The Woman in the Woods: From the bestselling author of gripping psychological thrillers comes a haunting new book about witchcraft

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It's Moxie Castin, the lawyer with a heart of gold and a soft spot for the Star of David, which plays such an important role in this story.

Living in the New Forest with their cold-hearted grandmother, twins Maisy and Duncan are neglected and unloved. I like that element of “this could happen to me”, and I think that’s what draws readers in. We like to be scared by the very ordinary. What can we find you up to when you’re not writing or reading?When it seems someone is out to get her, she starts to feel unsafe and feels she must try and recall her memory to work out the truth. I was eagerly awaiting this latest release, her 25th book and was delighted to receive an early copy so I started it straight away. Enjoyed this with some Irish pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and it was all the topping and filing I needed!

A classy thriller that’s stylish, twisty and full of suspense’ Sarah Pinborough, No. 1 bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes The Woman in the Wood begins when 15 year old twins, Maisy and Duncan Mitcham, are sent to live with their grandmother in the country. Their mother has been committed to an asylum with very little explanation offered as to why by their father, who is unemotional with them and keeps them very much at arms length. Despite their grandmother being rather cold towards them, their father semi-abandoning them, and the uncertainty about their mother’s condition, the two settle in quite well and begin to view this new country life they’ve been given as a second chance, a new beginning. Everything is rather cosy and nice, and the story slips along in this fashion for a little while as we get to see Maisy and Duncan stretch their wings a little and get to know themselves as well as new people. With the added local legend of ‘the woman in the wood’, Grace Deville, a woman who lives alone in the woods and shuns society, there is a general sense of foreboding hanging about the edges, a distinct Hansel and Gretal feel about the story as it unfolds in its quaint way.

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There is so much that happens in this installment of the series my desire to condense events kind of boggles the mind. So, to avoid any spoilers, this review will concentrate on one minor subplot and an overall summery in this, what may be the best book in the series so far. It is essential to mention that there are scenes within this novel, inferences and recollections as well as actual events unfolding, that will be disturbing for some readers. A story about teenage boys going missing and a reviewer (me) discussing the dark path the story takes, this is your 2 + 2 = 4 warning. I feel Lesley handled these parts of the story with skill and a great deal of empathy, but she was also brutally honest and I am a parent as well as a reader and she gave me reason to flinch and pause on more than one occasion. I will say though, that within the context of the story, what she included was essential and I don’t think she overdid any descriptions in any way at all. I just wanted to point out that if you are sensitive to reading about child abuse, be cautious.

Fifteen-year-old twins, Duncan and Maisy, are sent to their cold and unfeeling grandmother after their equally cold and unfeeling father commits their unwell mother to an asylum. With no help from Grandmother, they have to settle into their new surroundings and find new friends. One of these is Grace Deville, a woman who lives alone in the woods and about whom some unkind things are said. It is amazing that after publishing twenty five novels, an author can continue to produce original and compelling stories for fans old and new. Lesley Pearse should be congratulated on attaining this feat. Based on my response to this novel and the previous books I have read by Pearse, it is clear that Pearse is a gifted storyteller. She has contributed much to the historical fiction field. One of my favorite things about Lisa Hall’s books is she always does something new and different. Her debut thriller has the best plot twist I’ve never seen coming at the end of a novel, and her later works build solidly on her early success. This is the second book I’ve read by author J.A. Baker–and it won’t be my last! The Woman in the Woods really was the perfect psychological thriller. I can appreciate a mystery that has a slow burn. The kind that doesn’t immediately throw the answers at you. Where you have to wait and watch for the truth to unravel a little at a time. When I learned that she was launching a new psychological thriller — set in the most haunted town in England — I couldn’t wait to dig in.I couldn't put this book down! It was a 'just one more chapter' book, right up to the final one! I just had to know where this was going and what would be next for the characters. The twists and turns kept me in suspense and constantly trying to guess. I felt this could have been a bit grittier and therefore a bit more realistic but still a great read. Days earlier, Louis’s partner, Angel, had been relieved of a tumor the size of an egg in a New York hospital, along with a length of his large intestine. The procedure hadn’t gone entirely well, and the recuperation period would be difficult, involving chemotherapy sessions every three weeks for the next two years, while the threat of ancillary growths remained. The call to inform Parker of Louis’s presence in the city of Portland had therefore come as a surprise. Parker had intended to travel down to New York to visit Angel and offer Louis whatever support he could. Instead, Louis was sitting in a Portland bar while his partner lay in a hospital bed, medicated up to his eyeballs. Atmospheric, creepy and oh-so-compulsive, The Woman in the Woods is a chilling triumph' Fiona Cummins, author of When I Was Ten

As Allie discovers more about the history of their new home, she uncovers a story of witchcraft and superstition, which casts a long shadow into the present day. And not everything is as it seems. Her family might well be in danger, but it’s a danger none of them could have foreseen… The Woman in the Wood is Lesley Pearse’ 25th book and what a great achievement. It is also the fifth book of hers that I’ve read; and Lesley is one of the few authors whose books I will always buy regardless. Her stories are family saga/drama based but with an added suspense/crime element and she doesn’t shy away from difficult or disturbing subjects, The Woman in the Wood being no exception. The storyline here is not a particularly pleasant one but despite it being set in the 1960’s it is still just as, if not more so, relevant today. Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival. Fans of the series generally loved this one, but there’s something about it–passion, maybe–that was missing for me. Not enough that I put the book down, mind you. Just enough that I noted it didn’t bring the same emotional responses as other books. Still satisfying, and particularly good as a fall read. Parker knew that Louis’s father had fallen into the hands of bigoted, violent men who hanged him from a tree before setting him alight. Many years later Louis returned for those responsible, and burned the tree on which his father had died.There are several series which I follow closely, and this is one of them! Stellar writing, great intricate plots, and suspense! Highly recommend! If this is not the typical type of book you read - challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone! You might just be happy you did! John Connolly never lets me down and this book, the sixteenth in his Charlie Parker series, is no exception. The main characters, Charlie, Louis and Angel, are all on my list of book heroes! Heather (yay for my name) changed her name to Mary when she got out of prison. Now she's out for revenge and watching The Writer's every move.