Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Publishing for the e-ARC audio in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is a great mystery with twists that consumed me! I had to find out how it ended! From the start, I was drawn in by the roller coaster ride of story about 3 eleven year old girls who experienced a horrible trauma in the woods in their hometown. It's an edge of your read as you try to figure out who did it and what really happened that day in the woods!

I had great empathy for Naomi, who is coping the best she can, which really is not at all, as a result of the attack she suffered. When she returns to her home town to meet with her 2 friends upon discovering that their attacker has died in prison, the story just takes off! There are several twists that I just did not see coming which I loved. Such an amazing read!

I had an opportunity to listen to the audio book as well and loved the voice narrator who did an excellent job!

HIghly recommend!

Holy cow!!!! My head is still spinning from this book. This masterpiece is one of the twistiest books I have every come by! So many secrets, lies, and coverups you will have no idea who or what is going to happen.

I listened to this as an audiobook and I loved the narrator, Karissa Vacker! This is the third audiobook in a row with Vacker as the narrator and she does a great job. Do yourself a favor and READ (or listen to) THIS BOOK! You definitely won’t be sorry.

***** Many thanks to Flatiron Books, Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Kate Alice Marshall for the #gifted copy as it was provided to me in turn for my honest opinion.

Rating 4.5 stars but rounding up to 5 stars on goodreads.

My review will be posted on Instagram (thriller_book_sisters) on 1/16/23.

OMG. This book is the best one I have read this month. I would definitively recommend this to anyone that likes to read murder or mystery books. I never thought that this was how it was going to all turn out. It kept me reading it and I finished it in one day. This is a definite 5 stars for me. A girl died in the woods and years later 3 girls come across her remains. Who is she and how did she die. Then one day one of the 3 girls is attacked and almost killed. Who did it? Did they put the right person in Jail ? Read this book and find out what really happened. .

I am in the minority but I didn't really care for this. There are a lot of characters to follow and the twists seemed silly and over the top. The secret identity? Carrying bones around in your pocket? The true killers? Not for me.

The fact that this was my first book by Kate Alice Marshall seems like a crime considering 1. How much I loved this and 2. How long I’ve had Rules for Vanishing on my iPad 😂

From the moment I started it I was in love. It’s dark and eerie the entire way through which only elevated the truly tragic parts. Which there are many here. There’s something about books focusing on female friendships that I absolutely love. Marshall captured those complexities so well - from the random spikes of jealousy, the fear your friendship will end, the feeling that comes with being ’the one in charge’.


I love how Marshall handled the true crime aspect. We frequently watch Naomi fight against the labels given to her by the media and watch as the lives of other women are summed up in a few sentences, a foot note in their own story. It was brutal but a point that can’t be made enough.

My heart broke for Naomi throughout. Especially once everything had been revealed. I felt a bit conflicted on the ending and I couldn’t pinpoint if it was because of the ‘what’ or how that ‘what’ made me feel. After sitting with it for a while, I’m sure it’s the feelings it left me with. It was all tied up nicely with quite a few gasps and “what the hell”s uttered along the way.

This is the perfect book to reach for during the colder months. If you can’t get lost in the claustrophobic feeling, you’ll easily get caught up in your suspicions of everyone and the greek mythology that was beautifully woven throughout.

4.5 stars!
Naomi and her two friends are survivors of a violent attack when they were young girls. Their attacker dies of cancer years later and their wounds are reopened, along with their secrets they thought they buried years ago after he went to jail. Naomi returns home after one of the friends says she is going to tell the truth about what happened in the woods all those years ago, exposing all of them.

I have read Marshall’s Young Adult in the past and liked it, but this one knocked my socks off! As a frequent thriller lover, I find it hard to be taken by surprise. However, this book was full of twists, twists and more twists I did not predict! The setting was very eerie and I loved the pacing of the plot. Marshall expertly weaved a web of many suspects that left me wanting to find out who was guilty constantly. I can’t wait to read more of her adult fiction!

🎧⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I really enjoyed this one! It kept me going and just as soon as I thought I knew what was going to happen, the story took a new twist.

What began in the summer when three best friends, Naomi, Cass, and Liv, were 11, they invented a game they played in the woods called the goddess game, and their goddess was the skeletal remains of a woman they had found. But that summer, Naomi was attacked savagely stabbed, but managed to survive, and the three girls identified and the attacker, a wanted serial killer, was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. But they never told about their goddess and why they were in the woods that day.

Years later, still traumatized by that summer, the three girls come back together and are forced to face that summer years ago as a new murder is committed.

The twists and turns abound in this one, and @karissavacker was the perfect narrator and voice of Naomi.

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for this advanced listening copy.

Themes: 👯‍♀️🤐☠️❤️💔❤️‍🩹

My feelings: 😀🥸😱🤯

#netgalley
#macmillanaudio
#goodreads
#readersofinstagram
#audiobook
#thriller

Wow. That's the only word I can think of after finishing What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall. This story is dark, creepy, and twisty in such a beautiful way. We have the life story of three girls who believe in magic, but then their lives are shattered one day in the forest and changed forever. We follow Naomi, who nearly died and has been desperately trying to forget that day, but slowly the threads of the web of lies are snapping, and she has to decide if she wants to know the truth.
This audiobook was narrated by Karissa Vacker and her voice is absolutely incredible, with distinct voices for each character, allowing you to fully immerse into the storytelling.

