Wow! I was totally gripped for the duration of this one. I was very shocked to see this is a debut novel by Katherine Greene. The writing quality, storyline, and characters are so developed I expected to see a long bibliography. One to watch for sure!

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Marketing for the ARC!

This had a very eerie, creepy vibe that I loved. The premise was interesting and the town's personality really came through on page. I was very curious about the secrets of the town and how it involved our main characters. I felt the pacing was perfect as well. Where the book started to fall apart for me was in how clunky all the 'clues' to the big reveal were. They weren't too subtle and once I figured out where the story was going / what the big reveal was, I was kind of disappointed. Especially after the perfectly spooky buildup. The big bad villain was almost too cartoonish and the hints even more so.

The Woods Are Waiting - Katherine Greene
Cheyenne does her best to keep her distance from her hometown, with it's dark history and her family's past. When she receives a call from the police chief regarding her mother's health decline, she knows she can't say no.
Three kids were previously found dead in the woods, lost at the hands of Jasper, not the mythical creature hiding in the woods that some believe in. But the woods carry the darkness from the past and sets everyone on edge, including Cheyenne's mother who believes in all the superstitions and traditions needed to keep the evil at bay.
When another kid goes missing, everyone already knows he'll be found in the woods, but when, and will he be found like the others?
Cheyenne and her friends seek the truth about the wood's past, and what they find changes everything they have ever known.
This book.... Wow. I never know what to expect for a debut novel, but this one set me on edge and blew me away. This book had everything you want a spooky thriller to have, from small town drama to old ghost stories. I didn't even hesitate when it came time to rate this. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5!

The woods are waiting
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this advance copy. This book I devoured once I got into this twisted and eerie setting. A who done it mystery with thrilling aspects and a claustrophobic atmosphere. Old town traditions and superstitions which were very spooky and kept me guessing.
Perspectives of the two main characters who were childhood best friends but Chey moved away and now has returned to her hometown to care for her mother and another child goes missing. I really enjoyed the character development and this story’s setting as it all unfolded. I did guess some of the ending but I still enjoyed it immensely.
The plot was more of a slow burn and had creepy elements throughout. Ashby Woods you’ve captivated me.
4/5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
My advance copy was given to me for my honest review.

This was EXCELLENT it was dark, creepy and literally made you feel scared! Everything I want in a mystery/thriller. Easy 5/5 stars, I’m eager to read what else this author writes. I loved the superstitious element that played into this book, I was guessing who was the “killer” was all the way to the reveal. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book!

. . . eh? it wasn’t bad, but i expected a little bit more twists and turns, honestly. i ultimately will never think of this book again.

The Appalachian town of Blue Cliff, Virginia is no stranger to tragedy after three children were murdered and found in the woods, five years ago. Cheyenne Ashby fled the town, leaving her mother, best friend, and boyfriend behind, but now she’s coming home - a young boy has gone missing & it’s eerily similar to the past. Cheyenne’s mother, Constance has always been one to believe in magic and offerings to the woods to protect the town from the “Hickory Man.” The town’s sinister history, mixed with numerous suspect characters had me questioning who was harming the children? A monster who lives in the woods, or a man named Jasper, who didn’t grow up in Blue Hill & the locals don’t take kindly to people from out of town.

This is a slow burn, full of superstition, and has supernatural vibes.

A mystery that gave me the chills at times, and I thought I knew who the culprit was, but the twist at the end surprised me! Moral of the story: Trust no one, and nothing is ever as it seems.

Thank you Netgalley & Crooked Lane Marketing for sharing this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

For a debut novel, I didn’t find it too bad. It wasn’t the best thriller - needs a little more work on character development and fine tuning the big “twist” - but this author has a lot of potential. With some experience, I think this will be an author to watch.

I look forward to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you #netgalley and #crookedlanesbooks for the eARC.

3 ⭐️

I didn't really care for the writing or the characters but the overall story was bad. I liked the final twist

Cheyenne Ashby is called back to the place she grew up - Blue Cliff. Her mother is not doing well, and another boy is missing. Police Chief Donald Hickman basically orders her to return. Has the Hickory Man struck again? Cheyenne's mother is not herself, putting up barriers to keep evil away. Then there is Jasper Clinton getting out of prison. Constance has illogical beliefs and acts on them.
There really is something evil brewing at Blue Cliff - and it has been for a long time. Question is how will it end or will it? I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. Get it!

The book is set in Appalachia and uses the their lore as a story line. It was a very slow moving story that I had to keep coming back to rather than read it at one time. I liked the characters especially Cheyenne who returns home after 5 years and has bad memories of Blue Cliff. The mystery was a good one but was solved very quickly once the story got moving along quicker. Who was taking the children? Was it a man or the superstition of a mythical beast?

