This was so good! I love the narrator and will be going back to see what else she’s done. This book is going to be a huge hit. People who liked We’re All Good People Here or A Flicker in the Dark will love this one. I couldn’t put it down. Loved everything about it. Great book!

Thanks netgalley for the advance audiobook copy.

I really enjoyed this book. The audio was great. Narrator did a great job.

Wow, did I speed through this one!

This book seriously makes you question your own memory in addition to your own judgment.

When we’re kids, we tend to live such a carefree life, but those who have experienced trauma together have a different kind of bond. This is the story of a group of three friends who put a serial killer behind bars when they were not even teens and then tried to continue living their lives as “normal” as they’re able to, but closure can be a tricky thing to find.

This book has lots of twists and turns and really makes you question your own guesses as to what happened and who to trust. Who can you believe if you can’t even believe what you think you remember? Having the audio version really helped bring a tone to the story that I may not have completely created on my own.

This was my first book by Kate Alice Marshall, but it won’t be my last. It was such an engrossing story that I needed to know more, hence how I was able to get through it so quickly; I really wanted to understand what happened, could picture it very well based on the descriptions, and wanted closure for the characters (as well as for myself, I suppose).

Thank you so much to the author, Kate Alice Marshall, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio arc of What Lies in the Woods!

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall is a great twisty thriller.
At age 11, Naomi, Cassidy and Olivia go into the woods playing a goddess game and believing in myths and magic all from something they found in the woods. One day only two of the girls came walking out of the Woods thanking their friend was dead. Naomi was stabbed 17 times and survived and then testified in court against a serial killer, sending him to jail.
Lots of secrets being kept throughout and ending with a shocking surprise.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an ARC and in return for an honest review.

The twists and turns in this one! Top notch! Just when I thought I had figured it out it would twist again! This is a good mystery without being gory and gross. It goes deep and keeps you interested throughout!

This book was great! So many twists! I thought I had things figured out but I was wrong. Excellent narration on the audiobook too! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Oh man, I have some serious whiplash from this one! In the best way possible! The twists and turns still have my sitting here reeling the day after I finished!

I listened to the audio version thanks to Macmillan Audio and I was literally hooked the second it started. This is narrated by Karissa Vacker and she absolutely nailed it- I could not put it down!

Naomi was almost killed when she was 11 years old in the woods by a violent serial killer that her and two best friends helped imprison for life. Years later, the three girls are reunited and the truth isn't as clear cut as they may have thought. Everyone has a secret and when you start to discover the truth, your mouth will hit the floor!

The pace was steady and even, but never lost my interest! The author did a great job of continuing to drop little bombs along the way. This is her first adult thriller (previously only having written young adult), and I'd say she blew it out of the park! I can't wait to see what she does next!

This book will be available on January 17th!

4 stars

Three friends united by a secret and then something absolutely terrible happens and things take a turn for the worse. One of them is brutally attacked and she barely survives. Following this evening, a man is accused and sent to prison.

The three girls' lives are changed forever and ever since they are all trying to cope with the events. As time passes and they are all grown up, the passing of the imprisoned man brings it all back on the front page with vivid colours.

The story is told though Naomi's eyes. She is the girl that got attacked. And she decides to go back in her home town where everything happens and this is where new things come to light.

The story is compelling and the narrator is pretty good.
It's a good fast read and it's a nice mystery with quite a few twists and I really enjoyed reading this one.


Thank you NetGalley and MacMillion Audio for allowing me to read this great book!

What lies in the woods

5 ⭐️

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

Thriller that is impossible to stop reading! I was hooked by the first chapter.
The eleven year old survived seventeen stab wounds & lived to identify the man responsible. Are they heroes and liars? 20+ years later the truth will be revealed! Read to find out!

Omgg the audiobook is absolutely amazing! I couldn’t stop listening! Such a thriller the story is captivating. It’s the author first adult thriller and she killed it! I absolutely recommend this as an audiobook the narrator does an outstanding job. Dark twisty Small town murder mystery is a must read in January 2023

I look forward to reading more mystery thrillers from this author.

