Lucy Clarke's last novel, One of the Girls, was one of my favourite reads of 2022 and I also previously enjoyed The Castaways.
There's no balmy island location this time as the mountains of Norway provide the interesting and less usual setting.
However, we are in familiar territory with the female friendships and betrayals that this author depicts so well. We have plenty of crime and adventure this time too. It will be a hit.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

After really enjoying Lucy Clarke’s previous books, I was delighted to be approved for a copy of her new book The Hike.
4 friends from childhood take a holiday together each year, taking it in turns to choose the destination.. this year’s is hiking through the Norwegian mountains, at the request of Liz - GP, mother of twins with her husband - with Helena and Maggie being somewhat reluctantly taken along. Helena has her own issues to deal with and Maggie, as a single mum, is leaving behind her young daughter for the first time. The fourth member of the group is often AWOL and they are unsurprised when Joni, on a world tour with her singing, fails to reply to messages regarding the meet up.
The story opens with the body of a young female being found on the mountain, and this starts the book with a sense of foreboding as you read along.
I really enjoyed this one, as indeed all of Lucy’s so far. Would recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

Firstly, thank you to Netgallery, Harper Collins and Lucy Clarke for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This is the first book I’ve read from this author and it definitely won’t be the last! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an action packed thriller!

It was a fast paced and kept me guessing throughout a perfect book for psychological thrillers fans alike! Wow the end that I did not see coming! I would encourage everyone to read this book.

Overall I throughly enjoyed this book and all the plot twists that it presented.
10/10

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Three friends are planning to escape to Norway for a girls trip they do every year. Liz is the sensible GP friend with the perfect husband and kids, Maggie is a single parent who hates being away from her daughter, and Helena is the career girl. They arrive in Norway, and are amazed when the 4th friend in their group actually turns up after they haven’t seen her for 2 years. Joni is an actual rock star and has been touring regularly so misses her friends and their get togethers a lot. As soon as they enter the lodge before hiking up a mountain, the regulars there are all very odd with this group of girls. When the group start to hike, secrets and lies are exposed from each of them, and it turns out they don’t know each other as well as they thought they did. Throw in an endangerment to their lives and it makes for a very interesting read.

This book had tension in droves and made for a really great read. The characters were all really well written, and each character is relatable in their own way. My favourite was Helena for her straight talking no nonsense attitude. We read from each characters point of view, so we get to delve in to the characters more, which is always great in my opinion. This was a real page turner, and such a great read by this author yet again.

Thank you for the ARC of this book!

This was my first Lucy Clarke book and while it was a fun and quick read, I came away pretty underwhelmed.

The book follows four lifelong best friends - Joni, Maggie, Helena and Liz - as they set out on a wild camping adventure in Norway. Before long tensions flare and they run into some drama courtesy of the locals.

I will say that I found the characters quite similar, except Joni who was distinct but distinctly unlikeable. Even halfway into the book I was having trouble getting Helena and Maggie straight in my head. This resulted in me not really caring much about the characters and what happened to them.

After the initial introductions, the plot picked up pace and was exciting without there being any major jaw-dropping twists. I'd try her other books, but not a huge hit for me.

Another brilliant read from Lucy. I enjoyed this story immensely, the way Lucy beautifully described the setting for this story is so good that you can envision yourself right there along with the characters. The characters themselves are also wonderfully written. Each with their own unique traits and personalities. The storyline is exciting and gripping, with a ribbon of dread weaved throughout. Would highly recommend this book (along with every other Lucy Clarke books) to any reader.

The thing I liked most about this book is you can tell how much research has gone into it. When an author tries to write about something they have never experienced, in my opinion it always shows and it was clear that Lucy Clarke has hiked in Norway herself as she nailed the descriptions of the trail.

I liked that the characters were all distinct - the four main women all had their own personality and I never got confused which POV I was reading. I enjoyed the plot and the pacing was good.

For me, this was just missing a 'wow' moment to make it a 5 star read, but it was very enjoyable and I would recommend it.

The Hike by Lucy Clarke

This book has a film / tv series wrote all over it.
Maggie, Liz, Helena & Joni. Old friends bound by history, adventures, old secrets.
And now, bound by murder.
They lace up their hiking boots for the adventure of a lifetime in the Norwegian wilderness: a place of towering mountains, glass-like lakes, log cabins and forests stolen from a fairytale.
It’s the perfect place to lose yourself – until a broken body is found at the bottom of a ravine.
Fours friends , but different jobs and personalities set off on a 4 day hike. It doesn't take too long before things are not going as planned , and then it starts to unravel , in a bad way.
Loved the 4 main characters and they interaction s panned out . It proves you don't really know your friends until you hike with them !

The Hike is fundamentally a good old-fashioned adventure story, in which four old friends set out on a challenging four-day hike in the wilds of Norway which, it's fair to say, turns out to be even more challenging than any had anticipated.

The four women are Liz, a GP, wife and mother, experiencing marriage problems and in need of a getaway; underconfident single mum Maggie; determinedly single businesswoman Helena, grieving the recent loss of her mother; and Joni who's, well, an international rock star. Liz is the only one who actually wants to do the hike, but as it's her turn to pick the destination, everyone else has to go along with it, even though - plausibly enough - Liz is also the only one who's actually done much preparation.

