The Hike: The Sunday Times bestseller and brand new crime thriller novel for 2023 from the author of One of the Girls

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The mountain setting was vividly described; the isolation, the treachery of the mountainside paths, the obstacles, the forests, the snapping twigs, all add depth and tension to this fast moving and surprising story. The Hike is one of those books for which I had high expectations, but ended up falling short. Since I didn't despise the book, I'm going to keep it relatively brief. If you want the headline review: it wasn't for me, but for you, it just might be the cat's meow. More than a week later and I'm still trying to figure what exactly I read here. Here's what I know:

With Nordic folklore touches and a friendship group holding onto guilt and secrets, it was no surprise to me that The Hike was an instant, could-put-down win for me. It starts out with one of the best opening sentences and from there it is as twisty as you think it will be. Who's body is on the mountainside? What are the four best friends keeping from one another? And why do they keep seeing people from the small Norwegian town on the mountain after they've been told there's a storm? All in all, a solid popcorn thriller that was different than the usual "is my husband secretly a killer?" books. The final showdown was ... le cringe, but again, popcorn thriller.

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This is a story where you don't really have a character you like, they are all selfish or vengeful to the exptreem. So as the story goes along and things start to happen, I'm not at all sadden but think it's getting to be a better world. I know, I'm depraved. The Hike centers on four friends who go on a trip together every year, with each friend taking a turn choosing where they go. This year it's Liz's turn, and she's chosen something different than the group's typical luxurious beach destinations: a four-day hike up and down a mountain deep in the Norwegian wilderness. As a doctor, Liz knows that walking does wonders for the body and mind, and she feels the need to clear her head in the midst of a crumbling marriage. But as soon as Liz, Helena, Maggie, and Joni arrive at the lodge, ready to start their journey, something feels indefinably off with the locals. And the friends are harboring secrets from each other, too, which will be exposed as they set off, isolated and vulnerable, into the Norwegian wilderness. There are some "Oh WTH" meoments and the ending is CARRRAZY, never thought the story would go in that direction for a minute. In all it was a good story, just not a psychological read like I was expecting.

In fact, none of them really get on with each other. There's a real spark of hate and distrust that flashes throughout the group, often covered by fake smiles and a little compassion, but more often than not, revealing itself in pointed remarks and insults, especially between the two sisters. Not one of these people are likeable, but they are all very well drawn. I'm fond of the obnoxious character and often think that they are far more interesting than the nice guys out there .... well, in fiction anyway!The best description I can come up with for my mind-bending experience I had with this book can be summed up in the words of Jerry Garcia: “What a long, strange trip it’s been.” I had initially agreed to review The Hike with no small amount of trepidation, fearing that it might be too “weird” for my tastes. Can you blame me, though? I don’t even how I’ll do my usual novel summary for this review, because pretty sure anything I say will sound like the mad ramblings of someone on a bad acid trip, but here goes nothing: The characters were so real. So weird. But no less real. I thought about never looking at crab legs the same way again, but eh, they're delicious. As the sun set, and we lit our fire, I still read through. This was a one day, almost one sitting read for me. Like a speeding train, it flew from scene to scene with a head spinning intensity making it not so much difficult to follow, but bringing it a little more into the reality of the character. Interwoven throughout the tale is short spurts of narrative from an unknown person, this adds a great deal of suspense and tension to the story. Who is following them? Why are they being followed? What does this mystery person know, or want?

Also, this book reinforced that sitting on your couch and reading about hiking is much better than actual hiking. The thought of wearing three-day old clothes and not showering is disturbing. I was barely surviving this weekend when the power went out for 13 hours LOL. Ain't no way I'm trekking through some unknown mountain eating dried food and shitting in the woods. I'm more of a beach gal LOL.What this isn't, even though it's written light and fast and funny, is a strictly light and fast and funny adventure. It's dark and it's soulful and it not only touches upon the idea of what Home is, but it also explores Determinism and its converse, transforming a crazy hike into a nearly spiritual exploration of The Path, whatever the path is. Our personal journey? Perhaps Journey? Regardless, it's so much more and it's a true delight to have read this. It's amazing how much Clarke was able to take on in The Hike. In short chapters from alternating viewpoints, she explores themes like marriage, motherhood, the complexities of female friendship, and drug addiction, while also telling a propulsive, suspenseful, atmospheric survival story. Each of the four friends at the center of this novel is thoughtfully crafted, with unique traits and viewpoints that made it easy to differentiate among them. Their internal conflicts and their conflicts with each other, even as they were dealing with the external challenge of being inexperienced hikers and potentially being stalked through the wilderness, made for a tense, engaging reading experience. To be fantasy, you must have magic. To have magic, you must have the mundane (that which is not magic). This book does not have the mundane. Therefore it does not have magic and is not fantasy; I would probably describe it as surrealist. Not a complaint, really, just an observation. We'll get to the complaints in a minute. I loved the idyllic Swiss Alps setting in this story. Somewhere so beautiful but can also be so dangerous. Cat, Ginny and their husbands aren’t experienced hikers but the route they take should be a fairly easy one. British author Lucy Clarke gifts her audience with a brand-new wilderness thriller, set in the beautiful but dangerous surrounds of Norway. As story of friendship, secrets, adventure, thrill seeking and underhanded deeds, The Hike is an adrenaline filled tale that I absorbed from the minute I opened this book to the last word.