I was provided a free advanced audio copy in exchange for my review and would like to thank @Netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the opportunity

What Lies in the Woods will be available January 17 2023.

I knew almost from the moment I pressed play on Rules For Vanishing 3 years ago that I was going to be a Kate Alice Marshall fan. Suffice it to say, that is still absolutely true, even as she’s crossed into the adult thriller category.

WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS was neither prescriptive nor predictable, and with our main character confirmed as having sexual and romantic entanglements with people of multiple genders within the first few chapters, it’s not as cishet as the average thriller. Naomi is self-destructive and burdened with the trauma of what happened to her and her two best friends when they were kids. Secrets are unraveled either in fits and starts or with tantalizing slowness, as Naomi is forced to come to terms with herself, her memories, the people she left behind, and at least one unfamiliar face.

Please beware that the book deals heavily with themes of suicide, suicidal thoughts, and PTSD. There is also one important character who is known to be mentally ill (a diagnosis isn’t provided but it includes delusions, obsessions, and compulsions as well as suicidal ideation) But, again, unlike the bog standard thriller, her mental illness isn’t a plot device, isn’t the butt of a “dramatic twist”, and isn’t there to make her “unreliable” (she’s not the narrator, after all)

Not to mention, Karissa Vacker is a fantastic audiobook narrator.

Naomi Shaw returns to her hometown where she (along with her two best friends) had been the survivor of an attempted murder by a serial killer. Naomi is a bit of a local legend since it was her testimony that put the killer away. However, maybe a bit more happened than she realized all those years ago?

The mystery and the action are top notch but I ultimately wanted more character development. There are a lot of pertinent side characters, but they are a flat even though their actions are germane to the plot.

Thank you again to Amber with Macmillan Audio for reaching out to me to offer this audiobook ARC. I absolutely loved this book. I kept getting a little but of Slenderman vibes regarding the girls hanging out in the woods and what came to be. I loved all the twists and turns. Ianlso loved the narrator of this audiobook and her adaptability to voice multiple characters and it sounding somewhat natural.

Pros: I had not heard of this book until I received a widget from Netgalley to listen to the audiobook, and I’m glad I received the widget. I listened to this book in one day because I was interested in the whodunnit. When I read mystery/suspense/thrillers, I hope to get to the end without figuring out the ending early. With multiple unreliable characters, this book kept me guessing, and I guessed wrong several times!

Cons: None really. I think this book fits right in with others in the mystery/suspense genre. I enjoy this genre, and 3 stars is a good rating from me for this genre. I save 4+ stars for books that stand out or do something special. This book may not do anything new or special, but I still enjoyed the reading experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this book.

Colleen Chi-Girl's Reviews > What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
with Karissa Vacker (Narrator)
Reviewed Dec 18, 2022
bookshelves: 2022, audio, contemporary, crime-mysteries, thrillers, us-no-amer, women-centered
Read December 12, 2022 to December 14, 2022.

I really enjoyed this thriller that unpeeled slowly, so much so, that my shoulders were often tense and I kept waiting as new characters were added and details unfolded. We meet the 3 main female characters who were childhood friends: Naomi, Cassidy and Olivia. The way Kate Marshall introduced them into the story was in an engaging and exciting way, which kept me wondering about each of them. We begin with Naomi....

These women are interesting, damaged, and their dilemma/s are fairly understandable. Everytime I thought I knew what was going to happen, there was a hook or a bend in the road or a new issue. I took a star off because I felt the ending was stretched and could have concluded more succinctly, but it was really suspenseful and enjoyable nonetheless. The ending is very satisfying! I also really enjoyed the narrator Karissa Vacker who imbued Naomi, the physically and mentally damaged lead character (novel told in the first person).

Publisher's Blurb: They were eleven when they sent a killer to prison . . .They were heroes . . . but they were liars. 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. 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.

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author Kate Alice Marshall for the audio ARC copy. I highly recommend it.

Naomi, Olivia and Cassidy were the best of friends in middle school. They believed in magic and built their own in the woods surrounding their local town. They created the Goddess Game and would pretend to make sacrifices for the said Goddesses. Everything came to a drastic halt the summer Naomi was brutally attacked. She surprisingly survived 17 stab wounds and lived to put the man who hurt her behind bars forever.

Years later Naomi is informed that her attacker has died in jail. To say she feels relieved is an understatement. Within the same moment of that relief she is approached by a reporter who is writing a blog about the attacks and wants her opinion about the recent passing of her attacker. Although she is hesitant, she finally feels safe to share her feelings and possibly unveil her lies from 22 years before.

As I continued to read my jaw just continued to drop. I thought I had it figured out, but then looked down at my phone and realized there was still 20% left to listen to, so there was no way it was all wrapped up!

I loved the inner monologue that the main character shared throughout the book. The details shared in the intimate moments between her and her friends was so powerful and described in such a deep way.

