Maggie, Liz, Helena & Joni are old friends and each year one of them takes a turn to choose what kind of vacation they take. Liz chooses hiking in Norway, a bit different from previous years. This also happens to be where a woman went missing. The friends must rely on each other, but can they trust each other? Great fun reading this fast paced thriller! The setting is so vivid you feel like you’re there!0

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

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I was really looking forward to this book, I mean murder while on a hike where no one can hear you scream??? Pulled me right in! Unfortunately, I felt like parts of the story were predictable and the conclusion was underwhelming. However, if you’re looking for a quick read with short chapters, alternate POVs, and a good palette cleanser, then I recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review. OUT NOW.

I couldn’t put this book down!
Four best friends meet every year for a week long getaway. Usually it involves a tropical sunny beach, but this year they do something different. They embark on a hike up a mountain in Norway and some are more excited than others.
We know not everyone returns from the mountain alive! But what exactly happens on the trail?
Super fast read with some fantastic twists!
Looking forward to reading more by this author.

In "The Hike," Liz seeks solace from the burdens of her marriage and career by planning a wilderness adventure with her closest friends. Eager for a reset, they embark on a four-night camping trip in the breathtaking mountains of Norway. The idyllic setting promises serenity and renewal as they traverse trails adorned with lush valleys, towering peaks, and shimmering lakes.

However, as they venture deeper into the remote wilderness, the group realizes they are not alone. Encountering other individuals seeking refuge in the mountains, they soon uncover hidden secrets that cast a shadow over their journey. With each passing moment, the tranquil landscape reveals a darker side, threatening their safety and testing their resilience.

Isolated from civilization and devoid of cell coverage, Liz and her friends find themselves confronting not only the challenges of the wilderness but also the haunting truths lurking within. As they navigate treacherous terrain and face unexpected dangers, they must rely on each other's strength and determination to ensure their survival.

"The Hike " is a gripping tale of adventure and suspense, where the beauty of nature conceals the perils that lie beneath. As Liz and her companions confront the unknown, they must confront their deepest fears and fight to overcome the obstacles that stand in their way. In this unforgiving landscape, their journey becomes a test of courage, friendship, and the will to persevere against all odds.

this thriller was a combo of unrealistic and predictable for me honestly! i enjoyed the friend group and was on the edge of my seat reading about their past drama, but this whole hike was unrealistic to me from the start. once i got past that, i found the mystery aspect to be predictable! overall didn’t hate it but was kinda bleh for me.

A group of friends take a trip, but there are underlying cracks in the foundation of their relationships. On this trip things keep going wrong, a random rockslide, someone watching from the woods, and getting separated. The story is told from duel timelines and multiple POV’s. It was a good and quick read, with a great twist.

This is my second book I have read by Lucy Clark
This is definitely a slow burn thriller. We as the reader get to know this group of friends very well. Each woman is dealing with something else in their life and they don't seem to really truly trust each other. The drama between them is realistic and at times devastating. The rest of the plot was kind of outlandish. 
I liked the setting of the hike and the outdoors. The setting played such a huge roll in this story.
This was just a middle of the road thriller for me. Unfortunately, I will most likely forget this one quickly.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

A great thriller - I would recommend it! Love Lucy Clarke's books!

