Blair Butler returns to her hometown 15 years after the death of her best friend when she sister makes a deathbed confession that the man who spent 15 years behind bars could actually be innocent.

This was such a brilliant concept and could have been a outstanding book, but for me, this fell a little flat.
There were so many sub plots to this, that had no place within the actual story and just didn’t belong.

The killer is far to easy to guess, and I had it figured from the start, and when all the jigsaw pieces start falling into place it doesn’t answer everything. There is still so many unanswered questions. This felt rushed.

This psychological thriller had me captivated from page one. Blair must keep a promise to her late sister that she will find out who killed her friend Molly when they were children, and have an innocent man released from jail. The book travels from past to present and blends well. I liked the characters and they were realistic. This book was fast paced and spine chilling.
Many thanks to Blackthorn and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have read this author before so I was excited for this one! It did not disappoint. It was quite the page-turning mystery and had me on the edge of my seat right up until the end! Would definitely recommend.

Patricia MacDonald has written many books but this my first of hers to read which is exciting now for me as I have found a new author to add to my favourite authors.
Blair Butler returns home to her dying sister and is traumatised by a death bed confession which she promised the dying woman to rectify.
Not an easy task trying to revisit a crime from 15 years earlier and nobody is interested in as a person was tried and convicted at the time of said crime.
Well worth a read..

Blair Butler escaped the unhappy home she grew up in and fled to Philadelphia where she created a fulfilling life. But now her sister, Celeste, is dying and she’s forced to return to say “goodbye”. What she doesn’t expect, however, is Celeste’s death-bed confession about the night her friend Molly Sinclair was murdered. Knowing there is a man in prison for a murder he didn’t commit, Blair can’t turn her back on this situation. Who killed Molly Sinclair? How did they get away with it? Are they still living in this small town in the Pocono Mountains? Armed with these questions Blair sets off to find the truth — but will the killer’s face be the last thing she sees? “The Girl in the Woods” is a good read and well-written. It held my interest and I became invested in the story and its characters. This is definitely a page-turner and I recommend it to all mystery lovers!! Disclaimer– I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Net Galley for this great book!! #NetGalley

As a fan of Patricia MacDonald for years, I really looked forward to this latest psychological suspense, and I must say that I was not disappointed. This was the story of two sisters who were sent to live with their very bad-tempered uncle after the death of their mom. Ellis didn’t want the girls there and made it clear that he considered them a burden. When Blair had her friend Molly over for a visit one day after school, everything goes very badly. Ellis sends Molly home, in the rain and through the woods and Molly is murdered. The murderer is behind bars, or that is what everyone thinks until Celeste, Blair’s sister, confesses on her deathbed that she could have given Yusef an alibi but was too afraid of Ellis to do that. So the wrong man is in prison and Blair spends the rest of the book trying to find who the real murderer is so that Yusef can be freed. After fifteen years, Blair faces a real challenge and enlists the help of PI Tom Olson. Following the clues is a twisted trail through the woods and into the lives of people who have moved on. Blair feels guilty because of Molly’s death and is absolutely determined to find the real killer. Her quest endangers her and the ending is a really stunning surprise. I really enjoyed this book and know that fans of MacDonald and others who love suspense will enjoy it as well. It does deal with the mature topic of abuse.

Great mystery/thriller and a quick read. Blair returns to her childhood home to be at her dying sister's side only to receive a deathbed confession that sends her reeling. Her sister admits lying to police officers years before that resulted in the wrong man being sent to prison for the murder of Blair's childhood best friend, Molly. Blair teams up with a local private detective and risks her life to learn the truth. Fast-paced thriller with several twists.
***Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC***

I'm not sure why but I couldn't really engage in this book. Wasn't really for me, but overall would recommend to someone who likes a quick psychological thriller.

Fifteen years ago Blair's best friend was murdered. When she returns to her hometown to be with her dying sister, Blair finds out fifteen years too late that the wrong man may be in jail. When the police don't want to listen to this new "evidence" she takes matters into her own hands and sets out to find the real killer. With the help of a private investigator, and her sheer need for closure, she stumbles into the past to find an answer.

The first part of the book drags and it took me a bit to get into the story, but once Blair starts her true investigation the story moves along swiftly. I liked being able to feel Blair's struggle with finding the truth when so many questionable things were going on around her. The last half of the book played out like a Criminal Minds episode and I loved every second of it! I also appreciated that I was surprised by the twist in the end. I read a lot of thrillers so it's always a good sign when an author can still surprise me.

If you can push through the slow beginning and get to the action I think this is a unique mystery/thriller and would definitely recommend.

This was an enjoyable summer read (for those of us with a thriller bias of course). The author masterfully laced suspense throughout to create a new 5 star psychologically gripping fave of mine.

Blair Butler returns to her childhood home in the Pocono Mountains in order to say goodbye to her terminally ill sister. It is not a visit that Blair looks forward to, not least because she is always reminded of the brutal murder of her best friend, Molly, fifteen years ago. While the killer was caught and punished, Blair has never gotten over the horror of the event. Blair certainly expects the visit to be sad, but she is not prepared for the confession that Blair's sister, Celeste, makes on her deathbed. Celeste claims that the police convicted the wrong man. As Celeste proclaims his innocence, she also insists that Blair find and apprehend the real killer.

