When Blair goes to see her sister when hospice is called in for her, her sister makes a deathbed confession....the man who was convicted of killing Blair's best friend Molly, couldn't have done it because she was with him. She makes Blair promise to find out who the real killer was and get Adrian out of prison. When Blair starts asking questions she puts herself right in the killer's path, and that person will stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden.

This was a good mystery, with characters that kept you invested in the story. If you are a fan of mysteries or suspense, then you should check it out.

There will probably be two common reactions to this book:

1. Annoyance at yet another white savior story.
2. Respect for someone finally wanting to do the right thing for a wrongfully convicted man.

Both of these reactions are fully justified and can even coexist, which is how I felt about The Girl in the Woods.

Blair’s sister waited 15 years to confess something on her deathbed, and then didn’t even do it the right way. If she had, though, this would have been a super short story.

Blair alternates between being naive and commendable. She doesn’t hold the wrongfully imprisoned man’s anger at her sister against him, which does show some maturity and restraint. It also helps prove that she really did want to do the right thing, even if her primary motive was to keep a promise to her sister, along with trying to find out who really murdered her best friend.

The author weaves together a cast of characters who can be hard to root for. Take Blair’s uncle, for example, who is a white supremacist. But this does help highlight everything the wrongfully convicted Yusef has stacked against him.

The twist ending wasn’t a surprise to me. I wanted it to go a step further with who was involved, but the author took the safer, more obvious route. The book was still enjoyable to read and is a decent entry in the thriller/mystery genre.

**I generously received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

The Girl in the Woods, by Patricia MacDonald, starts off with an intriguing premise. Blair, a young girl, lives with her older sister Celeste in the home of their gruff, racist Uncle Ellis. After their mother’s death, there was no one else to take them in. He obviously resents the intrusion of the two girls into his solitary life, and he is neither kind nor caring towards them.

When we first meet Blair, she’s on her way home with her best friend Molly, a spirited, self confident schoolmate. Molly’s parents won’t be home until late that evening, so Molly is supposed to stay at Blair’s until they get back. But when Blair’s uncle arrives home, he’s unwelcoming towards Molly, and makes it clear she’s not wanted there. Molly leaves to walk home. Her body is later discovered in the woods; she was murdered.

Ten years later, Blair’s sister Celeste is dying. On a visit home, she turns Blair’s world upside down when she reveals the man accused and convicted of Molly’s murder was actually with her, as he’d claimed during the murder trial. Because their uncle was so racist, Celeste feared if she admitted she’d had a relationship with a black man, he would use it as an excuse to kick her and Blair out.

This sets Blair on a journey to unmask the true killer living within the small community in which she was raised.

I really wanted to like this book. The plot alone was captivating. But there were a number of things which kept this book from being good, or even truly interesting. One of the biggest issues I had was the characterization. Blair was stiff and wooden, and while we as readers watched while she went about her life, you never get a sense of who she is as a person. She’s smart and she loves yoga, but that’s really the extent of her depth. There is no life injected into her at all, and she comes off as a cardboard version of a real human being.

There was also a marked lack of suspense or tension. The plot didn’t really pick up steam until around 60% through the book. By that point, many readers will have checked out. Even

There was no real sense of place, of atmosphere in the story. The whole book reminded me of a stage littered with puppets. They exist, and you watch them move, but there’s nothing there.

Ultimately, this book held promise, but it failed to live up to it. The author really needs to learn how to show, and not just tell. I’ve rounded up to 3 stars, but this book was closer to 2.75 stars for me.

I LOVE stories like this one!! Kept you guessing the whole time. It had amazing suspense in it and I was so happy that I was able to read this one. Y'all need to definitely read this one, you won't regret it!

A fast-paced thriller. Readers who enjoyed Room will see some similarities, though this story is less complex. I struggled with the first half of the novel- lots of characters and subplots ( was the Nazi stuff really needed?) and a lack of focus on the main story. But by the halfway mark, I was invested in Blair's journey to find out who killed her best friend. I would have liked more background on Joe and how he became the person he was, particularly from a psychological standpoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher and author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Girl in the Woods is a run of the mill mystery which ticks a number of boxes without bringing anything new to the table.

