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Into the Woods
If you go into the woods, you're in for a dark surprise.
Thirty years ago, three girls followed a stranger into the woods. Only two returned. The surviving pair have never been able to remember what happened or what the fate of the third girl was. Local rumours talk of hippies and drugs and mystic rituals, but no one has learned the truth.
This story is just what Rowan Blake needs. He's in debt, his journalistic career is in tatters – as well as his damaged body – and he's retreated to the Lake District to write. Yet even Rowan isn't prepared for the evil he is about to unearth, for the secrets that have been buried in that wood for far too long...
Thirty years ago, three girls followed a stranger into the woods. Only two returned. The surviving pair have never been able to remember what happened or what the fate of the third girl was. Local rumours talk of hippies and drugs and mystic rituals, but no one has learned the truth.
This story is just what Rowan Blake needs. He's in debt, his journalistic career is in tatters – as well as his damaged body – and he's retreated to the Lake District to write. Yet even Rowan isn't prepared for the evil he is about to unearth, for the secrets that have been buried in that wood for far too long...
407 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 5, 2020
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218 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
December 11, 2020
David Mark continues his forays into the darkest sides of life with his latest slow burn of a mystery novel that ventures into horror territory. Rowan Blake is a washed up journalist, with ruined badly injured hands, convalescing alone in remote Bilberry Byre, being supported by eager and enthusiastic 12 year old Snowdrop, the daughter of hippie sister, Serendipity aka Dippy, once again coming to his rescue as his world collapses. A selfish and resentful man, he is desperate and in debt, having spent a publishing advance for two true crime books. His first, on serial killer Gary King, was critically acclaimed but a commercial disaster, and he has nothing when it come to the second, trying to avoid contact with his publishers, but time is running out. Snowdrop worships Rowan, even though he has a history of letting her down, she wants to be a journalist and pushes him into letting her help him work on his next true crime story.
Rowan begins to think there might be potential in looking into a local story, where 30 years ago, 3 girls, from the alternative new age Silver Birch Academy in Wasdale, went into the woods with a stranger but only 2 came out, their memories shot to pieces, with no real idea of what happened, left with remnants of troubling hallucinations caused by drugs. In a narrative that goes back and forth in time, we learn of Violet Sheehan, a girl with problems and a shadow side that bullies others, her relationship with best friend, Catherine Marlish, the daughter of a vicar, and her efforts through the years to bury deep what happened. However, in more recent times, Violet has been seeking to come to terms with her past and on a quest to recover those long lost memories of what happened but is currently travelling abroad. As Rowan chases a story that will put him in grave personal danger, he begins to suspect that all might not be as it appears, that Violet might once again be missing, in this creepy and horrifying tale of evil, that includes the practice of soul retrieval, travelling through the veil, efforts to locate a missing girl, a school healer who disappears, and deaths galore.
This is not a fast paced read but one to take your time over and savour with its wide ranging cast of offbeat and odd characters, such as Pickle with his 'decompression' sessions, the gentle Mr Sixpence, the school healer, retired police officer, now private investigator, Derek Millward and his reclusive protege, DCI Eve Cater, and when it comes to the wonderful Snowdrop, she just captured my heart. The novel drips heavily with its dense atmosphere of dread and menace, as a reader you are well aware nothing good is on the cards, and the weather descriptions simply echo the ominous feel. This is an intensely dark, complex and engaging mystery with a terrific sense of location, utterly riveting and compulsive reading. This book may not to be everybody's tastes, but I loved it, I think it will particularly appeal to those readers who love the author Phil Rickman as there are echoes of elements to be found in his writing. I cannot wait to see what David Mark comes up with next! Many thanks to Aria and Aries, and Head of Zeus for an ARC.
Rowan begins to think there might be potential in looking into a local story, where 30 years ago, 3 girls, from the alternative new age Silver Birch Academy in Wasdale, went into the woods with a stranger but only 2 came out, their memories shot to pieces, with no real idea of what happened, left with remnants of troubling hallucinations caused by drugs. In a narrative that goes back and forth in time, we learn of Violet Sheehan, a girl with problems and a shadow side that bullies others, her relationship with best friend, Catherine Marlish, the daughter of a vicar, and her efforts through the years to bury deep what happened. However, in more recent times, Violet has been seeking to come to terms with her past and on a quest to recover those long lost memories of what happened but is currently travelling abroad. As Rowan chases a story that will put him in grave personal danger, he begins to suspect that all might not be as it appears, that Violet might once again be missing, in this creepy and horrifying tale of evil, that includes the practice of soul retrieval, travelling through the veil, efforts to locate a missing girl, a school healer who disappears, and deaths galore.
