Alone in the Woods by Charly Cox is the third book in the Detective Alyssa Wyatt series, set in Albuquerque New Mexico.This is a series that you can read seperately so is great as a standalone. Even I have missed one book up to now.
Teenagers Addis Kensington and Emerson Childress are 17 and have been best friends for that long that if any of them got in trouble they would go to the other girls house to stay until things calmed down again. One evening Addis does just this and plans to stay at Emersons until it blows iver. They find they have to nip back to Addis's for some extra stuff for the sleepover.
They don't expect to see both of Addis's parents brutally murdered and both go into shock after seeing this horrific sight. They don't realise that it isn't just them in the house there is someone else and the girls are kidnapped there and then. Detective Alyssa Wyatt and her partner Detective Cord Roberts along with their team are called out urgently to investigate the double murder and to hopefully find the two girls, but will they be able to find them before it becomes 4 murders and not 2? Why have they been taken?
I found this new instalment of Alyssa's compulsive and intriguing reading. Told from multiple viewpoints so we get to know what is happening and who is who pretty quickly. I had my heart in my mouth at times for sure, a twisty and adrenaline inducing read as I always find with a Charly Cox book. I was certainly silently hoping Alyssa would find the girls and the perpertrator as soon as she could. The tension had me flipping the pages as fast as I could to find out what would happen next.
The characters in this series are fully fleshed out to the point that I feel connected to Alyssa whenever I pick up a new Charly Cox Alyssa book and will continue to do so as the stories are as fresh as the first.
Thanks to Books On The Bright Side Publicity, Hera Books and NetGalley for my copy of the book.

‘Alone In The Woods’ is the third book in the bestselling series featuring Detective Alyssa Wyatt. I read, reviewed and loved the first two books in the series. I couldn’t wait to get hold of a copy of ‘Alone In The Woods’. Well ladies and gents the wait is over because ‘Alone In The Woods’ was released on 17th February 2021. It is another corker of a read and I thoroughly enjoyed very single second of it but more about that in a bit.
It took me no time at all to get into this story. As soon as I started to read that was it, I was in the ‘zone’ as it were. I felt like I had been reunited with an old friend in the form of Detective Alyssa Wyatt. To say that reading ‘Alone In The Woods’ became addictive is a huge understatement. I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters to fill in the odd half hour but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would still be sat there reading over half a dozen chapters later. I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough as my desperation to find out what happened grew and grew. I found ‘Alone In The Woods’ to be a gripping read, which kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Alone In The Woods’ is extremely well written but then I consider that to be true of the first two books in the series too. I love the way in which Charly starts the story with an attention grabbing incident. Once Charly has your attention, she won’t let you have it back until the moment you have read the very last word in the very last page. Reading ‘Alone in The Woods’ was like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Alone In The Woods’ and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Charly’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Alone in the Woods by Charly Cox
Detective Alyssa Wyatt #3

Captured in the first scene of the book, both myself and the two girls kidnapped, and engaged through till the end, I was rooting for a successful conclusion to the murder investigation, a happy ending for Addis and Emerson, and the revelation and capture of the serial killer. Great addition to the series!

What I liked:
* Alyssa: normal, well-balanced, police detective, team leader, mother, wife, friend, unflappable – I like her as a person and admire her.
* Cord: work-partner to Alyssa, husband, soon-to-be-father, even tempered, normal, balanced, - I like him.
* Tony: intrigued by him and found him worth note – hope we see more of him in the future
* Addis & Emerson: strong, smart, tenacious, enduring, willing to do what it took to survive.
* The police procedural aspects of the story
* Glimpses of people from the last book as well as hints of what that last book was about.
* The writing and the slow release of information with twists and turns that eventually revealed who was behind the crime(s).
* Feeling I was there with the characters as the case unfolded
* That this book was not a cookie cutter replay of the previous one – there was violence and crime but though dark it wasn’t the same type of darkness and evil as in the previous book.
* The conclusion and knowing that there will be another book in the series.