In line with the current trend to stick the word "wild" in front of every possible outdoor activity, it's not just hiking, it's wild hiking. I'm not sure what the difference is, but to be fair it is pretty wild in these Norwegian mountains (although there do seem to be a startling number of people around).

I liked the setting, which is different and well described, and there's certainly plenty happening in the plot. (Basically, everything that could possibly go wrong does - and that's a lot of things, especially when you're as inexperienced with the outdoors as these women are.) The writing is good, although Lucy Clarke does overuse some phrases (I don't know how often I read "blood crashed in her ears", but it was a lot.)

A good read with more than a few surprises. Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

I loved this thriller. Fast-paced action, twists, ominous atmosphere, beautiful but bleak and dangerous setting, but above all I really enjoyed the characterisation of the four female protagonists. Women who had all reached a moment of flux that led to them questioning their status or path in life, and hiding disappointments or bad choices. A good portrayal of female friendship that meant I really cared about the outcome. A thriller with heart.

I love Lucy's books. So much suspense and this one is no exception. I love how it just drops you in on the action. The trying to piece everything together to work out what has happened. The writing style is always one that I enjoy as I find it very engaging.

I’m a huge fan of Lucy Clarke’s thrillers so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read The Hike.

Liz, Maggie, Helena and Joni are close friends who enjoy annual holidays together. When Liz suggests a 4 day hike in the Norwegian mountains the others aren’t overly enthusiastic but go along with the plan.

I loved this novel. The author is skilled at combining a compelling plot , good characterisation and believable relationships with descriptions of stunning scenery that create a real sense of place.
I loved the relationships between the women and although I was slightly frustrated with their naïveté in setting out on such a challenging hike this did not ruin my enjoyment of the novel.

A gripping read that I would highly recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Well the back catalogue has already been downloaded so i guess that says it all! I absolutely loved this. It was a nice change from the usual domestic noir type thriller and brought a fresh perspective and a lot of potential. I loved the characters, they well are unique and well written and it was impossible not to start to care for these ladies. The description of the hike was so vivid, you could literally feel the rocks under your feet as you read and s
There is such a tense, eerie atmosphere created as night falls and things start to go wrong. Its written in multiple pov which I'd gotten a bit sick of over the summer as it seemed to be everywhere but it really does work for this story and really let's you get such an insight into each character and allows you to really get to know them. As for the twists and turns..... just..... what?! You won't see them coming. I usually find the "old friends reunite and something weird and creepy happens" to be a bit overdone and predictable by now but this one trully was just on another level and I enjoyed every single page! I'd highly recommend

Thank you Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.

PSA: 3 stars is NOT a bad book. This is a solid survivalist popcorn thriller

Writing: 3/5 | Plot: 4/5 tbh it was plotting | Ending: 2.5/5

SYNOPSIS

Four lifelong friends embark on a challenging 4-day hike in Norway, each with their own secrets and personal issues. Some are more eager to get on the trail than others, but when they hear about a missing girl who looks strikingly similar to Maggie, things take a sinister twist.

MY OPINION

Why yes, I'm writing reviews on Christmas LOL. Wanted to get this one off while it was fresh in my mind and before I passed out from the meat sweats. If you celebrate Christmas, I hope you're having a wonderful day with loved ones (both human and furry!).

Now, I'm usually not one to jump at a survivalist thriller, but I'm trying to dibble dabble in a few different tropes because the plain ole domestic ones are letting me down. I need something different. And this definitely fit the bill. It's the first of its kind that I've read, and I have to say I enjoyed it. Was it a literary masterpiece? No. But was it a solid popcorn thriller? Yes (bar the ending going a lil too Charlie's Angels).

This is also the first time I've read a Lucy Clarke, and I'd def visit her backlist if I'm in the need for a similar read. The start was a tad on the slow side; it does take a minute to introduce each of the four ladies, their problems, and their personalities. Each character is distinct, so kudos for that as well. If I had to rank them from most to least likeable, I'd say: Maggie (hella wholesome), Helena (she got a huge character arc which was great to see), Liz (very type A, forced the women into a dangerous trip because SHE needed it, didn't really give AF how they felt) and Joni (no comment, see for yourself.)

Once introductions were made, I was super impressed with how much conflict she stuffed within these pages. There was action abound. It didn't feel too OTT either, just issues a group of inexperienced hikers may encounter. Then we had the personal conflicts running throughout the story: Maggie being away from her young daughter for the first time and brimming with self-doubt, Helena with her unexpected pregnancy, Liz with her marriage on the rocks, and Joni with her addiction and conflicting feelings regarding fame. There was also conflict between the women; and yes some of the friendship moments were a little rah-rah and saccharine sweet, but for a popcorn thriller it worked. It's safe to say that once you clear that first 20/25% ish, there's never a dull moment.

Also, this book reinforced that sitting on your couch and reading about hiking is much better than actual hiking. The thought of wearing three-day old clothes and not showering is disturbing. I was barely surviving this weekend when the power went out for 13 hours LOL. Ain't no way I'm trekking through some unknown mountain eating dried food and shitting in the woods. I'm more of a beach gal LOL.

All in all, a solid popcorn thriller that was different than the usual "is my husband secretly a killer?" books. The final showdown was ... le cringe, but again, popcorn thriller.

PROS AND CONS

Pros: well-plotted, brimming with action and conflict after the first 20/25%, strongly written characters

Cons: ending, writing was a bit chonky and Clarke certainly likes to write "blood crashed in her eardrums" and "X felt liquid inside"