The Hike
The Swiss Alps were supposed to offer Cat and Ginny a picturesque escape to heal their fractured sisterhood and failing marriages. Instead, the isolating, treacherous mountain brings out the worst in all of them. High above the tree line, morale plummets as exhaustion takes over and the terrifying realization dawns that someone is stalking them. When darkness falls over a deadly ridge, simmering tensions finally erupt.
Out of the four who went up the mountain, only two return. Now, under intense police interrogation, the survivors' conflicting accounts point to a terrifying truth: the real danger wasn't the wilderness, but the people they were hiking with.
- Cat - Paul’s wife
- Paul - Cat’s husband
- Ginny - Cat’s sister, Tristan's wife
- Tristan - Ginny’s husband
- Thierry Pigalle - Police captain
- Sébastien Marchand - Police lieutenant
- Frank - Cat's university tutor
- Cat and Tristan are having an affair.
- Tristan, Ginny, Cat and Paul set off on a hike.
- Tristan insists on navigating with a paper map.
- They stop at a restaurant in the woods for lunch.
- During her final year of university in France, Cat slept with her married tutor, Frank.
- A man in the restaurant becomes infatuated with Cat.
- They continue hiking.
- Cat wasn’t close to her parents before their death because she felt them icing her out but she found out months ago that it was because Ginny kept telling them that Cat didn’t want anything to do with them.
- When the parents died they left everything to Ginny to distribute as she saw fit.
- They suspect someone is following them.
- A man emerges from the woods claiming he was using the bathroom, but Ginny thinks he is the man from the restaurant.
- Cat insists he is not the same man from the restaurant.
- Paul was accused of sexually assaulting a female coworker, but there was no proof and the case was dropped.
- Ginny and Cat argue, and Cat pushes Ginny over a cliff.
- Tristan belays down to look for Ginny.
- He finds Ginny alive on a ledge with multiple broken bones. He smashes her head with a rock and pushes her farther down the mountain.
Sisu Holliday’s The Hike is an atmospheric, character-driven thriller. This was the kind of book where I loved to hate absolutely everyone, as the wilderness setting brought out the worst in the characters and their relationships with each other.
The narrative jumps between a few different points of view and unfolds primarily in the present tense. While I found that the story moved at a steady, medium pace and felt just a little repetitive at times, the structure of the book really worked in its favor. The short chapters kept the pages turning and maintained my interest throughout the journey.
Where the book really shined for me was in its surprises. The story is sprinkled with several good, smaller twists that kept me guessing, ultimately building up to a really great ending with a highly satisfying payoff.
Overall, this book was perfect for me as someone who loves a woods theme and doesn't mind spending time with a highly toxic group. If you are looking for an engaging thriller where an isolated setting pushes people to their breaking points, I recommend picking this one up.
- Ginny - Dead - Head bashed in, then pushed off a mountain by Tristan
- Tristan - Dead - Stabbed by Paul
- Cat and Ginny’s parents - Dead - Killed in a car accident orchestrated by Ginny
- Paul - Alive - Arrested for the murders of Ginny and Tristan
- Cat - Alive - Moves to Munich to start a new life
- Infidelity
- Murder
- Stalking
- Car accident
- Sexual assault
ISBN: 9781542035347
Publication Date: October 1, 2022
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
