I love small town stories and i enjoyed this story. A definite recommend.

Thanks Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read this story

Allthoughts and opinions are my own.

This one started a bit juvenile. The nursery "rhyme" didn't rhyme, which made no sense to me because it is in the name. I know its a pretty small thing to complain about, but it sounded awkward and forced, which made everything else seem awkward and forced. The woods are bad, the hickory man will get you, put coins in your pocket.

I couldn't get into any of the characters, they seemed quite flat, and I figured it out about 50% (Hickory man/Hickman?), and so was unsurprised by the ending. Finally there were a lot of strings left untied, so all in all I just couldn't get into it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

When her mother's health takes a turn for the worse, Cheyenne Ashby returns home to her small, Appalachian hometown. Haunted by the mysterious deaths of 3 young children, she left the small town, needing to find peace. She returns to find that nothing has changed, and another young boy has gone missing.

I found this to be a very atmospheric novel. There's a dark undertone that stays constant throughout the book. It was almost eerie, as though you had to look over your shoulder while reading it. The setting and this eerie tone lent a lot to the novel and made it stand out from other thriller-type books I've read recently. This one grabs you from the first words.

I love that this book taps into some of the lore of the Appalachians. The tension between modern-day life and old stories of the Hickory Man provides a wonderfully creepy backdrop for the story. Chey's family history and deep ties to the community and what some would term witchcraft were also compelling. It's a very solid read.

I hadn’t heard of this author and I went into this one completely blind. I selected this directly because of the title and cover and I was NOT disappointed.

I read this in one sitting and, while predictable towards the end, I really loved the characters and the storyline.

You get a really great small town -everyone knows everyone- kind of vibe and the people who don’t believe in the so called Hickory Man who supposedly plagues the town, still carry with them totems with a superstitious connotation…

There have been children who have gone missing, killed by this supposed Hickory Man but the flesh and blood convicted killer is released because of new evidence found. When another child is found dead after his release, the town goes feral over his guilt, while some still maintain that it was never this man, but the old being in the woods.

This was atmospheric and creepy. I thought it was really well done and I enjoyed every minute.

Katherine Greene’s debut novel, The Woods are Waiting, will make you think twice about going in the woods alone.

I was happily surprised with this book! The story was easy to get into, and you could feel the sinister undertones throughout. The legend of the Hickory Man, mixed with the missing kids, had me guessing to the very end (and I was wrong).

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC!

Oh my goodness this book was amazing. I was honestly shocked and surprised at how much I really liked it! Highly recommend!

It has been five years since Cheyenne left Blue Cliff, Virginia. When Chief Hickman calls to tell her that her mom is not doing well and she is needed back to help her, she rushes to be there for her. Cheyenne left Blue Cliff for a reason, and that is because three bodies were found in the woods. When she was growing up, there was a legend of "The Hickory Man" haunting the woods and they were told never to go into them. When she returns, there is news of another boy that has gone missing. The man convicted at the time of these crimes, Jasper Clinton, was just released from prison. Was it him or will she find out even more disturbing facts about these crimes?

THE WOODS ARE WAITING was an incredible debut! It was creepy and I loved it! I have never lived in a small town, but I've heard that many small towns have secrets and this one sure did too! You never know who to trust, and for Cheyenne, she gets a surprise she was not expecting. If you like spooky tales, then I would say this is a book for you. It's also on the shorter side, so you will also find it's a quick read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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

A great story set in a small-town that's all about secret, lies, betrayal, deceit and a whole lot more. Sucked me in and kept me guessing till the end. Will wait for more from this author!

Ok I can't believe this was a debut novel. It was very well written and I had no idea who the culprit was until the twist at the very end. Written in a dual perspective, I felt it gave better insight into the story. I couldn't put it down and found myself wanting more after it was over.

The Woods are Waiting is Katherine Greene’s debut novel set in Blue Cliff, VA. This definitely had some creepy vibes to make it the thriller that it is. The small town has a dark past to it and kids started missing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published July 2023.

Culty, spooky, witchy vibes abound in this novel about unsolved child murders in a small town. Unresolved generational trauma, unreliable narrators, and a very spine-chilling final sentence. Definitely worth the quick read (although I had to put it down several times due to being a bit freaked out. Your mileage may vary.)

Sorry to say this one just did not work for me - the writing is pretty pedestrian, the dialogue is flat, I could not connect with the characters, and the slow pace took away from the suspense for which the author was aiming.

The mysterious deaths of several children occurring in the local forest with deep supernatural superstition for the town that lies next to it, Blue Cliff, leaves the people that live there wondering if their children will be next. Cheyenne gets a call from the chief of police that she needs to come back home because her mom isn’t doing well-her mom is known as the town’s spellcaster and herbalist who offers protection from the things that can’t be seen in the woods but that seem to be taking the children. Cheyenne hopes she can help her mother deal with the loss of the most recent child while re-acquainting herself with her former best friend and first love.
For me it was quite slow moving and the villain was obvious from the beginning so the story felt kind of dragged on. There was a few twists that kind of saved it from being completely predictable but really it kind of fell on the meh end of the scale for me. Not terrible by any means, but not super memorable. I was able to read it in one day.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Looking for dark, moody, and highly disturbing? You found it! Now we can stop being afraid of clowns and transfer that fear to nursery rhymes. Yes, nursery rhymes.

