At first I thought this might be an easy "who done it", but the book really picked up with loads of twists and turns...never able to get ahead of the author...it was a hard one to put down.

Title: She Lies in Wait (DCI Jonah Sheens #1)
Author: Gytha Lodge
Genre: Mystery / Suspense
Format: e-book edition
My actual rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

In July 1983 seven teenagers go on an overnight camping trip in Southampton, England; only six are accounted for the next morning. What happened to Aurora Jackson?
The discovery of Aurora Jacksons' body re-opens the cold case as it is investigated by a former classmate and his team of detectives. The story is told in in third person narrative, every chapter rotating between 1983 (Aurora) and present day (detective).
This is the first in a new series revolving around Detective Chief Investigator Jonah Sheens. The homicide case very slowly unfolds to reveal what happened to Aurora on the night she disappeared thirty years ago. The innocent 14 year old schoolgirl goes through a heartbreaking event that ends her life. Was it a planned murder or an accident? Was it done by one or more of her fellow campers, her overzealous male teacher, a random stranger, or was it Aurora herself who ended her life?
Can any of the campers be trusted? Most of the 'friends' continue to act as if they are still teenagers while being in their late forties, showing very little character development over the thirty year span. There is just something 'off' about each one of them, which makes them all 'good' suspects. Will they band together keeping their secrets tight or will they turn on each other? Could one of them really be guilty of the alleged crime?
This is a good debut novel and I applaud Gytha Lodge for giving a great effort to keeping us in suspense the whole way through. I would like to continue on with this series.
There were some questions left unanswered about the detectives and their personal lives, hopefully they will be answered as the series plays out. DC Juliette Hanson is a very interesting character in my opinion and I look forward to seeing what challenges await her.
I want to thank Random House Publishing Group & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this manuscript and offer my fair and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I give this 3.5 to 4 stars. It is a police procedural/thriller novel. It's a storyline similar to many before but I still enjoyed it. Unlike a lot of reviewers, I did not solve the mystery prior to the ending. A big reason is that there were a lot of characters and I got them confused for a good part of the novel. The book alternates between the present day and a group of police trying to solve a 30 year old murder and flashes back to the actual murder 30 years prior. There is a group of friends and a group of police and I had a hard time keeping them all straight. However, I still enjoyed the story and was intrigued enough to want to see how it ended.

I had the suspects narrowed down to two, but couldn’t decide on the killer till the final reveal. I think I enjoyed the read, I certainly wanted to find out what happened after all. But it was a bit too drawn out in some parts. Since it’s a series, I guess it’s all about setting the storylines for the coming books. I will definitely keep an eye out for the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This gripping crime thriller is told in a format of alternating timelines. You get to see what happened on that camping trip in 1983 and the police procedural aspects of the current investigation. I thought the timelines were really well done and the pacing, for me, was perfect. I was so impressed with the fact that this is a debut novel. I hope that Lodge continues on with DCI Sheens character. I enjoyed him and the other officers he had on his team. I would absolutely continue on with this series, no question.

If you like police procedural and split timeline narratives, you should check this one out. Plus, it is always great to support new authors. Thank you so much to the publisher, Random House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to getting my hands on more Gytha Lodge books in the future!

Trigger Warnings: Rape, sexual assault, drug use and emotional abuse.

Aurora Jackson disappeared thirty years ago at age fourteen. She went camping with her sister, Topaz, and five of Topaz's friends. Topaz reluctantly let her kid sister tag along. No one ever saw Aurora again. Thirty years later, a body is found. DCI Jonah Sheens and DC Hanson are called to the scene, but Jonah already knows that it's Aurora. He's been waiting for this discovery for years. During the original investigation, all six friends maintained their stories and their innocence. But now Jonah is determined to find out what really happened to Aurora.

"It was where seven kids had bedded down thirty years ago, but only six of them had got up in the morning."

This was one of the ARCs that I requested simply because the story sounded interesting, and it really was. I couldn't shake the feeling while I was reading that the storyline felt somewhat familiar, but that didn't detract from what was a pretty strong police procedural, especially for an author debut. The book is fairly long--there is a lot of buildup to our ending--but I thought it was all well-done. Jonah is an intriguing character; it's made known early on that he had a small role in the first investigation when Aurora disappeared, and he clearly is hiding something, which isn't revealed for quite some time. But he's a good investigator, too, and it was sort of fun wondering if you could fully trust him (with Hanson, the newbie, as his foil).

"He found it impossible not to remember this place as it had been back then. The car park had all been bark and mud, but it had been just as overrun by police. The haircuts different; the faces somehow the same."

The way the story is told--snippets of the past (including from her point of view), plus Jonah and Hanson investigating in the present--is interesting and moves the story along. It certainly keeps you wondering as things unravel. While the limited number of characters (especially at the camp ground thirty years ago) lowers our amount of suspects, it's easy to speculate about each one.

