Wow! This was so much more than I expected. The characters are complex. The mystery gripping. I was sucked in and couldn't read fast enough. I was stunned by the reveals! It isn't often that happens and is the hallmark of a great mystery.

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall is a gripping thriller. It's set in a small town and about three women who have been bffs since they were in kindergarten. They were 11 and playing in the woods when Naomi was attacked and left for dead. The book is about what happened in the aftermath of the attack and how lies always lead to the truth coming out. I read this book in 3 hours and wanted to read it again.

Naomi Shaw was 11 years old when she was out in the woods with her friends Liz and Cass and was nearly killed. Now 22 years later her attacker has died in prison and her friend Liz has admitted to lying. Naomi’s memories are very hazy and she begins to wonder if the wrong person was convicted. This is a very gripping edge of your seat read. Thanks NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this ARC!

Holy cow.

This book can be summed up in a singular sentence: twist after twist after twist. In her typical fashion, Kate Alice Marshall keeps you guessing and guessing. And when you're SURE you figured it out? Guess again.

The writing style is fast paced, descriptive but not in a way that drones on, and the chapters are the perfect length to keep you reading well into the wee hours of the morning!

I managed to guess ONE of the many twists and turns that Marshall offered and I DEVOURED this book over the course of 24 hours. This is a 5 star read you won't want to miss.

I will add this, if you're expecting something supernatural (which I was), you won't find it here. What you WILL find is an exploration of friendship, betrayal, and how far a town will go to keep its secrets. Don't miss this one!

Atmospherica and claustrophobic story of childhood trauma, small town secrets and an overall gritty read.
Naomi Shaw is still recovering from an attack by a serial killer as a child. She and her childhood friends were able to identify the man and put him behind bars for life. When the accused killer dies in prison, the friends return to their small town to reconnect. Naomi has blocked most of the experience out, but her friends do remember, and they seem to be keeping some of the events secret from her. Suddenly Naomi is not sure if the serial killer did attack her. Beginning to panic, Naomi begins to work with a podcaster to try to get to the bottom of the events of her childhood. Be prepared for a gritty and dramatic story! If you love small time secrets, atmospheric stories, flawed and damaged heroines, then What Lies in the Woods is for you!

What Lied in the Woods had me sucked in from the first chapter. Kids play games, especially dark ones when they are trying to drown out reality. Naomi and her friends perception of Persephone, is totally believable through that lens. The thrill and twisted crimes that resulted in the woods had me on edge till the end.

This was a satisfying thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing almost to the last page. Well written and I look forward to reading more from the author.

I really enjoyed this book. It was my first by Kate Alice Marshall and she did not disappoint! The mystery took a couple of turns that I wasn’t expecting and the end made my jaw drop. Twice. Perfect amount of mystery and action. The only thing I didn’t love was the main character - at times I had a hard time connecting with her and a couple of the decisions she made didn’t seem plausible, but the storyline was good enough that it stayed enjoyable. I will definitely be reading some of her other work and I recommend this to all thriller fans when it comes out in January.

YouTube review:
https://youtu.be/BcjhdIWQ8Gk

I absolutely loved reading this book! Naomi is such as interesting character to follow as she returns to her small town years after an attack that almost killed her. I did wish for a couple of the side characters to be a bit more fleshed out, to really get a feel for a better impact with the story.

While slow paced in the beginning, it really picked up the paced about a third of the way through. I couldn't put it down after that! There were so many twists, many of which I didn't see coming. This is by far my fav book from this author and I hope she continues to write in the adult genre!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

4.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC!

Naomi, brutally attacked in the woods as a child while her two best friends watched, has struggled her whole life to leave the past behind. After the man who committed the crime dies in prison, the friends are reunited but the threads of the past begin to unravel.

I love the hook of this novel -- "We tried to forget. We didn't tell the story. Not the real one. Not ever."

This thriller had so many twists--some expected, most not--and kept me on the edge of my seat to the very end. The writing is sharp and engaging, keeping the story moving at a quick pace. I had been worried about this being a run-of-the-mill thriller with flat, unbelievable characters, but was pleasantly surprised by this book! Most everyone is layered, flawed in a believable way that served to keep me a tad unbalanced the entire time.

For fans of thriller/mystery, this shouldn't be missed.

I almost gave up reading this book a few times and found myself wondering about the high ratings on Goodreads, but I am glad that I kept reading. I did not particularly care for the protagonist, Naomi, but the plot twists made up for my lack of connection with the characters. By the end of the book I couldn't wait to find out if my predictions were correct. I would recommend that if you feel like giving up on this book, don't!