This is not a fast paced read but one to take your time over and savour with its wide ranging cast of offbeat and odd characters, such as Pickle with his 'decompression' sessions, the gentle Mr Sixpence, the school healer, retired police officer, now private investigator, Derek Millward and his reclusive protege, DCI Eve Cater, and when it comes to the wonderful Snowdrop, she just captured my heart. The novel drips heavily with its dense atmosphere of dread and menace, as a reader you are well aware nothing good is on the cards, and the weather descriptions simply echo the ominous feel. This is an intensely dark, complex and engaging mystery with a terrific sense of location, utterly riveting and compulsive reading. This book may not to be everybody's tastes, but I loved it, I think it will particularly appeal to those readers who love the author Phil Rickman as there are echoes of elements to be found in his writing. I cannot wait to see what David Mark comes up with next! Many thanks to Aria and Aries, and Head of Zeus for an ARC.
January 11, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Thirty years ago, three school friends took a walk into the woods but only two girls came back. Their memories a jumble of hallucinations and twisted visions. There was chilling reasons why nobody looked for the missing girl. Now, disgraced investigator Rowan Blake will discover that in the remote and desolate Wasdale Valley, nothing stays buried forever.
This is the first instalment in the Lakeland trilogy. This is a dark, creepy and descriptively written book. There was some parts that seemed to drag out a bit though. The plotline is complex. This is a real slow burner but there's something intriguing about it. The pace does pick up. It's told in the present day and the past is told in flashbacks. I'm not sure if there was a proof reader for this book but if there was, i wouldn't use them again. There's a vast amount of spelling mistakes. Apart from those, i quite enjoyed the book.
i would like to thank #NetGalley, #Aria&Aries and the author #DavidMark for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thirty years ago, three school friends took a walk into the woods but only two girls came back. Their memories a jumble of hallucinations and twisted visions. There was chilling reasons why nobody looked for the missing girl. Now, disgraced investigator Rowan Blake will discover that in the remote and desolate Wasdale Valley, nothing stays buried forever.
This is the first instalment in the Lakeland trilogy. This is a dark, creepy and descriptively written book. There was some parts that seemed to drag out a bit though. The plotline is complex. This is a real slow burner but there's something intriguing about it. The pace does pick up. It's told in the present day and the past is told in flashbacks. I'm not sure if there was a proof reader for this book but if there was, i wouldn't use them again. There's a vast amount of spelling mistakes. Apart from those, i quite enjoyed the book.
i would like to thank #NetGalley, #Aria&Aries and the author #DavidMark for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 12, 2021
I only discovered David Mark's books this year (2021), and this is his 9th book I have read. He has rapidly become one of my favourite authors of thrillers with his exceptional prose, immersive descriptions, and his varied plots that are sometimes quite gruesome but riveting. I have been completely absorbed with his stories up to now. Something went wrong for me with this one. I found it hard to believe that I was reading a thriller by David Mark that failed to thrill me. I struggled with the book, giving up on page 200 as I lacked interest in the storyline or its characters.
I regret that I found the story slow, disjointed, and meandering. I was finding myself bored in both of its timelines. The story is based on past events that occurred in 1991. Three young girls were from an exclusive alternative boarding school with a holistic approach to education. They went into the woods, and only two returned, their memories erased and replaced by partial hallucinations from psychedelic drugs. There were rumours of ritualistic, mystic practices and cultish gatherings in the woods. Beliefs included shamanism, soul retrieval, travelling through the veil, and spiritual energy. The groundskeeper for the school was said to be a shaman who acted as a counsellor and healer for troubled youth. He vanished at about the same time the girls were in the woods. I did not feel that burdening some quirky characters with weird names made them any more intriguing.
In the present time, thirty years later, Rowan Blake is a failed journalist with painful, badly burned hands. He is convalescing in a cabin on his hippie sister's property. He had written one book about a serial killer that was a critical but not a commercial success. He has already wasted the money from that book plus an advance for a second book and is broke. He is disabled from his hands being wound with thick bandages, and his 12-year-old niece assists him. The deadline is approaching for his next book. Time is running out, and he has not come up with any ideas and is avoiding the publishers. His niece is enthusiastic about journalism and encourages Rowan to investigate the case of the schoolgirls who went missing thirty years ago. Writing that book would restore his reputation with a surefire bestseller, and she wants partial credit. Rowan will put himself in danger while uncovering buried secrets that should have remained buried.
