Wow! What a ride! Just when I thought I had this mystery thriller figured out, a new twist would completely throw me off. I really enjoyed this one! I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I’ll just say no one is who they seem and I couldn’t put this one down!!! Great plot, great characters, and well written

Naomi Shaw returns to her hometown in response to a summons from her childhood best friend. Along with their other pal, Cass, they were involved in a horrific crime as children, in which Naomi was stabbed and almost murdered. The other girls ran for help, and their shared trauma has bonded them to each other ever since. As Naomi begins to revisit the past, she finds that her memories are unclear, and the version of this story she thought she knew may not be the whole truth. Or even a little of it!

This book was well written and the audiobook narrator was very good. Unfortunately, I was disappointed that I figured out all of the twists pretty early on. I even wrote some down so I could remember later what I had guessed, and see if I ended up being correct! The final act was action packed and suspenseful. Even though there wasn't much to be revealed, I enjoyed the tension and seeing how it would all turn out.

Without spoiling anything, the ultimate truth reminded me a bit of an infamous real life crime. I have to wonder if the author got some inspiration from that.

I may read too many thrillers. Maybe I am hard to impress these days! This one clearly wanted to surprise me, and it didn't. But that's okay! I don't mind a predictable plot as much if a book is at least written well and interesting keep reading.

Wow. 🤩 I really enjoyed this thriller/mystery novel. (Not something I say often these days, as they have been hard to keep me intrigued lately) This one is really well written and engaging and had me questioning everyone and everything.🔍

I’ve never read a book by this author before, but I for sure want to read more of her work in the future. I adored her writing style and the various twists and turns of the story. One twist I was able to see coming, but I loved playing the guessing game and there were plenty of shocks to come.

Essentially, this book is about a group of 3 eleven year old best friends who go in the woods to play a game they made up based on Greek mythology called “the goddess game.” One day, two of the girls run from the woods covered in blood claiming the 3rd friend had been attacked. What happens from that point on is a sequence of events etched with lies and numerous layers for the reader to uncover.

The story resumes with the girls in adulthood as they come together to discuss some issues of their past. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll only say that there is a huge mystery to explore with these friends and it ends with many deceptions being uncovered.

The audio made laundry feel like a breeze as I listening and lost track of reality. The narrator was total perfection. She really made this suspense story come to life and I hung on every word.

4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5 for this review

Tragedy in a small town finds a way to define not only those involved but the town as a whole. Naomi, Cass and Liv were three friends who at 11 years old seemed to escape a serial killers attempt to end their lives but when a call brings them back to the past dark secrets from this small town start to come to light.

Naomi who was stabbed 17 times and almost died was the towns surviver from this tragedy that rocked their small town, with the scars to remind her daily how lucky she was to still be alive. When she gets a call to inform her the person charged for her attempted murder died she and her two friends meet up to process the news together.

Cass and Liv who never left their small town in Washington state are still dealing with the events on the day where they almost lost their friend but the more time Naomi spends at home the more the dark secrets of the past start to come out.

There were so many twists and turns in this book that keep you guessing right up to the end on what really happened that day and did the right person get convicted of the crime of stabbing Naomi 17 times. This on the edge of your seat story kept me thinking I knew the twist only to have another one thrown in there.

An easy thriller to get through in a day with a great narrator and a plot that makes you not want to stop until the end made it easy to get through in a day.

I loved this audiobook, Karissa Vacker did an amazing job narrating and bringing the story to life.

What lies in the woods was tense and suspenseful and took me on a wild ride trying to guess what really happened to Naomi twenty-two years ago, and what it has to do with what is happening in her life right now. I never wanted to stop listening, and when I had to put it down I couldn't stop thinking about it, and what was going to happen next.

This was a twisty thriller that had so many layers, and every time one was peeled back we were left with even more questions. Naomi is never quite sure who she can trust throughout the story, but there was one person she began to let her walls down with, and that person I really liked, and hoped wouldn't end up being a part of this crazy mess she found herself in the middle of. And every time I was sure Naomi had put the right clues together and I had a strong suspicion of who was behind everything, we got a new piece of information that turned everything I thought completely upside down and had me rethinking it all. And when we finally get the big reveal I was surprised and loved how everything played out.

