The Hike: The Sunday Times bestseller and the perfect thriller novel to curl up with for winter

Lucy Clarke has such a way with words — she draws you in from the very first page and takes you on a journey full of twists, turns, and an ending you absolutely won’t see coming. The story starts off small and quiet, then gradually builds momentum until it completely takes hold of you. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. At times, I did find myself losing track of which character was which — though that’s probably just me and didn’t take away from the experience. Overall, another gripping, brilliantly written novel from Lucy Clarke. Highly recommend!

This is another solid read from Lucy Clarke. It's by no means a literary masterpiece, but it's a great popcorn thriller with an atmospheric setting and a very well considered cast of characters. I really like Lucy Clarke's writing - it flows effortlessly, and she has a real knack for summing up complex emotions and feelings with concise clarity; I regularly find myself thinking 'yes, that's exactly it!' The four women in this story are all very relatable in this way, except maybe Joni. Their back stories are well drawn and I really enjoyed spending time with them. The character arcs are strong, which makes the ending satisfying - although I was a little disappointed by the villain(s) and their motivations and actions. I raced through this book in a few days as it was so pacy and gripping. It's not this author's best work - my favourites of hers are You Let Me In, The Castaways, and Last Seen - but it's good. It's a little straightforward and formulaic, but it's an easy and gripping read.

Rating: 3.2/5 I was a little late coming to this latest offering from Lucy Clarke, given that it was published a few months ago. However, in true "famine or feast" style I have been making up for it by not only reading "The Hike" but also by watching "No Escape" on Paramount+ which is based on Lucy Clarke's novel, "The Blue". I enjoy Lucy Clarke's writing style. It is fluent and engaging and there is invariably a filmic quality to it that makes it no surprise that her work ends up being dramatised for the screen. As with her previous publications, "The Hike" could well be described as a "destination thriller" with this one being set in the well-portrayed setting of a fictional location in Norway. However, rather than an out and out thriller this, like a number of her previous novels, could well be described as a suspense mystery with significant elements of women's fiction blended into the mix. Events are recounted from the perspective of various key protagonists, but as always, Lucy Clarke does a fine job of ensuring that the characters have distinct and credible voices, so there are no issues with distinguishing one from another. The pace may be a little slow for some readers in the first half of the book, but it does pick up thereafter. Personally, I had no real issue with the more subdued tempo in the earlier stages as Lucy Clarke's writing style and sound characterisation is sufficiently engaging. Events in the closing chapters are somewhat more rushed and not always entirely convincing, which is a shame given the time and effort invested in the first half of the novel in setting the scene. However, much as I found this to be an enjoyable read, my biggest issue with "The Hike" is that it frequently struck me as being formulaic. The structure of the novel as a whole seemed to be following a pre-determined blueprint that Lucy Clarke has enjoyed success with previously. I would certainly happily recommend adding this book to to your reading list. - If you haven't read this author's work before then I am sure you will enjoy the experience. - If you have read Lucy Clarke previously, then you are still likely to enjoy it ... but there may well be a strong sense of déjà vu!

A real change of location for this talented writer. Norway really gives rein to her atmospheric descriptions. As usual with Lucy Clarke’s writing you come to expect well defined characters, The Hike doesn’t disappoint. The four friends in question are believable and their dialogue credible. I enjoyed the intrigue and twists built into their relationships. Lucy is really good at building up the tension, the mountain trails of Norway was an inspirational choice, kept me on the edge of my seat. Would make a great tv series too. If you are looking for a well developed thriller this is for you.