As much as I have loved David Mark's writing, I never connected with this storyline. Prospective readers should not be dissuaded by my review, as there are many positive reviews and ratings for this book. This is planned as the first of a trilogy I intend to skip. I am eagerly awaiting anything else he writes.
I regret that I found the story slow, disjointed, and meandering. I was finding myself bored in both of its timelines. The story is based on past events that occurred in 1991. Three young girls were from an exclusive alternative boarding school with a holistic approach to education. They went into the woods, and only two returned, their memories erased and replaced by partial hallucinations from psychedelic drugs. There were rumours of ritualistic, mystic practices and cultish gatherings in the woods. Beliefs included shamanism, soul retrieval, travelling through the veil, and spiritual energy. The groundskeeper for the school was said to be a shaman who acted as a counsellor and healer for troubled youth. He vanished at about the same time the girls were in the woods. I did not feel that burdening some quirky characters with weird names made them any more intriguing.
In the present time, thirty years later, Rowan Blake is a failed journalist with painful, badly burned hands. He is convalescing in a cabin on his hippie sister's property. He had written one book about a serial killer that was a critical but not a commercial success. He has already wasted the money from that book plus an advance for a second book and is broke. He is disabled from his hands being wound with thick bandages, and his 12-year-old niece assists him. The deadline is approaching for his next book. Time is running out, and he has not come up with any ideas and is avoiding the publishers. His niece is enthusiastic about journalism and encourages Rowan to investigate the case of the schoolgirls who went missing thirty years ago. Writing that book would restore his reputation with a surefire bestseller, and she wants partial credit. Rowan will put himself in danger while uncovering buried secrets that should have remained buried.
As much as I have loved David Mark's writing, I never connected with this storyline. Prospective readers should not be dissuaded by my review, as there are many positive reviews and ratings for this book. This is planned as the first of a trilogy I intend to skip. I am eagerly awaiting anything else he writes.
December 6, 2020
This is a tricky review to write because I’m still not quite sure how I felt about this book. I mainly liked it but I thought it belaboured some things too much. It was (almost) creepy which I did like but it still didn’t creep me out. Rowan Blake is a has-been writer. He’s written one true crime book which was a critical success but a commercial failure. In deciding to focus on writing books he has let a lot of other opportunities slip. And when shocking injuries to his hands hamper his ability to write he turns to his big sister, Serendipity, who is always ready to rescue him. She puts him up in a crude cottage off the beaten track and makes her young daughter, Snowflake, available to help act as her uncle’s hands.
But Snowflake has other ideas and eggs him on to find a story and research it, she thinks of herself as a cub reporter. To be fair, she is quite helpful to him. Rowan soon zeroes in on a story about 3 teenagers who disappeared from a local “alternative” school in 1991. Two girls returned but still claim they can’t remember what happened during the 3 days or so they were missing. The third girl is virtually never spoken of again. It’s all very mysterious. There’s also talk of a boy who was at that school before the girl’s time who was totally off the rails and “evil”. No one seems to know where or how he is either.
The book details Rowan’s search for answers which was interesting but I got tired of his constant uncertainty about his life, his writing, his “goodness” or otherwise. He is portrayed as a bit of a lad who just can’t help “colouring outside the lines”. I’m getting sick of this line of thinking which is often used to excuse inexcusable behaviour by men - boys will be boys, it was just a joke, he didn’t mean any harm, he’s basically a good bloke who made a mistake - blah blah. Guys - grow up! The dialogue was initially entertaining but then I wearied of it, nothing was ever serious for Rowan. Until he nearly loses his life! And I did think the book could have been creepier. Nevertheless I was keen to see how it all turned out. This will appeal to those who like ‘mild’ horror or dark thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley, Aria and Aries and David Mark for providing a copy for me to review. My opinion is my own. 3.5 stars rounded up.
But Snowflake has other ideas and eggs him on to find a story and research it, she thinks of herself as a cub reporter. To be fair, she is quite helpful to him. Rowan soon zeroes in on a story about 3 teenagers who disappeared from a local “alternative” school in 1991. Two girls returned but still claim they can’t remember what happened during the 3 days or so they were missing. The third girl is virtually never spoken of again. It’s all very mysterious. There’s also talk of a boy who was at that school before the girl’s time who was totally off the rails and “evil”. No one seems to know where or how he is either.
