She Lies in Wait is a book of who did it.  A group of friends goes camping and one disappears, not to be found until many years later.  Who is responsible? Will she be found and if so, will she be alive?  Each person is telling a different story yet with each story, a snippet of truth is revealed. 

The premise of the book is great and I enjoyed it.  The only hesitation is that it felt slow moving.  A lot of the book was an explanation of the investigation.   It didn't include much action.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is an amazing police procedural. All of the characters – the police, the suspects, the victim(s)-All feels so real and it is a pleasure to spend the book with them. The ending feels a bit rushed and that took it down from a 5 to a 4, but is still a worthwhile and enjoyable read. Definitely worth the buzz

In a small town, bones are discovered just a few feet from where a girl went missing 30 years before. The lead investigator, Jonah Sheens, was a new police officer when Aurora went missing but he seems to know more about the case and the players than he should.

Timelines jump from present to the last day Aurora was seen and back again giving the reader a view from each players point of view while the procedural side shows each lie and revelation, keeping the reader guessing.

The supporting characters and relationships are fleshed out nicely, highlighting the investigative team that the reader will likely be following through the next books in the series. The cast of suspects were intertwined enmeshed in each other in a twisted and yet believable way.

Overall this was a solid read.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Told in dual time lines, this is the story of how DCI Jonah Sheens finally untangles what happened to young Aurora. Aurora tagged along with her sister Topaz and her friends when they went camping in the woods. Aurora tells her story- and the story of these girls- for half the novel. You'll likely figure out who the villain is before Jonah does. He's the other half of the story. He knew this group as teens and now 30 years later, he sees the cracks in their facades. I liked him, didn't like the others (except Aurora.) Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a fast paced thriller.

I received in E-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

30 years go by with out anyone knowing what happened to Aurora untill a young girl comes across something huge to help solve Auroras disappearance. The story bounces back and forth from the present and past following DCI Jonah Sheens and the 6 friends that last saw Aurora alive.
A page turner of a story that will have you guessing who did it, G. Lodge did a fantastic job making a lot of the characters look guilty. Definitely recommend, can't wait to read more of DCI Jonah.

Thirty years ago, fourteen-year-old Aurora went on a camping trip with her older sister's friends and vanished. Jonah Sheens was a new-minted cop scarcely older than the victim (and suspects) at the time, but it all comes slamming back when her body is finally found and he's put in charge of the investigation. She was entombed in a drug stash only those six knew about, so the focus is claustrophobically tight. Along with his able teammates (one of them still a bit raw and twitchy), he must untangle old deceptions that covered up standard youthful shenanigans from those concealing darker crimes.

A group of teens go camping, and one of them goes missing. Thirty years later, the missing girl's remains are found. The investigation looks into what happened that night in the woods.

Told with alternating timelines - the night the teens gathered in the woods to camp and the investigation thirty years later. I enjoy the alternating timelines, especially when there is such a big difference in time. Aurora is the missing girl, and the past is told from her point of view. The present is from the investigation side. This worked well. It made it more intriguing to guess who of the teens were telling the truth and who was trying to hide something.

This is a straightforward police procedural. A girl goes missing, stays missing for years, then her body is discovered. The police investigate to find who killed her and why. I enjoy these types of books, but this one did fall a little flat. I didn't really connect to the characters, so that held something back for me. It's a good read though, and one I would recommend to fans of British crime fiction.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love reading a good British mystery and this book by Gytha Lodge is everything I could ask for. I believe that this is her debut novel too!! I'm looking forward to reading more from her.
30 years ago 14 year old Aurora Jackson was camping with her sister Topaz and some friends when she disappeared. Eventually she became a cold case...until by accident her bones are discovered buried under a tree...the police are now investigating her murder. DC I Jonah Sheen and his team must uncover what happened that night so many years ago. What follows is a well developed and fascinating story that results in some unexpected turns that lead to a surprising conclusion. Well formed, 3 dimensional, interesting characters add to the enjoyment of this book.
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thirty years after she went missing from a party, 14-year-old Aurora Jackson is finally found dead not far from where she was last seen. Detective Inspector Jonah Sheens takes over the murder investigation with his team, including a newly recruited detective-in-training, DC Hanson, and begins to unravel the decades-old mystery behind Aurora’s disappearance. Sheens, who went to high school with the victim and her friends, battles with his own memories from the time of her disappearance, and his team begins to think he may know more than he is letting on.

Set in England, She Lies In Wait explores teenage party culture, the extent friends will go to in order to protect one another, and how actions made during youth stay with people throughout their lives. As the six people who last saw Aurora alive are dragged into the investigation, Sheens begins to wonder if they have been hiding something for the past thirty years, and how far they will go to conceal their behaviour from three decades earlier.

