An Ambiguous Plot That Works But Not Well
The novel opens with the discovery of a skeleton in some woods. The victim was identified as Aurora Jackson, a 14 year old. She was raped and died 35 years earlier while on camping trip with her older sister and five friends. The book covers states, “Six friends, one killer, who do you trust?” The cast of witnesses and possible suspects isn’t limited to those six. There are a teacher with his current and previous girlfriends, a drug dealer, and spouses of the six who did not marry within the group. To top it off, DCI Jonah Sheens, the lead detective on the case is a contemporary of the six and had interacted with several of them 35 years ago. A death of one of the group’s spouse three years before the time of the novel now becomes important.

Obviously, this is a rich mixture with which to create a marvelous story to draw the readers into the story, to make them think through all the twists and turns, and to try to figure out where the story leads. Unfortunately, it can overload the reader. That is what happened to me. This novel did not set its hooks into my imagination so that I wanted to read this novel over other activities, like sleeping. This novel took me over a month to complete that is two to three times what I usually spend with a novel of this length. Every time I picked it up to read, I had to search names to familiarize myself with who is who and pick up the story where I lead off.

The B-storyline was rich for DCI Jonah Sheens, but for the first novel in a series this level of background is adequate. For DC Juliette Hanson the B-story line was a little thinner. Outside her job, there was only one significant story line about her. At the end of the novel this thread was a loose end. Here, I am assuming that it will continue in the next novel.

As for language, nothing stood out as excessive and unacceptable. In fact after reading the novel, I used the search capability of Kindle and discovered the F-bomb every seven pages. There was an equivalent amount of other less vulgar language. There are not any graphic sex scenes, but the story does cover two rapes and sex among the group on the camping trip. I personally did not find any of these in excess and not a deterrent to reading this novel.

If you are an American as I am, I strongly recommend reading this novel on Kindle or any device that has access to a good dictionary and the Internet. As this is novel set in Britain, there is much use of British informal language that access to the Kindle dictionary was frequently needed. This novel required that I use the Internet much more often for previous British police procedurals to find the meaning of some words and phrases.

Overall, the novel has an ambiguous plot. While the author wrote well and did everything that should have captured my attention and be an enjoyable read, it turned out for me to be a drudgery to continue reading. It was not a bad read, neither was it a good read for me. This is the major reason that I rate this novel with three stars. Some of you may find this novel a page turner, but some may find it to be the exact opposite. You must decide.

I have received a free kindle version of this novel through NetGalley from Random House with a request for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Random House for the opportunity to read this novel early.

She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge is the first book in the new police procedural thriller DCI Jonah Sheens series. This first book of the series has our new detectives in search of a killer from a cold case that is over thirty years old. The chapters alternate between the current investigation and the past when the young girl had gone missing.

In July of 1983 Aurora Jackson had gone on a camping trip with her older sister Topaz and Topaz’s friends. Being a few years younger than the group Aurora was nervous and excited to finally be included with the others but when the partying started Aurora was definitely out of her element.

Now more than thirty years later a bone is found not too far away from that original campsite and when tested it’s found to belong to the missing Aurora. Jonah Sheens is put in charge of the case and determined to find out just what happened back then when he was just starting his career as a policemen.

Well, when finished with She Lies in Wait really the best I could come up with would be well, it’s OK. This one unfortunately was just one of those titles that really didn’t seem to grab me much at all and just seemed to be there. There isn’t anything really particularly wrong with it other than maybe dragging here and there but the characters just weren’t ones I connected with. Perhaps the series will pick up the intensity but only 3 stars for this opener so far.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A young girl at the campgrounds with her family, trying to stay hidden because her dad keeps hollering for her to come on, don't get dirty, stay out of this or that, nagging. Trying her best not to be seen she climbs into the hollow part of an old tree, ends up getting her shorts snagged as she sits down into hollowed out part, something starts poking at her leg, she assumes it's the tree roots until she looks down and finds a human finger in her hands. BAM! DCI Jonah Sheens has himself a crime scene.

I really wanted to like this this book so bad. When I read the synopsis, I thought man this is going to be a great read. It felt like 30 years reading this book to get to the end. I am sorry, I was just not connecting with any particular character accept for hearing from the victim herself, as to what she seen happening those 30 some years ago when they were all drinking and partying at their campground.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the aARC in exchange for an honest review.

