I enjoyed this book, though I felt like it was a very slow burn and not as much of a thriller as I’d usually prefer. Took a lot of reading to get to the faster paced parts that ended up being not so fast paced.

3.5/5

I enjoyed reading this one. I liked how it was told from different point of views. I was able to get to know the characters. I didn’t see some of the twists coming! They were good!
I look forward to reading more from the author.

I am a sucker for any adventure and survival thrillers especially when there is an all-female cast of characters, so I was drawn immediately to the Hike by Lucy Clarke. This is the first novel of Lucy Clarke that I have read but it looks like she has some similar titles which is exciting!

The Hike follows a group of four adult female friends, I really related to the women in a way simply because I am 35 and am seeing in real time how friendships evolve and change over the adult years. From career changes, marriage, divorce, family growth, and the choices you make to keep people in your lives even when it feels like you've grown into different people. The chapters flip between the different characters' points of view and unfortunately, that format didn't work for me in this book. The chapters just weren't long enough for me to really understand each character or care about the differences between the women, with the exception of Joni who is a caricature of a female rock star. Joni was made to be so different from the others and had put so little into their friendships beyond grandiose gestures that were few and far between that I didn't believe that they remained friends with this woman. The other 3 women were pretty indistinguishable from each other.

Apart from the characters, the main plot didn't get going until about 60% of the way through and as you expect there are a few twists and surprises but it wasn't really my thing. I would definitely try another of Lucy Clarke's books and it is a fun read.

Liz, Maggie, Helena and Joni are life lifelong friends. Once a year they go on a trip together. This year, Liz has chosen a dangerous mountainous hike in Norway. None of the women are seasoned trekkers and have no idea what is in store for them. Before they even start out, they learn of a young woman who disappeared on the trail a year ago….a bad omen. Is there a killer out there? Why does Liz ignore the warning about an impending storm? What secrets are they hiding from each other?

Told in multiple POVs and two timelines, this is atmospheric and, despite being set in the open air, claustrophobic. It took about half the book for me to really engage with it. Once the suspense started building, I kept reading “just one more chapter.” There are some excellent observations of life and marriage expressed. Some may find the plot predictable.

So much suspension, so much tension. I do wish this had a little more spunk at the beginning, but the ending all but made up for it. The story was executed thoroughly and I could tell Lucy had a fun time writing it.

The HIke is a well-written but slow-burn "thriller" that follows four childhood friends as they hike across Norway. My main issue with this book is that it wasn't really a thriller despite being described as one. The book was more about the relationships between these four women and their own personal challenges and journeys. The author did a beautiful job describing the scenery of Norway; I truly felt that I was there hiking with the group. The frustrations among the friends were also well-written and well-described. However, there really wasn't any mystery. The "thriller" aspect of the book only came at the end and it wasn't really related to the rest of the book (the friends and their issues). I think there are readers who will definitely enjoy this book; however, it just wasn't what I was hoping.

I wanted to read this book because it seemed like an intriguing mystery, but once I started reading it there was not enough mystery to keep my attention. The book was a slow read, but there were a few unexpected twists that were nice. Overall the book was slow for me and I wouldn't call this book a thriller necessarily, but I did enjoy reading about these friends and their back story.

This was my first Lucy Clarke book, and I'm hooked. I loved the way it was told from different perspectives, and there were a few unexpected twists along the way. Her description of setting was also wonderful, and made me want to travel — even though the characters run into some troubles along their own trip.

This is my second Lucy Clarke book and it will not be my last! 'One of this girls' was my first read, and I was very excited to read 'The Hike'!

The premise of this book was super intriguing. 4 friends take their annual girls trip and in lieu of a relaxing holiday, they decide to hike a mountain in Norway. (Ok not 'they'...one of the friends had her heart set on it and the other friends hesitantly obliged.) The night before they're set to embark on the journey, they find out that a hiker went missing on the same trail a year before and now...fear is setting in.

While the beginning was definitely a little slow for my taste, I still enjoyed reading the backstories of the friends, and what propelled them to take this vacation in the first place.

I think "thriller" is a generous term for this book, more like 'a slow journey of a fearful circumstance' is a better term, but nonetheless, I still enjoyed that ride!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam fir the Arc of this book!

Thank you to netgalley for this ARC!

I’ve heard lovely things about Lucy Clarke and her thrillers, so I was excited to get this ARC. I appreciate the female characters and their friendship at the forefront of this thriller.

A thriller that isn’t so thrilling.

This is far more character study with a dusting of mystery or suspense. I came to this for one thing and I didn’t get it. The writing was competent but the plotting just too slow for my taste.

Fantastic thriller/mystery! I loved the setting of the Norwegian wilderness and the friendships between the four ladies. Once the hike gets started things pick up immediately, and its such an intense ride. I loved all the twists and turns, and I can see this being a great movie. Definitely a read I recommend for thriller lovers.

And it made me want to get out and go for a nice walk!

You can never go wrong with a Lucy Clarke book, and this is a great popcorn thriller!

About 4 friends, who reconnect yearly on a vacation, this story picks up with them heading to Norway to hike a mountain. Only one of the friends in the group is actually excited for this trip, while the others are dreading a long hike. When the group arrives in Norway, and finds that a girl went missing on the very mountain they are set to hike, the friends become even more nervous about their journey.

Told from each woman’s perspective, this book is full of story and fast paced. I couldn’t put it down, and felt satisfied with the ending. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Every year Liz and 3 of her childhood friends spend a few days vacationing together. Between her job and marriage, Liz is looking for time away to reset. This year it is her turn to choose the location so she decides that they should spend 4 days camping/hiking in the remote mountains of Norway which is much different than their usual tropical destinations. Sounds pretty safe right, I mean, what could go wrong with that?!