She Lies In Wait is the first in what is promised to be a series of police procedural novels centering around Jonah Sheens. Gytha Lodge, a playwright and novelist, studied English at Cambridge before earning her MFA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia. She is undoubtedly a skilled writer and has a knack for writing realistic dialogue. She Lies In Wait is clean, believable, and compelling enough that I got through it in only a matter of days.

For a police procedural series to work, the leading character – in this case Jonah Sheens – has to be compelling enough to keep a reader interested over the course of several novels. It’s no easy feat to create a character with such depth and such a fascinating backstory that fans will want to keep coming back. The most successful procedurals, like the Alex Cross and Harry Hole series, revolve around characters that are complex, at times problematic, and ultimately likeable in their desire to solve mysteries and catch bad guys. Both Alex Cross and Harry Hole also struggle with internal problems and complicated relationships throughout the course of their series, making them more real and relatable.

While She Lies In Wait is only the first book and there is lots of room for growth, Jonah Sheens has yet to solidify himself in my mind as a true leading character. His backstory was patchy and his actions questionable, and while he came across as intelligent and brave, he didn’t do anything bold enough to ingrain himself as a real police hero. In fact, it was Juliette Hanson, the newest detective on the team that drove the story. Her quick-thinking, personal trauma and ability to stand up to authority made her a seemingly better police officer than Sheens.

Gytha Lodge will be a writer to look out for in the future. I’m not sure I’ve been completely convinced to tune in for the next installment in the Jonah Sheens series, but her writing was strong and her plot was well thought out, so it’s likely that the next book will be better than the first.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House, and Gytha Lodge for the opportunity to read the first in what I hope will be a great series of police procedures/mysteries.

In 1983, six friends go into the woods for a night of partying and camping out but only five are left by morning. The missing, Aurora, the youngest of the group and the 14-year-old sister of one of the campers, was excited to be a part of the group, even when she knew she didn't quite fit in. It was a night of drinking, drugs, sex, friendship, and jealousy - none of which Aurora had experience with. When Aurora was discovered missing, there was a fruitless search and she was presumed dead.

Thirty years later, her body is discovered and DCI Jonah Sheens is in charge of the case. He went to school with the group and had met Aurora. Now he goes back to those group of friends to try and discover the truth of what happened that night.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - while I never got real vested into the friends' characters, I really liked Sheens and his new detective, Hanson, and enjoyed going along for the ride on their investigation. The book is told in alternating timelines - from the 80s to the present - so we get to hear Aurora's voice which was an integral part of the story.

I can't wait to read the next in this series!

Thank you #NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a ARC copy of this book

The story starts In 1983 seven teenagers go camping in the woods, only six return.

Thirty years later, the bones of the teenager that never returned from the camping trip are found in a place that only the other six knew about. The cold case is re-opened and it seems everyone is withholding information. Were one or more of the friends involved in the murder? Was there someone else in the woods that night?

This is a well written story that will keep you guessing.

Absolutely a home run !!! Be fore warned once you pick it up , you can't put it down . Best murder mystery I've read in quite some time.

3,5 out of 5 stars

Thirty years after Aurora Jackson has gone missing, her body is found at the campground she was last seen at. She had went that night with her sister Topaz and a group of her sister’s friends. We get the backstory as to what happened in Aurora’s eyes as we alternate with the investigation into her murder. This is the first in a series with Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens. I really look forward to reading more about him because he is a very interesting character. He grew up with the kids involved so he had a higher stake in it than most.

The story unfolds as each suspect is brought in for questioning and little by little, secrets are revealed. I really had no idea who the killer was. It could have been any of them. I loved Jonah’s process and his thinking as he slowly unfolded everything.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for a copy of this ARC.

7 kids go into the woods for a camping trip. Only 6 come out alive. No one knows what happened to Aurora that night. 30 years later, her body is found very close to the campsite. Now the case is reopened, lies are discovered and friends question each other and the police question everything.

What I liked: It kept me reading, I devoured this book because I wanted to know what happened next. I enjoyed the premise, having to recount things that happened 30 years ago was very interesting and not a type of crime novel I’d read before.

What I wasn’t as fond of: For me, the characters had no depth. A ton were introduced right off the bat and for a while, there wasn’t enough about them to be distinguishable so I had a hard time keeping up with who was who. Because of this, I never really rooted for anyone. Some of the backstories, especially for the members of the police, seemed irrelevant and had basically no pay off. I can sort of see what she was trying to do with them but the line between them and the main plot is a long and wavy one, and that’s if I’m really looking for it. I think this is supposed to be a series, so these things may come back later with more information, but in this book as a stand-alone, they felt very out of place.

This was one of those books that at first I felt I really liked mostly because I wanted to know what happened so bad that when I found out, that satisfied feeling masqueraded itself into “that was a good book.” But when I stepped back and thought about it, it really just wasn’t for me.
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In 1988, six friends go camping in the woods for a night of partying. The teens are known for their wild, shocking behavior but when one of them goes missing they begin to cover up the evidence of their partying without knowing they are covering for a killer too.

