I was hoping this book would be so much more than it was. I really liked the premise and was excited to get into the story. I must share the same brainwaves as the author because I saw exactly where the plot was going. Nothing was surprising and I guessed all the “twists” very early on. It was easy to read and I liked the narration, so I was hoping I’d be surprised. The childhood flashbacks with weird girls playing magical games in the woods hit very close to home. That was my childhood. I thought that part was the best.

I enjoyed this mystery/thriller about a group of friends that have a long ago secret that is still creating trauma for all of them. Like many novels these days, the main character is brought back to her home town to deal with the secrets of the past. The story slowly revealed itself and it did have a few good twists. My only negative is that the ending/climax was very convoluted and drawn out for me. Overall though a good thriller!

This book sucked me in right from the beginning and had me guessing the entire time. I loved all the twists, turns, and revelations. Each character was thoughtfully introduced and woven throughout the story. I really enjoyed this wild ride with Kate Alice Marshall. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy!

Kate Alice Marshall’s first foray into the adult world is super solid. Very engaging with a likable unlikeable narrator, a wild past trauma, close friend group, and of course tons of secrets and lies. I was proud of being able to guess one aspect but the rest caught me by surprise! There are certain aspects to this thriller that I think will make it stick in my head for a while, which is not always the case with thrillers. There was just so much going on to keep the reader engaged, but never confused. I really enjoyed my time with this book and can’t wait for the author’s next adult release!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

A super solid thriller- I was invested from the beginning! Loved the short chapters, loved Naomi and really enjoyed where the story went. I couldn't stop turning the pages.& had to find out how it ended. I will definitely be recommending this to mystery/thriller fans.

This was a dark and twisty thriller. I kept thinking I knew which direction it was going in and I was mostly wrong.

Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Kate Alice Marshall for a copy of What Lies in the Woods in exchange for an honest review. Alright first off, what is it about small town settings and drama that just captivate me?! I love this setting so much and this setting was perfect for this storyline! Not only did I love that our main character wasn't perfect, I loved that she stayed true to who she was throughout the story. I also couldn't pick better characters for this storyline. I won't say much more because I'm not trying to spoil anything but this one had me riding the roller coaster of twists and turns over and over again!! As soon as I thought I had something figured out, our author threw me for another loop. I hope everyone picks this one up on Jan 17th, 2023 because if you don't, you're missing out.

If I could tell you the one great thing about having over a week off from the ever-draining medical field, it is to be able to read endless amounts of books, obsess over all of the netgalley choices I have, and pick out winner after winner without ever having to worry about being rushed into the next room... instead, I was able to cuddle up on my sofa, in front of the fireplace and enjoy each and every book I picked out.

Now this might not sound like much to the every day person, but when you are constantly on your feet and solving one issue after the next, sometimes its so nice to just have silence and be alone with your own thoughts.

All week, this is what I did....

First up was What Lies in the Woods

This was the first time I loved the audio so dang much that I had to pick up the book itself just to make sure I didn't miss one little detail.

This was my first book by Kate Alice Marshall but there is no way it will be my last.

I was completely thrown into the plot without a minute to waste. This is not a slow burn but instead a heart pounding thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Reading or listening, it does not matter which option you prefer, you are bound to love this book so much.

I did figure out the major twist a little early on but it didn't stop me from absorbing every last detail of this book. The characters were well done, and although they were definitely not the warm and squishy type, I was still able to form a connection of sorts with them.

I have said it 100 times...

Kids are Evil
Books about kids are evil
I love evil children...

This book is sure to give the strongest readers nightmares so I will advise you to prepare yourself for some sleepless nights!

5 stars!

My Thoughts

The characters are well developed, the plot lines are superbly set up and well executed, pace is steady as well as easy to follow, most of the twists keep me guessing and the one I did figure out on my own in no way prepared me for some of the others.

The facts in this winding, twisted and twisting tale are filled with half truths along with outright fabrications by the main characters.

What that all added up to was a story that kept me reading all day without very many breaks and luckily fewer interruptions.

Hard to put down and going to be hard for me to forget anytime soon either!
EArc from Netgalley

A thrilling, page turning mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end!

Naomi Shaw has a secret. When she was 11 years old, she was attacked, and although she doesn't remember much from that night, she did her best to relay all of the information she could to the police. Her testimony, along with that of her two friends who witnessed the attack, put away a serial killer. When one of the girls from that fateful night is ready to come clean, Naomi finds herself back in her small hometown discussing the fallout that could hit if their secret comes out. Naomi finds herself back in those fateful woods where magic and mystery intercept only to find out that the Goddess Game isn't over and it's up to her to finish the ritual.

I was sucked into this story from the beginning and couldn't put it down once I started. As a child, I spent lots of time in the woods with a vivid imagination and a draw to magic, so I found myself envisioning my own forest as Naomi's while I burned through this story. I really enjoyed how the author both set the scene and portrayed Naomi and her friends. Everyone has secrets and the event that took place decades ago really changed the entire town and I loved seeing Naomi come face to face with that after so many years. This book kept me guessing until the very end and I loved the avenue that the author took with the ending. It was completely unexpected and so satisfying. This was a deliciously dark, thrilling read that will live rent free in my mind long after I turned the last page.

Thank you to Flatiron Books for my early copy.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very slow for about the first 50%. There were things that happened in it that I just felt like didn’t need to happen. I get why they happened and I’m not sure that it carried the story. It just felt thrown in and weird. After about the 70% mark I was more interested.

