The Hike

I needed something fast to read and entertaining and this book completely worked. In [The Hike], four friends vacation in Norway for a four day challenging hike over a mountain. They have been friends since high school and meet up every year for a vacation together. They are, of course, all dealing with large life events, which makes the book interesting.

As they hike, the book becomes a thriller. They have to combat the terrain, the weather, and stumble upon a mystery that puts them all in danger. I thought Clarke did a great job of creating fun characters and relationships and putting them in a situation that enhance the character building she was doing. I'd definitely read more by her when I'm looking for a diversion.

Four friends on a hiking adventure to Norway. What could possibly go wrong? Liz is tired of their annual beach getaways and needs adventure. Maggie and Helena are not quite sure about this. Joni is touring, and hasn’t given an answer. What starts out as a fun, impromptu night at the lodge bar quickly turns dark and sinister when the hike is underway. Hold on to your backpacks!

What a destination thriller! I didn’t realize how much of a nightmare this would be for me until the beautifully graphic and yet terrifying descriptions of this mountain hike grabbed me and had my heart pumping. The unpredictable weather and short chapters add to the suspense. These friends have a lot of baggage which slowly enfolds during the 4 days. I became show more frustrated with friends for not sticking up for themselves against Liz’s reckless idea and know-it-all behavior. But, this just lends itself to the story. Innocent situations seem to steam roll into much bigger things. No one is what they appear to be. This book brought out a fear I never knew I had. Go ahead and go hiking, I’ll be at the beach, or swim up bar!

Another enjoyable read by Lucy Clarke. Can’t wait for the next one.

Thanks to Penguin Group/ Putnam and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion. show less

I always enjoy looking at the cover of a book before turning the first page. The angle of the words here suggests a climb and the image used confirms that in Lucy Clarke's newest novel, The Hike.

We're introduced to four women that been friends for years. Life has taken them down different roads, but they try to get together at least once a year. It's Liz's turn to choose where they go. They're off to Norway to hike for four idyllic days. But....uh huh, there are some buts.

Clarke does a fantastic job creating her four main characters. Their relationships are wonderfully drawn and are so believable. No perfection. And yes, you'll find some of the buts in those relationships, as each of them is harboring a secret. As the climb progresses show more those secrets come out - and their friendships will inexorably changed for all time.

Another but you say? What about the others at the lodge? More than one of them triggers an uncomfortable response for the women. But, they're committed to the climb and ignore their Spidey senses.

Clarke has successfully woven an exploration of friendship alongside a page turning, suspense filled plot line. I couldn't put the book down - Clarke's writing is so addictive and 'readable', if you know what I mean.

And on a side note, two of Clarke's books are on the small screen, with a third in the works. show less

Liz, Maggie, Helena and Joni are life lifelong friends. Once a year they go on a trip together. This year, Liz has chosen a dangerous mountainous hike in Norway. None of the women are seasoned trekkers and have no idea what is in store for them. Before they even start out, they learn of a young woman who disappeared on the trail a year ago….a bad omen. Is there a killer out there? Why does Liz ignore the warning about an impending storm? What secrets are they hiding from each other?

Told in multiple POVs and two timelines, this is atmospheric and, despite being set in the open air, claustrophobic. It took about half the book for me to really engage with it. Once the suspense started building, I kept reading “just one more chapter.” show more There are some excellent observations of life and marriage expressed. Some may find the plot predictable.

Thanks to #netgalley and #penquingroup #GPPutnumsons for the ARC show less

Lucy Clarke is fulltime schrijfster en heeft intussen negen thrillers uitgebracht. Nachtzwemmen was haar debuut. Haar boeken zijn zeer populair in het Verenigd Koninkrijk, waar ze meer dan één miljoen exemplaren verkocht. Haar verhalen worden in meer dan 25 landen uitgegeven. De hike werd een internationale besteller en de filmrechten werden kortgeleden verkocht.

De hike draait rond vier vriendinnen die jaarlijks een uitstap plannen. Ditmaal mag Liz de bestemming kiezen. Ze kiest voor een wandeltocht in Noorwegen, wat op verbazing komt te staan van de andere vrouwen. Normaal gezien wordt een zonnige bestemming uitgekozen met heel wat luxe en comfort. Tijdens hun tocht komen ze dingen te weten over elkaar waardoor er binnen de groep show more meermaals spanningen optreden. De vermissing van een jonge vrouw die dezelfde tocht ondernomen heeft als zij, zorgt voor nog meer onrust.

