Admittedly, the story does play out in a style somewhat reminiscent of those classic text-based adventure computer games, but I have to say unless you’re going into this using Catherine as a baseline for trippiness, this one is going to be WEIRD WEIRD WEIRD. Seeking the escape of a lifetime, four friends hike out into the beautiful Norwegian wild – nothing between them and the mountain peak but forest, sea and sharp blue sky.

Published in August by Chronicle Publishers, the book so beautifully captures the great outdoors alongside realistic friendships. It’ll either work or it won’t, and I don’t want to run the risk of potentially predisposing would-be readers if I make further attempts to describe its themes or to compare the story to something else, because any more would be revealing and that would remove a lot of the magic. This is a challenge and a half for these friends but Liz is hoping the challenge will help her forget about her worries at home. A deliciously dark mystery about warring sisters, their duplicitous husbands, and a hike that ends in murder. Wanted to get this one off while it was fresh in my mind and before I passed out from the meat sweats.

The Hike by Lucy Clarke will be published in Australia by Harper Collins and available in late April 2023. And waiting on the trail is someone who’d do anything to keep their secrets buried – and to stop the group walking away alive .

The first quarter is slow moving as we get to know our group of friends who are hiking together, but if you can be patient, once that backstory is laid (and this part is arguably important) the real action begins and doesn’t let up until the very last page.Lucy’s writing really excels at making you feel claustrophobic in a vast setting, I really felt on edge and was hooked with this book. In each book I’ve read by Clarke, I’ve always been particularly blown away by her deft ability to build consistent and ever ratcheting suspense. An eerie ‘alpine atmospheric’ suspense novel about four friends on a wilderness trip that goes terribly wrong.

The overarching theme of friendship is a strong force in this tale, making the story at hand incredibly compelling. The pace of this book was just right; you become wary of what will unfold quite early on but not before soaking up the setting and friendships, and get a sense of each of the main characters. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will add value to our readers. Don’t get me wrong, I could easily see it playing out just the way it was written, but, nevertheless, it felt a bit over-the-top all the same.

This book annoyed me a little why would a group of women travel to Norway to go hiking but not prepare themselves beforehand?

You might catch me on an early morning walk/jog with my pup once in a while, but out in the wilderness, no thanks. Four lifelong friends embark on a challenging 4-day hike in Norway, each with their own secrets and personal issues.

The strengths of the novel lie in the knife-sharp tension of the first half as well as the beautifully nuanced friendship of the four main characters. Norway is Liz’s choice – she’s going through some things in her marriage and wants a more engaging holiday than just sitting by a pool. P. Putnam Sons" and Net galley for the opportunity to read this terrific book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!