This is wonderful multilayered historical fiction set in the Britain of the 1960s. It revolves around the mystery of a missing child. Maisy and Duncan Mitcham are twins who experience the most disturbing of nights when they are privy to their father, Alastair, sending their mother, Lily, to the asylum, apparently for her own good. The disorientated and confused twins are unhappy with their father, although family life had been strained for some time. Alastair has the twins move to the New Forest in Hampshire, with their grandmother, Violet, at her country house, Nightingales. Like her son, Violet is a cold fish, but things are ameliorated with the warmth of Janice, the housekeeper, who takes care of them and the kind Mr Dove, their tutor. This is a story of loss, attitudes to mental health at the time, family, identity and prejudice.

The twins settle into their new life, exploring the local area whilst out cycling. They discover Grace Deville and her dog, Toby, the woman in the wood, hostile to the outside world, about whom rumours abound that she is bad news and a witch. They befriend her, with Duncan in particular trying to see her as often as possible. Maisy and Duncan's lives move in different directions with Maisy acquiring a new friend, Linda, and some local boys as part of her circle of friends and romantic interests. After a day out with Linda, Maisy returns to find Duncan has disappeared. Violet shows little interest in this fact believing he will return in his own good time. The police look into it but their attention begins to wane. There are some thoughts that Duncan has been abducted, there are missing and murdered local boys in the area. Maisy takes it upon herself to find out what happened. She learns of Grace's traumatic history. Maisy is undeterred by obstacles as she determinedly strives to get to the bottom of the mystery of her missing brother.

Lesley Pearce expertly weaves several storylines in this compelling novel. She captures the societal norms of the 1960s, the stiff upper lips, prevalent attitudes to women and mental health. She is unafraid to powerfully explore dark subject matters. Where she really excels is in her subtle and nuanced characterisations, I was particularly impressed with her portrayals of Maisy and Grace. A fantastic read that I recommend to others. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph.

Fantastic book. Loved the story and the twists and turns. Fab author and what i expect from lesley.

This is a really unusual book with different strands to it. I really enjoyed it. It was good seeing how all the characters developed. It was also very dark and very sad as it covered issues relating to mental illness and abuse. I really felt I got to know the characters. Would recommend - something different but good.

I have enjoyed previous books by Lesley Pearse and this was no exception. Leaflet is a great storyteller and does not shirk difficult and harrowing subjects. The characters were believable and sometimes unpleasant but always colourful. Would recommend as a good holiday read. Positive review on Amazon.

I have read several Lesley Pearse novels in the past and it was a welcome change to find that the victim was male in this case.

would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read this amazing book and to review it

wow where to start....
at first it was like reading about anne of green gables...but thats where the similarity ends....with the twins packed off to their grandmothers in the country, their lives changed for the better though their relationship with their father and grandmother was strained

things changed for everyone when gordon disappeared, and thats where reading this book got really emotional, you are bought to the edge of your seats with the tension and the horror that is in this book..

several times i cried at scenes so emotional it was like i was actually witnessing it all, the characters had become so real to me....one of the best stories i have read in a long time

no doubt about it lesley pearse can write an amazing story and i for one am going to try and find the rest of her books to read, she is an amazing story teller

One of my favourite reads of this summer. I usually associate Lesley Pearse with more romantic and family life stories. This is one but with extra twists and a mystery content which makes this a really good read. I would say it is not a long story but that's only because I enjoyed it so much and couldn't stop reading!

This is the first book from this author I have read and I could not put it down. I love crime novels and this one did not disappoint. The characters were well illustrated and the overall plot was gripping from start to finish. I highly recommend that you read this book.

Another great book from Lesley Pearse. Lots of interesting characters and believable situations. I also like the way that she uses real locations, not invented places. There was a general build up of tension throughout and the "baddy" really was a nasty piece of work. Just the thing for an engrossing read.

I always anticipate a good read when I pick up a book written by Lesley Pearse.
Twins, Maisy and Duncan are stunned when their mother is carted off to an asylum. Their gruff and seemingly uncaring father will not explain to them what is wrong with their mother, only that they will live with their grandmother in her home in the New Forest.
They find their grandmother to be equally as uncaring and disconnected as their father but find love and contentment with the motherly housekeeper Janice who is delighted to meet them.
When Duncan goes missing and their grandmother doesn't seem concerned Maisy decides to take things into her own hands and find her brother. Why does she need the help of the woman in the woods, Grace Deville who everyone is scared of?
Another good story from Lesley Pearse. A father and grandmother who fail to show any kind of affection or concern. A woman who because of her lifestyle is shunned and accused by her neighbours and a brother and sister wanting to know they are loved by someone.
I felt this story had a message,a few in fact. Never judge people by appearances and because people who are close to you may be unable to outwardly show their love doesn't mean they don't feel it.
This was a page turner and turned into a horrifying story that I never expected. There were moments when I breathed a sigh of relief that all was well and unexpectedly the author pulled the rug from under me and I was off on a roller coaster ride again.

