Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Great plot to get yourself lost in. This book has everything. A real fast paced thriller. Will get your heart racing on more than one occasion. Very well written. Highly recommend this book

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.
This is a compelling thriller with an intriguing storyline, a little over descriptive in places but definitely worth reading.

I did not enjoy this book at all. It was too slow and one dimensional. The characters were not likeable. I did read the whole book hoping the pace would quicken around the suspense but unfortunately not.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book and review honesty.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This book is very suspenseful. It has all the twists and turns a good thriller needs. If you have not read this book yet go get it now. This ebook is in stores for A$4.99 (AUD). It is fast paced and thrilling.

I was really hoping this wood be creepier but I still really enjoyed the spooky atmosphere of this book!

This book was actually a slow paced book , it had twists and turns and the ending was a bit disappointing. I just struggled to keep my interest Im afraid.

Thank you Head of Zeus and Netgalley for the copy of this.
I have read all David's books bar 2 and sadly I found this a bit of a slow burner. I did finish it but it wasn't up to his usual standard. Good storyline though.

Unfortunately, after multiple attempts, I just couldn't get into this book. I felt like it was slow and I wasn't interested in the characters or story.

This story has a lot of potential and the characters are interesting. Unfortunately I found it quite slow and the story didn't keep my attention.
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This story had great potential but I just couldn't get into it. It centers on Rowan, a reporter who wrote a book that was not super successful and is now on the hook for a 2nd book, of which he has no idea how to start. While staying with his sister, he stumbles onto a story from 30 years ago where 3 teenage girls from an alternative boarding school go into the woods; only 2 come back and they can't remember what happened. You also get flashbacks told from the perspective of Violet, one of the 3 teenagers, leading up the time of the event.

Firstly, I had a hard time connecting with the characters- there were a lot of them and most didn't seem like people I have ever come into contact with in my life. I found Rowan himself to be likeable in a self-deprecating kind of way, though. The other issue I had with the book is that the writing is lyrical, but that often meant long explanations for simple things and a meandering way of story-telling which frankly just bored me in many places.

The mystery itself hints at ritualistic behaviors, which isn't an area I know much about but didn't turn me off. I did have a good idea of what was really happening, which turned out to be true at the end.

Overall, this just wasn't the book for me. I think if it was shorter and more concise, it would have been more engaging to me, but I still don't know that I could've related to any of these characters. The writing is beautiful for those who prioritize that piece over the things that I care about most. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed this one. I felt like there was something missing though, something I needed to love it. Well thought out plot and easy to read.

This book had a lot of potential, with its dark foreboding narrative and the even darker history, this story gave me the chills. But somehow i could never engage with the story, as a result it kept dragging and dragging.. I felt like a lot of words were used to say something really basic. The constant oscillation was also carried out in a way that left the narrative disjointed and all it created was a big headache.
I loved the wide range quirky characters from Pickle to Arthur Sixpence, and Snowdrop. But i could never sympathise with the MC Rowan Blake, could not get into his head. And that left me even more separated from the book.
My Rating : 3/5
For the beautiful setting and the potential and the cool characters..

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for this copy of Into the Woods by David Mark.

Rowan is a writer desperately looking for a story to tell. When he and his niece, Snowdrop, start digging into a decades old mystery he thinks that he has found the perfect subject to write about, maybe. Rowan and Snowdrop have lots of questions that need answers but they can't find anyone willing (or able) to give them what they need to write this story, answer their questions and put this mystery to bed. The obstacles pile up but they won't stop Rowan and Snowdrop from uncovering the truth and telling the story at the heart of Into the Woods.

I really liked Into the Woods. As a mystery it had a lot of questions that weren't easy to answer and colorful characters to keep the reader amused and engaged. It was a little dark, at times, which the best mysteries are. My biggest complaint was the excessive use of similes, which really distracted me from the writing at times. The ending felt a bit jumbled and hard to follow but for the most part I really liked Into the Woods.

Into The Woods by David Mark is a gripping thriller that will keep you guessing throughout. Rowan Blake is a down on his luck journalist who decides to investigate the mysterious case of three girls who followed a stranger into the woods thirty years ago. Only two of the girls returned, but have no memory of what had happened to them there or what fate had befallen their friend. Rowan Blake intends to find out.

As someone who enjoyed David Mark’s McAvoy series, I was excited to be given the opportunity to read Into The Woods which features brand new protagonist Rowan Blake. And I’m pleased to say I was not disappointed! There are twists, turns and surprises along the way as Rowan fits the pieces of the puzzle together and slowly begins to reveal the truth of what had happened all those years ago. Yet even he isn’t prepared for the evil he is about to unearth as secrets that have been buried for so many years gradually begin to emerge…

Into The Woods isn’t a book that fits into just one genre. Although very much a crime thriller, there is so much more to it than that, with even a touch of the supernatural thrown into the mix that really adds to the atmospheric feel of the story. Rowan Blake is a fabulous but flawed new character who I hope to hear more from in future books, but we also have Violet, a second narrator who is our link to the past. A character hard to empathise with, the Violet from the past is an angry teenager with a tendency to bully others. Can Rowan finally uncover the truth of the horrors of the past?

