In terms of the pacing, I felt like the story started out strong as it wove the past timeline together with the present timeline, then dragged towards the middle, only to leave me with whiplash due to all the twists at the end.

The characters being unreliable and unlikeable, in my opinion, definitely added to the overall suspense when it came to the reveals at the end.
If you are looking for a slow burn with a twisty, action packed ending I would definitely recommend this book.
Overall, I would give this one 3⭐️s, but I would be willing to read other books from this author in the future!

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love this read, it had the spooky and fall vibes I love in a thriller. It felt like the twists and turns kept coming and I couldn’t figure out what the truth was going to be. I love when I feel like a book as me stumped and this one did just that, multiple times.

Wow! What a phenomenal novel. The writing was wonderfully written. The authors detail made it feel like a true crime documentary which I loved so much. The twists in this book kept unraveling and kept me wanting more.

This is a thriller where something terrible happens to a group of girls as children, and then we see them again 20+ years later. As truths come out, the idea that memories are not always reliable comes to light and conflicts come to a head. I thought the twists and turns were great and it really held my interest!

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This book was a bit slow to start with, but it kept me interested all the way. I was intrigued by the story of the main character and her friends. While some of the twists were a bit predictable, I enjoyed trying to continuously guess what was going to happen and whodunit! A very solid thriller!!

This was a thriller of a read. I did figure a few things out before the reveal, but that didn't mean there weren't surprises. Looking forward to more from this author.

Naomi was nearly stabbed to death as a child, and her and her friends testified and sent a man to prison, but a podcaster wonders if it was the right man. One friend wants to tell, one wants to move on, and another wants to charmed life to continue uninterrupted. Thrilling to the end and shocking at times, recommended for suspense readers.

I recently had the pleasure of reading What Lies in the Woods, as the author's skillful storytelling and ability to create tension and suspense had me hooked from the very first page. What I particularly enjoyed about the book was the unpredictable twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. Overall, I highly recommend this book who loves a thrilling ride filled with suspense, mystery, and unexpected surprises. It's a must-read for fans of the genre!

"We tried to forget. We didn’t tell the story. Not the real one. Not ever.”

As children, Naomi Shaw, Cass, and Liv were inseparable, finding solace in each other's company amidst Naomi's neglectful upbringing. Their vivid imaginations led to the creation of the Goddess Game, a fantasy world inspired by Greek mythology, which only intensified after a chilling discovery in the woods.

One summer, their innocent play took a dark turn when Naomi was brutally attacked by a serial killer, leaving her with physical and emotional scars. The girls identified the assailant, who was subsequently jailed, but they harbored a dark secret about that fateful day.

Twenty-two years later, with the killer dead and buried, the trio reunites in their hometown of Chester. Liv wants to confess the truth, while Naomi grapples with fragmented memories and Cass prefers to leave the past buried.

As secrets unravel and tensions rise, Naomi realizes her memories may be distorted, and someone will go to great lengths to keep the truth buried.

Kate Alice Marshall's "What Lies in the Woods" is a gripping tale of survival, secrets, and betrayal. Narrated by Naomi, the story seamlessly weaves between past and present, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The slow burn builds to a thrilling climax, filled with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the final page.

Naomi is a complex and compelling protagonist, flawed yet resilient in the face of adversity. Marshall crafts a chilling atmosphere, drawing readers into the small town of Chester, where deception lurks around every corner.

Overall, "What Lies in the Woods" is a well-written and suspenseful thriller that will leave you breathless. This is my first experience with Marshall's work, and I'm eager to explore more of her writing in the future.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Girls in the woods, secrets, guilt and murder.

I grew up on the edge of the woods and my friends and I spent years hunting for witches, missing persons and creating strange scenarios where we were hiding from "the murderer".
Nothing like the events in the book happened but we were experts in creating magic and drama.

Since reading "In the Woods" by Tana French, I've been fascinated by mystery/thrillers that involve childhood secrets, murder and decades long guilt.

If you enjoyed "All the Dangerous Things" by Stacy Willingham or "Don't Forget the Girl" by Rebecca McKanna then "What Lies in the Woods" by Kate Alice Marshall is going to suck you in like all the others.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for the e-reader ARC.

Loved the twists and turns. Very descriptive writing that added to the emotion of the story. This is the type of book meant for discussion in a book club.

My friend and I chose this as our book club pick and it was such a fun book to discuss! The story alternates between present and past timelines, which I’m always a fan of. It did read a little more YA at times, but it actually helped push the book to a faster pace. The ending and twists weren’t exactly as surprising as I would have hoped, but overall this was such a fun read and we had a lot of fun discussing it!

I love Kate Alice Marshall's young adult stories and was excited to read an adult. While I didn't love this one quite as much, I did still enjoy it. I think YA horror just really pushes the creep factor while the adult tends to focus on other issues along with just the creep

I had such a hard time rating this one! I enjoyed it and I really wanted to see where the story went, but I guessed almost all of the twists and was left feeling like I wanted a little more of a surprise at the end for sure.
What Lies in the Woods follows three young girls who put a serial killer behind bars when they were 11 and now- is the wrong person in prison? I think I definitely recommend this, but maybe if you are new to thrillers! I feel like I’ve read so many that it takes a lot to genuinely shock me 🤯 The writing was really good and and the pacing was great and if you’re looking for a quick read, this is it, I just wanted a little more of a shock!

🌳😵Book Review:
Title: What Lies in the Woods
Author: Kate Alice Marshall
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/4 stars

Up,down, and all around, you'll go with this book. Another story that will make you think you know, but you have no clue. Very twisty. Very eerie. Especially since it involves three little girls and the woods.

Eleven year old Naomi Shaw and her two best friends, Olivia and Cassidy, head into the woods to play the goddess game. Considering they actually had rituals and sacrifices was a tad concerning. This game was magical to these young ladies, so it must be kept secret. Everything that took place in the woods was secret. Unfortunately, one experience in the woods changed the girls forever after Naomi was brutally attacked by a mysterious person and stabbed seventeen times! The attacker is identified by the girls and sentenced to prison after finding out he was actually a serial killer with six female victims.

Twenty-two years later, Olivia wants to tell some of those secrets from their time in the woods. What they thought took place on the day of the stabbing might not be the exact truth, and someone is determined to not let what really happened be revealed.

Published: January 17th, 2023

This was good but not great for me. I didn't feel that connected to the character but the mystery was compelling.


SPOILER: I wasn't expecting this to be a Slendermam retelling/inspiration. I think it was an interesting twist but I didn't feel there was enough sprinkled throughout the story for the twist to make sense.

This was such a great read. The mystery had me captivated from the very beginning. The lies, the twists and turns were everywhere and had me guessing the whole time.

This book kept me captivated throughout. I couldn't put it down. I love how Naomi Shaw, the main character, does not have the full picture of what happened to her and her friends in the woods as children, when she ended up stabbed seventeen times and live to tell the tail. A great serial killer murder mystery!

Thank you to Flatiron Books & Netgalley for the e-ARC of What Lies in the Woods in exchange for an honest review.

What Lies in the Woods is a perfectly fine book & definitely worth a read if you’re a thriller fan. This was Kate Alice Marshall’s adult debut & it was pretty solid in terms of writing, characters & all that jazz.

Unfortunately, I can’t say I loved it because there was nothing about it that made it stand out in the sea of thrillers. It was just fine.

The story was superb! A fast paced thriller. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t stop reading it. This book was definitely a page turner and the ending was completely a shock to me! It’s perfect for all readers, especially thriller lovers.