This book is really good. Being a debut novel, I’m interested in following this author to see the growth. There were some problems with the story going into long dull places and then quite a bit of redundancies in the story telling. I’m not sure if this was so the author could insure the readers were following along with the developments in the story or what, but we didn’t have to be reminded to the point of countless unnecessary words and pages of the book were added due to doublespeak. That was frustrating. Also, there were some parts were the characters fell short and their development should have been better fleshed out. It was s good read, just not spectacular. This book did deliver in the suspense part and keeping the killer hidden for a good amount of time. However, it’s easy to hide a killer amongst half-developed characters.

2.5/5 stars

Aurora Jackson has been missing for over 30 years, until now. When a young child and her father stumble on bones scattered near their campsite, detective Jonah Sheens is brought in to investigate. After futher analysis, it's reported that the bones are Aurora Jackson's. The mystery to where she has been is discovered—she was murdered.

As Jonah Sheens investigates the night of Aurora's disappearance in the woods, the reader is given flashbacks to that fateful night. Aurora, her sister Topaz, and Topaz's friends were teenagers living teenage lives—drinking, partying, risky behavior. What went wrong that night in the woods, and why is someone covering their tracks so Jonah can't find the truth?

I was really disappointed in She Lies in Wait , because I felt that the story could have been darker, and less obvious. I figured out the story before I was even 20% into the mystery. If you've read any of Riley Sager's books, this novel is basically a retelling/combination of Final Girls, and The Last Time I Lied. The writing was very good, but the story itself just fell flat for me. I can't really get into the story any further, but it's definitely a light mystery at best. I'm not sure I'm interested in getting any further in the DCI Jonah Sheens series, but if you are looking for a realistic detective/police procedural, then She Lies in Wait might be for you.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. She Lies in Wait will be released January 10, 2019.

Review: SHE LIES IN WAIT by Gytha Lodge. Seven teenagers go camping but only six come back. Who of the six is the killer or is it someone else entirely? A modern day whodunit. Good story although a bit slow in places and somewhat predictable. ⭐⭐⭐Three stars.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. The fact that the book was complimentary did not affect my review in any way.

Unfortunately, I did not finish this book. The characters were hard to keep straight and I found it hard to care about them. I did enjoy the shifting timeline when the author would go back and forth from when the situation was originally unfolding and the present day investigation. This was not enough to keep me engaged, however. I wish the author had done more to distinguish different characters from each other.

She Lies in Wait is a thriller murder mystery written by author Gytha Lodge.

Six friends. Six stories on the night of a murder. Six lies. Will the truth come forward?

30 years later, and Detective Jonah Sheens is desperate to solve the murder of his classmate Aurora, on that fateful summer night of 1983.

Through the memories of scandal, drugs, alcohol, lies, promiscuity, lies, fear, and hate, Sheens is a race against his conscious as he searches for the killer before he strikes again.

Thanks for the early review copy!

I recommend this novel to fans of mystery fiction. It was well-written and interesting novel. I mainly picked it because of the cover.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

While I had issues with certain elements of this novel, I read it more or less in one sitting and would recommend it. The plot revolves around the discovery of the body of a teenager who went missing 30 years ago. There are chapters from the perspective of the investigating police team, especially the DC Juliette and the DCI Jonah. I thought the author did a good job of introducing these characters, who are presumably going to feature in further instalments; there was enough background to their characters to interest without detracting from the momentum of the plot. Sadly there was the seemingly obligatory plot device of Jonah being personally involved with the suspects, and in one particular instance in a way that seemed totally out of character for him. There were also chapters from the perspective of the victim describing the events leading up to her death. Switching between the two time lines and sets of characters worked well, I thought, enabling the reader to check what the suspects were telling the police against what actually happened.

My main problem with the novel was the way the ending required pages of explanation, and the surely rather unlikely actions of a minor character to bring things to a head. A major suspect from the middle of the book was abandoned, and I wanted to know what his story really was. I also found it difficult to believe the group had remained close for the last 30 years - none of them seemed even to like each other.

I do look forward to reading more in this series though - I want to get to the bottom of DS Lightman.

Wait a second, is this really a debut? Holy crap. I can't wait to read more from Gytha Lodge.

In 1983, a group of teenage friends are camping. One goes missing. 30 years later, her body is found. Detective Jonah Sheens is put in charge of solving the crime.

The story is told in the present and the past, giving you glimpses into how things unfolded that night. What Lodge does so well is crafting characters in way where you feel sorry for everyone involved, and you have no idea who the culprit is. There are not too many twists and plot lines that get too messy, which makes this a good investigative story. There's enough emotion in this book where you feel sorry for nearly everyone involved towards the end. A great read!


Thank you to NetGalley and Random House

It was supposed to be a fun get away, a group of teens camping out under the summer stars. Aurora Jackson, who’s much younger than the others, is thrilled just to be invited. But the next morning Aurora has disappeared with no trace. Now, thirty years later, Aurora has finally been found, at least what’s left of her, in a grave not far from the teens’ campsite. Jonah Sheens, who was just a rookie when the girl disappeared has been given the case and he’s determined that this time, the truth will finally be uncovered. This is an accomplished and complex thriller, it’s hard to believe that it’s Lodge’s first.