The 4th best book of 2023 goes to What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall.

What is it about? When they were children, best friends Naomi, Cassidy, and Olivia would go into the woods and play “the goddess game.” It was good, harmless fun until one night Naomi is attacked and Cassidy and Olivia barely escape, alerting authorities that their friend has been murdered. But a miracle occurred; Naomi survived her attack and she was able to identify her attacker. Now an adult Naomi has a career as a photographer and has just learned that her convicted attacker has died in prison. It seems to be the end of a decades long journey but when Naomi receives a cryptic call from Olivia, she is forced to go back home and confront the ghosts of her past. Did everything that happen that night really occur in the way Naomi remembered it? Or was she looking at the wrong person the entire time?

Why did I love it? Loosely based on a true story, What Lies in the Woods is a gripping thriller that hooks you quickly. Ms. Marshall doesn’t take much time to through the reader into this mystery, particularly with Naomi beginning to question what did and did not happen that fateful night. Like Dark Places‘ Libby, Naomi isn’t a perfect character. She has several flaws but also many pains that makes her sympathetic to the reader. As the story unravels, Naomi finds herself questioning her allies and if she truly knows the people she grew up with. This leads the reader to question if anyone is telling the truth, including Naomi. This is a particular strength of the novel as slowly everyone begins to become a suspect in some matter.

I really enjoyed the fast pace of the novel. It’s by no means a short book but it is easily something that can be digested in one sitting. There is also a sense of claustrophobia, suffocating both Naomi and you as the reader, as more secrets and inconsistences are revealed. I also enjoyed how Ms. Marshall took this seemingly innocent, small town and made it a bit more nefarious. Was the attack on Naomi and her friends truly a random act of violence or was it a part of a much darker plan and, if so, why would the person behind it attack three innocent girls? Finally, is Naomi herself reliable? I love a good unreliable narrator and Naomi fits this mold very well. Ultimately the reveal is shocking and very well done. I had come up with many possibilities of what could have happened that night but the true reason caught me off guard. Surprise endings can be very hard to do and that’s why I have selected What Lies in the Woods to be my fourth favorite book of the year.

Read my full review at https://rachelrheil.com/blog/2023/10/what-lies-in-the-woods-by-kate-alice-marshall-review/.