I had many emotions while reading this book. I loved the atmosphere and so in the beginning I was super excited to keep reading. I found that there was a bit of a lull, a point in which I were waiting and waiting for something to happen. If you enjoy a slow burn, this novel may be for you. The last one hundred pages was where all the action was and the ending did not disappoint!

This book really kept me captivated. The chapters being short was great and helped me understand each character. I do wish there was a little bit more description of each character besides their ‘story’ or life. The ending I liked, even if it wasn’t the outcome that I was expected. The one area that bothered me was that they went on a backpacking trip, but it never once is labeled as that. A hike and spending the night while hiking are 2 different things to me. Regardless, overall I like it.

3.5 stars rounded up

I enjoyed this book. The setting in the Norwegian wilderness is so atmospheric and sets a perfect backdrop for a murder thriller. The four main characters were a struggle for me - I found them all varying degrees of unsympathetic. Plus, the DRAMA in the group! However, the thriller suspense did keep me reading and I enjoyed the building tension and final reveal of what was really happening and who the hidden players were. If you enjoy wilderness thrillers, this is a great option as long as drama amongst friends isn't a trope that you dislike.

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

I really enjoyed this! The atmospheric setting was creepy and I loved how there were so many little secrets also entwined in the story. I found some of the characters to be annoying at times but it kept me guessing the whole way through!

ARC Review of The Hike by @lucyclarke_author. Thanks to @putnambooks and @netgalley for gifting the ebook!
Publication Date: August 29, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5

This book hooked me from the very first page! This was definitely a girls trip gone wrong! I loved that the story is told from each of the friend's point of view. It was a page turner and I didn't expect the ending! Definitely go pre-order this one!

Liz plans a hiking trip through Norway and invites her best friends Maggie, Helena and Joni to join her for a girls trip of a lifetime. . . but it goes horribly wrong. Secrets come to light and a killer is on their trail . . . will they all make it out alive?

Wow! I was so shocked at how much I enjoyed this story!

It had all the butter: Norwegian girls trip, inexperienced hikers meet the impenetrable and volatile mother nature, survival of the elements... and each other?

I grew to care about and root for each woman-- flaws and all. Even the "black sheep" character could find redemption.

The thrill in this thriller was no joke-- it was always present, just lurking beneath the shadows until it was in your face; you could imagine their fear as visceral as a vice around your neck.

I felt that the story was very well written and I finished it in two days, despite only reading it before bed each night!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Putnam Books for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Four lifelong friends from England take their regular girlfriends getaway this year to hike a mountain in Norway (Liz's pick) and things go from regular hiking complaints like blisters and too heavy packs to much, much worse. Each woman is dealing with what life has thrown at them on top of the mountain misery. Solid story with well-developed characters. I can't specify because it would be a spoiler, but the sudden absence of a couple of characters in a scene towards the end was a bit of head scratcher.

A psychological thriller, four best friends travel on vacation to go hiking in Norway,
Joni, a famous singer
Maggie, divorced with a daughter
Helena, single who might be pregnant
Liz,a married with doctor with twins who’s recently separated
Each friend with their own secrets and personal issues, things take a sinister twist. It’s an eerie claustrophobic atmosphere, a fun read but a bit too much of a slow burn.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK HarperFiction and Netgalley for the ARC.

Painfully boring. The women didn't start going on their hike until 27% into the story. I like a slow burn but a lot of it seemed too unnecessary. I had to stop reading after about 35% as this book just wasn't for me.

“No help.
No cell coverage.
No one to hear them scream.”

Personal Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Big fan of all the strong women characters in Lucy Clarke’s novels, and this was no exception. This follows 4 women on their annual girls trip, as they come to terms with issues in their own personal lives, and set out on the hike of a lifetime on a famous Norway trail and mountain, where one woman recently went missing and is presumed dead. With a small part played by Leif the lodge owner adding a bit of mystery to the mix! Admittingly, it took a large percentage of the novel to differentiate the characters, but in the end, I was cheering for them all as they worked through their life issues and healed through nature and friendship.

Thank you G.P Putman and Lucy Clarke for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion, this book hits shelves August 29th!

Synopsis: Burned-out by both her marriage and work, Liz is desperate for an escape. More than that, she craves an adventure, a total reset. So, when she plans a vacation with her three best friends, she persuades them to spend four nights camping in the stunning mountains of Norway. Following a trail that climbs through lush valleys, towering peaks, and past jewel-blue lakes, Liz is sure that the hike is just what they need. But as they stride farther from civilization, it becomes clear that the women are not the only ones looking to lose themselves in the mountains. The wilderness hides secrets darker than they could ever have imagined, and if they’re not careful . . . not all of them will return.