Kate Alice Marshall has written middle grade and young adult books for several years. Now she’s proven herself to be a talented thriller writer as well.

I was pulled in from the first sentence of this book and I never got pulled out. Naomi and her two friends loved to play intricate imaginary games in the woods. One day Naomi is attacked by a serial killer, but she doesn’t die. Twenty-two years later she comes back to the small town she grew up in because of news about this killer.

However, not everything is as it seems, not the past, not the present. Marshall takes the reader through this thriller in an expert way. You will not want to put this book down. You will be surprised, you will be appalled, you will think “I just knew it!” But did you really? Do you really?
This enjoyable mystery thriller will be on the shelves in January. If you are a fan of these genres, be sure to check this out.

A solid 4.5 stars from me.

wow. This has to be the best thriller read. On my top five for sure. What lies in the woods is told in first person by naomi Shaw and alternates between the present and flash backs. This book has so many twists and just when I thought there could be no more This author surprises you and throws you in for a loop. besides verity this book kept me at the edge of my seat constantly wondering who to Believe. Who to trust. I was constantly thinking who is telling the truth, the girl who can barley remember or her friends who say they saw everything? This book has so much mystery and suspence and everything about it was perfect! The writing was phenomenal and the twists and plot was perfect!

A great thriller..kept me up all night and turning pages. Such a great storyline. Unique and interesting. Look forward to more by this author.

Wow! My first book by this author and their debut adult novel! I will definitely be reading more. It starts as a bit of a slow burn but really picks up pace and is VERY hard to put down! Lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. Naomi, Olivia, and Cassidy are three best friends playing goddesses in the woods when Naomi is brutally attacked. She survives and her friends identify her attacker….but they lied about something….read to find out! I’ll be thinking about this one for awhile to come, definitely recommend!

***Thank you to Netgalley and flatiron books for an eARC***

Great read! This is the first book that I've read from this author, an ebook gifted from Netgalley. Mysteries aren't my normal genre of choice but the description led me to requesting a copy. I read this in one day-couldn't put it down. The story has a good build up to whodunit at the end.

Growing up, Naomi lived through a traumatizing event with her two best friends, Liv & Cass, that still haunts her 20 years later; but, the problem is Naomi is starting to question if what she’s always believed to be true about what happened is the fully story.

There’s really only one word that I can think of to describe this book and how I felt when I finished reading it: WOW. Between the character development, the storyline, and the author’s ability to keep you guessing, this book was amazing. I loved Naomi’s character and how she was unapologetic about the person she was and gave off kind of a take it or leave it vibe but she was also still vulnerable. Ethan started out as the guy you thought was sleazy and just ugh, but turned into the guy you could see yourself rooting for and that’s saying something.

Between the storyline itself and the writing style I thought this book was amazing. The flashbacks to explain what happened in the past weren’t confusing as they can sometimes be and flowed well with the story. Overall I give this book 4.5 stars because I felt like the beginning moved a little slow and wasn’t nearly as engaging as the middle to end. Either way I would without a doubt read more books by Marshall in a heartbeat.

*Thank you #NetGalley & Flar Iron Books for providing me with an ARC for my honest review*

I loved this book! It was a little bit of a slow burn at first but once it got going I couldn't put it down. There are so many twists and turns in this book. Some I predicted but a few surprised me. This was the author's adult debut and I cannot wait to see what else she comes up with.

Naomi used to believe in magic and goddesses at the age of 11 with her two friends Liv and Cass. But when Naomi is attacked by a serial killer one day in the woods, her whole life changes. At just 11 she sends a killer to prison, but the question is, what she wrong? Naomi is called back to her hometown by her two friends because it is time to tell their secrets. What really happened in the woods all those years ago? And why does it seem like there is still magic holding them to the woods?

I enjoyed this book! I was interested in it from the beginning and I read it fairly quickly. The dynamic of Naomi was interesting because while you dont necessarily "like" her, you can definitely see why her life is as complicated and hard to read as it is. My only complaint about this book was the ending was a tad predictable, as the friendship of the 3 girls was very similar to a popular true crime case that happened near me. The similarities are what made me drop my rating. But if you dont keep up with the news or crime you may not know. All in all I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it to people.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of this work in exchange for my honest review. All reviews are entirely my opinion.

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
Publishing Date - 01/17/23
Rating (4/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC. The numerous twists and turns made for an unexpected ending. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Looking forward to reading some of her other books in the future.