The plot of a wrongly imprissoned man is nothing new and some of the characteristics of the main protagonists did not add much if anything to the story

Sorry but not one for me

This is a good quick read. The suspense increases as the story continues. The ending was a bit predictable but did not take away from my enjoyment of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I want to thank NetGalley, Patricia MacDonald and Black Thorn for the Arc of the girl in the woods. I have heard good things about this authors book but had yet to read one so when I saw it on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to read this. This book was pretty good although I have to say it was not one of my absolute favorites. I enjoyed the story and then it took place in kind of a creepy wooded area part of the time but it just didn't thrill me as much as I wanted it to.
Blair's friend Molly was murdered and her body was found in the woods behind her home 15 years ago. Fifteen years ago someone went to prison for this murder. Did they actually catch the killer or is the wrong person paying the price? Blair has avoided going back home but when her sister is on her deathbed she goes home to take care of her only to hear a shocking confession saying the wrong man went to prison 15 years ago and Blair's dying sister tells her to right the wrongs and find the real killer. Blair sets out to find the truth but the truth may not be safe for her.
Although it was a little bit predictable there were still a couple really good twists in this book and it was worth the read. Blair's background was particularly interesting to me and I really enjoyed that aspect. All in all a good read.

The Girl In the Woods is a fabulous read by Patricia MacDonald... she's one of my favorites! After a troubling childhood and loss of her best friend 15 years ago, Blair returns to her "home" to care for her dying sister. Celeste makes a death bed confession that relates to the loss of Blair's best-friend, Molly, years ago. With a promise to seek justice, Blair moves forward with an investigation with many twists and turns along the way. The relationship with her uncle, nephew, investigator, and more provide a great backstory. A quick, wonderful book!

The pacing of this book is terrific, however it would have benefited from a sensitivity reader. The plot is really white savior-ish. The wrongly incarcerated character is a Black man who converted to being a Muslim in prison (this is never explained, doesn’t drive the plot at all, and seems to be thrown in for diversity points), and one character actually admonishes her children for running around “like wild Indians.”

The Girl in the Woods by Patricia MacDonald is a taut thriller that engages the reader immediately. I raced through this one in a desperate bid to unmask a killer.

Molly Sinclair is only thirteen years old when she is found murdered after leaving her best friend Blair's house to walk to her own home. The killer is convicted and serves fifteen years for the crime. But a deathbed confession after so many years asserts that the convicted man has been wrongfully accused. A killer is still at large in the small community of Yorkville. Will the right person be brought to justice before he or she can kill again?

This was a compelling read that propelled me through the narrative at breakneck speed. I am anxious to read more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Black Thorn for this ARC.

After coming to visit Blair at her house, Molly is unceremoniously sent home alone by Blair's guardian, Uncle Ellis. Ellis is an unpleasant and bad-tempered character that clearly has issues showing just how hateful, uncaring and racist he is. Lumbered with two children to raise, he has become bitter and difficult, especially with his 13-year-old niece, Blair. That fateful night, Molly is murdered and her body dumped in the nearby woods before she ever reaches her own home. No-one knows for sure what happened, but a young black man, Adrian, is convicted of the murder based on the evidence that Molly’s phone was found in his car.

Fifteen years’ later, Blair’s sister Celeste is dying of cancer and on her deathbed reveals that she was with Adrian that night and she could have provided an alibi, but didn't. She claims that she and Adrian gave Molly a lift home and drove off leaving her at the bottom of her path. Celeste’s dying request of Blair is to put the record straight and help get Adrian (now Mohammad) released from jail. No-one has any interest in reopening the case, even if it means releasing an innocent man and finding the real killer. However, Blair made a promise to a dying sister and her conscience, sense of loyalty, family guilt and principles, all drive Blair forward to put the matter right.

The characters and their interactions all felt very real as the unravelling of the events of that night and potential other suspects, slowly and gradually materialise. This is a well written, believable plot where the natural investigation line, although at times extremely daunting and challenging, eventually bears fruit. The best approach to freeing Mohammad and finding justice is to find the real killer – but with that comes danger and that person may be closer than you think.

This was a really enthralling and captivating read that enables the reader to feel the frustration, guilt and determination Blair needs to resolve this crime. The ending finished well and wasn’t dragged out providing a great finish to a great plot.

