Liz, Helena, Joni, and Maggie have been best friends since high school. Every year they get together for a week long vacation to take a break from their busy lives and catch up with one another. Usually their trips involve pools and cocktails, but this year they’re embarking on the adventure of a lifetime! They’ll be backpacking for four days along the Svelle trail and climbing the tallest mountain in Norway called Blafjell.

What could happen when four inexperienced hikers take on the biggest, most challenging mountain that’s known for severe weather and mudslides? They run into danger around every corner.

Just when they think they’re safe, a killer emerges out of the fog. There’s no where to run, and nobody can be trusted. How will they survive?

I read the first chapter few chapters on Friday night and felt overwhelmed with the amount of characters. I woke up early Saturday morning to dive back in, and didn’t stop until it was dark outside. Around the middle of the book, I was able to figure out all the characters and fell in love with each of the women even though they were totally clueless when it came to survival.

A thought that crossed my mind while reading:
I’m in my 30’s and the last thing I want to do is drink a bottle of wine, a glass of champagne, and beer the night before climbing the tallest mountain in Norway. I’d be dead in bed, not climbing a mountain. 😂

Four best friends from childhood set aside one week a year to meet up and vacation together. This year, it was Liz's turn to choose the destination. Tired of their usual sunshine and cocktail infused beach trips she decided on a real adventure. Liz, Maggie, Helena and Jodi would hike and wild camp in the mountains of Norway. As the group sets off with heavy packs on their backs each woman is also carrying a burden of their own - Maggie anxious about being separated from her daughter for the first time, Jodi dealing with her struggles with addiction, Helena recently dealt life-changing news and Liz a marriage on the rocks. The women, each with different levels of preparedness walk their way through the wilderness towards their goal reaching the summit of Blafjell Mountain. But there are dangers lurking in the woods and Blafjell has claimed lives before. When hikers return to base camp reporting a body found, a search begins in the ravine and for a killer hiding somewhere out in the wild. I am so grateful to have been sent an advanced copy of "The Hike" by Putnam Books and NetGalley because I couldn't put this one down. Each of the characters gives you love/hate vibes, the setting is pure anxiety inducing and I couldn't wait to figure out what really happened out there on the mountain. Not a chance would I be found doing what these women were brave enough to attempt but I enjoyed Lucy Clarke taking me along on their adventure. Thriller/Mystery fans add this one to your TBR list.

Thank you, Netgalley and Putnam Books for the #gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Hike was such a page turner for me! I now have a new go to author. Although the beginning of the book was slow, it picked up pace and had twists that I wasn’t expecting! Definitely recommend!

Four friends take on a challenging 4-day hike in Norway, with each woman bringing her own secrets and DRAMA to the trail. To add to the tension, there is a missing hiker and a murderer on the loose!

The drama unfolds as the friends begin hiking on a treacherous trail, not realizing the dangers that lie ahead. Soon, one of them goes missing and the women realize they are being chased by a killer. But can the women put their differences aside long enough to help each other when it really counts?

This was my first Lucy Clarke novel and I enjoyed it enough to want read more of her work. The author does an excellent job setting up the drama by providing the reader with a glimpse into each woman’s life. The tension builds so that by the time the four women are ready for their hike, you know something is going down!

I checked out the audiobook as well the digital book. The audio is excellently narrated by David Johansen-Menkin, and Stephanie Racine. The ‘locked room’ setting, growing tension, missing hiker, and a natural disaster all combine to make this an excellent read (or listen) for suspense lovers.

Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review:

The Hike starts off at a slow pace as all of the characters are introduced. In school, Liz & Joni wanted to climb to the top of this mountain in Norway. Now grown up, they are totally unqualified to embark on this difficult hike alone. My practical brain kept thinking, "Why are they doing this without an expert guide?" It bothered me how stupid they all were. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with any of the characters and felt they deserved whatever happened to them. While the plot seemed so unrealistic, I did appreciate the sinister, uneasy atmosphere the author created. I would have preferred reading this during the winter in front of a cozy fire. It was a quick read but unfortunately fell flat.