De hike wordt verteld vanuit meerdere vertelperspectieven. De vier vrouwen Liz, Maggie, Helena en Joni krijgen elk enkele hoofdstukken toebedeeld van hoe zij de tocht ervaren en wat ze op dat moment voelen. De lezer krijgt dus een goede band met elk personage en weet voldoende over het privéleven van elke vrouw om te snappen waarom ze op een bepaalde manier reageren. Naar het einde toe zijn er een paar hoofdstukken vanuit Leif, die de eigenaar is van de lodge waar de dames logeren. Het verhaal is mede door het wisselende vertelperspectief telkens boeiend en verfrissend. De vaart zit er steeds in en nergens wordt het saai. Er worden naar het einde toe misschien iets te veel elementen aan het verhaal toegevoegd om spannend te kunnen eindigen.

De vermissing van Karin, een jonge vrouw die dezelfde wandeling maakte als de vriendinnen, wordt meermaals aangehaald. Dit gegeven raakt echter wat ondergesneeuwd en wordt pas aan het einde weer opgepikt. De climax heeft iets te veel een James Bond gehalte, maar echt storend is dat niet. De ontknoping van de hike is onverwacht en kan de lezer ontroeren.

De hike is een prettig lezend vakantieboek en lezers die houden van Ruth Ware, Sarah Pearse en Catherine Cooper zullen dit zeker waarderen.

Deze recensie verscheen eerder op Vrouwenthrillers.nl. Ik wil de uitgeverij hartelijk bedanken voor het recensie exemplaar. show less

Very good thriller

Not gonna lie I thought that this was just gonna be kind of a basic thriller with no real surprises in store, but this was really enjoyable and I couldn't put it down after I started it. I liked the friendship of the four women and all the reveals that we got along along the way. I definitely didn't expect the twists that kept coming.

Full review:

Four long-time friends agree to go hiking during their yearly vacation together. Things take a turn for the worse throughout the hike though when the four women start to realize they may be followed. And a couple of them are hiding a secret about their lives from the others.

The four women are Liz, Maggie, Helena, and Joni. Liz, the woman who insisted on the group hiking, is show more dealing with burnout from her "perfect marriage." Maggie is struggling with her first time away from her young daughter. Helena is worried that she may be pregnant. And Joni, a living rock-star legend, has several secrets she's keeping from everyone.

As a solo hiker, I was told about this book by many people. I got to say though most of the things that went on had me going, yeah that's a terrible idea here and there. Case in point, one of the characters, Liz, decides to ignore the weather warnings she is given. That's like hiking rule number one to never do.

The women though. I liked reading about all of them. Messy women who have been friends since they were teens and still managing to come together when needed. I liked all of their perspectives on each other, the hike, and other things going on in their lives. I do have to say though, that Liz started to drive me up the wall after a while. I really would not have done a hike like this with a bunch of newbies. It seems unhinged at times.

The other character we get involved with is a man who is still looking for his lost girlfriend that went missing several months ago while hiking. The book shifts back and forth between his point of view and the women.

The overall plot was good, but some things I saw coming a mile away. But the twists that we get, I did not (which is always fun). That said, the flow was up and down at times, the main reason why I gave this four starts. I think the shifting between the four women and the other character we get was just too much after a while.

The setting of Norway sounds magical at times, but also sinister.

I did think the ending took an easy way out on a lot of things though. It wraps things up into a too tidy bow. Very solid thriller! show less

The Short of It:

They wanted adventure. They got it.

The Rest of It:

Liz is burned out. Her marriage isn’t what she imagined, and work? More of the same. So she plans a trip to the mountains of Norway with her three best friends. As glamorous as it sounds, it’s a strenuous hike that not all have prepared for. The physical demands leave them exhausted and then when they realize that they aren’t the only ones on the mountain, and that someone has quite a bit to hide, things suddenly take a turn. Their little adventure turns into a game of cat and mouse.

Clarke has become one of those authors that I automatically read. Her last book One of the Girls was a zippy read and the pages just turned themselves. Same here. There was just enough show more time on the mountain to build up the tension, just enough background story to get a feel for each character, and the story wraps up quickly. I’ve been reading these types of quick reads lately and it’s working for me.

Have you read Clarke yet? I highly recommend her. show less