This was my first Lucy Clarke novel but it is easy to see why she has a huge fan base. I thought the characters were well developed and each had distinct personality traits which made it easy to keep them straight. The conflicts between the characters felt realistic. First 25% is a little slow as we get into everyone’s backstories, but then the pace picks up exponentially and it moves along quite quickly after that. The setting of the book was atmospheric and well-written, and definitely added another layer to the story.

What dropped my rating a bit was the noticeably excessive overuse of certain phrases which could have been replaced by something else or edited out altogether and then the ending which was not my favorite and left me with some questions that I unfortunately can’t go into without it being a spoiler. All that said, I enjoyed this book overall and will definitely check out this author’s previous work. 3.5 stars rounded up because I enjoyed it overall.

This was a Breathtaking thrill ride with lots of drama between best friends. I loved this, could not put it down and would absolutely recommend it!!!

Loved the plot line and twists and the four FMC’s and their dynamic!

The four friends who have been friends since they were young come back together for an annual trip. The dynamics between them and their own storylines were a wonderful addition to the mystery and suspense of this book!

Thank you Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the eARC!

This is the first book I have read by Lucy Clarke, but it won't be the last.
Liz, Joni, Maggie and Helena have been friends since secondary school. Each year, they take a vacation to relax and reconnect. This year, however, instead of relaxing, the choice is made to do a hiking/camping trip to Norway. As the friends enter the trail, with unfavorable weather in the forecast, they face unforeseen dangers. This book alternates between the 4 women and the rescue squad POV. The prologue alludes to what lies ahead, but the reader is left to learn of the events as they unfold.
Highly recommend this binge-worthy read.
I received an advanced reader copy via NetGalley.

Hiking the fjords of Norway has been a dream of mine for a while, but after reading Lucy Clarke’s The Hike, I’m seriously reconsidering! All jokes aside, this book was captivating. The action never stopped, and the short chapters kept me turning the pages until late into the night. The author did a great job of developing each of the main characters, no one felt flat or unlikeable to me. I’m looking forward to reading some of the author’s other books now! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!

This was a quick read for me! The format of short chapters told from multiple POV tends to work well for me, and I felt like with this book it allowed the secrets of each friend to be revealed slowly throughout as they became more interconnected. I really loved the sense of place and the author did a great job of painting a picture of the mountain wilderness of Norway. The mystery itself was a little bit slow for me and the ending wasn't my favorite, but overall I really liked this book and will definitely read more from this author moving forward.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️🌟 rounds up to 4 for Goodreads

4 childhood friends who come together for an annual vacation getaway, this year destination: Norway to hike the mountain of Blafjell. They arrive the night before they set foot on the trail and emerge themselves into the local town and get acquainted with some of the locals. They spend the night at the local hotel and learn one of the locals went missing while hiking Blafjell and was never to be found. The next morning the 4 friend set out working together and fighting through some secrets and regrets all to get them back home. Crossing some locals as they set off one of them is warned to turn around and go home, but fighting her own personal demands she decided to not tell the others and move on with the hike. There is an ominous presence in the forest and throughout the hike. Is there a killer on then trail? The 4 friend work to repair their friendship to survive the trials of Blafjell and escape the killer.

This book has the very familiar character plot of 4 friends setting out on a trip where they run into murders and mysteries, I don’t hate it and I think this book had a very strong character plot. I enjoyed each of the characters and learning about their secrets and history. This book also have a strong location plot. I love the dynamic of being lost in the mountains of Norway. The author did a great job painting a picture of the landscape. That being said, it felt like the murder mystery aspect took the back seat to these. There was only really 1 twist towards the end, but it was a good one and the chapters lead up kept me guessing. If you’re looking for a nail bitting twist and turn mystery thriller this book is not it, but it is a great thriller with a great sorry of friendship. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a nice cleansing read.

Thank you Putman Books and NetGalley for the ARC copy for my honest review.

Three forever friends who like to take a vacation each year with each other to catch up and let loose. Each year one of them picks the place to go. This year Liz the dr., mother and wife picks hiking the trails in Norway. Maggie the single divorced mother is dreading the trip she just wants to be with her daughter. Then there is Helene who is still getting over the death of her mom. She cannot seem to keep a relationship and the only one she did keep is gone. There is a fourth friend Joni who is a famous singer entertainer who always seems to miss these trips because of her touring. Or is that the real reason. You see not only is this book a thriller it also lets you in on the lives of these three women and what possible secrets they could be hiding. Why does Liz the doctor want to take such a dangerous trip knowing that a person like Maggie would be so nervous to go on. Why is Helene so reckless in her love life and why is the real reason Joni misses these trips?

The backdrop the beautiful mountains of Norway. A lovely inn run by two brothers for people who like an adventure. Is adventure what these four women get when the set off to hike these mountains? A body is found and it seems like its been there awhile. One of the brothers Erik is blamed for the disappearance of his girlfriend Karin. How does his brother Leif fit into all of this? There are many other dark characters in this novel that made it very thrilling. It started like a normal trip which then turned dark and scary. Why??

I really enjoyed this book because it was told through the eyes of each friend. As you kept reading it starts to unravel not only the mystery within the mountains and how many of these characters tie in. It also starts to tell you the back story of why these women are who they are and what their secrets are. One secret destroys a long friendship and one has a big decision to make.

Thank you Lucy Clarke for such a thrilling and engrossing book. I couldn't put it down. I needed to find out the ending and who did what. The plot was interesting, characters full of life and the setting was very descriptive and made you feel like you were hiking with these women.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Will be looking forward to more books by Ms. Clarke.