It took a while for me to get into this one, but once I got into it, it took me right along to the end. I came to really enjoy DCI Jonah Sheens and all the constables in the team, and would read more with them spearheading things. The back and forth in time with the group of teenagers now grown was reminiscent of other books that have you examining past friendships and how a single choice can change the course of one’s life. I see some bad reviews, but I thought it a decent enough read, especially if you love a mystery and love getting close to detective teams so you can look forward to other books with the same team.

Book one (assuming?) in a new detective series set outside London. Great characters, pace, descriptions---the book kept me reading and even now, after finishing, wondering what will come next. Will definitely read if this becomes a series. Started a little slow, but hooked right in after the first few chapters. Well done!

On a scorching July night in 1983, a group of teenagers goes camping in the forest. Bright and brilliant, they are destined for great things, and the youngest of the group—Aurora Jackson—is delighted to be allowed to tag along. The evening starts like any other—they drink, they dance, they fight, they kiss. Some of them slip off into the woods in pairs, others are left jealous and heartbroken. But by morning, Aurora has disappeared. Her friends claim that she was safe the last time they saw her, right before she went to sleep. An exhaustive investigation is launched, but no trace of the teenager is ever found.

Thirty years later, Aurora’s body is unearthed in a hideaway that only the six friends knew about, and Jonah Sheens is put in charge of solving the long-cold case. Back in 1983, as a young cop in their small town, he had known the teenagers—including Aurora—personally, even before taking part in the search. Now he’s determined to finally get to the truth of what happened that night. Sheens’s investigation brings the members of the camping party back to the forest, where they will be confronted once again with the events that left one of them dead, and all of them profoundly changed forever.

This searing, psychologically captivating novel marks the arrival of a dazzling new talent, and the start of a new series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens.

Advance praise for She Lies in Wait

“The mystery intrigues and twists, offering enough red herrings and moments of police procedural to please fans of the genre.”—Kirkus Reviews(starred review)

“Neatly plotted and nicely atmospheric . . . This British import is plausible and eminently satisfying. Encore, please.”— Booklist

“A dark, deep, terrific thriller and a scorching portrait of friendship and its betrayal.”—Nicci French, author of Day of the Dead

“A superior crime book . . . I loved it.”—Marian Keyes, author of The Break

“She Lies in Wait delivers on just about every level—a killer premise, an absorbing plot that twists and turns at just the right pace, and a lead detective who has hit the page fully formed and instantly likeable. One to watch!”—Caz Frear, author of Sweet Little Lies (less) ******Goodreads.com

If you like police-centered mysteries and love BBC shows like Broadchurch, this is a good book choice for you. A new series picked up by Random House, Lodge shows her writing chops as well as her knowledge of how a detective unit works as she explores a cold case in a small British town. Thirty years ago, a fourteen year old girl went missing from a camping trip that involved her sister and five other teens. Leaving a lingering mystery in the town, her skeleton is then discovered and the search for her killer commences. An intriguing cast of characters inhabit the story: DCI Sheens, the head detective with some secrets in his past; Hanson, the 'newbie' who is dogged in her pursuit of answers and seems to have a sixth sense about lying; Topaz, the sister with a dark past; Jojo, the studly rock climber who hides information; Brett, the Olympic athlete with the perfect home; Benners, a politician who was the teen drug dealer in years past; Cooper, the previous bad boy turned college professor; and Coralie, the forgotten girl of the group. This is a definite page turner and solid writing - I look forward to the second series to see how the unit detectives are further flushed out.

There’s something about small towns & the intense relationships formed (or not) in high school. There’s some good writing here; some interesting turns of phrase. “He was still angry, but old dog angry.” The plot goes back and forth between the camping trip interspersed with Sheen’s current investigation. It works well. I enjoyed this and will definitely read the next in the series. I recommend it to anyone that likes a well done police procedural.

It was a weekend in July 1983 when a group of teens went camping overnight in a rural area near Southampton, England. The group included Topaz and her sister, Aurora, Coralie, a girl who followed Topaz everywhere and Jojo, a friend of the others. The guys included wealthy Benners, Connor, a boy with anger issues and Brett, an older boy who was a local star athlete. Benners had brought along a large supply of drugs that he had purchases from a dealer who needed cash quickly. There was also a supply of beer at the campsite.

