I was absolutely loving this book until it hit the 75% mark. The conclusion was just SO extra, and it didn’t need to be. Sometimes authors just over do it, simple as that. With twist after twist after twist, it was just way too much. By the very end, my eyes hurt from rolling them too much. But other than that, this story was told phenomenally well. Three girls are involved in a tragic incident in the woods at a very young age, and are still dealing with the psychological aftermath as adults. Littered with lies, secrets, and confusion, uncovering the truth is proving to be quite difficult. The author did a fantastic job unraveling the mystery, and the truth behind what really happened that one summer night twenty two years ago. I just wish that the ending wasn’t so extravagant and overdone. It wasn’t necessary, in my opinion. I had to knock down my rating because of it. 3.5/5 stars for What Lies in the Woods!

What Lies in the Woods in a dark and twisty tale of three girls who discovered bones in a cave in the woods and then were attacked by a serial killer and one almost dies. But is that the true story?
The narrator is amazing! This is not the book to listen to before bed! So dark and the twists keep on coming. If you like suspense with a dark plot, this is the auto book for you. I want to thank NetGalley for offering me the chance to listen to this auto book for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for this ARC!!
This book took me for a ride, I’m glad I didn’t read too many reviews before I jumped in and I recommend anyone who reads this do the same. I do have to say I was slightly annoyed by the protagonists pity parties she has for herself when she sleeps with the wrong guys, I’m all for freedom to sleep with who you want but if you keep doing it and you act like oh poor me as usual sleeping with the wrong people…maybe stop? Overall a really enjoyable book, loved the ending and I can really appreciate the books double meaning 😉

I can't help but wonder why I didn't have the same reading experience so many have had with this one. It was a good mystery, but one that I feel has been done again and again. I found the pace rather slow at times and honestly don't think it'll be a very memorable read for me. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Karissa Vacker, who I think did a very good job with her narration. A huge thanks to Netgalley, Kate Alice Marshall, and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of the novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a gripping, suspenseful novel with more twists and turns than you can count.

The main character is Naomi, who was brutally attacked as a 10-year-old while two of her friends (Cassie and Liv) hid nearby. The story opens 22 years after the attack. The serial killer who was convicted based on the girls’ testimony has just died in prison.

Naomi begins to feel unsettled about the events of her childhood and goes back home to reconnect with her friends. Following another tragedy, she becomes more determined to remember the events surrounding her brutal attack.

Naomi is a troubled young woman who is trying to be better but the trauma of her past continues to define her. She’s a flawed, yet realistic character.

The pacing was a bit slow at times, but it didn’t stay that way for long. The last 1/4 was riveting.

There are a lot of minor characters and red herrings. You will think you know what happened many times. I did figure it out eventually and before the reveal. But there are many more secrets in addition to the attack on Naomi and I didn’t figure them all out.

This is my first book by the author. I received a complementary advance review copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Karissa Vacker gives another stellar performance with her somewhat spooky, whispery voice.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

I usually find mystery or crime novels very predictable. “What Lies in the Woods” was different. Yes, there were some parts that were a bit cliche, but most of the twists were surprising.

As children Naomi, Cass, and Liv experienced a very traumatic event when 11yr old Naomi was attacked in the woods. . At least that was the official story. Their testimonies put a serial killer in prison.

Twenty-two years later the trio reunites when the man they helped put away dies in prison. This is when things begin to really unravel. Naomi begins to question the events of that summer long ago. From here the story goes in many directions and Naomi learns there was much more happening behind the scenes of her attack and rescue.

Will Naomi piece all of this together and come clean or will the past come her?

I listened to about 50 percent of the book and had to stop listening. The first quarter held my interest about a murdered friend. Then, the male narrator's house began to grate in me. He just didn't sound interested in the reading. I hate not finishing a book but this was one I decided to give up on.

Such a great rollercoaster of a thriller. Definitely made me want to keep my lights on at night once I finished this book! Naomi underwent a terrible experience as a child over 20 years ago, and while someone was convicted for this crime, she isn't 100% confident in what actually happened.

Fast forward to present day- Naomi is brought back to her childhood home and childhood friends to confront her past and also to uncover so many secrets. And man, what a wild ride she is in for.

The narrator was FANTASTIC. She drew me in and really brought the story to life for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date 1-17-23

Review posted on IG & Goodreads

4.25 stars

This was an intriguing and suspenseful story with a bunch of interesting twists. I enjoyed many of the characters, I hated the death of one of them (ugh!!), and I was captivated by the secrets they were hiding as well as how they would connect to the overall narrative. This book was a good one, and I’ll have to make a point to check out others by the author.

Threw me for a loop, but in a great way. What Lies in the Woods is a captivating slow-burn mystery, in the style of Lisa Jewell or Rachel Hawkins. Although it follows the popular trend of today's mystery fiction (featuring resurfacing childhood trauma, serial killer, a romantic story arc, and a podcast element), I appreciated its attempt to create something unexpected out of familiar ingredients.

At about the halfway mark, I feared that What Lies in the Woods would lead to an overused reveal. Fortunately, it shifted in its last quarter to an ending that was much less predictable. On the other hand, in its effort trying to surprise readers, I think the conclusion it chose is needlessly complicated—which left me confused on a few plot points, unsure if those details were addressed or missed entirely.

Overall, although What Lies in the Woods may follow a familiar structure, it has just enough unique quirks to separate it from the pack (its audiobook is also an excellent way to consume this). Considering how popular it could be with readers, I'm just hoping it won't be overhyped (it's still just a mainstream mystery thriller—nothing more) like A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham.