What I didn’t like:
* The person I was meant NOT to like – easy to hate such a one! Truly deserves being incarcerated…or worse!
* Having to wait for the next book in the series.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

FABULOUS crime thriller with great characterization, an abundance of suspense & totally enjoyable storyline that draws you in until the terrific conclusion. I have read #1 in this series & plan to catch up with the other 2. RECOMMEND highly. Thanks to NetGalley & Hera for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Alone in the Woods is the third instalment in the Detective Alyssa Wyatt series, set in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Teenagers and best friends 17 year old Addis Kensington and Emerson Childress were almost inseparable during their school years, so much so that they would often scuttle off to each other's houses when in trouble at home. One such evening, Addis decides to spend a night at Emerson's after being yelled at by her mother and to initiate a cool down between mother and daughter. However, the two girls return to Addis' home to pick up some clothing and necessities for their imminent sleepover and stumble onto a devastating and heartbreaking sight; Addis' parents, Lydia and Gabriel, have been brutally murdered and lie motionless on the kitchen floor. In the direct aftermath of the slayings they can barely comprehend what they are seeing. With both of their minds reeling, neither of them realise that the horror of the crime may not be over and when they become aware they are not alone in the house it is too late. Is the ruthless, evil murderer still in the residence with them? The perpetrator isn't finished yet and abducts the two young women while in their state of shock. Detective Alyssa Wyatt and her partner Detective Cord Roberts and the rest of their team are urgently called in to investigate the double homicide and locate the girls before they too are killed.

This is a captivating, convoluted and exciting police procedural with one of the most gritty and intense plots I've encountered recently and the unravelling of the reasons behind the killings and abductions lead to the warped mind of a narcissistic and seriously disturbed serial killer, who I came to despise, with a dynamic and enthralling chase to identify and apprehend him. I am always a fan of strong female protagonists so to be treated to the great dynamic between the kickass, fierce Alyssa and her amazing team was a real treat. It is mainly told from Alyssa’s perspective making the narrative straightforward and therefore much more immersive, although there are intermittent chapters from the unidentified killer’s point of view which act as a window into his chilling mindset. Cox makes excellent use of twists, turns and misdirection throughout bringing some surprises to the narrative and the whole thing moves at a pretty brisk pace. It's a refreshingly original thriller with plenty of intrigue surrounding the mind of the psychopath who seemingly wants revenge at any cost and who takes enormous pleasure in other people's misery—usually the misery he himself has caused. An entertaining and compulsive, clever and engrossing read, which is a nailbiting page-turner from the get-go. Highly recommended.

30% of the way through and had to DNF.
The first chapter of this book gripped me but from there I just kept finding myself skim reading.
There is a lot of dialogue and references to past cases which I found unnecessary and they don't do anything to move the story along. I don't know if this is a ploy to read the first two books.
I'm obviously in the minority as this book has received good reviews but in my opinion it's not the edge of your seat thriller I was expecting.

An enjoyable read, although I felt it was a little anticlimactic. I think the idea and intent for this book was there, but the execution was what failed.

There were many characters I felt that could have deserved a little more development to really help the plot along.

To me, the ending was a little far fetched as there was very little to come to that conclusion.

Overall, it was a quick read and enjoyable for the most part.

Teenager Addis Kensington arrives home with her friend, Emerson, to find her parents slaughtered in a scene straight out of a horror movie. While trying to contact her aunt, she makes a terrifying discovery: the killer is still in the house. On their arrival, the police, led by detective Alyssa Wyatt, find their worst fears have been realised when there is no sign of the girls anywhere, seemingly taken by the killer. To have any chance of finding the girls alive, Wyatt and her team must find out why private detective, Gabriel Kensington, and his wife were killed, uncovering a catalogue of crimes that have remained hidden for many years.

The Alyssa Wyatt series by Charly Cox have become some of my ‘must read’ books and I have been looking forward to reading this one. If you haven’t read the previous books in the series, this could be read as a standalone but I do thoroughly recommend the previous two, All His Pretty Girls and The Toy Box as they do give a great insight into Alyssa’s life and what makes her tick.

In Alyssa and her partner, Cord, Charly Cox has created hugely likeable characters with very realistic lives. Stories involving their families complement the main plot and do not overpower it unlike in many books of this genre. I find that many authors place too much emphasis on the detectives’ family life but here we see a very good balance, leaving you caring about Cord’s impending fatherhood and Alyssa’s relationship with her husband and children.

As well as seeing the police investigation into the murders and the missing girls, we also experience what the two teenagers are having to endure at the hands of their captor. We realise that there is more to this case than meets the eye and soon we are fearing for the safety of Addis and Emerson. I admired the tenacity of the girls who when faced with utmost danger somehow find the strength to continue.

There are a wide range of supporting characters in Alone in the Woods and I really liked how the author kept us guessing as to the motives of some of the people we meet. It is obvious that people are hiding something, but what? I found myself totally engrossed in the plot and couldn’t wait to see how everything fitted together, leaving me open-mouthed when the final reveal was made!

Charly Cox is becoming one of my favourite authors and Alone in the Woods has definitely confirmed my opinion. If you haven’t read any of this series yet, I recommend it highly – you won’t be disappointed!

