This is an excellent book. I just finished it and am still wrapping my head around all the feelings it brought me. I wanted to be out in the woods looking for Valerie. And in the home talking to Lena. And I even wanted to give Santos a reassuring hug.

Valerie is resolute in her quest to hike the Appalachian Trail, with her husband, Gregory, providing support. The book's narrative revolves around Valerie's ordeal of getting lost and her actions during this time. It features a cast of characters, each with their own narrative. Bev, the park ranger, leads the search efforts, while Lena plays a pivotal role in the story. Valerie reveals her resilience through letters written to her mother as a means of survival. The book captivates with its excellent character development, making it a commendable read for all.

I really enjoyed Amity Gaige’s novel the Sea Wife in 2020 so I was excited to receive this digital arc of her next novel Heartwood. Gaige has created my favorite kind of novel - a character driven mystery that kept me turning the pages while becoming attached to the three female main characters. Lena, Beverly and Valerie all share their conflicted feelings about mother/daughter relationships while involved in the search for Valerie who has gotten lost during her Appalachian Trail hike. I won’t spoil the ending, but I will recommend this to anyone looking for a gripping story with strong female characters and a strong sense of New England. Thank you to Amity Gaige and Simon and Schuster for this advanced copy!

Wow! This is a twisted read. Suspense, trials, righting of wrongs. Characters and storyline is compelling. I admire Bev and her perseverance to continue the search. Recommend highly. I was given this well written book by NetGalley as an arc and I am freely sharing my review

Enter the drama of the Appalachian Trail! Gaige has stuck us in the heart of the trail - in Maine, where the undergrowth is too thick to see or trek through. A few steps off the white slashed trail can literally mean chancing your life!

In Heartwood a solo hiker goes missing and the Investigator is determined to find her. Maine State Game Warden Beverly stops at nothing -even sleep as she does whatever she can to find missing Valerie. The story is vivid and tense and I learned so much more about the Appalachian Trail - it's almost a character in this story and I keep on thinking about it.

If you love a thriller, love hiking, love heroes, this is a story for you! #heartwood #simonschuster #amitygaige

Title: Heartwood by Amity Gaige
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Pub Date: April 1, 2025

⭐️ 3.5/5

Appalachian Hiking Trail
Multiple POV
Missing Person's Search

We get to read in multiple POV in the form of a mix of interviews, letters from Valerie to her mother, Lt. Bev during her extensive search, and Lena who unknowingly will be joining the search from states away.
While this was less thriller/suspense and more literary fiction, I still enjoyed it throughly and read it in just two sittings. Lt. Beverly worked tirelessly even when all hope seemed to be gone, and I was pleasantly surprised how all of the POVs and characters came together in the end.

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Simon and Schuster, for the digital review copy!

TW: Multiple mentions of pandemic

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Heartwood tells the story of a missing hiker on the Appalachian Trail, and the narrative weaves together the perspectives of Valerie, the lost hiker, Bev, the Maine game warden heading up the search, and Lena, a wheelchair-bound woman living in a retirement home who becomes involved in the search remotely. The author deftly connects the characters and shows us their inner lives in a way that brings richness and meaning to what could have been "just" a thriller.
I enjoyed learning more about the trail and those who choose to traverse it. It was also interesting to read about what goes into a search and rescue operation in dense wilderness.
Ultimately this novel made me think about the ways we all get lost and found and the relationships with ourselves and with others that help us do both.
I would definitely read more from this author.