A great engaging thriller! Naomi narrowly escaped murder decades ago and has spent her life since trying to leave it in her past. When she received a phone call announcing her murder’s death, she should be able to move on, but after another phone call from her friend, she is drug back into the past. And the past seems to be different than she remembers.
Highly recommended!

* I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for my honest review

I have read a few books by this author in the YA category and was very excited to learn that she was releasing an adult thriller. She absolutely did not disappoint. I loved this story. the friend group, the main character who was sort of the worst, but you still wanted to see her thrive. I also really loved how this book touches on true crime, how we consume it and what it can mean to the victims. It also kept me on my toes through the whole book, I had ideas but I kept changing my mind. Easy to follow and get sucked into. Highly recommend and a great debut in the adult age group! Love this narrator as well!

I was hooked from the beginning of this book, and as the plot twists and turns kept coming I was on the edge of my seat. I did NOT see the ending coming, even though multiple times I thought I had the story figured out. I really enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook version too. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes suspenseful mysteries. I received a free copy of the audiobook from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Where do I even begin?! This book was SO twisty, so turny, SO engaging! This was an absolute masterpiece to me. I now cannot wait to read everything from this author. I’ve never been so truly impressed by a unraveling story and seeing the parts and pieces come into place. I devoured this book in 2 days and that’s only because I had some family stuff I had to pause the audiobook for. This story was so well written. I truly loved that the characters owned their flaws and it wasn’t about these perfect little girls that had tragedies happen to them.

This book is full of imagination and truths. We mainly follow Naomi who was almost killed in the woods by a supposed serial killer when she was 11 years old. The three friends held together for years later, bound by the tragedy that happened to them. Now, years later as adults they receive news that the man they put away has died in prison. They get together to discuss the reveal of a secret that’s long been kept. Then when another murder takes place the stakes get even higher, more questions than answers until … all the pieces fall into place. This is an absolute MUST read for any thriller or crime junkie!

A big thank you to NetGalley, the author, and FlatIron books for this ARC. Book releases January 17,2023. The hardcover version is available now via BOTM as well!

A twisty story of past and present, truth and lies. Naomi is a compelling yet flawed and not entirely reliable narrator. Rich cast of supporting characters round out the story. Who really stabbed Naomi when she was 11? Who can be trusted? I did see some of the twists coming, but I was immersed in this small town. I’d read this author again. Narrator did a great job with the audio.

The tone and pace of this book actually reminded me a bit of the Night Swim by Megan Goldin, which I really enjoyed. By that I mean, the subject matter is a bit darker, there are many secrets and the reveals are on the slower end but I love that because everything just builds for a good and twisty ending. I like stories like this one where the MC returns to their home town, where whatever demons await, and we get glimpses of what happened in the past and of their history with other characters - I feel like this helps immerse me. I can't say I was super attached to any particular character for this one but I definitely couldn't put it down, I just had to know where this was going. Once things start happening, it basically doesn't stop and it is just reveal after reveal and twist after twist and I was pretty surprised because I tend to try and figure out who the culprit is and in this case I really was just there for the ride. Definitely enjoyed this one and will be looking into the other works from this author.

Content warnings: Violence, sexual assault, gun violence, murder, death, mental illness, alcoholism, panic attacks/disorders, pedophilia.

A big thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Twenty-two years ago three eleven-year-old girls went into the woods, and only two walked out. Miracle girl Naomi Shaw was found lying across a log with seventeen stab wounds.

And she survived.

Those three best friends helped put a serial killer behind bars after that incident.

But they were keeping secrets.

That day changed the course of their lives.

And now one wants to tell the truth.

What happened all those years ago in the woods? And what will happen now if the secrets start to come out?

What Lies in the Woods is dark and twisty and utterly delicious. I did not want to put it down.

It’s like stones thrown into the water. What happened that day made an obvious big splash in Naomi’s life, but you know how a stone thrown into water makes those small concentric circles that grow larger and larger as they fan out across the surface? The repercussions from that day had as equally sinister and sizable an impact as the initial threat to her life Naomi’s injuries posed.

I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Karissa Vacker, and I highly recommend it. Vacker manages to capture the tension, trust, uncertainty, and vulnerability with the nuances of her performance. I enjoyed her vocal choices for all of the supporting characters as well. Vacker’s performance makes you root for a character who—life threatening injuries and lasting scars aside—is not initially a sympathetic one in the literary sense.