I have loved every Kate Alice Marshall book I've read, and can't wait to see what she comes out with next!

I will definitely be buying this once it's released in both audio and physical format.

What a wild ride! This is a really fun and suspenseful story that has a large cast of characters to keep track of. It was really hard to figure out who to trust (maybe no one??). There were a LOT of twists, so you definitely need to pay attention to who’s who and who did what, or you will get lost.

Naomi, Liv, and Cass played very sinister games in the woods at 11 years old. There were rituals, sacrifices, and blood offerings. One evening, Naomi was stabbed 17 times by a serial killer and somehow survived. But not without scars.

After receiving a letter from the son of the serial killer who attacked Naomi all those years ago, Naomi desperately needs the truth about who attacked her-and why her two best friends watched it happen.

I was interested in this story the entire time- never got bored or felt like the story was predictable.

Some things weren’t really tied up at the end, but I won’t spoil! I will likely read this in print to see if I catch more of the twists- it’s hard for me to pay 100% attention to audioboooks and I’m sure there’s tiny nuances I missed.

Narrator did a great job as well, which made for an easy listen 🎧.

👏🏼👏🏼𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙 to readers who enjoy thrillers and twisty suspense.

I am looking forward to what this author releases next.

Really good book! Took me a bit to get into it, but by the halfway point, I was invested. I loved all the layers and unraveling everything. I felt like I was right there with Naomi waiting to find the truth. Will definitely be reading more from Kate Alice Marshall! Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

*Thank you to @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review*

I must be losing my touch because I did NOT see these twists coming. (Other than the first super obvious one. Lol) But that ending... shocked.

This was audio and this narrator, Karissa Vacker, is one of my FAVORITES! She's narrated a lot of books I've listened to and I just absolutely love her voice and her voice acting. She's passionate, but not cheesy. Just so nice to listen to! 👏 👏 👏

Honestly, I go back and forth between 4 and 5 stars for this book. It was a very solid thrilled. Strong characters and really just all around enjoyable.

What happens when you mix the secrets of a small-town community, the depths of a child's dark imagination, and a super creepily atmospheric setting in the woods? This very twisty little book! This story was so dang gripping and packed full of twists all the way up to the end. Right when I thought I had everything figured out toward the end, a whole new element was revealed, and I thought the ending overall wrapped everything up together well and made sense with the story.

As always, Karissa Vacker absolutely nailed the audio performance and her transition between characters was seamless while also making it easy to tell who was who in the chapter. She was so animated throughout the whole story and really helped to keep me invested during times I felt the story lulled a little bit.

Definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys psychological thriller/mysteries. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my early audiobook copy!

Naomi and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, spent their summers in the woods playing games. But then Naomi was attacked, she had some pretty severe injuries. She didn't see her attacker but Cassidy and Olivia did, so she agreed with them when asked, and her attacker went to prison. It's now twenty years later and Naomi's attacker has died from cancer. Olivia wants to tell the truth about that day, so Naomi goes back home to try to figure out what really happened.

Wow, what a story! Just when I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong. These girls all had secrets and very dark ones at that. WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS would make an amazing movie! It kept me on the edge of my seat as I listened to the audiobook in one day. I highly recommend getting this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted on my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this ARC! I really enjoyed this story and the narrator did a fantastic job! This was my first read by this author but I will be reading more in the future. I loved her prose and the twists were done very well. A fast paced and intriguing thriller!

I read about 40% of this, but just lost interest. I didn't finish it.

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Fast- paced thriller about three friends who survived a horrendous assault as 11 year olds. Now 20 years later they reunite after they learn that the man who was sent to jail for the crime has died in prison. I was hooked early and even though I was right about the underlying mystery, I enjoyed the ride.
Highly recommended

This is one of the most compelling thrillers that I have ever read. Kate Alice Marshall does a fantastic job setting up this gripping novel. There are so many twists and turns up until the very end. Once you pick this book up, you will not want to put it down. I also listened to the audiobook and very much enjoyed it!