I would normally do a little 'about the book' here but I don't want to butcher what this one is about, and I think going into it knowing very little boosted my experience, so I'm just going to go straight into the review. Ok, this book is incredible. I don't read many thrillers/horrors anymore because of my anxiety and psychosis, but I love this one. From about a third of the way in, things got intense and I was on the edge of my seat. At 55% of the way in I actually had to take a break bc the book was stressing me out. And that being gripped ran right until the last pages. Brilliant. Although the characters were all flawed in their own ways, I found them all super likeable, which I think explains my stress when they were in danger - like 'noo pls don't hurt my babies' !! Honestly, the character development was excellent, and I couldn't have asked for better. I saw another review say, regarding the plot, 'tbh it was plotting' and honestly I think that sums it up perfectly. There was never a dull moment in this book. I loved every second of it. Thank you for getting me back into thrillers, @lucyclarke_author, I'm enjoying being back.

Great holiday read.

Whizzed through my first Lucy Clarke book. Lost a star as a little repetitive at times but overall good strong characters, storyline, twists and nail biting read right to the end.

Enjoy reading the get started you won't be sorry

This book is a roller coaster thriller set in the wilds of Norway. Apparently it's a destination thriller which doesn't make much sense to me as the destination is fictional. Does it mean it's a travelogue? Or does it mean it's set somewhere other than the protagonists' home town? Isn't every thriller a destination thriller? Unless it's set inside one building. It features four thirty something female childhood friends who have kept their friendship alive going to a different holiday location each year. This time it was GP Liz' turn to choose the destination. She wanted something more challenging. They got that alright but far more than they bargained for. In fact this book has put me off wild camping and hiking in Norway for life. It's hard to imagine that so many things could go wrong on a four day hike. Some of it is bad luck, some bad timing and some sheer negligence. Then there are the locals. The hikers certainly got more than they bargained for. The women all have significant neuroses which are significant in how they deal with their ordeal. I found it hard to believe intelligent women of this age could be so reckless and feckless. Regardless, it will keep you turning the page, possibly gasping several times. Perhaps it is over the top however it is a good story, even if a bit far fetched. The ending is a bit saccharine but it does release the tension.

I'm a fan of Lucy Clarke's work and her latest novel did not disappoint! I enjoyed the different point of views from each of the four characters. I was impressed by how distinct each voice was and how well crafted their distinct characters were. The story had me hooked from the first page and Lucy is able to give the reader a mental image of the stunning mountain landscapes. I've done my fair share of hiking and I got a real sense of how it felt being on the majestic Blafjell mountain in Norway. I feel as if I've been there without having to make the journey. Great escapism and adventure – a must read!

This was a solid, entertaining story with a great setting. I love wilderness locations, and this one had that, plus friendship drama and some sinister vibes as well. Short chapters told in five POV (all four friends plus a wilderness guide) made for fast reading. There were secrets and drama between the four friends that made for some tense moments, but about halfway through the book the story got darker and more survivalist. The ending was a bit of a shocker but seemed fitting for the story.

物語の登場人物は、高校時代からの親友女性4人組。30代になった今でも年に一度一緒に旅行に行く間柄。一見すると高校時代からの仲は変わらないように見えるが、大人になるに連れてそれぞれに事情を抱えるようになり、関係性も変化していく。 今回の旅行先はノルウェーの山。みんなで一緒に登山の計画をする。その登山中にさまざまなアクシデントが起こる。と言うのが大まかな流れ。 ページをめくるごとに何かしらの事件が起こるので、読んでいて飽きなかったのだが、最後が納得できず。納得できないと言うよりも、「なぜ、こういう終わり方にしたのだろう」という疑問が出てしまった。 私たちはみんな大人になる。見た目は確かに変わるんだけど、中身は見た目よりは変わってない。と、自分は思っている。いつまで経っても子供の時と同じようなことを考えていたり、悩んでいたり。4人もきっと同じなんじゃないかな、と思った。 ただ、いくら悩んでも、そこには必ず救いがあるべきだと思っていて、この物語には救いがないまま終わってしまったものがあるのが残念だった。だからこそ、余韻が残っているのかもしれないが。彼女たちはこの後どんな人生を送っていくのだろうか。

Although i am more than half way through this book. It has been a excellent storyline and worth the read. I will definitely be looking for more of Lucys books to read