Unlike many authors, Lucy Clarke never thought she would become an author as she believed she was set for a career in business. There are aspects that came as a great surprise as the book went forward and turned it into a part whodunit whilst keeping the drama and psychological elements ongoing Every time I dive into one of Lucy Clarke’s novels, I cross my fingers and hope that it’s going to be just as good as the last one of hers that I’d read. And yet again, I was thrilled to find that The Hike somehow managed to live up to all of my rather high expectations. 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.

As an author, she never gets to completely switch off as everything she does and everything that happens around her can be an inspiration for her next work. Leaving behind their everyday lives, four friends hike out into the beautiful Norwegian wild – nothing between them and the mountain peak but forest, sea and sharp blue sky. The people are welcoming although somewhat aloof in the small village of Norway and give the ladies instructions and advice with some warnings of dangers they could encounter while hiking. At times they feel they are not alone and being watched by an unseen, creepy presence. The women aren't prepared to find themselves discovering something very bad that places them in great danger if found out while at the same time two of the women have been harboring painful secrets which will affect the group but only one will reveal a secret so ugly and shameful that it could cause a breakdown in the friendships or it could possibly cost one woman her life!Atmospheric, haunting, and beautifully written. This is Lucy Clarke at her best.” —Gillian McAllister, author of Wrong Place, Wrong Time It was quite a long journey for Clarke to get a publishing deal but she kept pushing on. The one thing that kept her inspired and motivated was that she had the beach hut and could work on the drizzly and cold days looking out at the sea. 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. It starts out with one of the best opening sentences and from there it is as twisty as you think it will be. Who's body is on the mountainside? What are the four best friends keeping from one another? And why do they keep seeing people from the small Norwegian town on the mountain after they've been told there's a storm?

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).Four friends set off on one of their regular holiday trips. Not to a beach this time, no, to a rather strenuous hike with wild camping in Norway. There are tensions and turmoil within the four friends and it's made worse by the natural strain from this sort of holiday. Plus, a local woman went missing here a year ago and was never found, so a killer could be on the lose. What a brilliant book, I've read most of Lucy Clarke's books now and they just keep getting better!

British author Lucy Clarke gifts her audience with a brand-new wilderness thriller, set in the beautiful but dangerous surrounds of Norway. As story of friendship, secrets, adventure, thrill seeking and underhanded deeds, The Hike is an adrenaline filled tale that I absorbed from the minute I opened this book to the last word. During the entire read I had that nagging feeling I’d read this before. Perhaps it was just one of those books.💁🏻‍♀️ For me the winning piece was the setting. I would just love to jump on a plane and visit Norway, it’s such a fresh and spectacular part of the world, with an untamed beauty that was described perfectly by Lucy Clarke. The wildness and sense of sheer isolation was expressed with precision by Lucy Clarke, it was definitely my highlight. The setting managed to compound everything that happens in this eventful thriller. Seeking the escape of a lifetime, four friends hike out into the beautiful Norwegian wild - nothing between them and the mountain peak but forest, sea and sharp blue sky.

Become a Member

Thank you to Lucy Clarke, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. It is in turn haunting and gorgeously scenic as it tells the story of freedom, friendship, and a desire to leave the past in the past. Atmospheric, haunting, and beautifully written. This is Lucy Clarke at her best' GILLIAN MCALLISTER