3.75 stars! The Norway hiking setting was extremely atmospheric and each character’s POV was fairly unique and and engaging. I read this in a day because I had to find out what happened! I love a thriller that has a lot of character detail and development, this book touched on friendship, loyalty, motherhood, marriage.

The ending wrapped too quickly for me and I wish there had been more details before it jumped forward — I have questions!

Yawn! That is what happens when you can't put a book down and read it late into the night. "The Hike" is a gripping thriller, once it gets going. Liz, Maggie, Joni and Helena have been friends since childhood and they still get together once a year for a vacation. This year, Liz decided the four should go hiking in the mountains of northern Norway. Readers know from the prologue that there is a body on the mountain, but we don't learn whose body until the end. The book is told through the women's POV, and I thought the character development was sound. Readers meet organized, driven doctor Liz, single mother Maggie, career-focused Helena and rock star Joni. Each character is deeply flawed more than unlikeable. The early chapters are focused on character introduction, but the plot starts moving once the plot moves to Norway. The setting is atmospheric and provides a brooding and sinister element to the plot. This was so close to a 5-star book. I highly recommend if you like thrillers.

Final Rating: 3.5

This was good! It wasn't anything groundbreaking or crazy, but it was pretty entertaining. I loved the atmosphere and in general, thrillers where a group of people are isolated, especially in the wilderness is definitely my thing. I was definitely invested in the characters from the beginning and knowing that something was going to happen to at least one of them definitely added to the tension.

When things started to go down hill for me is when the end reveal started to happen. The book definitely took a turn that I wasn't expecting and didn't necessarily like. With the synopsis mentioning a murder, I definitely was expecting something totally different than what actually happened. It really felt a bit unrealistic, especially with the big reveals at the end. Drugs and drug usage played a large role in this book and I wasn't expecting that, as it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the synopsis so if that isn't your thing I would maybe skip this one.

I enjoyed this read! I was a big fan of the dynamic between the four friends, and while the twist towards the end did shock me, it felt a little unnecessary. The story of the women was more than enough for me.

That being said, I loved the writing style and will definitely be reading more from Clarke in the future!

A great mystery, while predictable in many places, comes with a surprise ending!

I really enjoyed this book and thought the author captured the relationship between the four friends perfectly. There are always arguments when traveling as a group, especially when you're so comfortable around one another, and this was done super well in the book. I definitely chuckled a few times during some of their pov's. Especially because each woman gets their own pov and you can tell so much about their personality during it.

Highly recommend this one to anyone who wants an easy and quick mystery/thriller!

Dear friends: please don’t ever invite me on an extreme hiking and camping trip. I’m not coming. Nooope. You truly couldn’t pay me😂

Since I can’t understand why anyone would willingly take on such a dangerous and grueling adventure (let alone 4 non-hikers for their “annual girls trip”…), I had to employ some extreme suspension of belief right off the bat for this one. But, if you can get past all that… 😂 I did enjoy this book for the most part!

I blew through it in less than 2 days (short chapters 🫶🏼🫶🏼), which counts for something. It had the creepy/eerie factor, good suspense, an atmospheric setting, and strong female protagonists. I’m just not totally in love with the way things unraveled in the end - and I can’t say much more without spoiling! I guess you’ll just have to read it 😜 it’s out today!

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆
🍿 Popcorn Thrillers
🇳🇴 Norway
🏔️ Descriptive scenery
💪🏼 Survivalist shit
🔥 Slow burn mystery
👀 Multiple POV

I loved this book! This is my first book by Lucy Clarke and I will definitely be seeking out other books by her. So much action that I couldn't put the book down. Great connection with the characters and nature. You get the full story and are not left wondering how things turned out for the characters. I will be recommending this book to my friends! Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn’t a survival thriller like it sounded like. It was kind of slow and the characters were just annoying, I ended up DNFing this one .

Thank you to Lucy Clarke, Penguin, and NetGalley for an eARC of THE HIKE in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the atmospheric writing. I’ve been on many camping and hiking trips, and Lucy Clarke nailed it: dense forestry, rocky terrain, and the eerie silence of being far removed from civilization. Also can’t forget the grueling weight of your pack, the blisters, being way too tired to set up your tent, and how blissfully amazing dehydrated food tastes after a long day.

The characters were also all individually developed and had satisfying arcs, especially Helena. Their friendship felt real. Despite getting in tiffs due to exhaustion and stress, they all still love each other deeply and I thought that was wonderful and affirming. That being said, the plot didn’t move extremely quickly until the end, but I liked the attention to the characters, so the slow burn didn’t bother me.

I also didn’t expect the book to have a drug plot but oh well, lol. It gave me pause but wasn’t a deal-breaker.

Overall, would recommend!

Four friends hike in Norway, which none of them are fully prepared.
One woman dies and I kept wondering which one would it be while reading. My guesses swung wildly back and forth and in the end, the one I thought would end up dead, was the one.
It’s a quick read about friendships, expectations, secrets, and moving on.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC!!

I really enjoyed this book, it was a tiny bit predictable in some parts but overall a fun read!!

I love hiking, but I didn’t like this book. I thought the premise was neat, but the way it was carried out was absolutely ridiculous and required me to suspend too much disbelief.

Instead of the female friendships coming across as sincere and heartfelt, their bonds felt contrived and shallow. The book was predictable and absolutely dry.

I can’t say I recommend it at all.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Personal policy dictates that since this title received a rating of three stars or lower it will not appear on social media or bookseller websites.

This was a good, quick read. I kind of figured out what was going on in the beginning (not the big reveal but one piece) and kind of eye rolled.