Plus, all the characters in this one are detailed. I found it a little complicated to keep track of everyone at first--especially all the boys at the campground--but they were strong characters and knowing so much about them made figuring out who killed Aurora all the more compelling. Aurora herself is a lovely character, and I felt for her. When our suspect was revealed, it all ended a little crazily yet easily, but this was still a good read for me.

Overall, this was an interesting mystery, with a detailed plot and characters. I look forward to Lodge's next book. 3.75 stars.

Thank you so much to Random House and Netgalley for the ARC.

She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge is an English whodunnit. This book kept me guessing until the very end, which can be hard to do these days!

A group of seven teens go into the woods to camp and party. Drugs, Drinking and all around debauchery ensue. Only 6 are present the next morning. What happened to the youngest teen, Aurora? She was nowhere to be found until 30 years later when her body is stumbled upon.

Who killed Aurora? This is what DCI Sheens is supposed to find out. Could her murderer be one of the group that went camping that night? Or could it have been a stranger?

The story plays out as Sheens interviews all of the members of the group there that night. Information and secrets come out that have been hidden for decades, including his own. Will his team be able to catch Aurora's killer?

I enjoyed this book. It was little bit of a slower pace than what I usually pick, but I truly enjoyed going along for the journey trying to figure out who the murderer was. I felt that the characters of Sheens and his team, especially Hanson, were underdeveloped. I would've loved to know more about how they ticked and what was going on in their lives. Instead, this was only just hinted upon. There is definitely a lot more to be learned about Sheens and his team.

I would absolutely recommend this for those who love whodunnits and crime dramas!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
While there was a lot promise to this book, it felt sluggish to me. I couldn’t get to a point that I liked any of the characters. I was expecting a thriller but it was more of a police procedure (which I tend to not enjoy so much). This book wasn’t bad, It just isn’t my style and I am sure there is an audience out there for it. It just isn’t with me.

She Lies In Wait is a BRILLIANT debut novel by Gytha Lodge. The book provides everything you could want from the suspense/thriller genre, a wide list if suspects, a crime hidden for decades, many unsuspected twists and turns, plus much more. All the characters are well developed and the alternating timelines helped to keep the story interesting and easy to follow.

Anyine who enjoys a good thriller or suspense story will definitely be entertained by this debut novel. I cant wait to get my hands on her next stiry!

Seven teens go into the forest to camp. Only 6 come out. 30 years later bones are found and the hunt for a killer begins again. Really well written, layered with all the characters who have carried on for 30 years since the disappearance.

Wow! This is a fantastic story. It is incredibly well written. The characters are so developed that you feel you know them. I kept guessing what happened that night and who did it right up til the end. This story sticks with you long after the last page is read. I loved it and recommend it!! This is an author to follow!

This was more of a crime/police procedural to me than it was a thriller. It was fine. It was definitely a slow read for me and I just wanted to see what happened to Aurora. Her chapters where we went back to the night she went missing were my favorites because of this. I wish I could pinpoint exactly where it fell flat for me, but I almost think it’s just not my thing! If you enjoy a police procedural then I definitely think you’ll like this book, it’s the first in a series! Synopsis in comments.
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Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an egalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

A decades old disappearance brings the case back into the spotlight when the body is discovered. Secrets, deception, lies, and the search for the truth made this debut mystery by Gytha Lodge a gripping mystery that I couldn’t put down! I loved this book—everything from the premise to the characters were so engaging. I will be reading the next in this new series as soon as she can write it!

About the Book

Six friends. One killer. Who do you trust?

A teen girl goes missing after a night of partying; thirty years later, the discovery of her body reopens a cold case in an absorbing novel featuring a small-town cop determined to finally get to the truth—for fans of Tana French and Kate Atkinson.

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.

Reflection

This book really centers around a tangled web of secrets and lies. On the fateful night Aurora disappeared, seven entered the campsite, but only six left. As the book opens over two decades after Aurora’s disappearance, we learn that she never left. Her body is discovered at the place she was last seen, in a hideaway that was used by the other six friends.

This tragedy should have split the friends apart, but instead it solidified them as a group. With each person protecting the others, there are a lot of secrets to be revealed as Jonah Sheens investigates the case. I thought this was an interesting twist, having them remain close for those 30 years. There was genuine love among the friends, which made it almost impossible to know who had the key to what happened to Aurora.

Jonah Sheens is not only a fascinating character, but also someone with a personal connection to the case. He was in school with the seven friends when Aurora disappeared. I really enjoyed Jonah as the central narrator and detective. He isn’t perfect, but he is committed to doing the investigation right and finding Aurora’s killer.

