This was such a fun thriller! We follow Naomi as she reconnects with her two best friends after the man that nearly killed her dies in prison. I think Naomi was a likable character despite her many flaws because of her search for redemption.

While some of the twist were predictable, there were also some I didn’t see coming and I really enjoyed the ride. This was my first book by Kate Alice Marshall and now I’m interested in her backlist. Definitely pick this up if you love drama filled thrillers that are reminiscent of a crime podcast.

Tragedy struck best friends Naomi, Olivia and Cassidy when they were eleven years old and their testimonies were responsible to for sending a mass murderer to prison. After the prisoner dies, the girls, still best friends who rely heavily on each other, come together because one of them is ready to tell the whole truth about what they actually saw...and didn't see...in the woods on that tragic day and reveal other secrets the girls have been keeping!! Some will go to any lengths for the truth to be revealed and others will go to any lengths to keep secrets buried in the woods!!

Wow!! What Lies in the Woods kept me guessing till the very end and built up to a great ending that I truly didn't see coming! If you're looking for an unpredictable thriller with a great, enthralling cast of characters, easy to follow, intriguing story, then this is it!!

Naomi, Cass, and Liv were childhood best friends. They spent their days roaming the woods all while playing the Goddess game. One day while out playing Naomi is attacked. She was brutally stabbed 17 times but lived to talk about it. Their testimony helped put a serial killer in jail.

Now adult Naomi is questioning if they put the right man away.

Unlike most other reviewers who claimed they struggled with the first 30% due to the slow burn style but then became invested in this story thereafter but I was the opposite. I enjoyed the first 30% and then it went off the rails for me. This is my first novel by Kate Alice Marshall and apparently it's her first adult thriller but strangely enough it still read as more YA to me. A lot of our time is spent with the girls when they're young and playing the Goddess game and you know what I think of that? Magic schmagic. I was so no interested in this storyline. 🤦‍♀️

Naomi was a character that I just didn't enjoy spending time with. She was rude to almost everyone and I just couldn't muster any sympathy for her. Cass was a stuck up bitch and Liv was a mousy little cry baby. As you can see I didn't like anyone in this book. And that goes for the extraneous characters as well.

At one point there is a conversation between Naomi and Cass. Naomi says they have to go to the police with the information they have while Cass insists it's a terrible idea. Then on the very next page Cass insists they go to the police and now Naomi thinks it's a terrible idea. That feels like sloppy writing to me.

There was one twist that managed to surprise me but it wasn't enough to redeem the book.

The grand finale managed to be predictable and unsatisfying all at the same time. My opinion is only my opinion as you can see by reading all the other glowing reviews for this novel. 2 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for my complimentary copy.

I received an ARC for review via NetGalley.

What Lies in the Woods immediately had my attention. The opening was so intense/dramatic and I was HOOKED. I was also immediately suspicious of everyone, which I loved. A+ character development.

3 friends go into the woods, and two come out covered in blood. Their friend was just attacked by a serial killer. To everyone’s surprise, the little 11 year old girl survived the attack, and her testimony is the one that put the serial killer away (and this was all in the first chapter, guys!)

Fast forward to the girls being adults, and hearing the news the serial killer had died in jail. Seems as good a reason as any for the 3 girls to get together. But that’s when their secrets from that summer start to unravel. It’s a tangled web, and one that could have deadly consequences.

Who was really in the woods that day, that summer? And who can Naomi trust? Can she trust her own memory?

What Lies in the Woods was packed with some extra disturbing twists 👏🏻 add this to your reading list!

"They were eleven when they sent a killer to prison. They were heroes...but they were liars.

Kate Alice Marshall's What Lies in the Woods is a thrilling novel about friendship, secrets, betrayal, and lies - and having the courage to face the past.

