I’m a little rusty on my mystery/thrillers, haven’t read one in a while. But this one had me hooked! And for the most part, I didn’t see a lot of the twists coming. And oh we’re there twists. It was a great whodunit.
My only complaint would be how annoying it was that for absolutely no reason the female main character mentioned having a girlfriend. But also then had a boyfriend. And later seemed flirty with a married man. There was zero actual romance in the book (which was refreshing) but irritating that they just had to throw in a bi character or talk about her sexuality at a for zero reason. Like why did it even matter or need to be mentioned? It didn’t further the story in any way.

A page turning thriller. I enjoyed this one and it kept me going back and forth in how I thought it was going to end. Even tho I made some predictions that came to fruition, the author pulled some twists I didn’t see coming. I love having a strong female protagonist who wears her scars like armor. And the ultimate resolution was satisfying.

Where are my psychological thriller fans at?!? This is one you definitely want to add to your radar!!! FULL of twists & turns! A small town, childhood trauma & friendship bonded by secrets. It’s dark, gritty, twisty and a must read!

A huge thank you to netgalley, flatiron books & macmillan audio for this advance ALC in exchange for my honest review!! It’s 5 twisty dark stars!!! The audio book was great! The narration totally kept me captivated and on the edge of my seat!! I couldn’t stop binge listening!! I HIGHLY recommend!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced audiobook.

This one was twisty. It really had me guessing. The narrator also did a great job for the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book. This story was a twisty thriller I enjoyed very much! Trying to figure out how the 2 main characters would compromise or go against one another, was great fun. Also figuring out the circumstances of the original attack kept the reader turning pages.. 4 stars rounded.

Wow! This was my 1st book by Kate Alice Marshall and it will definitely not be the last. In fact, I am going to add her entire backlog of books to my TBR! I did not see that final twist coming at the end but a couple of them leading up to it I did. But dang the bad guy was really, really bad! This book had all the things I like and hooked me right from the beginning! I can't wait to read more by this author!

I was excited to listen to this dark, fast paced thriller. It did not disappoint!

The main character is unreliable due to memory loss due to an attack, and the feeling that she is keeping secrets from even the reader. Relationships, both new and old, are affected by this unreliability, but it adds depth to both the MC and the book. The overall feel of the book was slightly disturbing but an accurate portrayal of many small towns. With on unexpected twist at the end, I was left wondering what I had just listened to.

The narrator did a wonderful job of changing between characters and making sure the listener knew which character was speaking, without needing to be told. Inflection was used appropriately, and added to the overall feel of the book. As much as the MC was unlikable and unreliable, the narrator made the listener like her in the end.

I want to thank Netgalley, and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy.

This is the story of complicated relationships between three friends who bonded over a superstitious game, a horrific assault, and a murder accusation.

It takes 22 years for Naomi to start to unravel what happened to her in the woods all those years ago, and when she does, the secrets and lies and betrayals are almost too tangled up to make sense of, but Naomi persists.

There are enough clues that you may guess what happened, but you won't guess how the story plays out. I listened to the audio version and the narrator Karissa Vacker narrated all characters with conviction and a great depth of emotion in her voice, that made this easy to listen to.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books/Macmillan Audio for an advance audiobook.

This audiobook/storyline actually held my attention while I worked, which is a rarity for me. It was interesting, twisty, and kept me on my toes! This is one of those books that you can't help but think about every waking moment until you finish it.

This book dragged too much for me. I think the relationships were interesting but they didn't seem real. The characters also didn't seem real. I'm sorry! I wanted to like it.

Say this for Kate Alice Marshall’s first adult mystery: It will definitely keep you entertained from start to finish.

The structure and complexity of this story felt like a cerebral, thinking woman’s mystery reminiscent of writers like Tana French initially. Though it later devolves into something far more bonkers and in line with current short attention span thrillers, the book comes through pretty well in the end anyway.

The dynamic between Naomi, Liv, and Cass and how it has evolved as they age and continue to navigate the trauma they survived together as kids is intriguing. And I found Naomi to be very easy to root for, which is unusual for me when I’m given a protagonist who makes a lot of terrible life choices.

It’s pretty easy to figure out who the villains are fairly early In the book, and the solve definitely strains credulity in exchange for trying to shock you (I find it pretty hard to believe there are this many sociopaths in one tiny little town), but it’s a fun and compelling read.

What Lies in the Woods was one of my favorite thrillers this year and I have not stopped recommending it. Not only did I love the suspense, but I felt fully invested in the characters.

First I feel that a narrator can either make or break a book. Not only was the narrator perfect for the material the book itself was on the edge entertaining.

Three girls from different social circles become friends. They claim each other and create a tribe. One day while playing Goddeses in the woods tragedy strikes. Two girls physically unhurt and one barely surviving. At eleven years of age these 3 girls must face the monster and send him to prison.