I had a LOT of guesses along the way about what happened, but I must admit I didn’t guess correctly! I was shocked at the ending! I look forward to reading more by Gytha Lodge in the future!

Thank you to Penguin Random House for my copy of this book!

One girl has to tag along embarrassingly with her older sister on a camping trip with her sister's friends. One night of secrets. One death that will take 30 years to solve. One Detective who knows more than he lets on.

This book was kind of hard to fly through at times. There is a fine line between detailing the setting and overloading on details as filler. However, it could also be the case that the overwhelming amount of details was due to it being the author's debut novel. It was mostly very heavy on the interactions and operations of the office.

Furthermore, there is a subplot on a newbie detective with an abusive stalker of an ex-boyfriend that forces her to spend the night in a hotel at one point. The main issue with this is: there doesn't seem to be a point to it. Since this is the first book in a series, perhaps the author is setting up a villain for the next book. Or could it be that the author was trying to humanize the character? There is not a resolution to this issue and it makes the plot a bit sporadic.

Another reason why I did not care for this particular book is because of the alternating narratives. Authors like Liane Moriarty can pull off weaving multiple storylines and distinct narratives into one cohesive plot. Unfortunately, this did not happen in She Lies in Wait. Mostly because it starts off solely as alternating narrators of DCI Jonah Sheens in the present and Aurora in the past with chapter separation. Then, the narration switches between a random assortment of characters with only Hanson as a fairly common one with her confusing subplot. Furthermore, some of the other detectives are not established well so sometimes it was confusing on who the narrator was even supposed to be and pretty much muddied the plot.

The final reason why I did not care for this book is because it was almost obvious who the killer was from the early chapters. I had hoped that it couldn't possibly be that obvious and must be a red herring but I was disappointed.

And so I can't say that I am eager for the next book in the series. I do give props to the author as it is very hard to get your debut novel published. I would imagine it is even harder if that book is the first in a series. But, for me, this book is not one that I would recommend.

The following things were found in my reading of the book that may be offensive or trigger some readers: violence, drug use, alcohol use, drug abuse, sexual assault, sexually suggestive scenarios, foul language, murder, stalking, and psychological abuse.

I really enjoyed She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge. It was very well written and I enjoyed the story immensely. Great characters. Looking forward to the nest book!

If you are a fan of British police procedurals, you will want to check out this debut novel in the DCI Sheens series. While not as psychological complex as my favorite procedural detective author series by Tana French, I enjoyed the development of the characters and the detectives. The author did a good job of weaving together the past and the present as Detective Sheen investigate the thirty year old murder of a teenage girl who had disappeared from a camping trip. I read this while home sick and I feel like I could have figured out what happened sooner if I had been in a sharper frame of mind. The author did a good job of tying everything together. I look forward to reading more in this series.
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and the author Gytha Lodge for an advanced electronic review copy. The book is out now!

She Lies in Wait is a story of a girl who went missing in the '80s and her body being found 30 years later. Aurora went camping with her sister and her sister's friends. Topaz, Coralie, Brett, Benners, and Connor are a little older than Aurora and very different. They enjoy drinking while Aurora doesn't. The story unfolds what happens to Aurora the night she went missing while following the chain of events in the present when her remains were found. Each character has their secrets, including the sergeant, Jonah Sheens.
The story reads somewhat like a police procedural about solving a cold case. There are a lot of details and movements as well as reasoning from the police perspective. I enjoyed this because it was well-done and wasn't boring. I thought the book was good and followed an interesting story and timeline/chain of events. It was only a little dry through some parts. I thought reading from Aurora's perspective was interesting and a little heart-breaking. It's hard to read what happens to a 14-year-old girl, but I think it ends well.

What a good read. I was hooked from the first few pages through to the end. A suspenseful story that kept me guessing. I can't wait for the rest of this series.

Thirty years ago in July 1983 and seven teenagers are out camping, but by morning one will be dead. Now a family are camping in the area and the young daughter finds the bones. DCI Jonah Sheens, as he was a young constable at the time, knows who the bones belong to and it is him and his team who are brought in to investigate.
With two different timelines the truth is finally revealed. I enjoyed this mystery, and find the police team a good mix of characters. But who could not be charmed by Aurora herself.

1983 . Six friends. One killer. Who do you trust? Thirty years later, a body is found and investigator Jonah Sheens reopens the case of missing teenager Aurora. More of the synopsis in the comments section below.
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I was excited to see this had the trifecta I enjoy most: alternating POV, set in England & a mystery to solve. Not to mention, I love author debuts. If you enjoy a police procedural-based investigation with an alternate view of the murder victim, then I would definitely recommend this. The story does take some dedication to get to know all the characters involved, so expect to take this one slower and absorb all the twists it has to offer.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.