Kate Alicia Marshall kills it with this book. This story follows three friends who sent a killer to jail when they are children. They come together again after learning the killer died in prison from cancer. What you think will be an event providing closure for the women is the catalyst of a twisty wild ride. This book was suspenseful and kept you on the edge of your seat the whole time. All of the characters while flawed had depth and relatable qualities that gave life to each of them. Definitely add this book to your list, you won’t be disappointed.

This audiobook was excellent. The story flowed nicely and the plot was interesting and easy to follow.

I was very invested in the characters and they were all very well balanced. I like a book where you sort of know who to root for from the beginning…flaws and all.

The main story wasn’t extra twisty…the side stories and elements to contribute to the overall story had an “ahhhh…the plot thickens” sort of vibe to them. I haven’t read many books that have pulled that off so well lately, so this novel was refreshing….corpse and all lol.

This was a fun ride and I highly recommend checking it out.

What lies in the woods is a captivating story about Naomi and her two best friends, Liv and Cass. The story is dark and centers around the woods. It slowly unfolds as the character's development takes place and you learn to love the three friendships enough to keep the pages turning.
I loved this dark suspenseful story. Naomi's character was deeply developed and enjoyable. Naomi was dark and mysterious but trusting. I would highly recommend this story if you are looking to enjoy a thrilling story of friendship and betrayal.

What Lies in the Woods is one of those books you cannot put down. Without knowing who to trust, it takes the whole book for the full story to unfold and the truth to be revealed. I was on the edge of my seat until the very end! I thought the characters were well-developed and the narration was smooth and seamless. The story was original and imagined, and thoroughly entertaining. I would definitely recommend this book to start the new year.

What a dream team author - audio narrator combo! This book was excellent. If you are looking for a book with twists and turns galore.

This will suck you in from the beginning. And you are going to question everyone and everything.

Enjoy!

Kate Alice Marshall, author of young adult and middle-grade novels, ventures into the adult fiction world with her first adult mystery/thriller — WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS.

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

Three girls.
Naomi Shaw
Cassidy (Cass)
Olivia (Liv)

The three childhood friends invented games and imagined mythical, fantasy, and magical adventures. One such game was the Goddess Game, where they pretended to be goddesses from Greek mythology.

Persephone: According to Greek Mythology, "Persephone," the queen of the underworld, was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the goddess of harvest and fertility. She was also called Kore, which means "maiden" and grew up to be a lovely girl attracting the attention of many gods.

The girls had a secret in the woods. Their imagination. Their games. What happened in the woods?

One summer, their lives would change. Naomi was stabbed seventeen times. A brutal act of violence in the woods—leaves Naomi fighting for her life. They were all traumatized.

Relying on the words of the two girls, she testified in a trial that convicted and sent the attacker, Stahl (a serial killer), to prison for the rest of his life.

However, they lied. Now twenty-two years later, the killer dies in prison. The three friends unite in the hometown of Chester. Fueled by guilt and their secrets, they each have their demons.

The serial killer's son thinks they sent the wrong person to prison.

Liv struggles with mental health issues and wants to reveal the truth. She is mentally and emotionally distraught, guilt-ridden, suicidal, unbalanced, and on edge. Will she crack?

Naomi is the one with the scars. She is disfigured. She is unsure who the attacker was and questions her memory since she was so distraught at the time. Did she believe what the girls told her to say at the time?

Cass, the Mayor's daughter and single mother, wants to ignore and forget about it. She does not want to dredge up the past. However, is she protecting her brother, Oscar?

Oscar and Naomi have a complex past. Cody used to hang out with Oscar. He was the hero who found and rescued Naomi. He is married and a State Representative. He's always looking out for Naomi. But was he the hero?

Ethan, a podcaster, turns up to interview the victims for a story. Can they trust him?

Who wants to stop Naomi from discovering the truth?

The old fear still burns in her mind. What happened in the woods? Who was the attacker, and their motive? Slowly the secrets of that summer day are unraveled.

WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS is a slow-burning mystery and complex labyrinth of secrets, lies, childhood fantasy mythology, and murder set in the Pacific Northwest.

Chilling, atmospheric, and haunting! Not a real page-turner or thriller for me. More of a murder mystery with many red herrings. The novel explores how trauma and events from childhood carry over into adulthood.

The novel has received some excellent reviews, and am sure it appeals to a specific audience; however, I felt the book was more of a YA mystery and pretty drawn out. The second half of the book does move faster than the first half. There is a lot of drama typical of young girls, and I, unfortunately, am not into Greek Goddesses, Persephone, fantasies, myths, rituals, the paranormal, etc.

AUDIOBOOK: However, I listened to the audiobook narrated by Karissa Vacker (one of my favorite narrators), and she delivered an engaging and entertaining performance for all voices.

🔉 Audiobook rating: 5 Stars
📕 Book: 3 stars
💌 Overall rating: 4🌟Stars

A special thank you to #MacmillanAudio and #NetGalley for an e-ALC in exchange for an honest review. #SMPInfluencers

Blog Review posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Jan 17, 2023
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