This book was pretty good. When you trade lounging on a beach, with margaritas, for a hiking trip with your friends what could go wrong?
Each year Maggie, Liz, Helena & Joni met up for a weekend vacation. This year, things got a little hectic. Will they all make it out of the wilderness alive? Are the tumors if Blafjell Mountain true? Read this to find out.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very mediocre thriller, the involvement of drugs felt like it ruined the scariness of it all and was lackluster in its ending.
Thanks to netGalley, the Author and the publisher for the ARC

The Hike is a thoroughly enjoyable read about four friends who hike the mountains of Norway as a temporary escape from the problems in their lives. The setting is impressive, and this reviewer gives credit to the author for traveling to the scene to research the trail her characters follow.

The story is told from each woman's POV in alternating chapters. I liked that each chapter is clearly marked as to who is speaking and told in her unique voice. The pacing, like the movements of the characters, slows or moves faster, giving the novel added depth. There are many twists and turns and a few surprises along the dangerous paths the women have chosen, both in their limited adventure and their personal lives. A really good book and a recommended read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and GP Putnam's Sons for providing an ARC to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

I loved the atmosphere - a group of friends hiking a remote location and knowing tragedy will strike. Lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing. I flew through this with a fast paced plot and short chapters (the best in these kinds of books). Overall, 4/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is set to publish on August 29, 2023.

Although this book was not my favorite Lucy Clarke book to date, it was still really good! I am a fan of Lucy Clarke and will continue to read anything she puts out! This book was intriguing from start to finish, but for me, some of the characters and writing fell flat at times, but it would continually pull itself back together as a story. I enjoyed reading this wilderness thriller that had me turning pages pretty quickly. Overall, this was a solid read that anyone who likes thrillers and especially wilderness/survival thrillers with a lot of interpersonal aspects.

3/5

Slow to start but did get good.
I didn’t love it
It was really hard to push past the slow start

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
I was blown away by this book and would easily call it one of the best mystery/suspense books I have ever read. I could not put it down and stayed up way too late reading because I wanted to know what is happening going forward.
So many twists and turns that were all unexpected. I thought I had things figured out only to realize I was wrong once again.
The author wrote a spellbinding story that keeps the reader glued to it. The chapters broken down written from different perspectives makes it so much more interesting. Also, the story is closed out and finalized with everything addressed. The reader is not left hanging trying to imagine what happened at the end to everyone.
I especially enjoyed the descriptions. I could see myself at the location, had an image in my head of what everything looks like and would fit into place. Great job on the research to portray everything as a hiker would be exposed to!
Awesome job on this book and cannot wait to read more from this author!!

Shoutout to netgalley for another ARC of Lucy’s newest book. Unfortunately this one was a bit of a miss for me. I tore through it pretty quickly, it just wasn’t my style of book. I felt there was so much “fluff” in there, lots of info that didn’t really add to the story. It was overall quite anticlimactic and I stayed up late to finish it only to feel a let down with the ending. It wasn’t really a bad story, it just wasn’t exciting and I felt like I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. However the chapters were short, it was interesting enough I got through it fast and I enjoyed the setting and the writing quite a bit! This one releases August 29!!

The Hike by Lucy Clarke is an exhilarating thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. From the moment I started reading, I was captivated by the story of four friends embarking on a hiking adventure in the Norwegian wilderness. Lucy Clarke skillfully weaves together elements of friendship, betrayal, murder, secrets, and more, creating a gripping narrative that had me hooked until the very end.

The setting of the story, with its towering mountains, glass-like lakes, log cabins, and enchanted forests, adds an extra layer of intrigue and danger. It's the perfect backdrop for a tale filled with suspense and unexpected twists. The characters are well-developed, each with their own motivations and secrets. As tensions rise and the group faces the challenges of the hike, their bonds are tested in ways they never anticipated. And when a broken body is discovered, the stakes become even higher. The sense of unease and uncertainty permeates the pages, keeping me guessing and engrossed in the story. I flew through this book in just a day, unable to put it down. This is the first book I read from the author, and I was thoroughly impressed. The pacing was perfect, the setting vividly described, and the plot kept me engaged from start to finish.

I want to express my gratitude to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for providing me with an ARC of The Hike. I highly recommend this thrilling and suspenseful novel to anyone who enjoys a gripping page-turner. With its blend of human suspense and environmental challenges, it's a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Hike is a survivalist thriller about four lifelong friends who meet up every year for a vacation together to reconnect. This years’s choice: Norway. The plan: spend four days hiking the trail up Blafjell Mountain. What starts out as a pleasant hike through lush valleys to the coast quickly turns disastrous as one thing after another starts to go wrong. As tensions rise and a murderer lurks in the wilderness—Liz, Joni, Maggie and Helena’s secrets are forced to the surface. Will they all return alive?


I’m giving this one 3.5 stars. Solid popcorn thriller but nothing earth shattering. Writing was good—plot was good, but a little predictable—and the ending was mediocre. Would recommend as a good weekend read though!