In an interview, the author shared how she had been on a hike in Norway, when she started to think about writing this novel. Even as she packs for the trip, she notes “it was pleasing to be able to step out with everything she needed on her back. This is a really exciting and twisty thriller from the start to the end which will leaving you wanting to hike in Norway too. None of the characters are especially likeable but this adds to the plot rather than detracts with some of the Norwegian characters giving cause for concern and worse. To what extent are the women released from the areas of their life in which they previously felt “stuck”?

If I had to name my absolute favorite part of this book, however, it would have to be the relationships at the center of the plot. Oh, the writing and storytelling were just so good I hated having to put the book down to take care of my reality (sigh). Being here in Nuuk, I ventured out hiking in a terrain I guess is comparable to the Norwegian landscape and though we never negociated anything slightly mountainous, I ended up with sore legs the day after, simply because I am only accustomed to the flat landscape of Strasbourg. With Nordic folklore touches and a friendship group holding onto guilt and secrets, it was no surprise to me that The Hike was an instant, could-put-down win for me.Liz and her childhood friends take a vacation together every year and this year is Liz’s turn to pick. A woman went missing here one year ago, scarring the mountain with suspicion and unanswered questions. Numerous books with the same theme will appear at similar times while authors ride its wave of popularity. 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.

Mix into it the Norwegian mountainside, Nordic gothic folklore, and villagers that warned of a storm, but somehow keep ending up on the same trail? This is only the second book I’ve read of Clarke’s, (the other being One of the Girls, published in 2022) which had a similar theme around old friends; besties and frenemies. Funny enough Joni was my favorite one, definitely not a coke addict fan but she had all the right rockstar vibes.The Hike is a fast-paced nail biter of a thriller that twists and turns much like the setting it takes place in.