Pick this one up and head into the isolated dark woods of a Pacific Northwest logging town. Make sure to bring your flashlight and stick to the trails.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

4.5 stars
At 11 years of age, Naomi's testimony sealed the fate of the man who was charged with brutally attacking her with a knife as her two friends, Cass and Liv, hid and watched in helpless horror. Now, 22 years later, he has died in prison. While many expect this to bring relief or satisfaction to Naomi, she feels somehow uneasy with his death. At the time she awoke in the hospital (a miracle that she survived) she is not sure if the memory she has of the event is her or is it what she was old? It has to be hers, she could not live with the thought of having a man spend his life in prison on her word if it was faulty.

The three girls have stayed friends through the years. Once innocent children who let their imaginations run wild in the woods as they created "Goddess Games", now grown women dealing with their past trauma in in greatly differing ways. Naomi left their small town of Chester to pursue a photography career in the wedding industry. Liv has continuously struggled with her mental health, remaining a fragile person. Cass married and had children, becoming the mom that seemingly had it all under control.,

The women come together with the news of the killer's passing. But instead of bringing unifying moment of relief and healing it is only the beginning of a new road of terror. Who will survive the pursuit of truth? Who are the real heroes and who the malefactors of this town? Can Naomi trust anyone? She really shouldn't.

What Lies In the Woods is gripping read that will take turns you do not see. Think you know who the evildoers are? Just turn the next page ;) Kate Alice Marshal has created a powerful and evocative cocoon in the woods where the young girls play, This safe cocoon becomes a tomb where betrayals suffocate the truth, The reactions of both the characters and the reader are visceral as the story unfolds,

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First (audio)book for me by Kate Alice Marshall with What Lies in the Woods being her first in the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller genre. I struggled slightly with catching on to the story of three 11 year old girls and their adventures and secrets. The narrator was VERY good for this book and really helped keep me engaged to keep listening. The perp twists were not too shocking or surprising to me but it turned out to be a pretty darn good book overall. I would recommend it to other readers as one to fit into their reading (and especially listening) pile! I hope this author releases another book in this same genre soon!
Thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Kate Alice Marshall and I really enjoyed it. I’m super glad that she wrote an adult novel and I hope she continues to write them. I kinda had the killer figured out from the beginning, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the novel. Thanks so much for the early listening copy. I loved the narrator.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I am generally not a reader of thrillers, but I could not put this book down.

Naomi, after suffering a harrowing incident as an eleven year old girl, witnessed by her two best friends, comes home when her perpetuator dies in prison. But the girls haven't always told the truth about everything that happened so many years ago.

The layers in narrative were incredible, unpredictable, and overall compelling. I loved Naomi's characterization and her survival instincts after so many things could have continuously knocked her down.

So many well thought out twists and turns, such an enjoyable read.

I previously read the novel, and listened to the audiobook second time around. Great narration, well done.

"They were heroes. And they were liars."

Twenty-two years ago, three young girls playing in the woods were attacked. One of them almost died. A serial killer was quickly jailed for the attack. Naomi, Olivia, and Cassidy still bear the scars from that day. The killer's death revives questions about what happened that day in the woods. Did these girls send an innocent man to prison?

After hearing several people rave about it, I quickly requested a copy of this book. I can happily report that the hype is real. This dark, twisted thriller is captivating!

What Lies in the Woods is full of mystery, suspense, twists, and turns, with Greek mythology woven in. It will keep you guessing until its shocking end. The story insightfully explores trust, hope, and friendship. You'll be thinking about this one long after you finish the book.

Audiobook narrator Karissa Vacker does an excellent job portraying Naomi's determination to find out what happened that day, her devotion to her friends, and her concerns about who she could trust. Vacker made the flawed, broken Naomi relatable.

This well-done, dark thriller is one you'll want to binge!

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for an early listening copy of this book.

"What Lies in the Woods" is a solid thriller that uses the true-crime podcast angle that many recent books have done. It starts with a mysterious attack in the woods and the only witnesses were three young girls. Were they telling the truth and what where they doing out there in the first place? The book is twisty - some predictable, others not - and kept my attention throughout. Narration was fantastic.

Naomi grew up in a small town with two best friends, spending their time playing in the woods and imagining all sorts of fairytales. But that the summer when they were eleven, Naomi was attacked while they were in the woods and stabbed multiple times. Heavily scarred, she survived and helped to convict a wanted serial killer for the crime. Years later, one of her friends asks them to reunite because she wants to tell the truth. But as they try to decide if it’s worth telling the truth, more secrets are uncovered that have Naomi questioning who she can trust.

While this work began rather slowly, the information and suspense slowly picked up, drawing me into the story. I did find the first big “twist” to be quite predictable, which was disappointing and made me worried about the rest of the book as it came about halfway through. However, I was still wrong about some of the ending, so guessing one twist wasn’t too disappointing. The writing style was a little off-putting for me. It felt like the author included unnecessary amounts of details to try and hide the actual pertinent information, which made some chapters a slog to get through and also felt like it made the red herrings pretty obvious much of the time.

