What a wonderful tale of secrets, lies, and guilt. The author created a perfectly realistic, though not always likeable, character in Naomi. Her scars make her who she is, inside and out. She doesn't really remember what happened to her. Her two friends relay what happened to Naomi in the woods, and they are not reliable. Years later, they have to face a hard truth, but it is too lake to make things right.

I like the author’s bravery in telling this story the way it sometimes happens in real life, and sometimes life can’t be tied up in a pretty bow at the end.

This fast paced thriller kept me guessing the whole time! My heart broke for Naomi over and over, all while cheering her on as she fought on her own to get the answers she has been searching for since she was 11 years old.

The quiet summer when she was 11, Naomi was stabbed 17 times while her two best friends were witnesses. Naomi should have died that day but was saved by Cody, always her protector. But as she recovered Naomi couldn’t recall her attacker. She relied on her friends to name Stahl, who was also a serial killer. When Stahl dies 20+ years later, from cancer while in jail, Naomi returns to her hometown and her two best friends. But she begins to revisit her attack when she was 11 and questions everything that unfolded that day and in the years since.

This is one of the most well-developed thrillers I've finished in a long time. I loved that it was compulsive...I could not stop listening. I loved that it was twisty for the last half, not just in the last few chapters. I loved how I thought I knew who did it and while not completely wrong, it was so much more than the simplistic answer I had come up with initially. Very well done, highly recommend!

When they were 11-years old, best friends, Naomi, Olivia and Cassidy, spent an entire summer playing a game of their own invention, dubbed The Goddess Game, in the woods of their town. It was secret and magical, the rules made up as they went, appeasing a goddess known only to them.

They loved it and truly got immersed in their play. Sadly, their summer came to a shocking close when Naomi was viciously attacked in their playground, the woods. Somehow, the little girl is able to survive her 17-stab wounds. Naomi is left with many scars though, both on her physical body, as well as in her heart and mind.

Olivia and Cassidy saw the man who did it, identified as Allan Michael Stahl, a suspected serial killer. The testimony of the three girls helped to put him behind bars. He had killed six women, but it was his attack on Naomi that ultimately lead to his incarceration. The girls are lauded as heroes for their courageous testimony.

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. One might think this would provide Naomi with a bit of relief. The man who brutally attacked her, tried to take her life, has come to the end of his. He can never hurt another person. But Naomi feels more guilt and doubt than relief.

It's clear from her reaction that there's much more to the story. The girls may not have been 100% truthful about what was going on in the woods that day.

Naomi travels back to her hometown. She needs to see Liv and Cass. Maybe they can work through this together. The reunion brings up a lot of feelings, including tension. Liv wants to reveal the truth, but Naomi's not even sure she knows the truth.

Naomi's determined to figure it out. She knows the story they gave the authorities wasn't the whole story, but what is? Naomi starts digging in and before long it's clear, someone doesn't want the truth coming out. Are they willing to kill to keep the secret?

I have really enjoyed some of Kate Alice Marshall's YA-books, so when I heard that she was coming out with a debut Adult novel, I was super stoked. She has a darker writing style and I was very interested to see what she could do with that in the Adult space.

I was not disappointed! What Lies in the Woods was super intriguing to me from the very start. I loved how the reveals were arranged and the pace was perfection for me. I had a lot of theories, some turned out to be true, but there were also some fun surprises along the way.

The tone of this story, and even some of the themes, reminded me a lot of two YA-Thrillers that I have really enjoyed, Little Monsters and Broken Things. So, yes, while this is Adult, there is a past perspective that takes place when the girls are younger.

I liked this. I always enjoy an alternating timeline, especially when it helps to piece a story together like this one did. Additionally, I think that makes this one a great transitional book for Readers who may be moving from YA-stories in the Adult-space. This could be a great place to start.

While this wasn't perfect for me, I did lose track of some of the side characters every now and again, it is still such a strong debut for Marshall in this new space. I hope she continues to write more Adult Mystery/Thriller stories. She definitely has a knack for the darker side of humanity and that's what I like to see in this genre. Her main characters are always super compelling as well and I definitely felt that way about Naomi.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I had so much fun with this. I will pick up anything Kate Alice Marshall writes, no matter the age range. Middle Grade to Adult, I'm here for it!!

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall was a riveting psychological thriller. I listened to the audiobook that was narrated very well by Karissa Vacker. There were many twists throughout the book that kept me guessing. The characters were vividly drawn, well developed and most believable. It was well plotted and fast paced. What Lies in the Woods drew me in from the very start and kept my attention all the way to the satisfying ending. Although I was able to figure out a twist or two, red herrings were thrown in and threw me off course more than once. This was the first book that I had read by Kate Alice Marshall. Her writing and masterful storytelling abilities impressed me a lot.

Naomi Shaw had moved away from her home town as soon as she was able to. She had become a very talented photographer. Most of Naomi’s clients were couples who had recently gotten engaged or married. Naomi was very good at her profession and she demanded a high payment for her quality work. Her reputation was stellar. Naomi lived in Seattle now but growing up she had lived in a small community where everyone knew one another.