Fast forward to adulthood. Each girl carries scars some are visible others are on their souls. Did they tell the truth in court 25 years ago? No one really knows what happened except for Naomi, Olivia and Cassidy. Naomi can't remember. Olivia wants to tell the truth and Cassidy wants to bury the past.

The truth will come out one way or another.......

a very solid thriller!
really liked the writing, and was interested pretty much the entire time. the characters & how everything played out was very realistic to me and wasn't one of those books where you have to suspend your belief.

I picked up an ARC of Kate Alice Marshall's book as a newcomer to her writing, hoping to find an author that I could connect with. I was immediately drawn into the eerie story that had me engrossed until the end. Marshall weaves an intense thriller that keeps the reader guessing until the truth is revealed, with memories that are reorganized for maximum impact. I highly recommend her as an author to watch out for.

The story follows Naomi Shaw, who had a magical childhood until she was attacked and almost killed by a serial killer when she was eleven. She testified and put the killer behind bars, making her a hero but also attracting unwanted attention. Twenty years later, she receives news that the killer is dead, and she returns to her hometown to tie up loose ends. But when one of her childhood friends commits suicide with a note apologizing for being part of the lies, Naomi realizes that they may have accused the wrong man. As she tries to uncover the truth, Naomi must confront painful memories and reevaluate everything she thought she knew about the past.

Marshall's narrative is captivating, and the story builds slowly, keeping the reader engaged with intriguing characters and flashback moments that reveal more about the past. The plot is unpredictable, and the reader is left guessing until the very end. Overall, Marshall has created an electrifying thriller that will leave readers thirsting for more of her work.

5 stars!

More than 20 years ago, Naomi Shaw and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, spent magical summers roaming the woods, playing make believe and making the most of their childhoods. Everything changed when Naomi was brutally attacked in those woods–miraculously surviving seventeen stab wounds. Eventually, she identified the person who hurt her, and the testimony the girls gave was enough to convict a serial killer. But they weren’t telling the whole truth.

Now, one of the girls wants to clear her conscience. Another wants real answers. And the actual truth will again change their lives forever. Throw in a handsome stranger. Family secrets. Guilt. And you have the recipe for a chilling, thrilling, suspenseful masterpiece.

This one was 11 hours and 16 minutes on audio. Karissa Vacker one again propelled an already excellent story just off the charts. Even with a potentially unreliable narrator, KV’s smooth, soothing cadence will make you feel safe. It started off a little slowly, but I think it gave us a deeper character development before we moved into the breakneck bendy pacing. I think balancing enough twists with just enough is so tough, but it’s executed really well here. Each reveal was more satisfying than the last. Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC. (This sounded perfect on the Shelf app, btw, so thanks for updating the quality there!)

This book was a solid 2.5 stars for me. I was interested in the storyline, but not super engaged with any of the characters who, as adults, seemed quite immature. I found the main character to be pretty unlikeable (as were all the characters, now that I think of it).

I found the secret that the girls were keeping at the age of eleven to be unrealistic and doubtful. The amount of secrets in the town, as well as suspects, were numerous. I’m pretty sure I knew the true identity of one of the characters pretty early on, and the ending didn’t come as a shock but, by that point, everyone was pretty much a suspect, so it was a little anticlimactic.

You can’t go wrong with Karissa Vacker as a narrator :-)

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall is the author's first adult thriller, which explains why a fair amount of the action occurs when the three main characters are tweens/teens. Naomi, Cassidy, and Olivia are lifelong friends who were victims of a crime at age 11. Law enforcement intervened, testimony was given, someone was incarcerated, and a series of murders was solved. Or was it?

I appreciated the pacing of this plot - I was engaged from the first chapter to the last. Some twists surprised me, and the red herrings kept me guessing. This was the third consecutive book I read in early 2023 featuring a character who was a podcaster so that 'trope' felt tired, but that's due more to my reading sequence.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for access to the audiobook that was narrated by Karissa Vacker.

I really enjoyed this one. I enjoyed the story's flashback elements and the pacing overall. It was a really enjoyable thriller. I can't wait to read more from this author.

What lies in the woods is the story of Naomi, Olivia and Cass living with the continued fall out and trauma of what they endured as 11 year olds.

Going in I knew that this book was a thriller, but it was a lot darker than I was expecting. While it was dark, I truly enjoyed reading it.

This is another book that had a lot of twists and turns, and honestly had no idea where it was headed, and when the truth was revealed I did not see it coming.

I often find it frustrating in novels when main characters don't have any friends (this goes across all genres). I liked that in this book the MC has a very small friend groups, AND a plausible reason for keeping her circle so tight.