The Hike
Exhausted by a strained marriage and a demanding career, Liz desperately needs a reset. Hoping to escape her reality, she convinces her three closest friends to embark on a four-night camping trip deep in the breathtaking Norwegian mountains. At first, the trail is a paradise of towering peaks and crystal-clear lakes. But the further they hike from civilization, the more the isolation closes in. It soon becomes terrifyingly obvious that they aren't the only ones wandering these remote woods. The beautiful wilderness harbors a deadly secret, and what began as a healing retreat quickly spirals into a fight for survival. If they aren't careful, this trip of a lifetime will be their last.
- Liz - Doctor
- Patrick - Liz’s husband
- Helena - Liz’s friend
- Joni - Liz’s friend, rock star
- Maggie - Liz’s friend
- Aiden - Maggie’s ex-husband, Phoebe’s father
- Phoebe - Maggie and Aiden’s daughter
- Leif - Owner of Svelle Lodge
- Erik - Leif’s brother
- Vilhelm - Austin’s father
- Austin - Vilhelm’s son
- Karin - Missing hiker
- Bjorn and Brit - Karin’s parents
- Kai - Joni’s manager
- Knut - Mountain rescue worker
- Liz and Patrick are taking a one-month break.
- Liz, Helena, Maggie and Joni check in for a night at Svelle Lodge.
- Karin disappeared while hiking Blafjell last year and was never found.
- Everyone in town believes Erik killed Karin because they were hiking together when she disappeared.
- Day 1
- Helena is pregnant.
- Liz, Helena, Maggie and Joni start their hike to Blafjell.
- The women make camp and see Vilhelm fishing in the river.
- Day 2
- Maggie stops to pee and gets separated from the others and lost.
- Erik sees Maggie and says he will take her to the trail.
- Helena notices Maggie is missing and the group turns back to look for her.
- Helena, Joni and Liz run into Vilhelm who says he will help them find Maggie.
- They find Maggie and the women continue their hike.
- The women camp near the beach at the base of Blafjell.
- A storm rolls in while they are sleeping.
- The women abandon their tents and find a cave to shelter in.
- In the cave they find a bracelet with Karin’s name on it, crab pots and bags of cocaine hidden inside buoys.
- Their tents and supplies get covered in a landslide during the storm.
- Day 3
- The women ascend Blafjell.
- Joni stole some of the coke from the cave.
- The women see someone entering the cave.
- They find a DNT cabin to stay in for the night.
- Erik appears and joins the women in the cabin.
- Erik sees Karin’s bracelet and says he gave it to her in the cabin the day she disappeared.
- Day 4
- Liz finds out that Joni recently slept with Patrick.
- Maggie tells Erik about the cocaine in the cave and describes the boat they saw near there.
- Erik says it sounds like Austin’s boat.
- Leif appears and demands the cocaine back.
- Leif admits that he laundered money for Austin once and afterwards he was forced to help with the cocaine business.
- Leif says Austin is not in charge - Vilhelm is, and Knut is involved too.
- Leif confirms that Vilhelm pushed Karin off Blafjell after she discovered the cocaine operation.
- Leif says he found Karin dead and pushed her body into the water because Knut said rescue workers must not find it.
- Joni pushes Vilhelm off the mountain and falls to her death with him.
- Afterward
- Liz and Patrick are working on their marriage.
- Helena gives birth to a boy, Freddie.
- Leif and Austin both go to prison.
I appreciate a good "lost in the woods" setup, but this book delivers something a bit different than the standard survival thriller. The story takes its time getting to the wilderness with deep character development and establishing the group dynamic before the hike even begins. Because the narrative alternates between the four main female characters' points of view, I found it easy to get a feel for each woman and the specific, messy struggles she was dealing with back home. I especially enjoyed reading from Joni's perspective. As a rockstar, she projects this life everyone envies, but peeling back the layers to see that her reality behind the scenes is far from glitz and glamour added a great layer of depth. It was refreshing to read a thriller anchored by strong friendships and women genuinely helping each other navigate their lives.
When the group finally hits the trail, the tension doesn't come from the elements. This isn't a story about getting lost and starving in the wild; instead, the fear stems entirely from the other people in the woods and the realization that they don't know who is actually a threat. That psychological paranoia worked well, though the pacing stumbled near the end. The main scene where the truth finally comes out was dragged out over almost ten chapters, which bled away some of the suspense right when it should have been peaking. Despite that drawn-out climax, it is a solid character-driven suspense novel that leans heavy on the interpersonal drama.
- Karin - Dead - Pushed off Blafjell by Vilhelm
- Joni - Dead - Fell off Blafjell
- Vilhelm - Dead - Pushed off Blafjell by Joni
- Helena - Alive - Enjoying motherhood
- Liz - Alive - Working on her marriage to Patrick
- Maggie - Alive - Formed a friendship with Erik
- Erik - Alive - Running Svelle Lodge
- Leif - Alive - In prison
- Austin - Alive - In prison
- Drug use
- Suicidal ideations
- Murder
ISBN: 9780593422694
Publication Date: August 20, 2024
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