Overall, it was messy and felt choppy but was still enjoyable.

Will be reviewing a physical copy of this one. Thank you again for the ARC and hopefully this opens up a space for someone else.

I have read a few books by this author in the YA category and was very excited to learn that she was releasing an adult thriller. She absolutely did not disappoint. I loved this story. the friend group, the main character who was sort of the worst, but you still wanted to see her thrive. I also really loved how this book touches on true crime, how we consume it and what it can mean to the victims. It also kept me on my toes through the whole book, I had ideas but I kept changing my mind. Easy to follow and get sucked into. Highly recommend and a great debut in the adult age group!

Naomi and her two best friends Cassidy and Olivia love to spend hours in the woods playing their made up goddess game. A gruesome discovery during one of their games leads to Naomi being attacked. She survived seventeen stab wounds. When interviewed by the police Naomi identifies a wanted serial killer as her attacker. The man is sent to prison. Everything should be great right? Wrong! They all lied! The three friends reunite years later after the man dies in prison. Naomi struggles with her guilt as she fears she put the wrong man away.

I thought this book dragged a bit in this beginning. I alternated between reading the physical copy and listening to the audiobook which was well done. I slowly got sucked into the story and just had to know what happened next.

What Lies in the Woods is available January 17,2023

Thank you to netgalley, macmillianaudio, and flatironbooks for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book had me hooked right from the beginning.

There were lots of characters, but I didn't have any trouble keeping track of them. Everyone was suspicious and had secrets which definitely kept me engaged and added to the experience of listening to this one for me. I went through suspecting every character there was, including the main character, so in a sense I saw some of the twists coming. However, I was still pleasantly surprised by a good number of twists along the way.

I would definitely recommend this book to others who are looking for a thriller with lots of suspicious characters and secrets from the past.

Thank you NetGalley and Ms. Marshall for giving me the opportunity to review "What Lies in the Woods." This is a novel that will keep you guessing till the end. It hooks you in right from the beginning and keeps the suspense going throughout the novel. There were a few areas that I wish were clarified but overall a very exciting story!

This book was a great read and it kept me on my toes. The author did a great job and I can’t wait to see what else she writes!

What Lies in the Woods is an atmospheric, woodsy, small-town mystery. The narrator Naomi was one of three girls who entered the woods one night when she was 11 and came out forever changed. Naomi was stabbed extensively but somehow she miraculously survived.

This book was a lot of fun and had many twists I did not see coming. This was suspenseful and very well written. This is not a five-star read for me because I expected it to be a bit faster-paced. The middle of the book was slow, but I am very glad I stuck this book out until the end!

Thank you to Net Galley and Kate Alice Marshall for the eArc. All opinions are my own.

Three eleven-year-old girls, Olivia Barnes, Naomi Shaw, and Cassidy Green, best friends since kindergarten, are carrying out their fanciful play in the woods surrounding the small town of Chester, Washington in the Pacific Northwest. It's an ordinary day, the girls often spend their days playing in the woods together. Ordinary, until two of them emerge from the woods covered in blood, and screaming that their friend is dead.

A search party finds the third girl, stabbed 17 times and barely alive. None of the three will ever be the same again, though the horrificness of the day will continue to keep them close, even as it haunts them.

The girls say the attacker was Alan Michael Stahl, a serial killer, and Naomi's testimony puts him in prison for decades. The town breathes a sigh of relief: a bad man is paying for his crimes, saving other young women in the process. The girls are commended for their bravery. There's only one problem. The girls lied.

Twenty-two years after the attack the girls are notified that Stahl has died in prison of cancer. Naomi Cunningham (who moved away and changed her last name in an attempt to distance herself from the event) is working in Seattle as a wedding photographer. After a phone call from Liv, she decides to return to Chester for awhile. She needs to understand what really happened that night, and hopes that she can finally put her nightmares to rest.

Liv and Cassidy welcome her back with open arms, and three young women pick right up again on the close friendships that have sustained them each over these decades. But the longer Naomi is in Chester, the more questions she has as to what really happened that summer, and her questions set things into motion that won't be able to be stopped.

The author writes a taut, well-paced mystery that is filled with red herrings and twists and turns galore. I understand that this novel was a change in genre for her. I am so glad she decided to try something new and hope she writes more books in this vein. I very much look forward to her next offering!

My sincere thanks to Flatiron Books for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel (set to be published 1/17/23) via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall revolves around Naomi, who was attacked 22 years ago in the woods while she was playing a game with her best friends Cassidy and Olivia. Thankfully, because of their testimony, they were able to send a serial killer to jail. But it's years later now, and Naomi is starting to wonder whether they sent the right man to jail.

Here is a chilling excerpt from the opening chapter:

"One girl shivered and shook her head, wrapping her arms around her body, but the other spoke. Her voice was hollow and lost. “There was a man,” she told him. “He had a knife.”
“Are you hurt?” he asked, wishing that he had his gun, wishing that his spaniel had ever been a threat to anything but his shoes.
“No,” the girl said. When he told the story, Leo would linger on this part. The way she stared right through him, like there was nothing but a ghost behind her eyes. “But our friend is dead.”"

Overall, What Lies in the Woods is a small-town serial killer thriller that you won't be able to put down! . One highlight of this book is the scary, terrifying atmosphere. Another highlight of the book was the multiple twists and turns that I did not see coming. I did take off 1 star because of the slow pace. It didn't get exciting until halfway through. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in January!