As Blair realizes the horror of her sister's claim, she understands that she must find the real killer. However, it becomes clear early on that someone does not want Blair investigating this case. As she delves deeper into the web of lies that was created, she begins to realize that Celeste is right. The person sitting in jail for Molly's murder is innocent. But, if that is the case, who is the real killer? Is he still in the area? And will he kill again in order to protect himself?

Awesome book. Patricia MacDonald delivers with a mystery full of twists and turns. Just when I thought I was onto something, the book would veer off into a different direction. Full of suspense and intrigue, "The Girl in the Woods" will have you up late at night, wondering just what secrets might exist in YOUR town.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Blair Butler receives a phone call she was dreading. Her sister Celeste has just about lost her battle with cancer. She is now on hospice and Blair must travel to help settle her affairs, and that includes sorting out Celeste's young son's future. Blair barely makes it home in time. When she approaaches Celeste's bed, she hears a deathbed confession that rocks her to her very core.

When Blair was 13 years old, her best friend Molly was murdered and a man named Adrian Jones was convicted and has been in prison for years. Celeste tells Blair that Adrian is innocent and that another man has literally gotten away with murder.

Blair sets out to do two things. She desperately strives to exonerate Adrian, and she also tries to find the killer. Blair has no idea what secrets are about to be exposed and what danger she will soon be facing. For starters, the police do not take much stock in what Blair has to say, nor does Adrian or her mother. It appears to be a lost cause, but Blair is relentless.

So. Blair goes around the police by seeking the aid of a reporter named Rebecca Moore and even gets the help of a private investigator, Tom Olson. As a former police officer, Tom might really be able to help Blair. She wants justice served, not only for Molly's murder, but for the innocent man behind bars.

This was a fairly good story, and it went back and forth between the past and present. The history Blair and Celeste had, and how they came to live with their uncle was explored. However, when it came to getting close to discovering Molly's killer, there was an entirely different atmosphere and level of danger. This is my first read by Patricia MacDonald. I will definitely try another one of her books in the future.

Many thanks to Black Thorn and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

A deathbed confession has a chilling consequence in this gripping novel of psychological suspense.
Every since her bestfriend Molly was murdered fifteen years before, Blair Butler has returned to her small hometown in the Poncono mountains as a seldom as possible. She now has to go back home because her sister is terminally ill. On her death bed Celeste reveals a secret on her deathbed, and a innocent man mat have went to jail for the murder of her friend Molly all those years ago.
The book is fast paced, and the characters are very believable...

Enjoyed the book very much. Excellent narrative and wonderful depiction of the characters. Highly recommended!

I have been a fan of Patricia MacDonald since way back in the day with The Unforgiven, followed by all of her others. I was thrilled to receive this ARC!! While not as fast-paced as some of her previous titles, this is still a pretty solid, suspenseful story. Easy to read and perfect for Summer!

Thank you to NetGalley, Patricia MacDonald and Black Thorn for the Arc of The Girl in the Woods
I have also reviewed on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was torn with this book. I wanted to read to see what happened next but at every point, I was underwhelmed by what happened. Blair's sister makes a death bed confession that a man was wrongly convicted 15 years earlier for murder. This I found very odd as she just refused him an alibi at the time as she was scared of her uncle's reaction. This just seemed callus I am not sure many people could live a happy life for 15 years knowing an innocent man was incarcerated. When Blair tells police after her sisters death they are not interested so she hires a private investigator to help get this man out of prison. This man had also convert to Islam and changed his name but at no point is this explained or given significance yet it was mentioned a lot?! The holes continue. The uncle breaks into a house to leave a strange gift for his ex leaving blood everywhere yet Blair thinks it's a good idea to clean up and snoop for someone portrayed as clever her actions were very different. The final twist, in my opinion, was too similar to Room and was far too predictable. Overall I gave 3 stars as it was easy to read but I think I have been quite generous.

This is a really enjoyable, easy to read story of a girl who disappears on her way home from a friend's house. The book was an easy quick read for the summer.

Wow okay so this was really good and I didn't want it to end! The ending though kills me. I feel like her sister dying so quick after they spoke should have gotten drawn out a little bit more, and also the information on what happened to her best friend. I would have liked to have heard more of what they found and who was where. Uncle Ellis annoyed me and I'm honestly surprised he didn't get beat up lol. I also would laugh because I would forget who Mohammad was (Adrian) and would have to be like oh right haha. I love the plot and this definitely had me on the edge of my seat, but the ending felt so abrupt to me. I just wanted a little more time with Blair.

I totally recommend this and thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed all of the twists and turns in this book, and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Excellent read. Hard to put the book down. Right from the start you were sucked in and new this was going to be a good one. The storyline was wicked. Not quite knowing where it was going next. There was lots of twists and turns in the road.