The Hike, by Lucy Clarke, is a novel about a hike in the Norway mountains, survival, and a mysterious death, and yet, at its core about female friendship. Liz, Maggie, Helena and Joni are longtime friends. While their vacations are usually lounging by the water, this time Liz insists on a challenging mountain hike. Told in multiple POVs, from the women and from some Norwegian men, what emerges is a complex tale of hidden truths. Once the hike begins you are immersed in an atmosphere where survival is paramount. Each character is fully realized, layered, complex and not necessarily likeable. Detailed descriptions make the Norway mountains, including the weather, characters in themselves. Add in the mystery of the death, and you have a complex and twisty story. I have not read Lucy Clarke before, however I look forward to reading more!

Special thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

I love books centered around female friendships so Lucy Clarke is always a good choice! This is about four friends who set off on a hiking adventure and things don’t go as planned! I read this as quickly as possible to figure out what happened!

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley, but all thoughts are my own.

Hot damn, this book was PERFECTION. 🔥

I have been hunting for this on NetGalley after hearing about it a few weeks ago, and it finally became available. I was incredibly lucky to request and then receive it in less than 30 minutes. Thank you, @netgalley, @lucyclarke_author, and @putnambooks for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to get my hands on this for two reasons: that stunning cover and the captivating premise. Books that focus on hiking as a major theme are my absolute favorite, and add in a thriller element and weather-related catastrophes and I’m sold. This one had all that and so much more.

This story focuses on four friends: Liz, Helena, Maggie, and Joni as they embark on a four-day hiking trip in the wild mountains of Norway. They are amateurs interested in a deeply challenging trail, and each has their own reason for wanting to go on this journey.

Along the way, we meet several ancillary characters who play varying roles within the story. They gave the story some extra flavor and draw out various sub stories that add to the thriller element within.

This was expertly well-written and engaging. The scene was set beautifully, and I truly connected with each of the four main characters throughout the story. These were well-developed characters with interesting individual stories. They were also easy to keep separated in my mind, which can be challenging in a multi-narrator story; that’s how well-done they were.

The hiking and adventure felt authentic, and the thriller elements were heart-pounding. I was absolutely captivated from the first page to the last, and read this one in about 12 hours.

I can’t say enough good things about this book; it’s excellent. I will be buying a copy when it drops in August because I know for sure I’ll read this one again. I don’t say that about many thrillers! Five huge stars. If you like thrillers - and if you’re a hiker - you need this one!

I could not read this book fast enough - compulsive, engaging, with lots of twists. Can't wait to recommend this to other readers!!