The Woods Are Waiting by Katherine Greene published July 2023. In Blue Cliff another child is missing. Cheyenne gets a call from the sheriff that her mother needs her. Has hickory man taken another child in the woods? Can Cheyenne’s mom herbs, silver coins and dirt in shoes save the children from hickory man or is there a live killer we know?

This was a good thrilling/ mystery set in Va . It kept me interested with engaging well crafted characters, plot and setting.
Overall a good addition to the genre from an author to watch
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book.

Creepy and thrilling!!

I love the slow build—definitely added to the intensity.

I feel like the mystery was wrapped up decently, but a few questions were left unanswered.

Cheyenne has returned home to take care of her mother after another young boy has gone missing. The town she’s from, is full of missing kids and each time her mom gets more unhinged. This latest missing boy might be the end of her mom. Now that Cheyenne is home, she is determined to put the real killer behind bars and put the end to the missing children once and for all.

This book was a nice atmospheric and enjoyable read. I really enjoyed the folklore that was engrained in this one! It was so utterly complex yet gratifying that I didn’t want to put it down. I was thoroughly entertained with this story. I’ve never been so afraid of something as these characters were of the woods, and I was able to feel their feel through the writing. It was so real. I really enjoyed the big reveal, but this one I did see coming. It’s alright though, it was done nicely.

If you are a fan of Lisa Jewell, or Ruth Ware, then check out this one when it's out this summer on July 11th! Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, @crookedlanebooks, and @netgalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This was a creepy read, centered primarily on Cheyenne, who returns to her home in a backwoods city in VA after a 5 year absence after she hears her mother needs help. You also get some chapters told in the POV of Natalie, Cheyenne’s former best friend who has never left the town. Children in their small town have gone missing for decades and Cheyenne’s arrival is aligned with yet another child gone missing; rumor has it that the woods around the town are cursed.

The story is definitely creepy with the unknown boogeyman, the nursery rhymes, and town lore. That being said, I found it somewhat difficult to believe that children have been going missing for decades and no one (except Cheyenne) chooses to leave town. Maybe I just don’t understand the culture of a small town like this. I thought Cheyenne and Natalie were both mostly likable characters but I couldn’t get a sense of how old they were or what Cheyenne did while she was gone for 5 years- I felt like a little more background info would’ve further endeared me to them.

As for the mystery, I did figure out what was really going on but it wasn’t exactly like I had envisioned (which was actually even more horrible than what happened) but I thought the end of the book was rather slow- a lot of time was spent tying up the loose ends that I thought was unnecessary.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read that was suitably creepy. I’d recommend it to those who like mysteries. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This book is easily 5 stars for me!

I actually put off reading this for several weeks because I was afraid to start based on the synopsis! I don’t typically choose to read stories like this but I’m glad I did because I thought it was amazing and I can’t wait for more!

Nursery rhymes, the woods, isolation, superstitions… this book houses all of my childhood fears and then some!

I’ve seen this described at a slow burn in other reviews but I definitely feel like it had a faster pace. It starts with a bang and I feel like the suspense never left for me. The imagery was fantastic and I truly felt like I was able to visualize everything I read with ease.

I can’t believe this is Katherine Greene’s debut! Her writing is superior to loads of writers with much more experience.

I did not see the twist coming at all! My only disappointment was the very last page — I was really hoping for something different but it didn’t change my overall view of the story. It was excellent!

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Katherine Greene for allowing me to read this ARC! Bravo!!

For a debut novel,The Woods Are Waiting will hopefully be a sign for things to come from Katherine Greene. A solid, suspenseful, dark thriller that is set in a small rural town in the Appalachian mountains. I enjoyed the storyline and the supernatural touches that worked their way through the book, ultimately it tells us that we don't have to look for the unknown to necessarily find the evil that lurks. Katherine did a great job of making you feel contempt for various characters and questioning what had truly happened. I did begin to work out what may have happened a short while before the end and I did feel the ending was reaching in parts. But these are the only negatives I can really find, otherwise it drew me in and I did enjoy the read. I would recommend!