Many thanks to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

We are following four best friends as they hike a mountain in Norway. Liz is the one who decides to go on a hike in Norway after deciding to do a trial separation from her husband Patrick. Helena has just discovered that she is pregnant but not knowing who the father is because she sleeps around. Maggie is a mother to a four year old daughter and has allowed her ex-husband to keep their daughter for the weekend that she's going hiking. Once they arrive in Norway they get to the cabin where they sign in to hike and are told not to hike because of the weather. They are also joined by Joni the last member of their quartet who is a famous singer in a band who is just tired and needs a break from everything. Liz, Helena, Joni, and Maggie start hiking and an old women tells Liz that she and her friends need to stop hiking and go back before the storm hits. The girls go to the beach after Maggie gets lost while going to the bathroom in the woods and sees Erik who is blamed for his girlfriend going missing. The girls go inside a cave after a terrible storm starts with lighting. The girls discover that there is cocaine hidden in things inside the cave and find a bracelet belonging to Erik's missing girlfriend. The girls don't know whether to trust him or not and when Lirk finds them, Erik's brother and owner of the cabin. It is revealed that he is helping smuggle the cocaine for the man that was warning them not to hike. Lirk and Erik fight and Erik discovers that Lirk knew what happened to his girlfriend and also got rid of her body so that nobody would find it. Liz finds out that Joni slept with her husband Patrick. Helena goes searching for Liz and Joni leaving Maggie behind and the bad guy in charge of the smuggling finds her and tries to shot her and the others but Joni saves them all by grabbing him and throwing them both off the cliffs edge saving her friends. Liz, Maggie, and Helena decide to do some more hiking a year later as a tribute to Joni and decide to start living their lives like Joni would want them to.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Maggie, Liz, Helena and Joni have been a fabulous foursome for a long time. The women have history, friends since childhood, who have stuck together through thick and thin. Even when life took them in unexpected directions. They've been good about keeping in touch and even have a tradition of taking trips together, just the four of them. It's a great way to reconnect and recharge.

Their most recent excursion is going to take them far from the beach trips they are used to though. This time around, the women are heading to the majestic mountains of Norway to go hiking. A hiking trip!? Some of them are more prepared than others, but let's be honest, none of them are truly prepared for a serious trek through the mountains. Nevertheless, they persist and head for the wilderness.

This is a little slow to start, as we're introduced to the different ladies and get the scope on their current life status, as well as their relationship to all the other women. There are some strong personalities in the group, but they seem to all get along for the most part, and provide a lot of support and encouragement for one another. But no friendship group is perfect, and this one has it's cracks.

In addition to interpersonal dramas, dangers on the trail are many; some of them coming in the most unexpected forms. Clarke took this story in directions I definitely wasn't expecting, and you know what, I really enjoyed it. She succeeded in keeping me on my toes and entertained.

When the women travel to Norway, they stay in a small town adjacent to their trailhead the night before they set-out on the anticipated 4-day hike. It's there we meet some of the locals, and we do end up following some of the local drama, as well as the perspective of one of the local men. I was surprised when we got that perspective, and initially it seemed a little odd and out of place. Clarke did bring it around and tied everything together fairly seamlessly in the end. Although, admittedly, I did have trouble differentiating between a few of the male characters.

For me the highlight of this book is the relationships amongst the women and the fact that they undertake this crazy hike. I love hiking and being out in nature, so that also tends to be something I have fun with in fiction. There's a lot of time to think on the trail, and if you're with other people, a lot of time to talk and bond. I think these women were in over the heads and the pressure starts to show early. That brought out some issues that needed addressing, and boy do they get addressed.

While this did start slow, the pace steadily increases throughout. By the end, it's going top speed, as you try to ascertain who's going to make it out alive!?

This is the second novel that I have read from this author, the other being One of the Girls, also a girls getaway story. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as OOTG, but this has definitely solidified Lucy Clarke as a go-to author for me. If you enjoy Travel Thrillers, or stories that involve female friendships, you should definitely give this one a shot. It's exciting, intriguing and made me want to go to Norway even more than I already did. Job well done by Clarke.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm seriously sorry it took me so long to get to it. It was a trip!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an early copy of The Hike. I truly appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book early!

This outdoorsy thriller follows a girl group who plan a unique trip together each year. This year sends them backpacking in Norway, caring all of their baggage (emotional and otherwise) through a harshly beautiful landscape. All the while, things surrounding the area and the lodge at the base of the hike are not adding up as someone has recently gone missing. This group of women who have vastly grown together and away from each other at the same time must now conquer much more than they originally anticipated.

This was such a fast pace and interesting read. While I would not say it is completely unique and out of left field, it was still refreshing while feeling familiar and well done. I enjoyed that each of the characters was so fleshed out and unique. Typically in books like this I struggle to hope between their multiple POVs, but this book was seamless in transitioning. They had their own distinct voices and issues, and for the most part, they each intrigued me equally. I really felt like I was on the hike with them, and I would totally read from Clarke again!