This book was so good!! I have been a huge fan of Lucy Clarke and this was one of her best. It was captivating from the very beginning and kept my attention from the first page. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Lucy Clarke!!! She is now a go-to author for me. The Hike was the perfect thriller that made me want to continue to read into the middle of the night.

3.5 stars. Doesn't a 4-day hike up a mountain trail in the Norwegian wilderness sound amazing? (Yeah, not a fan of the setting.) Four lifelong friends embark on a challenging 4-day hike in Norway, each with their own secrets and personal issues. Some are more eager to get on the trail than others, but when they hear about a missing girl who looks strikingly similar to one of the ladies, things take a sinister twist. There's also a killer on the trail with his own secrets who will do just about anything to keep them hidden.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this e-arc.*

This is another great thriller by Lucy Clarke! I went between reading and listening to this book, which I loved because I got the best of both worlds. The narrators of the audiobook were great and created such a suspenseful listening experience. I read the last 70% of the book in a day because I could not get enough. I loved watching the tension between the long-term friends change and seeing how they preserved through the challenges. I was on the edge of my seat and several of the twists left me with my jaw on the floor. If you are a fan of Darcy Coates, Dead of Winter, you are going to love this survivalist thriller!

****Many thanks to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the gifted physical copy and @prhaudio for the ALC in turn for my honest review.

I will posted my review on Instagram (@thriller_book_sisters) on 8/28/23.

A girls’ getaway gone wrong. Four women go on their annual vacation. Best friends since high school, they each take a turn picking a destination for their trip each year. This time it’s Liz’s turn to choose. Wanting an adventure and something to distract her from her failing marriage, she chooses a wild hiking and camping trip through the gorgeous mountains in Norway. Her friends aren’t very enthusiastic and didn’t prepare for such a strenuous trip, but they go along. Upon arriving at the mountain lodge, they discover a woman went missing a year earlier in the same mountains they intend to hike. Lots of anxiety and tense atmosphere! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

The beginning was a bit slow but that’s to be expected while we learn about each character and their lives. About 20% in it starts to really pick up. I was honestly not expecting all of the twists and was a bit shocked! This really was a good reminder of why I don’t want to ever go hiking haha! This was my first book by Lucy Clarke and I’ll definitely be checking out her other books. If you enjoy survival thrillers this is definitely one you should check out! Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for my ARC! My thoughts are my own. 4 stars from me!!

Thank you, Netgalley and Putnam Books for the #gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.

📖: The Hike
✍️: Lucy Clarke
🗓️: August 29, 2023

I love a good survivalist thriller and this one seemed to fit the bill. I liked the story and characters for the most part, although I had a hard time keeping the four women straight for the first half of the book. It was also a slow build to the action while each woman’s background was introduced. Once the hike was under way though, the pace sped up quickly and didn’t let down. Overall, this is a solid popcorn thriller about friends with secrets that I’d recommend to fans of the genre.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Helena, Maggie, Liz, and Joni are four childhood friends who’ve taken turns picking out where they go for their annual girls trip, and this year, Liz has decided they’re going to hike a mountain in Norway. Checking into the hotel at the base of the trail, the women learn of the disappearance of a woman on the same mountain — one who looks a lot like Maggie.

Each of the women have personal problems back home distracting them, in addition to some conflicts amongst themselves that they’re dealing with, which just adds to the tension. Ratcheting up the drama is the challenge these four inexperienced hikers take on what does not appear to be a beginner’s mountain, during less than ideal weather, with the mystery of the missing woman not far from their thoughts, and a few shady characters lurking about as well.

Faraway locations, lifelong friends, narratives filled with secrets and tension, I can always count on Lucy Clarke to write a book that makes for a great summer read, and this one doesn’t disappoint!

G.P. Putnam’s Sons via NetGalley kindly provided me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If my friend invited me to a girls' weekend and then announced we were going on a four day hike, I'd be finding new friends! However, this group of friends go along and venture into nature sorely prepared for what is waiting for them. I'm not going to spoil by saying what exactly is waiting, I'll just say they have quite an adventure. Fun to read about but my next girls' weekend will definitely be at a nice, safe resort! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I want to start off by saying I loved Lucy Clark’s last book, One if the Girls and I was really looking forward to her newest. It just fell flat. There were a lot of POV and hard to distinguish between some of them. Most of them were unlikeable and mean to each other.