Thank you #NetGalley & #MacmillanAudio for an e-ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Title: What Lies in the Woods
Author: Kate Alice Marshall
Narrator: Karissa Vacker
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: January 9, 2023
My Rating: 3.4 stars

I am a big psychological thriller fan so often selected a book knowing nothing about it except that it is a psychological thriller! Plus I am drawn to titles about adventures in the woods.

Twenty-two years ago, Naomi Shaw and her best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, spent the summer playing in the woods. They invented a magic game they called the ‘Goddess Game.
One day Naomi got violently attacked, Cassidy and Olivia run for their lives as they believed Naomi was dead. But Naomi survived!

Three girls testified against a serial killer and sent him to the jail.

Now 25 years later Naomi is still suffering from what happened all those years ago.
She gets the news that the man who was sent to prison just died of cancer.

Since I am a fan of psychological thrillers I know to suspect everyone. Had a hard time with these characters which was probably planned by Ms. Marshall.
But t I have a low tolerance for profanity and these unlikeable foul mouth characters were so had me at my limit. I don’t like giving up on a book as sometimes there are surprises - so I hung in there.

Audiobook Karissa Vacker did a good job in performing the characters.

Want to thank NetGalley and Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 9, 2023

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
Narrated by Karissa Vacker
Audiobook review 11 hours 16 minutes

"They were eleven when they sent a killer to prison. They were heroes . . . but they were liars." - Kate Alice Marshall

My thoughts:
The atmosphere of What Lies in the Woods makes it a compelling thriller. This audiobook was very enjoyable to listen to. I was constantly trying to figure out who was involved and what was about to happen. I never put the pieces together. This is an excellent book by Kate Alice Marshall and a compelling narrative by Karissa Vacker.

Synopsis:
The magic of the world used to fascinate Naomi Shaw. She spent the summer 22 years ago roaming the woods with her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia. They imagined a world of enchantment and wonder. The Goddess Game was what they called it, but that all changed when Naomi was attacked at the end of that summer. A miraculous recovery allowed her to identify the man who attacked her and inflicted seventeen stab wounds.

He deserved to be sent to prison. Six women had been murdered by the serial killer, and the girls' testimony finally put him behind bars. Their actions were viewed as heroic, but they lied in court.

There are some secrets worth dying for that the ladies have kept for decades. They vowed never to speak of it again, but Olivia now wants to tell the world the truth. Naomi sets out to discover what really happened in the woods, no matter how dangerous it might be.

What Lies in the Woods book and audiobook will be available on January 17th.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sharing this intriguing audiobook with me! I was on the edge of my seat!

#What Lies in the Woods #KateAliceMarshall #Netgalleyreviewer #Netgalleyreview #bookworm #bookishcommunity #bookstagramcommunity #readingcommunity #Books #bookfriends #booksbooksbooks #booksta #bookstagram #newtobookstagram #bookreview #bookreviews #instabookstagram #bookish #bookishielife #newtobookstagram #newtoinsta #newtoinstagra #Bookishcom #trending #bestsellingbooks #audiobooks #b

Twisty, suspenseful and oh so dark, What Lies in the Woods was utterly addicting!

I loved this one so much!!! And the audiobook version is phenomenal. I stayed up waaay too late listening to this one, and ended up finishing it in just 2 days 🤭 This is honestly one of my favorites this year. And apparently this is the author's first adult thriller, and I am here for it! I will definitely be reading more from this author. Our main character Naomi has been through a lot. Like, seriously A LOT. She is flawed, and doesn't always make the best choices, but you can't help but just want the best for her. I so enjoyed the growth that happened throughout the book as she really comes to terms with what happened twenty years ago. And it was creeeeepy. Another book where I just COULDN'T figure out how it would end. Some things I could guess, but others kept me guessing till the end! The writing was beautiful and haunting and I will recommend this book 100x!

