The story of three childhood friends whose dark secret about a traumatic event resurfaces 20 years later, forcing them to confront the lies they’ve kept buried. While the premise promises intrigue, the story feels more YA than adult, with certain elements lacking the depth I was hoping for. That said, Karissa Vacker’s narration is a highlight—her performance adds a lot to the audiobook, keeping me engaged throughout. Overall, it’s an enjoyable listen but didn’t fully meet my expectations for an adult thriller.

I listened to this audiobook over a year ago but only just realized I never submitted a review for it.

Simply put--I really enjoyed this audiobook. Every book that Karissa Vacker reads and narrates is an automatic must-read for me and this was no exception. I loved all of the twists and turns and how Karissa's voice just brought it all to life with SO much emotion and believability. I

t was a great read and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more books by Marshall.

so this one was a debut for this author. It read as more of a YA thriller, and normally I love a good thriller but this one just didn't do it for me. It wasn't that it was but, just not for me

thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to review and listen to the audio of this one. The audio was well performed, and the narrators brought the story to life.

I just felt like i got lost with this one. It seemed hard to follow at times and the story seemed to drag on for me. I had to take breaks and come back to this one in order to finish it.

“White Lies in the Woods” by Kate Alice Marshall is a gripping mystery thriller that unravels secrets buried deep within a small town in the Pacific Northwest. The novel weaves together trauma, friendship, and the haunting aftermath of a violent event.

“White Lies in the Woods” explores the aftermath of a traumatic incident, where three childhood friends harbor a dangerous secret. Marshall’s writing keeps readers on edge, questioning loyalties and the cost of silence.

Great voice acting and amazing story! I definitely recommend for all lovers of mysteries. Thank you for this arc audiobook!

When she was eleven, Naomi Shaw’s testimony put away a serial killer who had murdered six women. For decades she’s held fast that it was him who attacked her and her two friends, Olivia and Cassidy in the woods. But when Naomi’s return to her hometown spurs new questions, she begins to doubt if what she saw was the truth or just something she wanted to believe was true. Partner with a true crime podcaster, Naomi is determined to unearth secrets that have been buried for over a decade.

I’ll be honest and say I started the audiobook of What Lies in the Woods back in April but only recently finished the book in October. I was on a post Fourth Wing slump, and I just couldn’t get into the story at first. I don’t think this had anything to do with the story or narrator itself but entirely to do with my reading slump as it was one of about a dozen audiobooks I put on pause at the time. Once I started the book again though, I was hooked.

I think I had the same thought with Marshall’s other books, but this starts as a slow burn mystery and doesn’t pick up speed until the halfway mark. I think for the purpose of Marshall’s writing, this really works in her favor, as she takes the necessary time to fully develop her characters and their quirks rather than throwing us straight into the murder mystery. While there are a lot of characters to keep track of, it’s relatively easy since each is flushed out and has a distinct voice.

Flipping between both the present and flashbacks of the girl’s childhood, Marshal has crafted an atmospheric and suspenseful story which again had me hooked once I fully committed to the story. I also realized that Karissa Vacker is the narrator for this one and she is honestly quickly becoming one of my go-to narrators, as she has an easy voice to listen to and does a great job at adding depth to characters.

Kate Alice Marshall’s adult debut is a twisty thriller that explores friendships and the secrets we keep from each other. This did has some YA vibes but was certainly darker than her other books. Overall it’s a solid thriller that will keep you guessing.


What Lies in the Woods is out now. Thank you to Flatiron Books and MacMillan Audio for my advanced copies in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.

This book threw me for a loop - I wasn't expecting how it turned out. I really enjoyed the premise and I loved trying to figure out what had truly happened all those many years ago to Naomi and her friends. All in all, one I definitely will recommend.

I thought this one was good and entertaining but I wouldn’t say it’s an absolute must read. A solid thriller but nothing special to me personally.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. This review can also be found on my instagram @manymerrybooks.

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I enjoyed a fair amount of other books by this author, so I am sad I couldn't get to this. I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it and we have to leave a star rating.

What Lies in the Woods is about Naomi Shaw, who survived a horrific stabbing when she was only 11 years old. She helped put an evil man in prison during the trial, but twenty years later, she's not sure if the right person was convicted of the crime. She's drawn back to her small northwestern town after the man convicted dies in prison. I loved the dual timeline, where we're taken to that formative summer, in which Naomi spent so much time with her two best friends.

Immediately, we know the three of them have been sharing a secret about that summer, but we're not sure what it is. The writing is very gritty and atmospheric. Naomi can be a cold, no-nonsense narrator, but I really enjoyed reading her story. The story intertwines a timeline from twenty years ago and present-day, but we see just how much that summer has influenced their lives. I flew through this audiobook and was still guessing at the end when the major events were revealed! Karissa Vacker masterfully narrates the audiobook. She has such great delivery that immediately draws me into any story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this audiobook ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the reader did an amazing job of bringing life to this story. I did think that some of the plot was predictable but there were still from great little twists thrown in there.

Naomi, Olivia, and Cassidy, 11-year-old best friends spent an entire summer playing a game of their own invention, dubbed The Goddess Game, in the woods of their town. Their summer came to a shocking close when Naomi was viciously attacked in their playground, the woods. Naomi survives the brutal attack, but she is left with many scars both physical and mental.

