Review Detail

At first The Lying Woods reads more like a contemporary fiction piece than thriller. Then all of sudden it hits you with all the punches. Ashley Elston eloquently weaves clues along the way that are so subtle. Plot twists and surprises divert your mind from the clues until the end when you realize it was all there in front of you. This is a hard thing for writers to do without giving away the ending too soon. Elston masters this and creates a fantastic ending.

What I liked the most: I loved the way it hops back and forth between Noah in 1999 and Owen in the present. It adds to the suspense/thriller feel of the story. It also moves the plot along at a fast clip as you try to find the connection between the two time periods and the two people. The parallel stories of the two made the unraveling of the mystery intense.

Owen. He has strength. He has a strong moral code. However, he is realistic character in the fact that he has flaws as well as strength that comes at surprising times. Overall, each character feel like you can walk into town and find them just sitting there at the local coffee shop or diner. I really enjoyed watching the characters grow and evolve. The winning aspect of this novel is definitely the ending. Without giving too much away, the ending makes the entire book.

The Lying Woods reads like fall movie thriller. It is full of suspense as well as romance I will recommend this novel to struggling students--it shows that difficulties in life spare no one, but also highlights the fact that most people are good and strive to help others.

A passionate story, full of mystery, love, jealousy, and even grief; this is a book you won’t be able to put down. Find a nice comfy chair, a cozy blanket, and a huge steaming cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows and settle down for a ride.