What Lies in the Woods: A Novel

Description

Twenty-two years ago, Naomi Shaw believed in magic. She and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, spent that summer roaming the woods, imagining a world of ceremony and wonder-the Goddess Game. The summer ended suddenly when Naomi was attacked. Miraculously, she survived her seventeen stab wounds and lived to identify the man who had hurt her. The girls' testimony put away a serial killer, wanted for murdering six women. They were heroes. And they were liars. The day she learns that Alan Michael Stahl has died in prison, Naomi gets a call from Olivia. For decades, the friends have kept a secret worth killing for. But now Olivia wants to tell, and Naomi is forced back to the town she'd escaped. She sets out to find out what really happened in the woods-no matter how dangerous the truth turns out to be.

Kate Alice Marshall is the author of 6 novels for younger readers. She lives outside of Seattle with her husband, a dog named Vonnegut, and her two kids.

"Utterly riveting. What Lies in the Woods is a stunner--dark, unflinching, and as twisty and sharp as a tangle of thorns." --Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of The House Across the Lake "I loved everything about this beautifully written and impossible to put down book. I was hooked from the first clever and deliciously dark page and couldn't stop reading. Readers will love What Lies in the Woods, an exciting new voice in the genre." --Alice Feeney, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Darker "Shines an incisive light on the secrets of a small-town community...Elevating this novel beyond the plethora of other thrillers is terrific writing...Great writing and boldly drawn characters bring a terrifying tale to all-too-vivid life." --Kirkus, starred review "Marshall explores the complicated dynamics of childhood friendships and the powerful effect that memory has in shaping narratives...In a novel filled with emotional depth and convincing red herrings, Marshall delivers a propulsive mystery about trust, secrets, and friendships." --Booklist, starred review "What Lies In the Woods is a gorgeous fever dream of a novel about the dangers lurking in the hearts and imaginations of little girls. Marshall deftly charts a winding path through her creepy woods, doubling back and changing course to build a labyrinth of secrets and lies in which I was delighted to lose myself for hours. Hands down, it's the best thriller I've read in a long, long time." --Chandler Baker, New York Times bestselling author of The Husbands "A haunting tale of betrayal, heartbreak, and redemption told in poetic prose with deeply layered characters. Marshall's master storytelling is gripping and pulls you in with a magnetic force that never lets go." --Liv Constantine, bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish "Masterfully diabolical plot layered with red herrings...We're in the hands of a phenomenal storyteller...Marshall shows she can't put a foot wrong with this confident debut in the adult thriller genre, spinning an intricately compelling tale of friendship and magic, sorrow and betrayal wrapped up in a suspenseful murder mystery." --The Nerd Daily "A powerful psychological thriller...This emotionally involving tale of friendship, betrayal, and redemption leaves an indelible impression." --Publishers Weekly