This was my first time reading a book by this author and definitely not my last! This thriller was unique and isn’t “just another thriller” like some I’ve read. It has some twists I never predicted and I really enjoyed the characters throughout the book. Check this one out if you want a thriller that’s not like the others!

I have really been into thrillers involving hiking and nature here lately. This one was so intriguing to me. I loved the setting, and the tense drama as it all came together. As I really enjoyed the writing, I will pick up more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

I read One of the Girls by this author, which I loved. Given this, I was very excited to be approved to read this book. The Hike is well-written and full of suspense that will keep readers intrigued. The major characters are given enough likability to be rooting for them while minor characters have the right amount of suspicion casted on them without being too predictable.

Full of tense moments, the combination of the plot and character driven book had me constantly guessing at foreshadowed events.

While I preferred One of the Girls, I still fully enjoyed this book and will pick up whatever Lucy Clarke writes next which is really the best testament one can offer when reading someone’s work.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

The Hike by Lucy Clarke tells the story of four girlfriends going for a hike in the Norwegian mountains as a way to reconnect. And, as you can guess, pretty much everything that can go wrong does. This book was a slow burn but a quick read with short chapters and alternating POVs. I have been enjoying survivalist thrillers recently and this one was pretty good, but the ending left a little to be desired. It was very atmospheric and tense but also a little predictable. If you enjoy atmospheric, locked room-ish thrillers with secrets and suspense, you'll enjoy this book.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This has SOOO much going on but yet I felt like it needed something more in that ending. So many side stories, so much background on each girl I thought for sure the ending was going to throw another twist at me and it just fell a bit flat.

This one is a survival thriller and the survival aspect was definitely the best part for me. The "what are we going to do" parts. I felt like I was on that mountain with them. The landscape descriptions were beautiful and I could picture it perfectly.

Thank you to Penguin Random House, the author, and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! Where do I start? This book is perfection and I could not put it down!

Four friends who have been best friends since being kids set out on a hike in Norway and discover secrets, lies, and deception while also discovering just how tough they can be. The author incorporates everything needed to make an excellent five-star novel. The atmosphere, the character building, the story so Intricately weaved and, the building tension and mystery?! Again, perfection. A fast paced thriller that had me tearing through the pages to see what happens next.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to more of the authors writing in the future.
My profuse thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Harpers Collin’s for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Truly, hope this book gets more exposure and gets the credit it deserves.

I love to hike and love a thriller - this book delivered on every level. It was a bit slow to start for me but once it picked up I did not want to put it down!

I always love a good thriller from Lucy Clarke, and The Hike did not disappoint. From friendship drama, to the life of the rich & famous, to the beauty of Norway, this thriller keeps you engaged from page one to the very end.
I read this in nearly one sitting it was so good. As always, I cannot wait for the next Reed from Lucy Clarke.

I big thanks to Penguin Random House, the author, and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review being posted to Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

The Hike by Lucy Clarke
My rating:
3.5/5 (rounded to 4 for rating purposes)
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Liz, Helena, Maggie and Joni are best friends that have stuck by eachother’s sides through all walks of life. Every year they look forward to vacationing and spending time together at a new location.

When Liz decides that their annual activity is camping and hiking a trail in Norway, they must prepare for a 4 day trip in the wilderness.

This was a very character driven book that focused heavily on female friendships. I loved that this was told in multiple POVS and I started to really feel connected to the characters.

I requested this because I had read One Of The Girls by the author and absolutely loved the author’s writing style. Once again, her writing kept me entertained and this book was very well written!

This is a hard one for me to review because I thought that the premise and story were both good, but the subject matter isn’t my favorite, which was my own issue as I had requested it blindly.

I think if you enjoy a survival book with a very descriptive setting and like a book that focuses more on the bonds between the characters versus action, this is for you!

While I enjoyed the story, there were times that the pace was a bit slow. This picked up towards the end and went in a different direction that I thought it would. Overall it was a good read, just not my favorite concept!

Thank you netgalley and Penguin group publishing for the Arc!