal the twist so you are just going to have to trust me on that one.

I really liked Naomi, even though she was her own worst enemy. After what she experienced of course she would be damaged. The author really showed a true version of how a trauma victim would think or feel and that is an aspect that I really enjoyed.

The Goddess Game was interesting and I loved reading the flashbacks about it. The magic of being a tween and trying to hold onto that innocence is something that I think all adults can relate to and the author really did a great job of translating that feeling to the page.

I could go on and about every aspect that I loved but really- just read this one. It's definitely worth the read and I will definitely be following this author for news of any of other releases because she's phenomenal.

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

Naomi Shaw was once a child – a happy girl who believed in magic and friendship. Then she was forced to survive the unthinkable, and her entire view of the world changed. Now she knows better than to trust humanity, except for her two best friends.

Decades later, the past haunts Naomi, Cassidy, and Olivia. In doing so, it will kick off the need to understand what happened and why. Once again, Naomi will find herself in the center of danger. Can she survive a second time?

My Review:

Holy cats. I'm not going to lie – I picked up What Lies in the Woods on a whim (thanks, BOTM!), and wow, was I blown away! This is an intense thriller with mystery elements, and I could not put it down.

There are a lot of elements that go into What Lies in the Woods, making it a fantastic read. We have a dark past, secrets galore, a romantic subplot, oh right, and a quasi-unreliable narrator (who doesn't remember all the details). It's perfect.

I should probably mention that What Lies in the Woods gets pretty dark at times. After all, it starts with a young girl getting attacked. With that setting the scene, it's easy to see where this tale might lead.

If you enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark, I think you'll love What Lies in the Woods.

Highlights:
Thriller/horror/suspense
Mystery upon mystery
Podcast featured
Quest for the truth

Trigger Warnings:
Severe physical trauma
Child harmed
Rape (mentioned)
Blackmail
Suicide

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