Ooh, this is a good thriller. Kate Alice Marshall’s debut adult thriller is well worth the read.

Three young friends, Cass, Liv, and Naomi are like many eleven year olds; wanting to believe in magic, enjoying long days pretending, and holding special secrets that only the three girls know. All is fun and games until the girls meet Persephone and Naomi is attacked. Following the girls’ testimony, Alan Stahl is sent to prison. All should be well, but the lies in the woods won’t release the three girls.

Two plus decades later, Stahl is dead and the women come back together as a sort of reunion only to find that Liv wants to release the secrets and stop the lies.

What Lies in the Woods is an incredibly intertwined whodunnit with red herrings at every turn. To be honest, I had re-read a few paragraphs because toward the end the revelations and zingers were fast and furious I got tripped up.

This is a great book and anyone who has ever lived a fantasy life as a child will relate. Well done, Kate Alice Marshall. ( )

Small town secrets are sometimes, no matter how bad they are, are sometimes kept for centuries and passed down from one family member to another. When finally revealed...they can tell a tale that might have been better if kept buried. This is such a story. When she was 11 years old, Naomi Shaw was left for dead in the woods outside her tiny Pacific Northwest hometown of Chester, Washington. She had been stabbed 17 times by her would-be killer. With her friends Olivia and Cassidy, who were also in the woods at the time, she provided the damning evidence that put a dangerous serial killer behind bars. It We move ahead 22 years and find that that man has died in prison. This resurrects all those unwanted memories of the girls who are now adults. Liv, in particular is completely overwrought, insisting she knows more that she wanted to share then or now. At the same time, Ethan Schreiber comes on the scene...he's a true crime podcaster and both eager and persistent. He starts asking a lot of questions and gets some odd answers when Naomi starts engaging with him on several ill-advised levels...setting the scene for an explosive outcome. Decades of secrets begin to roll out. Kate Alice Marshall does a wonderful job of maintaining a palpable current of tension throughout the entire book. Her depictions of the intricately tangled relationships inherent in small-town life are right on the money. The story is elevated beyond some of the many other stories of this genera with bold, terrifying but terrific writing. The author's description of the grieving mother sitting in her child's room after it's been searched by the police, was nothing short of powerful. Boldly drawn and likeable characters bring this terrifying tale to an all too vividly imaginable life of its own. I will be looking for more by this author in the future. ( )

Such a page turner! ( )

25 years ago Naomi, Cass and Liv played in the woods. Their games were magical and one in particular was The Goddess Game. During their games the girls discover something that becomes a secret. Whilst in the woods tragedy strikes and three girls go in but only two come out.

I haven't read anything at all by this author before but have seen reviews about the book and it sounded interesting. I quite enjoyed the book but it didn't wow me.

There was enough in the story to hold my interest. Like all thrillers there were plenty of twists and one I did guess early on. This book however had just too many twists. The ending was shocking but predictable and did become a bit messy. I think sometimes authors try to fit in just one too many twists and sometimes it's not necessary.

Overall I enjoyed this thriller but there wasn't anything unique and the twists were guessable at times. I would read more by the author in the future. ( )

What Lies in the Woods

I Picked Up This Book Because: IG Recommendation

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: H County Public Library
Dates Read: 10/29/23 - 10/29/23
Stars: 4
Narrator(s): Karissa Vacker

The Characters:

Naomi
Olivia
Cassidy

The Story:

I absolutely devoured this book in one day. I can’t remember the last time I did that for a book that wasn’t a novella. I think it’s safe to say I was totally wrapped up in the mystery. It is dark and twisty but has roots in friendship and love. Things unfold in the most delicious way and I am in awe of the mind that created this tale.

The Random Thoughts: ( )