Cheyenne has received a phone call from the sheriff of her hometown, Blue Cliff, Virginia, at the foot of the Appalachians. Cheyenne doesn’t want to go home. It’s been years and she just wants to forget the town, her past, and the awful things that have started happening once again.

Knowing her mother needs her, she arrives and immediately knows she isn’t wanted or needed. Her mother is still living in the thick of the woods, with some odd customs. Apparently, the woods are eating children or there is some horrible thing coming for them. And make no mistake these are some spooky woods. And the folks even have a nursery rhyme to remind the children to stay out of the woods. Superstitious? Maybe, but something or someone is playing on that fear.

Five years ago, three children disappeared and were found dead. A flesh and blood man was convicted of those deaths and is still not taking responsibility. Cheyenne and her childhood friend, Natalie are determined to find the truth about what is happening in the woods.

As they dig into the past they will find these killings go a long way back. Someone has been using this fear and superstitions as a cover for the cold-blooded murder of children and who they uncover is shocking!

NetGalley/July 11, 2023, Crooked Lane Books

This was a solid debut thriller. I liked the characters and the story was compelling. I would have liked the resolution to be fleshed out a bit more, because it felt rushed. I also think there is a lot of potential for the Appalachians to have been a much more atmospheric character than they were. Overall, a good but quick read and I will be keeping an eye out for new books from this author.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I can't imagine living in a small town with a history of missing kids that are found dead. Dead in a forest that has it's own boogeyman with a creepy rhyme, dolls and rituals. That was Cheyenne's childhood. And she ran from that world as soon as she could and never looked back. But she's been called back because a new round has begun - another young boy is missing and her mom is known for going off the deep end a bit, when kids go missing.

Nat is the 2nd POV. She was one of Cheyenne's best friends (along with Jack) but Nat stayed behind, took care of Cheyenne's mom and has lived in the town full of superstition. But this most recent kid going missing is starting to set the town in an uproar. The guy, put away for being the child murderer, has been released because his conviction was overturned on appeal.

I liked the twists and turns. I never took the time to try to figure out who was doing what, I just rode the story to the conclusion. I did find it compelling, I wanted to know more. I found the dolls and the myths creepy and the woods were definitely spooky. I liked both MC's and found the two perspectives rounded out the story well. I'll definitely look for more from this author. I liked this one.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC!

The Woods Are Waiting follows Cheyenne and Natalie as they confront the superstitions they were raised on and the connection to who - or what - is making local children disappear.

Eerie. Dark. Creepy. If you’re afraid of the woods, this book may not be for you!

I was pretty excited about this book; theoretically, it sounded like a great idea, and initially, I thought it ticked all of my boxes: the superstitious and isolated small town, the sinister traditions and local legends involving evil entities, basically all of the folk horror kind of stuff that I usually love.

But getting through this story was it was a struggle and a slog. I didn't enjoy getting to know the characters, and it didn't help that the perspective kept switching between them. I couldn't muster any interest in a single one of them or what they were going through. And the plot itself just moved so agonizingly slow. I found myself switching out to another book to reenergize my brain and more and more frequently I found that I dreaded the thought of even switching back to The Woods Are Waiting. Eventually, I stopped trying, and so I imagine this book will probably remain unfinished.

Set in the small town of Blue Cliff, nestled in the heart of the Appalachian mountains we are introduced to a community that have been rocked by child murders for decades. Known as "the town that gobbles up children" rumours of the Hickory Man are rife. Children are not allowed out to play unless they adhere to the old rhyme, carrying dirt in their shoes and silver coins. We meet Cheyenne Asbhy who had left town five years ago who has now been asked to come back by the local chief of police amid yet another child has going missing...

The story itself is very creepy and atmospheric, we all know stories about the Appalachians and the spooky phenomenon that is associated with them. While the first 60% of this book is incredibly gripping, it loses it's way for the final 40%.

The characters aren't all that engaging and I'm not sure what age Cheyenne and her friends are meant to be (I'm guessing mid-20's) but they often felt juvenile, like they were only 17 or 18. I feel like we don't get to know a lot of the characters as well as should have (Jasper, Eddie, Otis etc...) and I would have liked a longer book with a shorter ending so that we could come along on a journey with more of the characters.

The last 40% of the book as mentioned above really lost it's way I felt. The ending was incredibly rushed... the twist was guessable which was fine but as I reader I don't feel like there was much of a payout.

Overall, the ending let the book down but it was still an enjoyable read. It just felt like a draft instead of the final edit.

The title drew me in super creepy and the story did not disappoint. Cheyenne returns home to Blue Cliff. The Nursery rhyme made me feel freaked out and actually scared. The story was creepy and dark. I had to sleep with the lights on. I really enjoyed it though even if I don’t want to go into woods anymore. I didn’t click with the characters but they didn’t affect how I felt about the actual story and plot. I loved the cover of this book. Will be one for my bookcase.