Naomi’s friends Olivia and Cassidy saw the man who did it, identified as Allan Michael Stahl, a suspected serial killer. Their testimony puts him behind bars.
22-years later, Naomi receives a phone call that brings that horrible summer back to the forefront of her mind. Stahl has died in prison. But instead of relief, Naomi feels more guilt and regret.

Naomi travels back to her hometown, and meets her friends Liv and Cass, creating a lot of feelings, including tension. Liv wants to reveal the truth, but Naomi's not even sure she knows the truth. Now, Naomi wants to figure out the real truth, but soon it's clear, someone doesn't want the truth coming out and they may even be ready to kill to stop the truth from coming out.

What Lies in the Woods was a thrilling read but could’ve been better. My issue was how the reveals/storytelling was a little uneven. There would be a long period of time with nothing happening and then everything seems to be happening at the same time. This kind of seems to be the trend with the thriller genre nowadays.

While this wasn't perfect for me, it is still a strong debut for Kate Alice Marshall in the Adult Mystery/Thriller genre. I hope to read more from her. I know a lot of people have loved this more than I did, so I know the author has the potential to come up with more exciting stories in the future. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

This is my second Kate Alice Marshall book and I am always drawn to her cover and titles. She does spooky/eerie and suspense so well. I knew reading the description that this book may be inspired by the Slenderman stabbing near my home. It was a huge deal here obviously, the victim being 12 and the 2 perp's being her friends of the same age. I thought the book was very well done reminding me a lot of what had happened in the real life case. It dealt with the trauma of the past but also the consequences of those actions taken in the future. I will think about this book for a long time. While I had an inkling of what had happened that night so many years ago, I didn't piece it all together and it made for a really good mystery. The narrator did a fantastic job and I'll be looking for more of her narrated titles as well.

When I read the synopsis it really grabbed my attention and was excited to read this one. I think the beginning of the book was good, but towards the end I felt that the author was throwing so much at you all at once. I didn't really empathize with the characters so I wasn't as invested in the outcome. Overall I think the story was ok, but in my opinion quite forgettable.

I enjoy audiobooks that involve crime and this fit the bill. Twenty years ago, three young girls were confronted in the woods and one of them was brutally attacked. The girls testified against the suspect and he spent twenty years in jail before his death. Now the girls have gathered again because there is something they never revealed to the police. Is now the time to tell? This kept me guessing throughout. There were so many believable suspects!! I really enjoyed it. 4.5 stars from me. I thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC.

Fantastic thriller. The audiobook was excellent and really kept me engaged because I was itching to see what would come next. Super twisty and dark in a way that’s makes you not want to get suck in a small, out of the way, town. I think I audibly gasped a couple of times while listening to this!

Special thanks to #NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #KateAliceMarshall #WhatLiesInTheWoods for early access to this audio book

In some ways, exactly what you expect out of a thriller. And yet, an immersive and unique take on that general premise. The characters were well developed and believable and mystery certainly kept. me hooked! I was very impressed with this one, I think it will really speak to anyone who got really into mythology and fantasy worlds as a child.

3.75/5
rounded up

As I understand, this is Kate Alice Marshall's adult debut in mystery/thriller/suspense. And I thought it was a pretty decent mystery/suspense. There were a few twists, one I saw coming and a couple that made me go, "say what now?!"

Three best friends, Naomi, Cassidy (Cass), and, Olivia (Liv) grew up playing in the woods of their hometown believing in myth and magic. Until the day, Naomi is horribly attacked and survives, even though she was stabbed 17 times. Cass and Liv said they saw the attacker and named a suspected serial killer, Allan Michael Stahl. Because of their testimony, he's sent to prison.

22 years later, Stahl dies. And Naomi begins to question her reality about that day and all that she, Cass and Liv have said. While Cass wants to bury the past and celebrates Stahl's death, Liv has been very mentally unstable all these years and has something she needs to say before she bursts at the seams, but Cass manages to shut her down. Naomi is unsettled by this. And feels like there is more to that day and Naomi begins to figure out this mystery in her memory.

Despite being an unreliable narrator, odd situations begin to befall Naomi. Someone doesn't want her to know the truth of that day. But who?

There were definite places in the story that could have been fleshed out a little more, while others could have maybe slowed on the brakes.

I enjoyed this story enough that I will definitely pick up another by Kate Alice Marshall in the future.

content warning: talk about a brutal child attack from the past, severe mental health issues, death, murder, secret identity, secrets

I would love to thank Netgalley, Flatiron Books, Macmillan Audio, and of course, Kate Alice Marshall for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook and review What Lies in the Woods. All my thoughts and opinions are my own.

What Lies in the Woods is a slow burn that held my interest until the very end. I love a story of lifelong friends and the twists and turns of the inevitable unraveling of the truth that was buried for so long. This reads a bit like YA but definitely still enjoyable. I wasn't blown away but there was a moment I did not see coming which is impressive, especially as a debut. Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Kate Alice Marshall for the advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy Kate Alice Marshall's writing. This story grabbed my attention from the beginning and kept me fully engaged, The characters and the atmosphere were well written. Well paced and I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way. Another great thriller!