The book details Rowan’s search for answers which was interesting but I got tired of his constant uncertainty about his life, his writing, his “goodness” or otherwise. He is portrayed as a bit of a lad who just can’t help “colouring outside the lines”. I’m getting sick of this line of thinking which is often used to excuse inexcusable behaviour by men - boys will be boys, it was just a joke, he didn’t mean any harm, he’s basically a good bloke who made a mistake - blah blah. Guys - grow up! The dialogue was initially entertaining but then I wearied of it, nothing was ever serious for Rowan. Until he nearly loses his life! And I did think the book could have been creepier. Nevertheless I was keen to see how it all turned out. This will appeal to those who like ‘mild’ horror or dark thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley, Aria and Aries and David Mark for providing a copy for me to review. My opinion is my own. 3.5 stars rounded up.
December 27, 2020
Rowan Blake, a journalist/true-crime writer, rapidly approaches the deadline for his next book without having put a word on paper. Worse is that he doesn’t have a clue what the subject of that book will be. The unfortunate writer is temporarily handicapped because both his hands are incapacitated and kept in big bandages and gloves to protect his skin grafts. Why, when or how he was injured isn’t revealed but I’ve got the impression that his hands were burned with a scalding liquid because some neo-Nazi disagreed with something he wrote. For now, he’s staying in a small holiday home in the Lake District that’s owned by his sister. His young cousin Snowdrop is looking after him. Rowan hears a story about 3 young teenagers that went into the woods 30 years ago and apparently only 2 of them returned. The girls followed a charismatic busker who got them stoned, drunk and made them drink a mysterious brew. After that, they don’t remember anything. But recently Violet started to remember bits and pieces and wanted to find the missing girl, Freya. Now, Violet seems to be on a soul-seeking trip to the Himalaya’s but hasn’t been in touch with her friends or posted any pictures of herself. The deeper Rowan delves into the story, the more mysterious elements turn up. Snowdrop who’s eager to become a journalist assists him in his research.
This book starts out like a light, rather humorous story but becomes darker and darker as it progresses. We meet a lot of pleasant, quirky, engaging characters. Starting out with his sister and her daughter, there aren’t many ordinary or average citizens in this particular corner of the world. Especially Pickle and Mr Sixpence took a place in my heart. But niece Snowdrop is a nice girl as well.
There’s a lot of humorous banter going on as well as one-liners like; I never saw a newspaper headline “nothing happened yesterday.” That sort of wordplay is needed to lighten up the mood of an otherwise tragic and dark story.
There’s a dual timeline in this book. One part is set in the here and now, where Rowan does his research. The second part is the story of events leading up to the disappearance of the girls. So, the reader knows a lot more than the journalist. But the assumptions you make upon that incomplete information may be only half of the truth.
I’m not sure how to label this book, as it contains elements of several genres from whodunit, to paranormal and horror. It is a complex tale of dark and creepy secrets, murders, missing people, shamanism, misguided or corrupt police officers, and a journalist trying to re-establish himself by making sense of it all. You also ask yourself if the things that the girls experience and see are drug-induced, a mental illness, or genuine extra sensory perceptions. It definitely can be the start of an interesting series that I like to follow.
I thank Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the free ARC they provided and this is an honest and unbiased review of it. I requested it after reading the review of my GR friend Paromjit, wherefore thanks.
This book starts out like a light, rather humorous story but becomes darker and darker as it progresses. We meet a lot of pleasant, quirky, engaging characters. Starting out with his sister and her daughter, there aren’t many ordinary or average citizens in this particular corner of the world. Especially Pickle and Mr Sixpence took a place in my heart. But niece Snowdrop is a nice girl as well.
There’s a lot of humorous banter going on as well as one-liners like; I never saw a newspaper headline “nothing happened yesterday.” That sort of wordplay is needed to lighten up the mood of an otherwise tragic and dark story.
There’s a dual timeline in this book. One part is set in the here and now, where Rowan does his research. The second part is the story of events leading up to the disappearance of the girls. So, the reader knows a lot more than the journalist. But the assumptions you make upon that incomplete information may be only half of the truth.
I’m not sure how to label this book, as it contains elements of several genres from whodunit, to paranormal and horror. It is a complex tale of dark and creepy secrets, murders, missing people, shamanism, misguided or corrupt police officers, and a journalist trying to re-establish himself by making sense of it all. You also ask yourself if the things that the girls experience and see are drug-induced, a mental illness, or genuine extra sensory perceptions. It definitely can be the start of an interesting series that I like to follow.
