Into the Woods

by Rebecca Griffiths

Originally published under the title A Place to Lie.

A haunting tale of family secrets, betrayal, and the shadows of the past from the author of Little Girl Blue.

In the summer of 1990, young sisters Caroline and Joanna are sent to stay with their great aunt Dora in the idyllic Gloucestershire village of Witchwood. Still reeling from their father’s tragic death and their mother’s grief, Witchwood offers a welcome escape—but the shaded forest hides dark secrets that bring the sisters’ innocence to a distressing end. Caroline, volatile and longing for attention, becomes fixated on Dean Fry, the handsome local bad boy. When a body is found in the woods, the village becomes a cauldron of suspicion. Caroline’s false accusation of Dean sets off a chain of devastating consequences as her jealousy and need for validation spiral out of control.

Years later, Joanna is forced to confront the trauma of that childhood summer after Caroline’s sudden, mysterious death in London. Returning to Witchwood, Joanna seeks answers to her sister’s fear, and as she unravels long-buried secrets, she discovers she can trust few people—and that a menace still lurks in Witchwood.

What really happened that fateful summer? And will Joanna be able to survive the impending danger from those trying to bury the truth?

366 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 29, 2025

About the author

PRAISE FOR REBECCA GRIFFITHS:

'Twisty, atmospheric and elegantly written, it has echoes of Daphne du Maurier with its shivering paranoia, fear and dread.' The Daily Mail

'An increasingly tense narrative with stylish writing that keeps her a cut above most of her rivals' The Guardian

‘A chilling thriller . . . brilliantly written.’ The Sun

'Truly chilling.' Woman

‘There is something of the tenterhooks tension of a Daphne du Maurier to Rebecca Griffith’s dreamy and disturbing domestic thriller . . . Griffiths has a superb handle on her characters and their twisting motivations, spinning out a story of memory and long-term consequence that grips from cover to cover.’ Waterstones

'Tense, intriguing, with a satisfying twist.' The Western Mail

'Eerie and tense.' The Morning Star

'Gripping.' Hello

'Creepy.' Heat

Reviews

[Marissa (holdme.thrillme) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Rebecca Griffiths and I really enjoyed the experience! Tragedy strikes in a small village and the author skillfully set the scene for a multiple residents to be viewed by the reader as being suspicious. Ultimately, the ending was both satisfying and unexpected in a lot of ways!

[Eva Edge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Into the Woods by Rebecca Griffiths is an eerie and dark tale with an unexpected twist. And this is it, it felt like a dark fairytale mixed with a modern-day thriller.
The story itself was interesting, but I am not sure how I felt about the writing style. Even though I was interested to find out what was happening, most of the time I felt bored and couldn't wait for the end.

In 1990, the two sisters, Caroline and Joanna, were sent to stay with their Great Aunt Dora in Witchwood, a village in the Forest of Dean. Caroline and Joanna used to be as close as sisters can be until that summer. No one could guess that the events of that summer would haunt them forever.
The present days comes with a shocking turn of Caroline's tragic death, and Joanna is dedicated to finding out what really happened. She decided to return to Witchwood to uncover the mysteries of that horrific summer and come to terms with what happened in her great aunt's abandoned and run-down cottage. But who can she trust in her search for the truth? And will she be able to withstand the danger that those attempting to conceal the truth are about to pose?

The explosive end made up for the slow release of suspense with a massive secret being revealed on the last page.
This book had a lot of intriguing elements, including mysteries, darkness, and echoes of scary stories that haunt us long after we have outgrown our childhoods.

Thank you, Bloodhound Books, for this copy.

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do really enjoy stories who include scary woods (even more when people vanish or die in there), trauma, and people having to return to places they left behind for a reason to finally uncover the truth of an incident that has been hunting them for years. This book had all of this.

We follow the sisters Caroline and Joanna, who had to spend one summer in the village of Witchwood. This summer, a body was found in the woods, and Caroline accused Dean, a local bad boy, to be responsible for it...

Back in the present, Joanna has to face this all again when Caroline dies unexpectedly. Who or what was it that Caroline had been so scared of? Has it really been Dean who became a killer during this fatal summer? And what will uncovering the truth mean for Joanna herself?

This is the kind of book that keeps me up all night because I have to read it in one sitting! Very much recommended!

[Alison Cairns · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story set in two timelines. It begins with Caroline, terrified of something and when she does have to go out tragedy occurs. We meet her sister Joanna from whom she was estranged. The timeline flips to when the girls were 13 and 9, staying with their great aunt for a summer in the countryside. Tragedy is ever with the girls, their dad drowned and their mum has never got over it, hence sending them to stay with Aunt Dora. We see something terrible is going to happen that summer, the atmosphere builds up to it all through the book. Who will be responsible? There are several men in the village portrayed as "creepy". Eventually things come to a head in the present day and a decades old crime is solved. While I had guessed correctly, as the reveal was taking place I thought I was wrong. A well kept and revealed secret by the author. #bloodhoundbooks #intothewoods

[Jacqueline Moxon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping and tense novel about how a teenage crush can distort the truth and lead to devastating, and long lasting consequences. When a brutal crime is committed, two grieving sisters are close to the tragedy. One has lost her close friend, but the other enjoys the limelight as she throws suspicion onto a possible culprit. There are, indeed, several potential villains, as several of the local men appear “creepy” in Caroline’s over active and suspicious imagination. The story alternates between the past and the present, dropping subtle clues as the author explores and develops the very different characters. The reader is never quite sure whom to trust. The twists and turns continue to the very end, keeping the reader enthralled throughout. An excellent read.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is one that will keep you guessing until the end and you will never guess who did it, with so many possible suspects the book will make you feel you got it figure it out and then throw you a twists that will break your belief.
Very interesting book that shows that trauma and guilt in youth will accompany you throughout your life and will be the force that lead the way you live.
I always liked the way Rebecca Griffiths writes and this book is not the exception.

[Alison Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the way this book was told in the two different years and the way the author created the suspicion of so many of the characters. A lesson that what may seem like an innocent comment or fib from a child can lead to a lifetime of consequences. The only slight negative I had was the way the author repeated the same description a number of times in short passages. A brilliant read though.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about a story that will make you question just about everyone the character comes in contact with, this is it! I felt so bad for Caroline and what she was going through. Dora is by far the 'stronger' of the two. Nice work weaving the past and present together. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[Lisa reads alot Hamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of suspense and a dark and twisty tale.
I loved the 1990s feel to the book
A good thrilling read and would definitely read more from this author

[Fizzie Heseltine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another brilliant book from this author. A great crime mystery that leaves you guessing until the end. I look forward to reading more of her books