The pacing was great and I loved the atmosphere. I love a good girls trip turned sour story.

recently read The Hike by Lucy Clarke and I saw it described as a popcorn thriller and honestly that's a good way to describe this. It's a book about 4 friends who take a girls weekend to go hiking in Norway and find themselves in for more than they can handle when there is also a killer on the trail.

It was a quick read but I was annoyed at most of the book since these 4 women should have never been backpacking. Especially not on a trail that was described as infrequently hiked and a challenge when you could tell they have never camped. There is a difference in hiking, camping and backpacking!

So if you're looking for a thriller with a great atmosphere but is more of an easy-read entertainment check this out.

Its a story about 4 lifelong girlfriends who decide to go hiking in a remote Norwegian mountain with terrible weather. There is also a killer on the loose hunting the women.

I like books like these and I certainly enjoyed it. But you had to suspend belief quite a bit in reading of this book. Sometimes that takes you out of the story you are reading. eg. the weather was terrible and one of the friends knew about this early on, yet decided not to share this info w her friends and put their lives in danger.

Having said that, I finished the book and will look forward to reading more from this author.

When you plan a trip with your three best friends, you would naturally gravitate to a warm, sunny location, right? Not for Liz and her best friends. Instead of relaxing on the beach, Liz, Maggie, Helena, and Joni will be hiking in Norway. Most of the women are hesitant to attend this trip - but for all the wrong reasons. Their trip starts on the wrong foot and continues in chaos until the end. As they continue their ascent up the mountain, they all begin to wonder who they can really trust. Do they trust each other? Do they trust those who are supposed to help them in a dangerous situation? Do they even trust themselves? By the time the women leave Norway, their entire lives are going to be changed...and maybe not for the better.

I was instantly hooked as this was giving me a She Started It vibe. I kept guessing, not knowing what mishap was going to interrupt their trip next. However, around 80%, I found myself becoming disinterested in what was happening. There was so much build-up for the big twist and it just fell flat. I was looking for something more shocking and wow-worthy. The twist is a good one but it just seemed kind of rushed and not very fleshed out. Also, the very last chapter does not wrap things up in the way it should. It leaves the story on a small cliffhanger that isn't necessary; none of this is addressed in the "afterward" section of their stories as well. Maybe I went in expecting too much. It's a solid story but prepare yourself for a not-so-crazy ending.

If you enjoy a good atmospheric thriller, this is a good one. 3 best friends decide to go on a hike in Norway for their annual summer vacation. They don't expect their friend Joni to come as well since she is always on tour, but at the last minute she shows up with hiking boots and a backpack ready to go.

I've read some other hiking adventure books, and they always creep me out. I don't like the feeling of being out in the middle of nowhere without help if someone gets hurt or bad weather comes in or there are weirdos hiking out there with you. I love the suspense as the 4 women hike up this mountain. They are not really cut out to be hiking and there are just too many questionable people at the lodge and that they encounter on the trail.

This book had a fast-paced feel and moved along quickly jumping between POV's. An entertaining thriller that will keep you feeling the suspense.

Liz, Helena, Joni, and Maggie have been best friends since high school. Every year they get together for a week long vacation to take a break from their busy lives and catch up with one another. Usually their trips involve pools and cocktails, but this year they’re embarking on the adventure of a lifetime! They’ll be backpacking for four days along the Svelle trail and climbing the tallest mountain in Norway called Blafjell.

What could happen when four inexperienced hikers take on the biggest, most challenging mountain that’s known for severe weather and mudslides? They run into danger around every corner.

Just when they think they’re safe, a killer emerges out of the fog. There’s no where to run, and nobody can be trusted. How will they survive?

I read the first chapter few chapters on Friday night and felt overwhelmed with the amount of characters. I woke up early Saturday morning to dive back in, and didn’t stop until it was dark outside. Around the middle of the book, I was able to figure out all the characters and fell in love with each of the women even though they were totally clueless when it came to survival.

A thought that crossed my mind while reading:
I’m in my 30’s and the last thing I want to do is drink a bottle of wine, a glass of champagne, and beer the night before climbing the tallest mountain in Norway. I’d be dead in bed, not climbing a mountain. 😂

Four best friends from childhood set aside one week a year to meet up and vacation together. This year, it was Liz's turn to choose the destination. Tired of their usual sunshine and cocktail infused beach trips she decided on a real adventure. Liz, Maggie, Helena and Jodi would hike and wild camp in the mountains of Norway. As the group sets off with heavy packs on their backs each woman is also carrying a burden of their own - Maggie anxious about being separated from her daughter for the first time, Jodi dealing with her struggles with addiction, Helena recently dealt life-changing news and Liz a marriage on the rocks. The women, each with different levels of preparedness walk their way through the wilderness towards their goal reaching the summit of Blafjell Mountain. But there are dangers lurking in the woods and Blafjell has claimed lives before. When hikers return to base camp reporting a body found, a search begins in the ravine and for a killer hiding somewhere out in the wild. I am so grateful to have been sent an advanced copy of "The Hike" by Putnam Books and NetGalley because I couldn't put this one down. Each of the characters gives you love/hate vibes, the setting is pure anxiety inducing and I couldn't wait to figure out what really happened out there on the mountain. Not a chance would I be found doing what these women were brave enough to attempt but I enjoyed Lucy Clarke taking me along on their adventure. Thriller/Mystery fans add this one to your TBR list.

Thank you, Netgalley and Putnam Books for the #gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Hike was such a page turner for me! I now have a new go to author. Although the beginning of the book was slow, it picked up pace and had twists that I wasn’t expecting! Definitely recommend!