This has to be one of the best books I have had the privilige to read this year. This is a story about family, friendships, loyalty, mis-trust and fear. The story of twins Duncan and Maisy who are sent away to live with their grandmother in the New Forest due to their father feeling they would be better off there. Their mother is in a mental health institute and they really have no idea what is wrong with her, the father is very distant in their lives and the grandmother a hard, strict, unloving woman who clearly would rather the twins were not there. There is a housekeeper, Janice who loves having the twins in the house and she provides the love and parenting that is clearly missing from their lives.
When Duncan comes across a lady living in the woods who makes it clear she does not like having people around no-one realises how important that friendship will turn out to be.
Whn Duncan is kidnapped and Maisy turns to the woman in the woods for help. A friendship is built and they find Duncan locked up, terrorised, abused and afraid.
I could not put this book down. There are so many aspects to this story making it a "must" read. I cannot recommend it enough and only hope that Lesley next book is just as good.

The Woman in the Wood is a well written family saga/ historical fiction. I purposefully didn’t read up much about this novel before starting it and I haven’t read anything else by Lesley Pearse before, so I was starting it without any context or previous judgement. Therefore in the first third of the book I thought it was a rather pleasant and fairly light read - something both my mum and grandma would quite enjoy (though my grandma does love her gritty but not too gritty crime novels, too!). The opening chapter is quite hard hitting, with the twins’ mother Lily getting taken away to an asylum, but the story seemed to carry on quite genially and the writing and dialogue seemed quite soft, even when depicting discussions about Lily.

Well, don’t get too comfy, because the story starts getting pretty dark!

I soon realised the ‘pleasant’ style of writing, with plenty of euphemisms to describe serious things, was more due to the time it’s set in – the 1960’s, in the years after WWII. The writing seems to reflect the way that people, especially perhaps the middle-upper classes, would have spoken during that time.

The story moves along at a fairly slow pace, but as it continues the reader is there’s plenty of disturbing occurrences in there – they’re just masked slightly by the writing style. This false sense of reassurance made me quite surprised when things started getting serious… there are some characters who aren’t what they seem, but not to the point where everyone seems like a completely pyscho/weirdo/traitor, like in some thrillers. It was realistic enough but with plenty of drama.

The book is as much about the family itself, and their relationships as the ‘incidents’ that occur, and I think Lesley Pearse has crafted a satisfying piece of historical fiction which makes me want to read her other novels too.

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review

So, Lesley Pearse is my favourite author - ever. I got to a stage where I would read one of hers, and then two others in between, purely so I didn't finish hers too soon, so am now very excited when a new one comes out!

The woman in the woods was very different to Pearse's other books, it was missing a lot of the bits that I love about her novels, but I still really enjoyed the book.

Maisy and Duncan are twins, who for the majority of their lives, have only really had each other. The woman in the woods is rumoured to be a witch that the locals avoid. Their lives come together, and when Duncan comes together, it becomes clear how much love everyone has to offer, despite their upbringings.

The woman in the woods was different, in that it didn't follow just one character through many many years, or note any historical background. It was a really good read, which I massively recommend! Sometimes different, is good! (but not better)

I was delighted to receive this book to read as an arc as I am a huge fan of Lesley Pearse. I think I have read all of her books and this is her 25th! This one is just as good as all her others and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Lesley Pearse knows just how to write a good story! Teenage twins Maisy and Duncan are sent to live with their grandmother when their mother, who has been ill for a number of years, is admitted to an asylum. Both their father and their grandmother are pretty cold, uncaring characters and the twins have to forge their own life relying on each other for company. Duncan befriends Grace, a mysterious woman who lives in the woods and is viewed by the rest of the village as weird and frightening. One day, Duncan goes missing and Grace comes under suspicion for causing his disappearance.
This book is quite disturbing in parts and certainly doesn't shy away from portraying the seedier side of life. It is extremely well written, and could be described both as a family saga/coming of age story and also a chilling thriller. I would certainly recommend this book.

A jolly good read is my first thought about this book. Well written, a quick moving plot and likeable characters. I found the book hard to put down and therefore thoroughly recommend it.

Although I enjoyed this book I did find the first three chapters of the book slow and the last chapter where all the loose ends are tied up, unnecessary. Not the usual storyline line pursued by authors but it had enough twists to keep you interested.

The book echoes the changing times of the Sixties - the aftermath of the war, British stiff upper lip and teenage freedom. The main theme is, however, abuse and intolerance both mental and physical. Parts of the book are not an easy read. Teenage twins, Maisy and Duncan are sent to live with their dragon of a grandmother when their mother is put in an asylum. Bodies of teenage boys keep being found in the area and eventually Duncan disappears as well. The book is well written and the plot keeps you guessing as to the perpetrator.

Brilliant author, and excellent book having never come across this author before!

Story starts with a set of twins going to live with their difficult and pretty unmaternal grandmother after their mother was put in a mental hospital, and dad took them there kind of abandoning them really.

Duncan one of the twins goes missing and the story starts there, the characters are very well thought out and likeable and the woman in the woods is the best character of them all. Can't say much as it will spoil it for others but this is an amazing story with a fantastic ending.

It's full of twists and turns and had me on the edge of my seat a few times and in the end I was hooked not knowing who was the culprit, I was wrong on many occasions lol

A must read can't wait to read more from Lesley!!!

This is my first book by Lesley Pearse and I quite enjoyed it. I did find that it dragged in a few places but still a good book.

Another excellent read from this author. Found it hard to put down. I really enjoyed it!!