3.5 stars. ( )

This was a good creepy, psychological thriller! “Two girls went in, one one came out.” You know the two that went in, and you know the one who came out but you don’t know the why or who did what aspect. This was a good cat and mouse game of pointing the finger from one, to the next, to the next. This one definitely kept you wondering the whole way through.

A decade ago, Tess sister was found dead in the woods. She, to this day still believes it was murder, but the police closed her case as an accident. She fell down a small ravine and hit her head on a rock. Black and white. Cut and dry, case closed. But Tess has never been convinced that Bella slipped and fell on her own, that someone at least had a hand in helping her fall to her death at the very least. At the time there were other girls who were missing, and bodies that had turned up and a killer had not been found. Tess thinks Bella was one of the victims.

Tess has been informed that her step-mother does not have much time left, and it is time for her to come and visit and say her final goodbyes. Tess cannot stomach the thought of going back there, it will only dredge up that horrific night, and Tess has done a pretty good job of blocking it all out. Almost everything about that night is a big gapping black hole. The last thing she remembers is being at the wedding and kissing a boy, and someone carrying her up to bed. The champagne had all went to her head that night.

Tess comes to terms that it is the right thing to do, and goes back home. The nightmares become worse, her sleeping is all a mess and piece by piece that night slowly snakes it way back into Tess’ memory and with everyone back home, it’s creating animosity and hard feelings amongst all. Fingers are pointed, questions are asked and whispers of the truth are across the lips of those who were there that night.

Can Tess finally dredge up her memories of that night. What happened? Who was all involved, and why Bella. What really happened after the wedding? Who was the boy she kissed and why? What was she doing in the woods, and why did Bella take her there? So many questions, and so many missing answers. A body is also uncovered during this time, and that is all it takes for the police to bring that night back to the forefront of everyone’s lives.

Can the truth finally be sought? Will the killer of those girls finally be found out? Will the truth about the step-brothers emerge, or who their father truly was? Where is he anyways? The web of lies seems to become even more entangled with every question the police ask until finally Tess is forced to confront her memories.

Thank you to Grand Central publishing for the free book! This was a very good read, and with each chapter you finger pointed to the next suspect right along with Tess until it all finally unfolded. What was supposed to be a happy wedding day, turned into a nightmare with the death of a daughter, Tess’s sister. ( )

Two girls went in. Only one came out." That tagline is on the cover of Vanessa Savage's new book The Woods. And it opens up lots of paths that a story could take....

The two girls were actually sisters - Tess and Bella. They were found in the woods - Tess unconscious and Bella was dead. Tess has no memory of what happened - then or now, ten years on. She moved to the city and rarely ventures back home. It is only when her stepmother Julia is dying that she goes home to help her father. Well, that and the chance to escape the bit of trouble she's having at work.

Tess is a decidedly unreliable narrator. She has no memories of the past and she often can't tell if the ones she does have are reality. Now, I felt like I should be on her side - she's suffered many losses over the years. But, there's just something about her I didn't like. Her thinking is sometimes skewed and her actions are just a step off. More in some cases. Upon arriving at her childhood home, she discovers that Julia's sons have arrived as well, bringing with them two others that were part of Bella's circle of friends. Savage does a great job of creating some truly odious characters. Their actions and dialogue had me questioning everything. As the past is relived through Tess's memories and present day interactions, the reader will be hard pressed to decide who is telling the truth, who is lying and what actually happened that day in the woods. Everyone is a suspect over the course of the book.

The plot is one I've read before in various forms, but Savage does a good job putting her own spin on things. The relationships between the characters was very well done. And Tess's mental confusion as well. The final whodunit was as I suspected, but I still enjoyed the journey there. ( )

Two sisters go into the woods but only one comes out. The one left alive doesn't remember what happened. Two entwined families, other missing girls and well so much is included it is hard to follow what any of it means. Had trouble engaging as the story seemed to go round and round and by the time of the big reveal, I already had guessed most of what happened. Repetitive, and continuing drama, two things that made this a less than satisfactory read.

ARC from Netgalley. ( )