In present day the missing girl's body is found and DCI Jonah Sheens and his team are charged with solving a case that is 30 years gone cold. As they look closer at the six friends, their stories begin to unravel as well as DCI Sheens' past.

I really enjoyed this book. Every time I thought I had the killer pegged, I would begin to doubt myself as my attention was turned to yet another suspicious character. I enjoyed the alternating perspectives from present day and 1988 that slowly revealed pieces of the puzzle. I see that this is meant to be a series and I would read additional books because I enjoyed the characters. I do feel like I would have liked to see Jonah Sheens and his team developed more and would like to find out about their personal lives too. Overall, a fun thriller with lots of twists.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC of She Lies in Wait in exchange for an honest review.

Book #1 in the DCI Jonah Sheens series is a story that proves the truth always finds a way out, sooner or later.

It's your classic camp fire murder, six kids go in and only 5 come out. However, the case was not solved and 30 years went by until the missing kid is found, but it is only her remains. Two alternating time lines help the reader understand what happened that night and what has become of the remaining 5 teens in the present. Perhaps, due to the two alternating time lines, it made for an easy guess as to who the murderer (suspense killer) was. Despite knowing this huge plot, Aurora's past and perspective made this read very enjoyable. She was so well developed, you almost feel as if you can touch her right through the pages.

Main character, Jonah Sheens, feels a strong pull to this case as he knew the kids involved, although he was never in their social circle. I do wish Jonah had a stronger connection with the 5 original witnesses as it would have made for a more gripping read. This caused investigations and communications to fall a little flat for me. Jonah digs deeper into the night Aurora goes missing, unveiling lies and hidden truths. Aurora's sister, Topaz, is the most distraught and upset that her body was found near the camp site of where her and her friends stayed. The others didn't seem all that worried for the body, but rather for themselves.

Those little points aside I was very pleased with the world and character building in this debut series. It is a great read for those wishing to dive head first into a suspense novel, but not feel the need to go to bed with one eye open like Her Last Move by Jason Marrs. I would compare this read to One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus or Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard. I feel committed to this series and can't wait to see where Jonah's career leads him next. I look forward to book #2 release!

Missing persons cold case turned murder investigation. While I wouldn't consider She Lies in Wait to be quite the 'psychologically captivating" story that's promised in the blurb, it does make for an interesting crime thriller/procedural with emphasis on the procedural. Despite several red herrings throughout the story, I was able to figure it out pretty quickly, but that's not necessarily a deal breaker for me if the book holds my interest, and this one did. I felt like the book barely scraped the surface of DCI Jonah Sheens with so much focus on the many possible murderers being investigated, but what I did get of him, I liked. He's a bit flawed and has certainly made mistakes in the past that cause him some guilt, but I think he'll make for an intriguing character to explore as the series progresses. This first in the series does get a little wordy at times and some things are repetitive, but it still kept me interested enough to want to finish it and see how it would all play out. All in all, a solid debut from the author and a good start to a promising series.

This is an absorbing, well-crafted story about a 30-year-old cold case. We are privy to the workings of the modern investigation and, in a series of skillful transitions, to the buildup to the original crime.

Things I liked about She Lies in Wait: The characters were believable, although not all likable; the dialogue was natural and realistic; the novel's plot was solid and propulsive, and the writing was intelligent and fresh.

In fact, the unexpectedness of some of the writing led to my only complaint. There were several passages early on that I had to go back and re-read because the use of a particular word stopped me in my tracks. All in a short span, there were a "fractious foot", a "fractious butterfly", and a man in a fractious mood. There were "overgrown" rocks, which I eventually took to mean overgrown with vegetation; there was clutter on a table including "shrapnel", which I mentally switched to detritus, and there was an "irritable voice," which I haven't yet puzzled out.

However distracting those were, they are minor fixes on a well-built structure. Some reviewers thought the killer's identity had been obvious from the get-go, others were hugely surprised at the reveal. Of course I had suspected this person early on, but Gytha Hodge's skill was such that I doubted my suspicions and moved on to other candidates, with my experience as a reader nicely paralleling those of the detectives.

She Lies in Wait is a good book. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this new author.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book.
I thought it was a very well written and addictive police procedural mystery.
It had me interested the entire book and I didn’t want to stop reading until I discovered who had killed Aurora and why.
This is the author’s debut novel and the 1st book in a new series and I can’t wait until she writes the next book in the series.

The discovery of a decades-old body forces six old friends to dive back into a long-ago camping trip where one of their friends disappeared - a matter complicated by the fact that one of the detectives investigating the body knew all six friends back in his school days. A pretty decent police procedural, though it did go on a bit longer than I felt was strictly necessary.