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Karissa Vacker as the narrator of this book! She switches characters seamlessly while still making them easily identifiable. The story was based on three girls who were attacked in the woods when they were young, with one almost dying, and revisiting the crime years later to try to find deeper answers. I really enjoyed the character development and there were so many different twists and turns in the last fourth of the book, my head was spinning! I would recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers with an ending you won’t see coming!

Three best friends Naomi, Cassidy and Olivia have known each other since grade school. They used to spend their summers playing in the woods and played games. Twenty years ago Naomi was attacked in the woods, with seventeen wounds. She survived the attack and with her friends testimony they put a man away in prison.

Fast forward they get notified that the man died in prison. We learn they all lied, and its possible he was not the man responsible. The secrets they kept and their promise to each other are coming out. Olivia wants to set the record straight, but something happens to her which changes everything.

Did they really know each other? What really happened? The twists in this novel kept me engaged in this novel. My first by the author. The narrator Karissa Vacker is a favorite of mine. She is so animated and keeps you invested.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillian Audio and author Kate Alice Marshall for this advanced audio, which is due out January 2023. I will look for more books by this author and narrator.

This was a very intense thriller/mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire book.

We meet Naomi as an adult who has returned home after years away. As a child, in the woods with her two best friends, Naomi is brutally attacked by a serial killer and left for dead. Her friends hide and watch, terrified. Naomi survives and the testimony of herself and her friends while her friends sends the serial killer away. The whole town applauded tehm for their bravery.

Years later, the killer has passed in prison. Naomi returns home to spend some time with those friends. They relive a lot of memories. Things get cloudy.

And here is where I can't tell any more for fear of spoiling the story. But it was a roller coaster of a ride and I'd definitely recommend.

It was amazing on audio!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Three 11 year old girls play a game in the woods, a last hoorah before moving on to middle school. Best friends. A skeleton is involved. One girl s attacked & left for dead.

20 years later the girls return to town & suddenly there’s a mystery to solve!

Listen as the narrator peels back the multi-layered lies & the truth is revealed.

Is there a serial killer on the loose in this small town due to lies? An unreliable narrator? Did an innocent man die in prison? So many twists & turns your head will spin.

A good slice of small town life. Secrets that fester. Can a secret kill?

I liked the ending.

Thank you Macmillan Audio & NetGalley! This was a fantastic thriller!

A serial killer attacked Naomi when she was 11 years old. She was stabbed seventeen times, but she survived. She was in the woods that day with her two best friends. When she awoke after the attack, she really didn't have any memories of it. Her memories were formed by what others told her. Upon receiving news that the serial killer died in prison, Liv (one of Naomi's best friends) calls and says she needs to talk... in person. Coming home has caused a lot of doubts to creep up for Naomi. As she uncovers information, she realizes it does not match up to the story she has always believed.

This one had me hooked! There are so many pieces and it is impossible to figure it all out. I had some suspicions early on, which proved to be right, but there was so much happening in-between, that I thought I was wrong. <spoiler> I knew Cody was involved- and suspected at first that he really stabbed Naomi. I knew Cass knew the truth and lied about everything- I just didn't know what everything was. I also knew almost immediately who Ethan really was. I knew pinning Jessie on Oliver was way too easy, therefore was wrong. Most of the rest- well- I was clueless, lol. </spoiler>

I have read fewer thrillers in the past couple of years than I used to. Mostly because I feel like so many try too hard. Ever since [book:Gone Girl|19288043], I've grown tired of the genre because everyone is trying to write the next one. I didn't get that feeling from this at all- which is probably why I enjoyed it so much!

Karissa Vacker narrated the audiobook and has become one of my favorite narrators.

What Lies in the Woods is a solid psychological thriller about three young women, a serial killer, lies and repercussions. I received this one as an audio arc and was immediately captivated. It's an easy day or two listen and one that kept me listening. And, as all good books do, I never guessed the ending.

As youngsters, Cass, Naomi and Liv were playing in the woods when Naomi was attacked. Fast forward 20+ years later, flawed, hurting Naomi learns her attacker has died in jail and the reader learns lies were told by the girls putting away a man ..... avoiding spoilers lets just say trauma comes in many forms and we get to see a lot of it in this novel.

Well done. Can recommend.