Into The Woods is a darkly complex tale that once started I could not put down. Beautifully written by David Mark, it is a tense and surprising thriller that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Aria&Aries for the arc of Into the Woods by David Mark,

3 star read- This follows washed up journalist Rowan whom has badly ruined injured hands and needs to reach the deadline for their next piece of work/book but their hands are bound in big bandages as well as gloves to protect his skin grafts. So for now he is staying in the Lake District in a small holiday home thats owned by his own sister, Snowdrop his young cousin is looking after him, he ends up hearing a story about 3 teens who went into the woods and only two returned the girls followed a busker who got them stoned, drunk and made them drink this 'mysterious brew'.. But recent one of the girls violet starts to remember bits and pieces and wants to go find their other friend who didnt return whom is called Freya. The deeper and deep in which Rowan delves into this then the more mysterious things turn up. Snowdrop who’s really passionate to become a journalist assists him in his research...

a gripping thrilling read, was a bit confusing at first but understood as i read more slow at first then really grips you in, i recommend

3 stars⭐⭐⭐

*Thank you to NetGalley and David Mark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Into the Woods is a slow burn, worth every second to the shocking end.

Rowan Blake is a down-on-his-luck journalist. His first true crime novel was well received but commercially a failure. He is now licking his wounds in a barn in Bilberry Byre, owned by his sister. His hands have been ruined by an attack, and he spends his days drinking and thinking about how to get back at the person who attacked him. Besides being filled with anger and jealousy over other journalists’ success, he is also in debt, having spent all of his advance for the two books he promised his publisher. And he is out of ideas for his next book.

Snowdrop is the one person who still believes in him. She is his twelve-year-old niece and the daughter of his supportive sister, Serendipity, who is a loving hippie. Snowdrop loves Rowan. She looks up to him and wants to be a journalist, just like him. Rowan agrees she can help him with his next true crime story, though he doesn’t have any idea what that may be.

There is a local story he hears about that he thinks might have potential for his next book. A tale of three girls who were students at a New Age school, Silver Birch Academy, who followed a strange man into the woods. Only two of the girls came back, with no memory of what happened. Into the Woods flashes back 30 years, and is also set in the present, with Rowan investigating what actually happened in those woods. Violet Sheehan is now an adult and seems to have her own issues with confronting her past. Catherine Marlish has no interest in confronting her past, though her decision has repercussions on her current situation. As our journalist delves deeper into the story, it is becoming a tale of good and evil and ultimately murder. With Snowdrop at his side, Rowan finds more than ever before of himself and his capabilities Ultimately, he puts himself in danger to solve the mystery of the disappearance of the girls from 30 years ago.

There are many wonderful characters in this book. All are mysterious in their own way, but the characters that stood out make this book so amazing. Derek Millward, the retired police officer who has been chasing a missing man for many years. His partner in many ways, DCI Eve Cater, who is not at all who she seems. The enigmatic Mr. Sixpence, who lives in an abandoned bus on the grounds of the Silver Birch academy, who disappears without a trace.

It is raining constantly in this novel, which contributes to the darkness of the subject matter and the feeling of dread that the author wants you to feel. It is almost too much to bear. Into the Woods is a heavy book, thick with description, and darkly engaging. Be prepared for an intense ride to a shocking conclusion.

*This review was previously posted on https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/into-the-woods/*

Great book!! Loved the duel timelines. Suspenseful and funny. You do have to suspend any disbelief in order to get on with the story, but I was totally here for it!

4-5 stars! I enjoyed this book, but love dark, disturbing reads, which I found this book to be! I felt it was very well written, with excellent character development. The writing style was very unique, but instead of stealing from the story, I felt it added to it. Lots of fun thrills, chills, and shocks, in this fast paced captivating story! Highly recommend!

Dark, lyrical and terrifying, David Mark’s nerve-twisting thriller Into the Woods will send chill after chill racing down your spine.

Thirty years ago, three girls had thrown caution to the wind and followed a stranger into the woods. But their adventure had immediately gone sour. One girl had disappeared off the face of the earth and the surviving pair have no recollection of what happened on that terrifying day. The village rumour mill had gone into overdrive and although scandalous tales of hedonism, drug-taking and the occult had been bandied about, nobody know what really happened on that fateful day the three girls had followed a stranger into the woods.

Journalist Rowan Blake is in desperate need of a break. He is up to his eyeballs in debt, his journalistic career is in tatters and everything he touches turns to chaos. In desperate need of a scoop and for a chance to show all of his doubters and detractors just what he is made of, Rowan chances upon this story from three decades ago and realises that it’s the scoop he has been waiting for. Retreating to the Lake District to fully immerse himself in the writing of his story, Rowan can almost taste the sweet smell of success – but he is ill-prepared for the malevolent discoveries he is about to make.

As dangerous secrets resurface and evil forces come to play, what fate awaits Rowan as he goes deep into the woods? Will he make his dreams of fame and fortune a reality? Or is his nightmare just beginning?

A superbly crafted thriller that will have you checking for monsters under the bed, David Mark’s Into the Woods will shock, surprise and have you jumping out of your skin on so many occasions, it is best not to read this book in an empty house. Disturbing but fascinating, captivating but completely terrifying, David Mark’s Into the Woods is a compulsively readable thriller that is sure to haunt you long after you finish reading it.