REVIEWS

Carol Wilson

I am new to her books so was apprehensive at first. I read it whilst on holiday so could spend most days reading and thoroughly enjoyed the intrigue and twists and turns. The story developed quickly and I couldn’t put it down. It became quite emotional for me as I could relate to the long term friends and their experiences. I enjoyed how you were led down one calm route only to be then thrown down into a really scary one. It is well written and in modern terms so an easy read. I can’t wait to read more of her books. Well deserves to be in the top twenty best sellers.

Jo Funnell

The Hike is a book about friendships, betrayal and a secret to be kept at all costs. Set in England and Norway, with four key female characters. Each woman is introduced with a short insight to their back story, their relationships and motivations before they set off on their journey. Upon arrival in Norway their welcome is mixed with warnings about their planned route and mutterings about the Mountain being a place of ‘thinness’ between this realm and the next. This along with an unsolved local tragedy and concerns about weather conditions set the scene for their hike. The story then develops via a few dramatic twists and turns into a fast paced, tense thriller. The climax is well written and shocking. Overall an enjoyable read, a page turner with a plot that provided plenty to think about, it has encouraged me to read more books by Lucy Clarke.

Pat Ioizou

Friends since school, now adults with careers, partner’s, kids and “issues”, four female friends who have never done anything like it before go off on a trek in remote Norway - what could possibly go wrong? Pretty much everything as it turns out. I found the book slow to get going and characters tended to merge together, and I also got bored with too much detail into the preparation before the hike. The plot involving discovering a huge stash of cocaine in a cave with all the tents and gear simultaneously being destroyed by a landslide was a bit predictable as was the ending.

Bob Dinsmore

Some while back I was fortunate to receive an e-book by the same author entitled The Castaways, which I found most absorbing. When The Hike arrived through my letterbox recently, I was eager to delve into its pages, but for me the book was void of substance. It very quickly explained the characters being four women who all met at school went their various ways into differing professions, but on occasions would get together for a holiday. Usually, they would have a beach break enjoying the sun or a cultural experience of a European city. However, on this occasion Liz, a practicing GP, had engaged her team on to a hike into the wilds of Norway's mountain region, on a rigorous mindful exercise regime. A local hill farmer had advised them to be aware of changing weather patterns, and that their journey coincided with the first anniversary, of the mysterious loss of a young female trekker. Their paths entwined with two local brothers, one of whom was the boyfriend of said missing girl. The story twists and turns along with the paths through the woods in which they trekked. I have to say that although I persevered with the novel I was not captivated by the lack of depth to the story.

Vanessa Brown

I very much enjoyed this book. To begin with I was not sure about the extremely short chapters but once I got used to this, I realised they suited this particular story. The dynamics between the four women was interesting and totally believable. The tension gradually mounted through the story and the more I read the less I wanted to put the book down. There was a very good twist at the end.

Pauline Birch

This is the first book of Lucy Clarke’s that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it to the extent I have bought two more of her novels. I loved the characters of the book and the way she described the scenery was spectacular. The plot twisted and turned and had me wanting “just one more chapter” every single time I picked it up. I would recommend this book to anyone. Go out and buy it you will not be disappointed.

Jean Pardoe

I have not read any of Lucy Clarke's previous novels so started this with no preconceptions. I quite enjoyed the interesting enough plot concept, but the opening was too slow introducing the friends and their home issues. Then a rushed part as the four women travel to Norway and set out on their extremely ill-prepared hike. The arrival at the mountain lodge and the events of their first evening were unbelievable and odd. The random bathroom sex scene was a weird and unnecessary extra. The hike and problems on the journey were difficult to comprehend. Four successful women would not be so stupid and clueless. There were also gaps and inconsistencies in the narrative with the plot descending into a messy scenario. I found all the characters, male and female, had no depth, adhering to a two-dimensional, predictable formula. I had already guessed that the male characters were not as they seemed long before the conclusion. The struggles with the mountain and the elements were tense in parts and perhaps more emphasis on the actual hike would have been preferable to the otherwise ridiculous plot. This is probably my first and last Lucy Clarke adventure.

Lucinda McMurran

The Hike by Lucy Clarke was an enjoyable read. At its heart is a theme of journeys; an actual one in Norway and another of the personal kind for the four friends making a hiking trip in that country. As an integral part of the plot inspiring descriptions of Norway itself feature throughout the book. The story develops with the drama and feeling of tension building until the final denouement. A subtle thriller.