Whenever I am asked to review anything by Crooked Lane Books I rarely refuse as the standard of dark thrillers (which often blend into horror) they release is incredibly high. They have also a keen eye for spotting new talent, often publishing highly impressive debuts, with Katherine Greene’s The Woods are Waiting the latest in an impressive line. If you are a dark thriller fan, all these previously reviewed Crooked Lane titles are worth further investigation: The Nightmare Man (J.H. Markert), The Hidden (Melanie Golding), A Dark and Secret Place (Jen Williams), Sins of the Mother (August Norman), It Will Just Be Us (Jo Kaplan), The Monsters We Make (Kali White) and The Dead Girl’s Club (Damien Angelica Walters). Crooked Lane also released one of my favourite ever detective trilogies, the hillbilly noir series by Hank Early which begins with Heaven’s Crooked Finger, which I regard as an undiscovered classic.

Although the blurb compares The Woods are Waiting to mainstream crime writers Lisa Jewell and Ruth Ware there is definitely a whiff of hillbilly noir to the plot. Being set entirely in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains this dark thriller, with its dark customs and small-town secrets, had more in common with Hank Early rather than Jewell or Ware. There is something about this huge mountain range which transforms beautifully into the realms of fiction and Katherine Greene does a great job of bringing this vast location to life, with rivalries, superstitions, suspicion to outsiders and perhaps most importantly, sinister local legends.

The local legend revolves around a supernatural character called the ‘Hickory Man’ which parents use to scare their kids into not wandering off into the Hickory Woods which encroaches the small town of Blue Cliff, Virginia. However, what makes the Hickory Man different from many other local legends is the fact that many locals believe him to be real and have rituals to ensure he does not snatch their kids, such as having sand in their shoes or a silver coin in their pocket. This part of the story was very nicely developed and for the most part the author keeps the Hickory Man nicely shrouded and lurking in the background. You will have to read it yourself to figure out whether he is real or not and if you are a fan of thrillers, but not the supernatural, this book will still satisfy as the mystery is significantly more complex than whether this local boogieman is genuine or not.

The Woods are Waiting has a very clever and effective split first-person narrative, Cheyenne Ashby and Natalie Bartlett, who between them provide contrasting views of the town. Cheyenne has recently returned to her former home to look after her erratic and elderly mother after five years away, she does not want to be there, and clearly has issues with the town. Natalie has never left Blue Cliff and is the former best friend of Cheyenne, when the two bump into each other early in the novel we realise Cheyenne disappeared without telling Natalie and there is hurt and resentment between the two women.

As well as being about the two young women reconnecting another major part of the story concerns Cheyenne’s conflict with her mother Constance. She grew up deep in the woods with her eccentric single parent, was raised on the unusual customs and generational superstitions linked to the Hickory Man local legend which haunted the forest. Cheyenne was taught to only use certain forest paths, used charms for safety and helped her mother mix potions and spells for members of the local community who believed in the same superstitions. Becoming tired of this mumbo-jumbo, as she saw it, she escaped leaving Blue Cliff for five years.

A number of other characters are thrown into the mix, including a former love interest and the local sheriff, but the main plot is built around the disappearance of a local child and the fact that the locals believe this is the beginning of a new cycle of killings, repeating what happened five years earlier. Things are complicated by the fact that the convicted murderer of five years earlier has recently been exonerated in an appeal and so the knee jerk reaction is to blame the Hickory Man. Sensing a story, the national media also descend on the normally sleepy small town and cracks begin to show.

The Woods are Waiting was a highly entertaining thriller which deserves to be a hit with both thriller and horror fans. The clash of local superstition with hard facts was nicely pitched and whether you believe in the Hickory Man or not, the possibility of him being real cast a shadow of uncertainly across the book. The two young women who narrated the book were also refreshing, both in their personal clashes with each other, other characters and their roles in solving the mystery. The Woods are Waiting was a very solid page-turner and an impressive debut from Katherine Greene.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC copy of this title.

As someone who lives in the Appalachian mountains I really enjoyed this book. This book did a great job on showing a glimpse into the lives of rural appalachia. Do we all carry coins in our pockets and dirt in our shoes, no, at least not here. However the feeling this book provides is the same feeling I get just driving through my town.

The Good: The feeling and presence the book lays out for you feel authentic and keeps you turning the pages. The Appalachian lore is wonderful and I found myself devouring it. I loved the characters and trying to work out the plot line. The book is a fast easy read.

The Bad: While the ending provided a satisfying wrap up, I was a-little dissappointed. I WANTED to face the Wicker Man. I wanted to see the big bad monster, not faced with a Dexter like ending. The author did a good job wrapping it up but I was dissappointed in the choice of ending.