I had very high hopes for this book, the concept sounded great, and it could have been this really scary read, but it just wasn't it. I really struggled to continue reading, simply because the story didn't motivate me to read more. Let me explain why:

First of all the characters weren't developed very well. They felt flat, and I wasn't interested in them. There should have been more told about them, to create this connection with the characters. But this wasn't the worst thing.

What really bothered me was that the story moved so very slow. And slow moving stories are totally fine, but something needs to happen in it in order to feel like I want to continue reading. Now nothing happened until like the 60% mark, and then suddenly it moved way to fast, and almost out of nowhere the killer was revealed. Then it was explained why they did it, and this was told very quickly skipping over the details. I feel like some steps were skipped in the revealing of the actual story.

And the lost sentence of the book was just ugh, because it somehow did not fit the ending of the story, and I feel like it did not add anything. It just fel very cliche.

I was drawn in by the incredibly beautiful cover of this book, but I stayed for the atmospheric writing.

Imagine a little town in the Appalachian mountains. Cheyenne, our main character left het native town of Blue Cliff behind to get away from her haunting past. She grew up with a mentally unstable mother who believes a evil entity lurked in the woods around their house. To make things worse... her mother isn't the only one who believes evil lives in the woods. The entire village believes something is taking their children and this for more then hundredths of years.
Five years ago, three missing children’s bodies were found in the woods and a man was arrested for their murders. When another child goes missing Cheyenne needs to return to her hometown, because her mother needs her.

I cant say enough what an excellent debut this was! I got sucked in from page one and finished the book in a couple of hours. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, because the book is very slow paced. The strength of this story is not so much it thrilling story-line, but the writing. It is slow burned, atmospheric, lyrical and even a bit claustrophobic.

I loved that the story was told from two different POV's. On one side we have Cheyenne, returning home after 5 years and being confronted with her bad memories of Blue Cliff and the way she left. On the other hand, we follow her childhood best friend Nathalie, who never left town and tried to replace Cheyenne after she left. Nathalies chapters gave insight in the towns inhabitants and the superstition that villagers carried with them. Cheyenne's point of view was much more down to earth and colored by her long absents in the village.

Absolutely would recommend and looking forward to reading more from Katherine Greene!

I absolutely love that Katherin Greene chose Appalachia and the lore of the people to center this book round. From the amazing descriptions of small town life and people that is spot on to describing the scenery... it was pure perfection.

The characters were relatable, especially the main character, Cheyenne. The need to leave home is truly within us all. Her mother, Constance, is also a true women of Appalachia with her knowledge of herbs, protections and lore. Anyone familiar with the Appalachian people know that superstition and a long history of lore run deep and that is truly captured in this novel.

I love a good mystery and that is exactly what The Woods are Waiting is. From the beginning you are drawn into the story of children being murdered. The town is filled with this mysterious lore of the Hickory Man but is that who is really taking the children? The twists are perfect and the characters remain relatable through the very end.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to review this awesome thriller. #TheWoodsareWaiting #NetGalley

I found The Woods are Waiting hard to get into. The town seemed so unrealistic and there was a cheesiness to it all. The twist was interesting, but it was just all too much for me. This may be better for young adults.

This was such a haunting read! The nursery rhyme will give you chills and make you have second thoughts about walking through the woods.

The plot and writing were solid. It was slightly predictable but the why kept me guessing until the end. I look forward to reading more from Katherine Greene.

I was entranced with this book from the start! I wasn’t sure if it was going to be “witchy” or modern day suspense so it kept me turning the pages.

Chey, a girl from a small town trying to run from her history, is called back to help her mother in a time of tragedy within the city. Myth and folklore are leading people to believe the cause of death of children is a man in the woods. But is it the hickory man, or something more sinister?!

A page turner for sure!

I liked the premise of this thriller. Scary monster in the woods, kids disappearing. The way the plot unfolds, it does get a little more graphic and disturbing. The writing was repetitive for my taste. I felt like I read the same plot points over and over from different character’s point of view. Overall entertaining mystery.

The Woods Are Waiting by Katherine Greene is a creepy murder mystery that had me sitting at my local coffee shop for an entire afternoon until I finished reading it. Stories about small towns with dark folklore and tradition are always entertaining reads. In this one, it is the strength of female friendships and a mother-daughter bond that help navigate the plot's darkness that I found particularly engaging. I will be reading more of Katherine Greene's writing in the future!

This is book is a slow start, but finishes amazing! The twists the turns and the side swipe of who done it will have you second guessing yourself from about half way thru!!
Just when you think you know, the truth comes from left field!!!