There were some inconsistencies that I found detracted some from my enjoyment of the work. One example was how long Naomi kept all her secrets (15+ years), then spills them to someone she met only a few days before because “he’s just good at making people trust him.” There was also some plot-induced stupidity, especially near the end, that was difficult to ignore and definitely detracted from my enjoyment of the work. However, I did like Naomi as a protagonist and felt that she was well written and that her dialogue was well done.

Overall, this was an entertaining slightly suspenseful mystery that I do recommend. I wouldn’t classify it as a thriller or horror though. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me read this work, which will be published in January 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Naomi and her two best friends Cassidy and Olivia love to spend hours in the woods playing their made up goddess game. A gruesome discovery during one of their games leads to Naomi being attacked. She survived seventeen stab wounds. When interviewed by the police Naomi identifies a wanted serial killer as her attacker. The man is sent to prison. Everything should be great right? Wrong! They all lied! The three friends reunite years later after the man dies in prison. Naomi struggles with her guilt as she fears she put the wrong man away.

I thought this book dragged a bit in this beginning. I alternated between reading the physical copy and listening to the audiobook which was well done. I slowly got sucked into the story and just had to know what happened next.

What Lies in the Woods is available January 17,2023

Thank you to netgalley, macmillianaudio, and flatironbooks for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I am absolutely blow away by Kate Alice Marshall’s adult debut! What a thriller! The tension and pacing was expertly handled and I couldn’t help but gasp with each twist!

⭐️Rating: 3/5
✍🏼Author: Kate Alice Marshall
📖Genre: Psychological Thriller


Summary:

This psychological thriller follows three friends who played dangerous games when they were younger. They have hidden a big secret, but when friend returns home, she brings back haunting memories from the past and resurfaces the secret they’ve tried to bury.

I received the ALC copy of this book, and to be honest really struggled with the narrator. I didn’t love her pacing and portrayal. I found myself having difficulty following her. I feel like I would have loved the digital copy better and the overall storyline is good. I liked all the twist and turns and was thrown by the ending. So good.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. A. Childhood game with a deadly secret. Three friends who have something big they are hiding. When one friend returns to the hometown it brings up the secret and some bad memories. What will they all do to keep this secret quiet? Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Three best friends. One magical summer. It all started with a ceremonious game of lore but ended in tragedy. Eleven-year-old Naomi was attacked and nearly died but thanks to good friends and even better luck, she made it out of the woods alive. Together, Naomi, Olivia, and Cass were able to identify the perpetrator and ultimately land a notorious serial killer in prison. The only problem is…they lied. Now, nearly twenty years later, Olivia wants to tell the truth but not everyone agrees they should. After years spent suppressing the memories of that night, Naomi begins to remember bits and pieces that don’t match what everyone says happened. Now, she is determined to find out what really happened to her in the woods, no matter how dangerous the journey. 
This book had me in its grasp from the very beginning and I could not stop reading it! The multitude of hidden secrets are like long-forgotten mines. Once one is set off, the rest explode in close succession – entirely changing the landscape under which they previously lay dormant.  
Although Naomi had a rough life from the moment she was attacked, her character is strong and unyielding. She knows what she wants and will stop at nothing to get it. Even if that means losing people close to her. She meets someone on her path for the truth and they become unlikely allies. I liked their relationship because they realized each other’s boundaries and never crossed them. This made it easier for them to open up to each other and form a level of trust I didn’t see between Naomi and any other character – even Olivia or Cass.  
Overall, this book is fast paced, full of twists, and has an ending that completely took me by surprise! I recommend this title if you are a fan of thrillers, small town mysteries, or whodunits. This book is a wonderful mix of each of these and will surely keep you guessing what exactly happened that night in the woods.  
I had the pleasure of listening to this one and Karissa Vacker proves yet again why she is a leading voice in narration, especially in the thriller genre!
Thanks so much to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC! All thoughts are my own.

A very dark and twisty thriller! This story begins when 3 girls' games in the woods end abruptly with one of them being stabbed 17 times in the back. I want to tell you more, but this is one of those books where the less you know about it before you start reading, the more you will enjoy it.. so watch out for spoilers! This was my first book by Kate Alice Marshall but it definitely won't be my last. Let me know if you have any recommendations on which one to read next :-)
Karissa Vacker was the perfect narrator for such a suspenseful story, I could really sense the fear and vulnerability of the characters in her voice, and she kept me listening non-stop until the very last word.