So overall I really enjoyed the book and the journey, I just wish it would have stuck to the appalachian folk lore at the end. I know the last last left it open and I appreciated that but it just left me wanting more and wishing for a different ending. With the being said my rating is 3.5 so its rounded up to a 4. It definitely is worth the read.

This was such a creepy read. I’m from a small town in West Virginia and grew up in a house on the edge of the woods, so I know all too well about the eeriness of the forest. The witchy traits of the mother were a bit exaggerated but not too far off from Appalachia’s relationship to the supernatural and superstitions.

I’m a sucker for a “face your demons” type of thriller and this was exactly what I was in the mood for. There were several times I felt like looking over my shoulder, even though I was safe in my apartment far away from the woods. This author expertly married folklore, granny witches, the supernatural and humanity’s own dark side. I would love to see this made into a movie.

My only complaints are the nonstop use of the word “ma” and the lazy trope of the pushy, lying “vulture” journalists. No one in Appalachia uses “ma” as much as the characters do in this book and no journalists behave like the ones portrayed here. The author played too much into these two stereotypes. Minor complaints, but still irked me whenever I came across them.

Unfortunately this one was a miss for me. The premise sounded very intriguing. Haunting woods, nursery rhymes gone awry, a small town with a dark past. I was very interested to see where this story would go.

I thought the book started off well. I was very interested in Cheyenne and her mother. Natalie’s perspective fell a bit flat for me. I wanted more backstory on the woods and the Ashby family. I think that would have added to the story line.

Sadly, I felt there was poor character development and the book had more relationship drama than suspense.

There was potential in this story, but this one didn’t do it for me. 3 stars

The Woods are Waiting by Katherine Greene was an amazing debut thriller!

This story kept me thoroughly entertained from start to finish.
Greene's style was good and the story flowed well throughout.
The plot was very intriguing and well executed.
I could not stop reading this book once I started. Literally couldn't.
The characters were all well rounded and realistic.
Katherine Greene writes an addictive, compelling thriller that I just devoured.
And I can't wait to see what she creates next!
Because The Woods are Waiting was an amazing ride!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Gripping mystery of small towns, the power of superstition and folklore, and the strong bonds of true family, by blood or not. Complex story with enough red herrings to keep you on your toes to the satisfying ending.

Excellent Debut novel.
This was an interesting story. What is in the woods, why do children go missing in there and then later found dead. The woods have been taking children for over a hundred years and usually always in three’s.
When Cheyenne is asked to come back home to her hometown by the local Sheriff, as another child is missing and Cheyenne’s mother isn’t taking it to well. So she goes back to the town full of superstitions.
Are the woods really too blame, they must be for what else explains the disappearance and death of so many children over a century.
Thoroughly enjoyed this read. A pact made over a century ago is still playing out and the ending is or is not what you expect. Totally intriguing.
Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for this eARC.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for an ARC of The Woods are Waiting by Katherine Greene. This was my introduction to the author, and the premise was incredibly intriguing. Read on to find out how this thriller fares.

Genre:
Thriller, Mystery

Blurb:
Cheyenne Ashby has lived under the shadow of her mother’s eccentricities all her life. Constance Ashby is the protector of the small town of Blue Cliff, keeping at bay the evil entity that haunts the surrounding forest. When three children are found dead in the forest, out-of-towner Jasper Clinton is convicted. But Cheyenne, unable to bear the weight of her family traditions, superstitions, and responsibilities, leaves her town and turns her back on her mother and on the two people who matter the most to her – Natalie and Jackson.
Five years later, another child goes missing. The event leaves Constance Ashby a wreck. Cheyenne returns to fulfill her duty and take care of her mother. She faces her past once again and tries to rebuild the broken relationships with those that she still loves. But, as Cheyenne and Natalie realize, there’s only one way to bury that past and resolve the events that have pushed the town into an increasing frenzy of fear and anger – face the evil that lives in the woods.

Overall Rating:
8 out of 10 stars

Plot:
9 out of 10 stars

Characterization:
10 out of 10 stars

Primary Element:
10 out of 10 stars for its mystery; 7 out of 10 stars for its thrill

Writing Style:
10 out of 10 stars

Part of a Series:
No.