Topaz was a flirt and spent her time teasing and enticing every boy in sight. Aurora, on the other hand, was quiet and very shy but also very attractive. Most of the group dabbled in alcohol, drugs and sexual activity. Aurora, was not a regular member of the group and less experienced than the others. So when the party got started and her sister and Coralie disappeared with Brett, Aurora stayed behind. Later when the other kids were all passed out or asleep, Aurora moved her sleeping bag away from the group but remained awake.

The next morning no one could find Aurora and she remained missing for 30 years. Her dead body turned up in a hollow under a tree that was recently exposed by the elements. Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens and his team of 3 Inspectors began the process of finding how Aurora died and who killer her.

It seems that the members of the group, who were now all successful adults, had remained close friends. So that group was where the investigation was centered as they were all considered suspects.

This is a debut novel that is well researched and laid out in alternate passages from the campsite in 1983 to 2013 when the body was found. The story kept my attention till the very end and I was surprised to find out who was the killer.

Alternating between the present and flashbacks to the ill-fated camping trip, this suspenseful story kept me turning the pages late into the night. The victim, Aurora, was so sweet and guileless and the crime was pretty darn heinous. The worst part was that the killer could only be one of her sister’s friends, or maybe even the sister herself. This leads to a deep examination of the past and the shifting friendships and alliances of this group of teens. Really, who wouldn’t want to revisit their teenage angst, embarrassing mistakes and love affairs thirty years later? That’s a nightmare scenario right there!

Investigating the crime is a team led by veteran DCI Jonah Sheens. In procedurals like this it is usually the case that the investigators have complicated, interesting lives themselves and this book is no exception. I really enjoyed the dynamics between newbie Juliette and her superior Jonah. This volume seemed to focus on Juliette and Jonah but I feel like there is so much more to delve into with these characters. I’m very glad to see this is book one of a projected series! The rest of the team is also quite fascinating and I hope we learn more about them as the series goes on. I’m especially intrigued by DC Ben Lightman. What’s his story? Why is he so emotionally contained?

You will suspect everyone. EVERYONE! There are a plethora of plausible suspects both within the camping party and a few from outside it as well. My compass needle would swing strongly to point at one person and then towards another and I was never sure if the suspect would be the “easy” villain, and there were several of these, or someone totally unexpected. Every individual was just as likely as the next. The resolution wasn’t a total surprise as I suspected everyone to some extent. Looking back it did seem to fit with the character’s personality but I don’t know that I would have guessed the exact circumstances. The last chase scene was ridiculously stressful and I was yelling inside, and judging by the look my cat was giving me maybe a bit out loud, at the potential victim to hurry, or to fight or to do something to not let the villain win! The villain was truly reprehensible and I did not want them to get away with it or to hurt anyone else. It was a real nail-biter!

Everyone has their secrets that they want to keep hidden and so everyone lies. They lied during the initial investigation and they lie again when the case is reopened. The trick for both the police and the reader is to determine which lies matter and are hiding a killer, and which lies are just due to wounded pride or the ravages of time and drugs on memory. As the truth begins to unfold several of the characters make poor, awfully suspicious, choices that make them look even worse. It is a real tangle of stories and the whole truth doesn’t come out until the end. I found it an unpredictable and exciting story with plenty of red herrings to throw you off the scent. It’s one that will keep you up past your bedtime and is a very promising start to a new series.

Thank you to Random House for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

July 1983 - six teenagers go into the woods - only 5 come out!

After a night of partying in the woods, fourteen-year-old Aurora Jackson is missing. She went on the camping trip with her older sister, Topaz and her friends. After a night of drinking, the teens discover that Aurora's sleeping bag is empty and cold. Where has she gone? Who last saw her? Did she leave on her own? Did she wander off and get lost? Is someone responsible for her being missing?

Thirty years later, DCI Jonah Sheens is called in to investigate the remains found in the forest. Soon tests confirm that the body is Aurora Jackson. DCI Sheen begins to question the five teens who were with Aurora when she went missing. He knows these people, he went to school with them, but was not a member of their close-knit group. As each are interrogated, it becomes obvious that they were not entirely truthful when they were questioned thirty years ago. Were they just teens trying to stay out of trouble for underage drinking and sex or did they have something more sinister to hide?