Growing up Naomi had two best friends, Liv and Cass. The three girls were inseparable. During the summer Naomi, Liv and Cass were eleven they had loved playing in the woods that bordered their town. The three girls were very much into fantasy games that involved magic. They liked to link the Greek goddesses to the imaginary games they played. During one of those afternoons, something tragic occurred. Naomi was sitting eating her lunch when she was viciously attacked. Someone stabbed Naomi seventeen times with a knife. Naomi ended up in the hospital and by some miracle she survived the attack. Her friends claimed to have seen who attacked Naomi and described him to the police. Although Naomi had no memory of what had happened to her, she also gave the same description to the police figuring that Liv and Cass had seen her attacker. All three girls testified in court and their testimony put a serial killer who had killed six other women behind bars. Naomi was left with some scars but she never tried to hide them.

Now, twenty-two years later, Naomi received a phone call to let her know that her attacker had died in prison from cancer. Liv and Cass received the same call that informed them about the death of Naomi’s attacker. The three women decided to get together to celebrate. Naomi traveled to her home town. This was the first time she had been back since she left. Naomi always wondered if the right man had been found guilty and had been put in jail for stabbing her. Her memories of that day were nonexistent. Liv also brought up things about that day that were bothering her as well after Naomi brought up her concerns. The three of them should have been so happy about the news, so why weren’t they?

A few days later, Naomi received a phone message from Liv. Naomi could tell that something was very wrong. Liv had always suffered from mental health issues but medication had kept them under control. Naomi knew she had to find Liv. The first place Naomi looked was at Liv’s parent’s home. Liv was not there. Naomi decided to check the woods where the girls used to play all those years ago. When Naomi finally found Liv, she was dead. Was it suicide or murder? Naomi was determined to find out what had happened to Liv and what exactly happened to her all those years ago. Would Naomi be able to uncover the secrets that had stayed hidden for over twenty-two years? What dangers would she be made to face in doing so? What would Naomi uncover?

What Lies in the Woods was Kate Alice Marshall’s debut adult novel. It was suspenseful, gripping and hard to put down. What Lies in the Woods was about friendship, secrets, wanting to discover the truth, betrayal, lies, courage, choices, trust, determination and heartbreak. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of What Lies in the Woods and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of What Lie in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall through Netgalley. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Publication was January 17, 2023.

I really enjoyed the narrator of this fast paced thriller. I flew through it and thought it was really thought out. There was some shocking twists, but also twists I had saw coming. I’m giving it a four star because I felt like there wasn’t too much mystery as I’d hoped but still an amazing audio.

Really liked this novel. Kept me guessing and audible shocked with some of the revelations within the pages. Definitely a book I would recommend. #netgalley #whatliesinthewoods

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a pretty good book, wasn't sure where it was going to end up with all the plot twists lmao I would recommend for sure, hard to reread lol but would love to watch this at a movie or tv series

This thriller kept me guessing. Just when I thought I had it figured out, there was another twist. The narration was absolutely perfect. Karissa Vacker is incredible at narrating thrillers, keeping me guessing, and hiding the truth perfectly with her intonation. When I see she has narrated a thriller, it is an instant must read.

If you are looking for a solid thriller, then look no further! This book will have you turning pages well into the night. I would say that this book would also border on the horror genre for all you horror-loving psychos out there.

This book starts out with three childhood friends playing an innocent goddess game in the woods, but things quickly become very dark and disturbing, leading you down a crazy rabbit hole. Fast forward 25 years and now the childhood friends are adults and still share the harrowing secrets of that summer playing in the woods.

When Naomi returns to her hometown to visit her father, she meets up with her friends Olivia and Cass. Olivia wants them to come clean and reveal their secret, but the others are not so sure. Naomi feels deep regret and guilt for potentially sending an innocent man to prison for stabbing her 17 times. Who the heck survives that?! That was one flaw in the book that was hard for me to get over.

The book wraps up with a shocking, twisty ending that you will never see coming. My other complaint for this book is that I truly hated all of the characters. There was no real character that I rooting for or felt any connection with. If I really had to pick a character, I would say Naomi would be the character I detested the least, but she became increasingly annoying to me.

Special thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I requested this audiobook based on the description, having not heard of the author or previously read a review of the book. I am glad I took the chance! I enjoyed the narrator and felt she did an excellent job with inflection for different characters while maintaining a strong voice for the main character, Naomi. The story was well constructed with enough of a hook to draw you in with solid character development but not too much as to be leading. The story had the right number of characters to cast suspicion, but not too many to be confusing or poorly developed. Naomi is a damaged character both physically and emotionally and I was drawn to her uncertainty about what happened during her attack. There were enough twists and turns to keep the plot moving forward but the author did a great job in flushing out the characters to create an emotional investment for the reader, especially for Naomi. The ending was well laid out and while it was not a complete surprise, I felt it was still well done and satisfying. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy solid character development, an unreliable narrator and a couple of twists.