This is the third book of the Detective Alyssa Wyatt series.

After reading Toy Box, I badly want to read more books from this author and so I was so happy when Hera publishers granted me this ARC! Detective Alyssa is back in her game when a privileged couple, Gabriel and Lydia Kensington was found brutally murdered in their homes and their daughter Addis along with her best friend Emerson are missing. Alyssa finds that Gabriel is an PI and believed that one of the cold cases would have led ultimately to his death and along with her partner Cord, they would set to find the murderer...

This book was AMAZING!! Again an action packed filled book with twists and unexpected turns you would generally expect in a thriller. And also quite fast paced too!!!! I really like how Addis and Emerson stick together after they being kidnapped and the ordeal they both faced together seemed realistic to me. It was also unputdownable that I couldn't wait to get to the ending!! And the ending--there is just one word--UNEXPECTED. Totally unexpected twisted ending!

Overall, I give this book five stars!!! Can't wait for Book 4 to come!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hera publishers. This review is strictly based on my opinion.

This is another tense and thrilling tale from Charly Cox. The book starts with a murder and the abduction of two teenage girls. The pace never lets up and the investigation is filled with twists. The characters are very relatable, the plot is tense, it's full of suspense and the writing is excellent. A highly recommended series. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

This was an enjoyable read, well paced, and I was kept turning the pages by a set of characters I was interested in. I loved the dynamics within the police team, and it was good to read the story from the different viewpoints - the police, the victims, and the perpetrators. I loved the twist at the end - I did not see it coming.

One of the reasons I was drawn to this book is that the setting is unfamiliar to me, and I would like to have seen more in the way of descriptions of the area - but overall, I enjoyed the story.

A teenage girl brings her best friend with her when she stops at her house to pick up clothes for a sleepover. She finds the bodies of her murdered parents lying on the floor. Then the girls realize they are not alone in the house…

Because the last minute call Addis Kensington tried to make was to her Aunt Grace, the district attorney, the police are alerted immediately. Detective Alyssa Wyatt and her team are desperate to solve the Kensington killings and find Addis and her friend Emerson. Have they been kidnapped? Where are they? As Alyssa investigates, she finds a link to a disappearance seven years ago. Then someone involved in that case goes missing. Although Alyssa is connecting clues quickly, the killer is always just ahead of her.

Alone in the Woods is told in alternate voices. The strongest of those is Addis Kensington’s. Her drive, love for her friend and her will to live shine through. This is a quick, suspenseful read with a shocking conclusion. Although it is the third in a series, it is a satisfying standalone thriller. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hera Books and Charly Cox for this ARC.

An ending I did not see coming! I am in shock.

Alone in the woods is written by Charly Cox and is a Detective Alyssa Wyatt crime thriller.

The book opens with Addis Kensington and Emerson Childress. Addis and Emerson arrive at Addis’ house to find her parents Gabriel and Lydia brutally murdered. Unaware to the two girls the killer is still in the premises. Addis and Emerson try and find a safe place to hide and call Grace (Addis' Aunty).By the time the police attend both girls are gone, abducted. Alyssa and her partner Cord are working against the clock to find Addis and Emerson alive. We are thrown in separate directions when different crimes occur. Your brain does a total 360 and you have to think - is everything connected?

Alone in the woods had me mentally gripped trying to figure out who/whom are responsible for the murders and why they kidnapped Addis and Emerson. If you are looking for an engrossing crime thriller you are in for a treat with this book.

Charly Cox really knows how to write a thriller that sucks you in and keeps you hooked until the very last page. I didn’t have a clue who the bad guy was and it’s not very often I’m shocked at a reveal. There are subtle hints though that make you think how did I not see that coming. Alyssa and her team have great chemistry and I also love the fact that one team member is a wheelchair user. He’s just another member of the team and his disability isn’t a major character trait. It’s not very often you get a disabled character whose disability isn’t the plot point. I also love that Alyssa is a cop with a loving husband and she dotes on her family. It makes a change from the usual single and hardened copper.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I’m really digging this Alyssa Wyatt series. (Read my review of the previous in the series, The Toybox, here.) It’s full of deep, complex plots that really keep me guessing and creep me out to my core.

This one was no different. It’s going to be hard to discuss this one without giving away the fantastic twists that come up in the ending - OHMYGOD - so I am going to try my best, but there’s a lot going on in this book and it all works together to create this really well-spun plot which just left me mesmerized. As I mentioned, there’s plenty of twists and turns as it goes along, so there’s plenty of times I thought I had things figured out, only to be thrown into a completely different direction, which, to be honest, I didn’t hate. It kept things exciting.