The narrator for this audiobook is Karissa Vacker. I love this narrator so much, and I thought the audiobook was done so well! Vacker is the only narrator, but she does different voices for different characters and it really brings the story alive. The emotion used in telling this story makes it seem so real, and you won't be able to stop listening until the very end!

"You couldn't let someone in without it breaking you, but you could choose the way you broke."

📖 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮:
• murder mystery
• corrupt small towns
• decades old secrets
• addicting writing

✍🏼 𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧: Kate Alice Marshall
🎙️𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧: Karissa Vacker
⏰𝙇𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝: 11 hours, 16 minutes
🗓️ 𝙋𝙪𝙗 𝘿𝙖𝙮: January 17, 2023
📚 𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: Thriller, Mystery

Thank you so much @macmillan.audio for this gifted ALC! I definitely recommend this audiobook!!

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall.

Naomi is reminded of what happened to her everyday because of her scars. When she was a child, she was stabbed sixteen times while playing a game with her two friends. But upon finding that her prisoned attacker is now dead, dark things related to her past are starting to surface. Doubt is starting to take place in Naomi's heart, did they really accuse the right guy? Had they been wrong this whole time. And what about the friends she was with? Could they know something?

Oh this is a twisty doozy! I was hooked immediately. I loved Naomi with her rough yet vulnerable exterior, and the complex plot, with it's dubious cast of characters. And just when you think you've figured out who the bad guy is, you get thrown a total curveball.

My only criticism is the length. It drags a bit, could have probably been cut down by an hour, but still well worth the ride.

4.5 stars

If there's anything we mystery/thriller fans have learned, it's that it's always the husband/boyfriend/wannabe one of those and that groups of young girls get up to some weird business when left to their own devices at formative ages. Marshall manages to explore both of these known concepts but in a fresh and engaging way through this intriguing piece.

Naomi, the m.c., has quite a memorable story. While in the woods with her two best friends, the three preteens encounter a serial killer. He brutally attacks Naomi while her friends hide nearby, fearing for their own safety. Naomi survives (the story is told in the present day when these former preteens are all adults), and the attempted murderer is sent off to prison, thanks to the bravery and testimony of these girls. When a current update on the perpetrator arrives, so, too, do a lot of memories and questions. Naomi finds herself reengaging with these friends and her past in some unexpected ways.

I hate spoilers, so I'm going to keep this intentionally vague and offer that while some of the plot points won't surprise observant, practiced readers of this genre, the presentation will...in a good way. Marshall's style is accessible, and in Naomi, she creates a character who is more realistic and layered than helpless and clueless. She's a modern heroine who is smart enough to think critically, and she grapples with both mundane and exceptional circumstances that endear her to her audience.

This is my first read by this author, but I know it won't be the last. This is nicely paced, thoughtful, and engaging, and fans of the genre will appreciate the skilled characterization and connections. I recommend the audio version for a heightened experience.

Cass, Naomi and Liv were only eleven when the made up the Goddess Games that they would play in the woods; games that involved rituals that made the girls think they could practice magic. The summer ends in bloodshed when Naomi is attacked and stabbed numerous times, but she survives and identifies the man who attacked her, who is linked to the deaths of numerous other women. But Naomi lied, her memories of the attack that nearly killed her were so vague, she really couldn’t remember anything for sure. Twenty five years later, Naomi is a wedding photographer when she gets word that the man she sent to jail has died of cancer behind bars. Feeling guilty because she may have identified the wrong man, Naomi is also feeling pressure from a podcaster who suspects her testimony was a lie, she becomes desperate to uncover the truth about what really happened in the woods all those years ago. I admit I saw the ending coming, but Marshall does a wonderful job giving readers a look inside the minds and hearts of young girls

I would say this was ripped from a true story except so much was changed. I think parts were definitely inspired by a certain headlining case, but it is definitely not the end of this story.

Naomi is a brilliant main character. And the supporting cast are just as good. There are a few things I didn't see coming and a few I did but how they all came together was gut-wrenching.

The entire book was written beautifully, with tension, grit, and heart.

Also. Karissa Vacker nailed the narration out of the park.