<i>What Lies in the Woods</i> was intense and I was a fan from the start. This was a great thriller to start the year off. Imagine living through a horrific and traumatizing ordeal that sent a serial killer to prison - when you are 11 years old! Not only that, you experience it with your best friends and they become the ties that bind you for the rest of your lives. There are two other people who know exactly what you have gone through. Seeing from the point of view from a victim in a world that is serial killer obsessed, as the reader, you can't help but feel a little bit guilty if you have personally fallen into that trap of docuseries and podcasts.
Who can the victims trust? How do they trust anyone new coming into their lives? It seems logical that the people who knew them before the incident are the only ones who really aren't after them with ulterior motives. Right?
The twists and turns in this book are dizzying. Just when you think you have it figured out, maybe you don't.
Although the end seemed a little over the top, it was the right ending for this book.
I, for one, will think twice about listening to another podcast or watching another show because I'll be thinking about what it took to get that information...

Thank you Kate Alice Marshall, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for an advanced audio copy of this book.
Karissa Vacker, the narrator, is fantastic and has quickly won my favor.
Great pacing. Perfect enunciation and inflection where appropriate. Excellent storytelling!

QUICK BITS
🏛️Greek mythology
🔍Sleuth/podcaster
🥴Kids will be kids?
🏳️‍🌈Bi rep

REVIEW
It was nice to FINALLY find a murder thriller that ACTUALLY had a bit of whimsy.

I loved the Greek mythology tie in, the writing was dark and seductive, the characters were dynamic, and the overall execution of the finale was wonderful.

I did guess the ending within the first quarter, but I enjoyed the places this one went and so it made up for that quite a bit.

This reminded me of a true case that happened in Wisconsin and it had me internally screaming.

Overall, although I wasn’t completely floored, this is some of the best I have read from this genre as of recent.

RATINGS
8 Characters
7 Atmosphere
7 Writing Style
7 Plot
6 Pace
7 Intrigue
7 Enjoyment
3 SOS Bonus
TOTAL= 49+3= 52/14= 3.71

😱3.00/5.00 SOS Rating
(in this case I did guess the ending quite literally at the start BUT in a rare twist this book had a red herring which I thoroughly enjoyed and bonus points for the execution of surprise, I thought it as really well done)

⭐️3.75/5.00 Rounded Rating

What Lies in the Woods written by Kate Alice Marshall and narrated by Karissa Vacker is a tale of friendship, betrayal, healing from trauma and finding yourself.

This story is unsettling and once every piece falls into place, you are left shocked and heartbroken. I really liked the way the story was told with a few flashbacks jumping back to that tragic summer. It showed how the events unfolded from the perspective of the main character.

I liked how the story unravelled and while I guessed some things, others were a shock to me. I did have a hard time keeping up with all the characters but that's maybe because I listened to this book. That resulted in me not connecting much with the characters outside of the MC.

But I did connect to Niaomi. I love how open she is about being bisexual! And about her scars - the fact that she never covered them up, it shows how strong she is.

Overall, this is a thrilling and entertaining story that shows what people are willing to do for the ones they love.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was quite the twisted (and twisty) little thriller, wasn’t it? Honestly, preteen girls can be so scary in themselves and then we add in creepy Goddess Games.

I felt that this book was paced really well. I’ve seen some reviews saying it was a slower start, but I didn’t feel that way! I thought the twists and revelations were well-spaced, keeping you engaged throughout. Plus, another podcast trope. What’s not to like?

Though, a bit predictable at times, I felt there were enough other surprises to keep it interesting. I really enjoyed the main character, too! I liked how she used humor to deflect and was open about her coping strategies- it all seemed very real in that sense which I can appreciate.

The narrator, Karissa Vacker, absolutely crushed it. I’ve recently gotten into audiobooks so I’m still learning my go-to narrators, but she is now added to that list.

Let me start by saying I listened to the audiobook and Karissa Vacker is stellar and is easily one of my favorite narrators at the moment. The storyline was interesting, the pacing was excellent and the secrets and lies just kept coming! I was definitely shocked by some of the twists! While Naomi wasn’t always a likable main character, she had great character development and I was still rooting for her to piece together what happened in the past.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

Naomi, Olivia, and Cassidy were eleven years old when the unthinkable happened, one of them was viciously attacked while they were playing in the woods, and survived it. Naomi was certain she had put the right guy away for the crime but years later, after he died from cancer in prison, she questions everything she remembered about that awful day.

It's a slow burn, that really picks up in the end and has plot twists that I didn't see coming!

Just when I thought I had the twists pointed out, I quickly realized I did. It. The audio and we great. An engaging, fast-paced thriller that I could stop listening to. Would definitely recommend!

Read if you like:
-unreliable narrators
- lots of twists and turns
-deceptions
- double meanings
- who dunnit
-thrillers
- atmospheric settings

This Narrator!!!! I absolutely adore anything and everything Karissa records because she always does such a phenomenal job and always elevates a story with her narration skills to a point that honestly I love it more because of her narration which is rare for me to love a narrators work this much..

This book is full of twists and turns and deceptions that will make you keep guessing all the way to the ending to wonder what truly lies in the woods and what lies were told in the woods…

To say that this one took me for a ride would be an understatement as it was so well done!