Naomi Shaw is working as a wedding photographer when we meet her, but she's renowned in her town for a horrific event that happened when she was just a young girl. Naomi and her two friends, Cass and Olivia, were attacked violently when they were playing in the woods. Thankfully, the man found responsible was convicted and jailed - but what if the wrong man was put behind bars?

I've read so many thrillers this year and yet this one will still remain a standout in my mind. Instead of barreling towards the conclusion, it really effortlessly builds up the town and the characters in it, painting a vivid picture of Naomi's life in the present day. Instead of feeling like one thin central mystery thread with just fluffing factors pushed up around to it to make a book, Marshall's writing feels so deliberate, rich, and complex - while still being an unputdownable, fast-paced thriller. Such an exquisite balance! Not only I can tell that this novel is going to be a much-discussed bestseller when it releases, but I suspect it will also raise the bar for what constitutes a good thriller.

I'll also add that I listened to this one in audiobook format, courtesy of Macmillan Audio, and it remains another of their flawlessly executed works! The narrator is so good and making the protagonist sound anguished, hopeful, afraid, etc as the plot requires, but in a subtle and effective (rather than overly dramatic and distracting) way that makes for an excellent listen.

Listened to the audiobook.

I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.

One of the best books I've read.

A well-written thriller with a complicated friendship, long-held secrets, and plenty of lies at its center. I'm going to be sitting with the ending for a bit, sussing out my feelings.

Kate Alice Marshall knows how to craft a tale with a plot so twisty and sharp, you can't put it down!! What Lies in the Woods...dark secrets.

Naomi, Olivia and Cassidy are childhood friends from a small town. There aren't a lot of options when you are eleven living in a small town other than to play in the woods and concoct magical stories, until the day the story becomes deadly. A secret discovery found in the woods while playing challenges the friends to keep the secret to themselves. What harm could come from it?

But someone is willing go to great lengths to keep the girls quite. Great enough to violently stab Naomi seventeen times and leave her for dead. After surviving the attack that left her scared and permanently damaged both physically and mentally, Naomi and her friends identify a know serial killer as her attacker. Their testimony puts him away for life, where he eventually dies in prison.

All is well now...or could someone else be out there? What REALLY happened in those woods twenty years ago and who is lying? "Trust is a choice, a matter of belief." But who can be trusted and what should you believe?

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me an ALC of this must read thriller! Opinions and thoughts on this book are my own.

First of all thank you McMillan publishing for the audio of this book. The narration of this book kept me interested and helped with the weaving of the different settings. This is my first Kate Alice Marshall story, but hopefully not my last.

This was a really interesting read that reminded me of some of the games we used to play was kids growing up in the early 80’s, but on steroids. Without giving up much of the story, just when you think you know where Kate Alice Marshall is taking the plot she throws a curve at you and follows up with a change up! So many loops and twists that my brain is filled with scars.

Overall this is book with the audio is a solid 4.5 stars! Give this book a read or the audio a listen.

Finally! A book that keeps me intrigued and guessing from start to finish. I really enjoyed What Lies in the Woods. Naomi was a flawed but compelling character who I wanted to root for. The mystery had a satisfying conclusion and I enjoyed the call to real world cases, while still holding originality.

I saw so much of myself in young Naomi, wanting to believe and escape into a world of make believe and magic. My friends and I buried time capsules and had our own little book of spells and made spooky home videos with full scripts and plots. It was such a fun time in my childhood. I loved the sinister twist Marshall created.

I enjoyed Rules for Vanishing and now this, so i'm really excited to see what more this author comes up with.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I definitely have to give the book a 4.5 star rating. It is a very believable psychological thriller, unlike some. This is the first book I've read by the author and will definitely be looking for more. The story had a lot of curves, twists and turns that kept me guessing. A big thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to and review the book.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Flatiron books for the ARC Audiobook.

Naomi, Cass, and Liv have been best friends since they were children. The summer they were eleven, they spent their time playing the “Goddess Game” in the woods. Naomi was attacked and stabbed 17 times, somehow surviving. The girls testified and put away a serial killer who had murdered six women. The story picks up 22 years later.

Naomi is now a photographer, specializing in weddings, with scars both inside and out. When the serial killer she testified against dies in prison and she receives a call from her friend Liz, she returns to her hometown, Chester.

When Naomi returns, she sees every person from her past: Cass, one of her childhood best friends who is the daughter of the mayor and the sister of a brutish (view spoiler) brother, Oscar. Liv, her other childhood best friend who struggles with severe mental health issues. Cody, the boy (now man) who found Naomi in the woods after her brutal attack. Her father, an alcoholic hoarder who is losing his house to condemnation. Plus, her old friends’ parents and police officers who were there for the brutal attack and trial. Naomi also meets Ethan. Ethan is doing a podcast on the dead serial killer and wants to hear Naomi’s (and Liv’s and Cass’s) side of the story from that summer.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was well-written and flowed through the events without feeling choppy or forced. While I figured out the 3 twists, I think those who do not read psychological thrillers/mysteries as much would still be surprised at the ending. I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 because I felt that some details at the end were very rushed while others were added without any real point. The exposition was so good that I wanted the ending to wrap up better. The narrator of the audiobook did a great job. The editing/production has a little room to improve as some phrases were quieter and breathy and should have been fixed. Overall, a good read/listen!

This book!!! WOW!! Such a good story. The characters were interesting and complex. I was hooked from page one and ended up on the edge of my seat. This may have been the best book I’ve had the pleasure to read this year.