Highlighted Takeaway:
A great mix of mystery, creepiness, and the emotional struggles that come with life’s tough decisions, The Woods Are Waiting is an excellent debut by Katherine Greene, making her an author to watch.

What I Liked:
The Woods Are Waiting does justice to a not-uncommon theme – a small town set in its ways and beliefs, plagued by hauntings of an unknown being, and rife with unrest in the aftermath of tragedy. What it gets right is:
> the characterization of the two protagonists and multiple supporting persons, each holding their own, with their own voice, and their own growth,
> the emotional conflicts that accompany the tough decisions you have to make sometimes and their aftermath,
> the vulnerability and strength in relationships of all kinds,
> the setting, especially that of the forest, and its impact on the people and the events they experience,
> a mystery that keeps you guessing right till the end

What I Didn’t Like:
While there was little to specifically dislike in Katherine Greene’s debut thriller, the only thing that would have made it better was a little more creepiness. There was significant focus on the ‘creature within the woods’, but there was just something lacking in the effect the narrative had; it left you curious more than unsettled, which is what I was expecting given the setting and theme.
It also moves steadily, but at a slow(ish) pace, picking up in intensity after the 70% mark. That doesn’t in any way affect the outcome, but I definitely found the ‘face the evil’ aspect to be introduced much later than the blurb had me believe.

Who Should Read It:
You’ll enjoy Katherine Greene’s work if you like thrillers with emotion and mysteries with supernatural elements. It’s perfect for fans of Tim Weaver’s David Raker series (because of their similar settings, especially The Dead Tracks) or Mark Edwards (because of their similar themes, especially The Retreat).

Who Should Avoid:
Trigger Warning: The Woods Are Waiting does involve crimes against children, although it is non-violently handled. However, if that’s a particularly sensitive topic for you, I’d definitely recommend avoiding this one.
You could also skip this if thrillers with supernatural themes aren’t a favorite.

Read It For:
A story that excellently combines a creepy mystery and the complexities of relationships and emotions.

I really enjoyed The Woods Are Waiting and finished it within a couple of days. It’s definitely a book that keeps you turning the pages.

This was a quick read with some very obvious clues. The setting was done well with lots of details and it felt appropriately creepy. I felt like this could have had about 50-75 pages cut from it with no issues though, as there were a lot of parts that felt repetitive.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was about a small town and how they deal with an evil history that won’t seem to go away. Children go missing in the town of Blue Cliff and the townsfolk believe it to be an evil supernatural entity known as the Hickory Man. The locals know not to venture into the forest alone, especially without dirt in their shoes or silver in their pockets. Cheyenne Ashby thought she left all of this behind her when she skipped town, but when the chief of police guilts her into coming back to care for her ailing mother, she is confronted with everything she was running away from. Another kid has gone missing and the town doesn’t seem like it's going to sweep this under the rug anymore.

I really enjoyed this book and how the author was able to set the eerie tone throughout the book’s entirety. There wasn’t a part in this book where I wasn’t on edge and reading this was an absolute delight. The story that the author tells is one that we are all familiar with and they did an excellent job of making this an entertaining read. I thought all of the characters were excellently crafted and the scenes were thrilling to read.

I do wish this took a more supernatural spin and while this is supposed to take place in our world, I think it could have benefitted from a spookier monster.

This is a creepy story about the Hickory Man and the town that is terrorized by the legend. Years of children going missing had created a strong sense of superstition that Cheyanne ran away from years ago. But now she is back to care for her mother. The mystery unfolds as she learns more about her family and the town she grew up in.

The Woods are Waiting is a mystery chiller. A small town has a long history of children going missing in the woods, feared to have been taken by the Hickory Man a true or not figure who can be warded off by nursery rhymes and by protecting yourself with charms.
This terrible tragedy has been going on for years and a young man has even spent time in jail for this crime he didn't commit. The stakes are getting higher has another young boy goes missing.
Everyone is on edge, everyone suspects someone and they all fear the Hickory Man.
What a chiller this turned out to be. Be prepared for an explosive ending and make sure you're carrying your own silver coin charm to keep you safe.

Thank you #NetGalley for this Arc

Although not quite as fast pace of the thrillers I usually read I still enjoyed the book. The relationships between the characters seemed to have a disconnect , but perhaps returning after a 5 year absence it was intentional I enjoyed the book.