It made absolutely no sense to me why this group of girls would be involved with the drama that was going on as much as they were. It didn’t keep my interest. I listened to the audiobook as well and felt the narrators did a great job with it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Putnam for my ARC of this book.

This book was a page turner. Liz wants her three best friend to escape from life and go on camping and hiking trip in Norway. They quickly learn the wilderness hides secrets and life change and choices must be made. This is a nail biting and cliff hanger read.

This is why you’ll never find me hiking. If my bodies turns up on the side of a trail, I can assure you I was murdered. As much as I wanted to hate the women for not training for a long, grueling hike, I reminded myself that I tan a half marathon without training so who am I to judge? Note: I do not recommend it - it was awful. Clarke writes a thriller with so much conflict and does it well. Overall, a fun popcorn thriller that will keep your intrigued.

Every year, best friends Liz, Joni, Helena, and Maggie melt their stress away on a planned yearly trip. This year it's Liz's turn to pick the destination, and she decides on a four-day hike in the pristine wilderness of Norway. Only when they're out on the trail do they discover that they aren't alone and that the others' intentions could be sinister. Will the three friends make it out of Norway?

The Hike was the first book I've read by Sunday Times bestselling author Lucy Clarke, and I really enjoyed the "just right" blend of character-building, immersive setting, and the thrill of seclusion with a dash of the unknown.

“𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳.“
– 𝘈𝘭𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘌𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘪𝘯

If you're looking for your next light thriller with strong themes such as friendship, finding oneself, nature, hiking, secluded locations, survival, secrets, and redemption, then this is it.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the gifted eARC for review considerations. All opinions expressed are mine alone. The Hike by Lucy Clarke US version will be widely available on August 29th 2023

4.5⭐️

First, massive thanks to NetGalley and Penguim Group Putnam for this ARC copy! Out 8/29!!

Y'all, Read. This. Book.
It was an amazingly fun ride! I will admit, the first 25% or so was a bit slower, but I feel as though the details you receive in that part of the story are so important for what's to come.

I ate this book up. I did predict a thing or two, but had the incorrect characters for my predictions. I did not see the majority of this outcome and man was it so fun getting to that final point! I found my heart pounding and being over anxiously to find out where this was going, what was happening next, who was involved and so much more! I absolutely love when I get that feeling from a book!

I thoroughly enjoyed the dual timeline here. It was done in such a way that makes you question whether it's present or past and flowed so easily into the story that I devoured it. I also loved the dual POV from all 4 of the friends.

I have had Lucky Clarke's 'One Of The Girls' on my shelf and haven't made it around to it yet, but you bet your bottom that is being bumped straight up my TBR list immediately!

Bravo to Lucy Clarke for this wild ride!

The Hike is a multi-POV novel about four friends who go on an intense hiking trip to Norway. They've been friends since they were in high school, and now in their thirties they still reunite each year for a holiday. This year Liz has picked the trip and everyone else is a little less than enthused about the physically demanding vacation.

Lucy Clarke begins this story with lots of character building around the four friends: Liz, Helena, Maggie, and Joni. By the time the trip begins, I had felt a connection to several of the characters and a deep interest in the others. When they arrive at the lodge near the daunting peak they plan to summit, the friends meet a small group of locals- some friendly and others less so.

Interspersed with chapters about "the search" for a woman's body, Clarke builds tension even before the hiking expedition goes awry. My only gripes are that this book was a bit long (384 pages, not ideal thriller/suspense length in my opinion) and that the end managed to feel very this, then this, then this (a shift from the overall writing style).

For a character driven adventure in the wilderness book, this hits the mark. I found myself picking this up over other books I was reading, and I think it will work for many readers.

3 solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book drew me in immediately. A dangerous hike and dysfunctional friend group- you just know something is going to go off the rails. The book started to drag a bit- I feel like some of it could’ve been cut out. But I was satisfied with the ending and I do have to say, it ended completely different than I thought it would, which was a happy surprise!

Thanks to NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!