I enjoyed this book and I'd recommend it. Many thanks to Black Thorn and NetGalley, for an ARC version of the book in return for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC. I thought this was awesome! I was on the edge of my seat several times throughout the book. The writing, the plot, the way the twists were thought out. Loved it and will be reading more from this author in the future!

Great story line! When Blair is barely a teenager her friend Molly is killed after leaving her house one day. Everyone thought it was a cut & dry case until Blair goes home to visit and the truth finally comes out.
Who did it, why was it done?
A great summer beach read!

This is a story of a young girl who went missing. A teenager was convicted and sent to prison. Years later, a deathbed confession opens the door to a possible different story.

I thought this book was enjoyable, and had an interesting story line. It almost followed the way of the podcast Serial, in the "did he, didn't he?" tale. One character is a hateful racist and I despised him immediately. Though, I think I was supposed to.

Overall, I thought this was a good, easy read. There is a bit of a trigger warning for racism. The story line was easy to follow. Most of the characters aren't repellent. And there is the small townishness to enjoy.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

The first half of this book was so good, but that twist ending really went off the rails. I would give the first 2/3 of the book four stars and the last third two stars. So that average is down to 3.3 and I’m rounding down

I like murder mysteries even if they occurred 15 years ago. Blair came back home to be with her sister Celeste in her final days. She hated her home town for 2 reasons her racist uncle and murder of her best friend Molly 15 years ago. Just before her death, Celeste revealed a secret, which had caused an innocent man to be incarcerated. Shocked at the injustice done, Blair went about trying to get the wrong corrected and in the process, find Molly's murderer.

My first book by Patricia MacDonald saw me cruising through my kindle at jet speed. The author's writing caused me to be immensely curious about the circumstances and what people remembered even after 15 years. Blair was a good amateur sleuth along with an ex-cop turned PI Tom who tried to get to the truth.

A few niggles caught my eye, minor discrepancies in the subplots were present. But they didn't really hamper the main investigation. Much better character development would have helped me connect to Blair more. I hope this series would continue so that I get to know more about them.

Overall, it was a gentle, fast read, just perfect for today when I am not well, and I needed something to distract my mind. It worked. On to my next book.

Patricia MacDonald's "The Girl in the Woods" takes place in Yorkville, a small town in the Poconos. In the prologue, we meet thirteen-year-old Blair Butler, whose close friend, Molly Sinclair, is a good-hearted girl who frequently invites the lonely Blair to her home. Unfortunately, Blair and her sister, Celeste, are orphans who live with their uncle, Ellis Dietz, an irascible and verbally abusive racist. Ellis's house is a wreck (it "looked as if it was going to implode on itself"). This elderly and cantankerous man is a hostile and irresponsible guardian who is even nastier to the kids after he downs a few beers.

One evening, when Molly is at Blair's house, an argument erupts between Blair and her uncle. Molly decides to walk home but, tragically, never makes it. A jury convicts an African-American man, Adrian Jones (who converted to Islam and has a new name, Yusef Muhammed), of bludgeoning Molly to death. Muhammed has already spent fifteen years in jail. Blair, who is now in her mid-twenties, has a graduate degree in computer science and runs a successful business in Philadelphia. When she discovers new information that may exonerate Muhammed, she puts aside her own concerns and boldly fights for the prisoner's release. Blair even hires a private investigator, Tom Olson, to help track down the perpetrator who took Molly's life.

This engrossing and suspenseful thriller is a multi-faceted page-turner. The novel's descriptive writing and dialogue are lively and fast-paced, and the characters are believable and well-defined. Blair is bright, intuitive, and strong-willed. Ellis is obnoxious, but shows a softer side when a do-gooder named Darlene Reed takes an interest in him. Tom is brusque and ill-mannered, but relentless when it comes to chasing down information. The story is surprising, developed with subtlety and skill, and culminates with a chilling and intense finale. The author demonstrates that justice can be elusive; villains lurk in the most unexpected places; and one should never underestimate a resolute woman who sets out to right a terrible wrong.

The Girl in the Woods is a great book with a interesting storyline. Well written and well developed characters. I would read more by this author.

Well written and intriguing storyline that kept me hooked. I will look out for more from this author and recommend this to others.