This was a slow burn drama that started good but gradually changed once you realize the tone it's going for. The story is far more a slow family drama than a thriller. It has suspense and thrills here and there, but not enough to call this solely a thriller. It took about 150 pages or so for me until something substantial happened. This will definitely be mixed for people. If you're looking for a fast-paced thriller, this isn't that. If you're looking for a more character-driven dramatic atmospheric mystery, this'll be for you.

Almost exactly a year ago, I read Vanessa Savage's debut novel "The Woman in the Dark". Ever since then I've been eager to read more of her work.

This psychological thriller, set in an atmospheric locale on the borders of a forest in the Vale of Glamorgan, in Wales, proved to be another enjoyable read.

The novel explores themes of loss, jealousy, lies, secrets, sibling relationships, betrayal, and yes... murder. The author seems to have an innate knowledge and understanding of the insecurities of teenagers. Their mercurial mood swings, their crushes, and their angst.

I recommended this novel to anyone who enjoys thrillers with unstable characters who have grave and burdensome secrets.

The Woods was a captivating thriller that I truly enjoyed. The Story goes from Then and Now and slowly unfolds as you quickly turn the pages to know what will happen next. I loved how the characters developed slowly and you learned more and more about the relationship of each character with each turn of the page. Tess's journey was not always reliable but as a reader, you knew that maybe she was making some mistakes and maybe racing to judgment before she knew the whole story.

This book reminded me of a Lisa Jewell or Ruth Ware novel. Unpredictable narrators and quick snippets of information for the reader to leave them with enough little nuggets to discover that you weren't sure what would happen next. I loved Tess's character and her strength. I loved the way you truly loved her sister Bella and wanted to know the truth about her murder and what really happened in the Woods. A great read. Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Two sisters go into the woods but only one comes out. The one left alive doesn't remember what happened. Two entwined families, other missing girls and well so much is included it is hard to follow what any of it means. Had trouble engaging as the story seemed to go round and round and by the time of the big reveal, I already had guessed most of what happened. Repetitive, and continuing drama, two things that made this a less than satisfactory read.

ARC from Netgalley.

Never have the woods felt to much like a character in a book than here. Vanessa Savage's descriptions are one of the best parts of this book, pulling you deep into the environment. This book was heavier on the family drama than I would have preferred in a psychological thriller but it is about sisters so the building of their relationship was key to the story. That alone made this book unique but then there were the unexpected twists that propelled the story many times. The ending was really good, making it a worthwhile read, so I highly recommend it.

If you read Vanessa Savage’s fantastic novel, The Woman in the Dark, you know this author has serious writing skills. You won’t want to miss The Woods, her latest. This is sinister and creepy.

Tess is a teacher who gets a call from her father one day, he wants her to come home because her stepmother is dying. This request sends her into a panic because many years ago, her sister died on the day her father and stepmother got married. Tess has no memories of how the death happened other than it took place in the woods. The rest of it, she’s blocked it from her memory. The details surrounding the mysterious death drive the story forward as the tension builds. The first part of the book was slower, then everything took off and I was eager to see what was going to happen next!

Synopsis:

Two girls went down to the woods… But only one came back.


There’s a lot from Tess’s childhood that she would rather forget. The family who moved next door and brought chaos to their quiet lives. The two girls who were murdered, their killer never found. But the only thing she can’t remember is the one thing she wishes she could.

Ten years ago, Tess’s older sister died. Ruled a tragic accident, the only witness was Tess herself, but she has never been able to remember what happened that night in the woods.
Now living in London, Tess has resolved to put the trauma behind her. But an emergency call from her father forces her back to the family home, back to where her sister’s body was found, and to the memories she thought were lost forever…



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This is a very well written book, and I enjoyed it a lot until the end. I was staying up late, reading ,and reading looking forward to a big showy ending, but it just fell flat for me. All it did was make me hate most of the characters in the book even more than I did before, especially Tess. Ugh...

The author made sure the reader understood who these sisters were and of their relationship which made this all of the more gripping as the suspense built. The ending was the perfect one for this story!

Vanessa Savage is an exceptional author. I read this book in less than a day, the writing has a way of drawing you in and captivating the reader completely...right to the very last page. I was totally hooked and have since discovered another book by this author...The Woman in the Dark. It is now on my to read list, which I will definitely be reading very soon.

This was an intriguing read with a steady pace which kept me hooked. There were no massive twists and turns in the first half of the but just a slow burning plot which slowly revealed facts. In the second half of the book the pace and intensity increased dramatically as all became more clear. The characters are splendidly portrayed and very credible.

Well written, believable, tense and set at just the right pace, this story gripped me from the start and had all the elements of a great mystery/thriller. This was the first book that I've read by Vanessa Savage but definitely won't be the last.

This was great. If you love unreliable narrators, British people, and dark secrets, this is a great one for you. The mystery unspooled beautifully, taking the reader on enough twists and turns to keep it interesting while never quite giving away the game. I look forward to Vanessa Savage's next book.

A young woman comes home to visit her dying stepmother and confronts the past involving her sister's death. Years ago, the night of her father and stepmother's wedding, Tessa's sister Bella died in the woods. Tessa was there too and has no memory of the events of the night. Now her stepmother is dying of cancer, and Tessa finally gets up the courage to return home to say goodbye. The moment she returns she starts "seeing" Bella everywhere, and asking her to remember what happened in the woods that night. As Tessa's mind slowly unravels due to lack of sleep, she is forced to confront that night and how it involves two family friends, her stepbrothers, her stepmother's ex husband and her own role in the events. A thriller that will keep you guessing where its going until the very end.

Tess might rather forget her troubled childhood, but there’s no escaping the fact that her sister died in front of her and Tess remembers nothing of the event. She’s tried to put the whole ugly mess behind her by moving to London and staying as far away from her childhood home as possible, but now an emergency has called her back to the place it all began, the place her memories will begin to surface. Tense and beautifully told, this is an elegant thriller

This was great! Lots of twists and turns and an ending I didn’t expect. I read a lot of mystery books and definitely didn’t guess “whodunnit “