This book is told in alternating time-lines. Aurora in the past and her experiences during the camping trip and in the present as Jonah investigates what happened in the woods that lead to Aurora's death. Have the group members changed over time? Are they still the cohesive group? Do any have secrets? Does anyone have any new information?

Although I enjoyed this book, I wanted it to be so much better. I can't fault the writing. I found the writing to be good. Plus, the premise is great - teens go camping in the woods - one is never seen or heard from again. But this lacked a little of the OOMPH I was expecting. I really didn't connect or care for any of the characters except for Aurora. The Detective on the case knows the teens but he was not friends with them. There really didn't seem to be too much of a connection there. He knew one of the members brothers. He didn't have any issues with the group in the past so there is not angst, no awkward moments, no issues really which would have made the investigation more interesting. I did guess the killer early in the book - this isn't a deal breaker for me but in terms of this book, I would have liked more of a mystery. Plus, the premise: six teens go into the woods - I think this would have worked better if I wasn't able to figure out the identity of the killer. I also would have liked this book to be darker. Plus, none of the adults seemed to be too shocked or upset when Aurora's body was found. Her sister was upset but the others seemed very unemotional. If I were camping and one member went missing and then his/her body was found, I would have been more emotional. After-all, they were there when she went missing, they were questioned as teens, suspicion was on them, that had to have been stressful and to finally know the truth, I don't know, they seemed more worried about themselves and if they would get in trouble for drugs they had as a teen then the fact that Aurora was found dead presumably murdered.

What I enjoyed the most about this book was Aurora's timeline. For me, this was the most interesting part of the book and I found the teens to be more interesting (in the past) than they were as adults.

I received a copy of this book from Random House Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge, this is the authors first novel and I must say I will be looking for more from this author! This story had a good storyline I could picture all the characters and came to know them, I also liked how Aurora had her own chapters from her viewpoint. Once involved with this book I did not want to stop till I knew! Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Publishers for allowing me to read this ARC and give you my honest opinion.

Off to the races! This is a great debut novel and is the beginning of a new series starring DCI Jonah Sheens. Basically it is a well-done police procedural.

Thirty years ago six friends went camping and one 14-year-old girl disappeared and was never found. Fast forward to present day and some bones are found near the campsite. The mystery is to solve what actually happened. The story is told in two timelines with Aurora narrating the past and then the investgation happening during the present. It was an effective method in this case.

I have to say I enjoyed the writing style and felt the case was investigated by an interesting team of "coppers" (I do love British mysteries!). I liked following the various paths of the investigation to the result. With six on the camping trip with more than one thing to hide it was fun to see how it unfolded. I would recommend the book and would read the next one when it is available.

Thanks to Gytha Lodge and Random House Publishing Group through Netgalley for an advance copy.

When 9-year-0ld Jessie Miller hides from her father, she discovers bones. The bones are identified as those of 14-year-old Aurora Jackson who disappeared 30 years prior while on a camping trip with 6 other kids, including her younger sister, Topaz. DCS Jonah Sheens, who heads the investigation, had gone to school with the teens involved although he did not run in their circle. There are twists and turns and it is a very good read although I found it confusing in the beginning with all the characters that were introduced all at the same time.

Unfortunately, this book was too similar to The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager - except this was a little more predictable for me. It could be that I'm reading too many thrillers lately, but I didn't sense much orignality.

Book Info
Hardcover, 368 pages
Expected publication: January 8th 2019 by Random House (first published 2019)
ISBN 1984817353 (ISBN13: 9781984817358)
Series DCI Jonah Sheens #1
Other Editions (4)
Source:Netgalley EARC

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BOOK BLURB


Six school friends go on a camping trip and after a night of partying, one is missing in the morning; the discovery of her body thirty years later reopens a cold case investigated by a former classmate who envied the group from afar in a gripping thriller for readers of The Woman in Cabin 10 and the Lynley series.

One night during the scorching summer of 1983, a group of teenagers go camping in the forest. The evening starts like any other--they drink, they dance, they fight, they kiss. Some of them slip off into the woods in pairs, others are left jealous and heartbroken. But in the morning, the youngest in the group, Aurora, has disappeared. Her friends claim that she was safe the last time they saw her, right before she went to sleep. An exhaustive investigation is launched but no trace of the teenager is found. The search is eventually called off.

