Twenty-two years ago, Naomi Shaw was brutally attacked in the very woods that had become a haven for her & her childhood friends, Cass and Liv. Barely escaping the woods with her life, Naomi's eyewitness testimony to her own attack put a deranged serial killer behind bars and gave her a new lease on life.
But what if all of it was a lie?
"What Lies in the Woods" is a slow-burn, mind-twisting mystery that alternates between Naomi's present-day return to her hometown of Chester, and the infamous summer when she was attacked as a young girl in the deep woods. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Naomi is not the only one with secrets that drove her to lie in her testimony that led to a killer's conviction all those years ago.
A promising thriller with an interesting (albeit predictable) premise, I had high hopes for this title that in some ways turned out, and in many others, did not. The overall development of the plot felt slow, and the twists that finally came lacked a satisfying punch because the characters, in my opinion, were insufficiently developed.
A middle-of-the road story sure to please plenty of readers, "What Lies in the Woods" wouldn't be my first recommendation for an edge-of-your-seat, won't-see-it-coming read, but the storyline was enjoyable enough. More depth to Naomi & more complex twists would've given this read what it was missing.
Rating: 3 Stars
Publication Details: Out 1/17/2023, Flatiron Books
*Huge thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing my review copy!*
