Title: The Hike
Author: Lucy Clarke
Publisher: HarperCollins
Synopsis:
Wish you were here?
Think again . . .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.
Somewhere out there, someone knows exactly why a woman has died. And in this deep, dark wilderness, there’s a killer on the trail…
My review:
The Hike is a fast-paced thriller set in the mountains of Norway. Liz, Maggie, and Helena embark on their annual girls’ holiday, but this time Liz chooses the destination, a four-day hike. They are joined by their friend Joni, and set out on what they hope to be an invigorating adventure. However, their excursion takes an eerie turn when strange events begin to occur on the mountains.
The novel is structured around two storylines. One follows the group of four as they embark on their hike, while the other follows Leif, the owner of the cabins where the women stayed at the start of their hike. Leif sets out to rescue a woman who has fallen down the side of a mountain, and the reader is left wondering which of the women it is, and what has happened to her. The story has some predictable moments, but there are also some unexpected twists that kept me wanting to read on.
The characters in the novel are well-crafted, and each has their own flaws and secrets. Liz, in particular, is determined to get them all out on the hike despite knowing the difficulties they may face. Joni is selfish and battling her own demons but trying to be better. Maggie is sweet but unprepared for the hike, and Helena has a secret that means even more is at stake for her than the others realise…
The story is intense and dramatic, adding to the tension and keeping the book gripping throughout. Although the ending was slightly cheesy for my taste, it did tie up all loose ends nicely.
Overall, The Hike is an solid, entertaining read that I would recommend, especially if you want something fairly easy and fun to read.
My rating: 3.75/5
Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review.