Thirty years later Aurora's body is unearthed and Jonah Sheens is the detective put in charge of solving the long-cold case. Back in 1983, he had played a part in the search as a young cop, and their small-town community meant he had known the teenagers--including Aurora--personally. Now, he's determined to finally get to the truth of what happened that night. His investigation brings the members of the camping party back to the forest, where they will be confronted once again with the events of that night--events that left one of them dead, and all of them profoundly and forever changed.

My Thoughts


In 1983 teenage friends Topaz Jackson, younger sister Aurora Jackson, Daniel Benham, Connor Dooley, Jojo Magos and Coralie Ribbans invite older teen/heartthrob Brett Parker on a weekend camping trip.

The trip ends with 14-year-old Aurora missing and the other 6 left with vague memories as to just who had seen the young woman last the night before she disappeared.

30 years later, now a DCI in the British Police force that serves their town, Jonah Sheens resumes the investigation into Aurora's closed cold case when a family named Miller vacation in local Brinken Wood. Young daughter Jessie Miller stumbled onto the teens grave site when exploring alone away from the other members of her family.

Aiding in the newly opened investigation are new hire DC Juliette Hanson, team member DS Ben Lightman and senior member DS Domnall O'Malley.

As the investigation begins the 6 reunited, now grown and leading successful lives, friends are once again being interviewed about the circumstances leading up to Aurora's long ago disappearance.

As the investigation continues the cause of death and the motive for it causes the once tight knit group tension and uncertainty along with some healthy doses of suspicion aimed at an outside source.

The investigation itself was brutally revealing as between the past/present flashbacks and the multiple character viewpoints a grisly picture emerges for not only the police but the reader as well.

What I gathered from this tale was that there is no time limit on the horror of death and that there is also no limit on how someone can hide in plain sight while committing crimes against those who trusted them.

Twisting/winding through betrayals, deceptions and outright lies spanning over 30 years the mystery of one innocent teenagers disappearance is explored using flashbacks from past to present. When the final truth comes out not only is it dealt with swiftly but in some ways ironically as justice is finally served to the one responsible that no one suspected the identity of until almost too late.

My only complaint is the lack of a glossary with definition of initials/terms used to describe the UK police force and a few other items that as an American was unsure of their correct meaning.

For example (CID) means criminal investigation department, (DCI)means detective chief inspector, (DCS) means detective chief superintendent, (DC) means detective constable, (DS) means detective sergeant, (DI) means detective inspector and so on and so forth.

That bugged me throughout the read but did not detract from the story in any way shape or form.

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

She Lies in Wait is an intense police procedural. I really felt like I knew everything the police knew and thought I could solve what happened to young Aurora. Gytha Lodge did an incredible job of creating believable characters. I was truly invested in who the guilty person could be and loved so many of the suspects. A great debut novel and I will look for her next book with excitement.

I thought this was a good story. I was immediately hooked. But at times I felt like it needed to get going. It was this authors first novel and I’ll definitely read more!

4-5 stars. I thought this book was a good, chilling read. It captured my attention from beginning to the end and gave me some thrills and chills. It had a few twists and turns, which are my very favorite and surprises at the end.
I will be highly recommending in Chapter Chatter Pub!

Bones are found 30 years after a young girl goes missing on a camping trip. The DCI for the new homicide case, Jonah Sheens, was a young man at the time and knew the victim from school. This is the first in a new series involving Jonah Sheens.

The book focuses on trust and friendship. Six teenage friends go camping and only five return. But not all the relationships have held up, so the stories coming out now are different than they were at the time.

We learn not only about the relationships of the suspects but also the police team. There’s a new member, young DC Hanson, and Sheens is trying to see how she fits in.

There’s some good writing here; some interesting turns of phrase. “He was still angry, but old dog angry.” The plot goes back and forth between the camping trip interspersed with Sheen’s current investigation. It works well.

I had no clue who was responsible for the crime. Lodge does a great job of keeping multiple suspects a real possibility.

I enjoyed this and will definitely read the next in the series. I recommend it to anyone that likes a well done police procedural.

My Thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.