Alyssa and her team are also great characters. They really have a fantastic bond, and they make me want to be a part of their unit. It seems weird to say that you would want to go to work someplace, but this is one workplace I wouldn’t mind showing up to each day. I’m hoping we see a lot more of them all in the future.

Overall, if you’re looking for a thrilling ride through a deep, well-thought out mystery, pick this one up no get ready to have your mind blown. Then go get the others in the Detective Wyatt series.

I was able to read the third instalment in the Detective Alyssa Wyatt series thanks to an advanced reader copy from NetGalley. Once again, Carly Cox has released a novel that I couldn’t put down - Carly has fast become one of my favourite authors!

Following on from The Toybox, detective Alyssa Wyatt is investigating a double homicide and kidnapping. Following Alyssa and Cord in their search for answers, the twists and turns jump out unexpectedly. Just when I thought I knew where the story line was headed, it did a complete 360 and I was blown away.

I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read more from Carly Cox.

Finally, Joe starting and stopping several stuttered attempts, managed to mutter, "I've gotta say, I did not see that one coming." - Charly Cox,

This quote from the book sums up my review.

An enjoyable crime thriller that is non-stop from page one. It is part of a series, but, in my opinion after having read the previous books, this one can be read as a stand-alone.

Thank you #netgalley and #herabooks for the eARC.

I've come to expect a high octane, addictive read from Charly Cox's Detective Alyssa Wyatt's series and in Alone in the Woods I was most certainly not disappointed.
Oh my goodness! Alone in the Woods kicked off at a rate of knots and never really stopped. Told in turn from the investigative team's, the perpetrator's and the two missing girl's points of view, Alone in the Woods was a study in how to wring the reader's emotions.

I was drawn from crossing my fingers (and toes) for the girls, clenching my fists for the perps and smiling at some good news for Wyatt's team.

Cox doesn't hold back on the emotional string pulling - she's very adept at weaving story lines together to squeeze the maximum emotional connection from the reader and that had me reading on compulsively till the end.

As well as that, Cox drops clues in from very early on in the story and I had to go back to pick up on them with an 'Oh no! How the hell did I not see the significance of that.'

She also keeps the team dynamics to the forefront and that is becoming one of my favourite aspects of the series. From the moody police receptionist Ruby, to the varied police team, each with their own demons to fight. I also love that we see Wyatt in her home environment - It's good to see an older woman, with kids, cracking on with such a hard job with the support of a doting partner.

Alone in the Woods will keep you guessing till the end, with Cox dropping the breadcrumbs to lead you down the wrong path with ease and aplomb. Thoroughly enjoyable

A great addition to this fantastic series. This book starts with a new case and is straight into the action! The intense opening chapters made this book addictive- I was desperate to get to the end simply to piece together the case and the story. I was desperate for detail which was definitely given. A descriptive, action packed novel that leaves the reader wanting more

I’m still reeling from reading this! The book grabs you right at the start and doesn’t spit you out until the very end. This is another series that I’m late to the party for, this is book 3, but you absolutely don’t need to read the earlier books to enjoy this one - although I might just go back and read the first two anyway.

There is a lot going on in this story. We start with the aftermath of a brutal killing of a husband wife, Lydia and Gabriel Kensington. Their 17 year old daughter Addis and her best friend Emerson drop in lateish to grab some clothes so Addis can spend the night at her friend’s place. They walk in to a slaughterhouse. The girls are just processing this horror when they realise they are not alone!

Detective Alyssa Wyatt and her partner Detective Cord Roberts and the team swing into action. Gabriel was a private detective - one line of enquiry is a possible link to one of his cases but, of course, there are many other theories. And there are many cases and someone has gotten to his files before the police.

It’s a race against time as the Albuquerque PD tries to solve a double homicide, find the missing teenagers and follow up on a possibly related attempted murder. The pace is relentless, suspects are many and do watch out for those red herrings. The scenes with the girls trying to escape their captors are gut wrenching and you start to wonder whether they will actually make it out alive.

This was a well written book with very relatable characters. It was a pleasant change to find detectives with no murky backgrounds, no internal dilemmas and no romantic distractions. There was some clever and quite subtle misdirection which made the plot even more twisty. This case has its roots firmly in the past if only the detectives can work it out in time. You will not want to put this one down until the final twist! Recommended for all thriller lovers. Thanks to Netgalley, Hera Books and Charly Cox for providing me with a copy to review. My opinions are my own.