Naomi Shaw used to believe in magic. Twenty-two years ago, she and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, spent the summer roaming the woods, imagining a world of ceremony and wonder. They called it the Goddess Game. The summer ended suddenly when Naomi was attacked. Miraculously, she survived her seventeen stab wounds and lived to identify the man who had hurt her. The girls’ testimony put away a serial killer, wanted for murdering six women. They were heroes.

And they were liars.

For decades, the friends have kept a secret worth killing for. But now Olivia wants to tell, and Naomi sets out to find out what really happened in the woods - no matter how dangerous the truth turns out to be."

I will read ANYTHING Kate Alice Marshall writes.

I don’t know what took me so long to read this but when I saw it was a book of the month pick I figured it must be great and it didn’t disappoint. The only thing that I didn’t like was the podcast thing again. I feel like that’s part of a lot of books recently. Also copy I downloaded didn’t have any chapter headers. Not sure if that was intentional or not but I drove me a little crazy. Overall great book and didn’t see the ending coming

This is not your typical thriller! This is more of a slow burn mystery, so if you are going into this one hoping to burn though the pages, this is not your book. If you are someone who likes to get to know the characters over a period of time, like solving the mystery, and a book that will keep you guessing this one is for you! While I did find parts of it predictable and leaning a bit to the young adult sector, it did keep my interest from beginning to end.

What Lies in the Woods
by Kate Alice Marshall
Pub Date: 17 Jan 2023

Synopsis: Naomi Shaw used to believe in magic. Twenty-two years ago, she and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, spent the summer roaming the woods, imagining a world of ceremony and wonder. They called it the Goddess Game. The summer ended suddenly when Naomi was attacked. Miraculously, she survived her seventeen stab wounds and lived to identify the man who had hurt her. The girls testimony put away a serial killer wanted for murdering six women. They were heroes. And they were liars.

This is my first book I've read by author Kate Alice Marshall and I must say I'm really impressed. I'm hoping she will write more adult thriller books in the future.

So many twists and turns throughout the entire story. Just when I thought it was coming to a conclusion more fuel was thrown on the fire! Never a dull moment.

A very solid suspenseful thriller with a shocking ending I never saw coming.

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing me with an E-ARC of this book. All opinions are strictly my own.

I was hoping this book would be so much more than it was. I really liked the premise and was excited to get into the story. I must share the same brainwaves as the author because I saw exactly where the plot was going. Nothing was surprising and I guessed all the “twists” very early on. It was easy to read and I liked the narration, so I was hoping I’d be surprised. The childhood flashbacks with weird girls playing magical games in the woods hit very close to home. That was my childhood. I thought that part was the best.

I enjoyed this mystery/thriller about a group of friends that have a long ago secret that is still creating trauma for all of them. Like many novels these days, the main character is brought back to her home town to deal with the secrets of the past. The story slowly revealed itself and it did have a few good twists. My only negative is that the ending/climax was very convoluted and drawn out for me. Overall though a good thriller!

This book sucked me in right from the beginning and had me guessing the entire time. I loved all the twists, turns, and revelations. Each character was thoughtfully introduced and woven throughout the story. I really enjoyed this wild ride with Kate Alice Marshall. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy!

Kate Alice Marshall’s first foray into the adult world is super solid. Very engaging with a likable unlikeable narrator, a wild past trauma, close friend group, and of course tons of secrets and lies. I was proud of being able to guess one aspect but the rest caught me by surprise! There are certain aspects to this thriller that I think will make it stick in my head for a while, which is not always the case with thrillers. There was just so much going on to keep the reader engaged, but never confused. I really enjoyed my time with this book and can’t wait for the author’s next adult release!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

A super solid thriller- I was invested from the beginning! Loved the short chapters, loved Naomi and really enjoyed where the story went. I couldn't stop turning the pages.& had to find out how it ended. I will definitely be recommending this to mystery/thriller fans.

This was a dark and twisty thriller. I kept thinking I knew which direction it was going in and I was mostly wrong.

Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Kate Alice Marshall for a copy of What Lies in the Woods in exchange for an honest review. Alright first off, what is it about small town settings and drama that just captivate me?! I love this setting so much and this setting was perfect for this storyline! Not only did I love that our main character wasn't perfect, I loved that she stayed true to who she was throughout the story. I also couldn't pick better characters for this storyline. I won't say much more because I'm not trying to spoil anything but this one had me riding the roller coaster of twists and turns over and over again!! As soon as I thought I had something figured out, our author threw me for another loop. I hope everyone picks this one up on Jan 17th, 2023 because if you don't, you're missing out.

If I could tell you the one great thing about having over a week off from the ever-draining medical field, it is to be able to read endless amounts of books, obsess over all of the netgalley choices I have, and pick out winner after winner without ever having to worry about being rushed into the next room... instead, I was able to cuddle up on my sofa, in front of the fireplace and enjoy each and every book I picked out.

Now this might not sound like much to the every day person, but when you are constantly on your feet and solving one issue after the next, sometimes its so nice to just have silence and be alone with your own thoughts.

All week, this is what I did....

First up was What Lies in the Woods

This was the first time I loved the audio so dang much that I had to pick up the book itself just to make sure I didn't miss one little detail.

This was my first book by Kate Alice Marshall but there is no way it will be my last.

I was completely thrown into the plot without a minute to waste. This is not a slow burn but instead a heart pounding thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Reading or listening, it does not matter which option you prefer, you are bound to love this book so much.

I did figure out the major twist a little early on but it didn't stop me from absorbing every last detail of this book. The characters were well done, and although they were definitely not the warm and squishy type, I was still able to form a connection of sorts with them.

I have said it 100 times...

Kids are Evil
Books about kids are evil
I love evil children...

This book is sure to give the strongest readers nightmares so I will advise you to prepare yourself for some sleepless nights!

5 stars!

My Thoughts

The characters are well developed, the plot lines are superbly set up and well executed, pace is steady as well as easy to follow, most of the twists keep me guessing and the one I did figure out on my own in no way prepared me for some of the others.

The facts in this winding, twisted and twisting tale are filled with half truths along with outright fabrications by the main characters.

What that all added up to was a story that kept me reading all day without very many breaks and luckily fewer interruptions.

Hard to put down and going to be hard for me to forget anytime soon either!
EArc from Netgalley

A thrilling, page turning mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end!

Naomi Shaw has a secret. When she was 11 years old, she was attacked, and although she doesn't remember much from that night, she did her best to relay all of the information she could to the police. Her testimony, along with that of her two friends who witnessed the attack, put away a serial killer. When one of the girls from that fateful night is ready to come clean, Naomi finds herself back in her small hometown discussing the fallout that could hit if their secret comes out. Naomi finds herself back in those fateful woods where magic and mystery intercept only to find out that the Goddess Game isn't over and it's up to her to finish the ritual.

I was sucked into this story from the beginning and couldn't put it down once I started. As a child, I spent lots of time in the woods with a vivid imagination and a draw to magic, so I found myself envisioning my own forest as Naomi's while I burned through this story. I really enjoyed how the author both set the scene and portrayed Naomi and her friends. Everyone has secrets and the event that took place decades ago really changed the entire town and I loved seeing Naomi come face to face with that after so many years. This book kept me guessing until the very end and I loved the avenue that the author took with the ending. It was completely unexpected and so satisfying. This was a deliciously dark, thrilling read that will live rent free in my mind long after I turned the last page.

Thank you to Flatiron Books for my early copy.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very slow for about the first 50%. There were things that happened in it that I just felt like didn’t need to happen. I get why they happened and I’m not sure that it carried the story. It just felt thrown in and weird. After about the 70% mark I was more interested.

Overall, it was messy and felt choppy but was still enjoyable.

Will be reviewing a physical copy of this one. Thank you again for the ARC and hopefully this opens up a space for someone else.