When she was eleven, Naomi Shaw’s testimony put away a serial killer who had murdered six women. For decades she’s held fast that it was him who attacked her and her two friends, Olivia and Cassidy in the woods. But when Naomi’s return to her hometown spurs new questions, she begins to doubt if what she saw was the truth or just something she wanted to believe was true. Partner with a true crime podcaster, Naomi is determined to unearth secrets that have been buried for over a decade.
I’ll be honest and say I started the audiobook of What Lies in the Woods back in April but only recently finished the book in October. I was on a post Fourth Wing slump, and I just couldn’t get into the story at first. I don’t think this had anything to do with the story or narrator itself but entirely to do with my reading slump as it was one of about a dozen audiobooks I put on pause at the time. Once I started the book again though, I was hooked.
I think I had the same thought with Marshall’s other books, but this starts as a slow burn mystery and doesn’t pick up speed until the halfway mark. I think for the purpose of Marshall’s writing, this really works in her favor, as she takes the necessary time to fully develop her characters and their quirks rather than throwing us straight into the murder mystery. While there are a lot of characters to keep track of, it’s relatively easy since each is flushed out and has a distinct voice.
Flipping between both the present and flashbacks of the girl’s childhood, Marshal has crafted an atmospheric and suspenseful story which again had me hooked once I fully committed to the story. I also realized that Karissa Vacker is the narrator for this one and she is honestly quickly becoming one of my go-to narrators, as she has an easy voice to listen to and does a great job at adding depth to characters.
Kate Alice Marshall’s adult debut is a twisty thriller that explores friendships and the secrets we keep from each other. This did has some YA vibes but was certainly darker than her other books. Overall it’s a solid thriller that will keep you guessing.
NO one can know review
What Lies in the Woods is out now. Thank you to Flatiron Books and MacMillan Audio for my advanced copies in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.
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