I thank Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the free ARC they provided and this is an honest and unbiased review of it. I requested it after reading the review of my GR friend Paromjit, wherefore thanks.
July 27, 2021
“You’re in for a dark surprise”
Dark Surprise! That doesn’t even begin to describe what’s going on in this small corner of The Lake District and beyond!
Getting my thought processes into logic mode was quite difficult for this book, so you do need to read my review in its entirety, as my emotions and thoughts were so mixed.
There was a good strong beginning to this deeply disturbing book, and a rather satisfying and hopeful conclusion. However whilst the unique storyline definitely sucked me in completely, messed with my head until I had no idea which day of the week it was, then spat me out and left me to get on with picking up the broken pieces of my mind and senses, I felt that I wasn’t able to engage with it in the way I had hoped for, and anticipated. However that was totally my problem, as the plot was just so dark and twisted, as to be delving into the realms of horror/fantasy/ supernatural on occasion, making one or two scenes quite difficult to connect with, for me personally. I actually felt a little cheated that it didn’t quite achieve its full potential for me, as if it had, then I believe that the bits of me it had already left for broken, would have been totally destroyed to the point of being irreparable, such was the power and quality of the narrative and dialogue. For me personally, I think that some of the problem rested with the rather lengthy chapter headings, which left me slightly unsure and confused about where I was in the timeline at any given moment, thus making the storyline rather disjointed and not as fluid as I would have liked.
The author’s totally immersive and highly visually descriptive narrative has a terrific sense of location, which had me mesmerised, as I became drawn into this forbidding landscape, although I’m not sure that as an ‘armchair traveller’, David’s honest observations really endeared me to the area, and they certainly wouldn’t have been included in any reputable travel brochure! However they set the scene for this story, in an unimaginably powerful and atmospheric way.
This unconventional, multi-layered, intensely disquieting storyline, evoked and stirred so many emotions, all of which kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. So adroitly was I manipulated, that at times I found myself becoming unfathomably angry by certain turns of events, causing me to have to pause and remind myself that this was a work of fiction, although oftentimes fact is indeed stranger than fiction! Is this display of drink and drug fuelled, ritualistic and menacing depravity, really so far removed from the reality of 20th/21st Century life as we think we know it, albeit that we strive to hide our perverted mores and proclivities; or is there simply a sickening reality in this chain of corruption and denial amongst authority? This is definitely not a story to relax and escape into, as the rich atmosphere which David weaves around events, is not conducive to putting the reader at ease in any way, although it is far too compelling and gripping to let it slip through your fingers and close the pages on it. This is most definitely not a journey to be rushed through, but is one which needs time taken to savour all the nuances and I felt as though I was right at the heart of the action, albeit that the dots didn’t always quite join up.
David introduced me to an equally unconventional multi-faceted cast of characters, to whom applying the epithet ‘quirky’, doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. I was up close and personal with some of the strangest, most dysfunctional and often downright frightening individuals I am ever going to meet between the pages of a book. In fact they are a group which I would be running to get away from under any normal circumstances, although the story really would be nothing without them! They were drawn and defined with great complexity, then brought to life with complete confidence and total authority by an author who can obviously visualise and hear them all in full and glorious 3D, long before he commits pen to paper. This seems to be the community which time forgot, as this disparate and eclectic mix of bohemian, hippy and ‘otherworldly’ figures, trance their way through an existence which is far removed from contemporary normality. None of them are easy to connect with or invest in, with character dynamics and synergy, or coherent and intelligent conversational dialogue, being almost non-existent. Nonetheless, David has managed to really get under the skin of his cast and give them an unconventional form of life, giving them a physical appearance which you only have to shut your eyes to visualise and some ‘off the wall’ dialogue imbued with just the right level of unintentional wit and sarcasm, so as to make them stand out from the crowd, from time to time. The most forthright of the characters, is definitely disgraced journalist and would be author, Rowan. Alcohol, drugs and some ‘necessary’ violent and unscrupulous dealings, which have gone badly wrong, have seen him fall on hard times and his cynicism is clearly on display for all to see, as he is determined to make a story out of what he thinks is nothing, in order to fulfil his obligations and pay his debts.
As the author previously spent some fifteen years in journalism, many of those as a crime reporter, before wielding his pen in an entirely new direction, to forge a path for himself in fictional crime writing, he is clearly operating in an area which he knows all too well first-hand. But there is where I hope the similarities between himself and the dour Rowan end!
In my opinion, it is certainly a real understatement to say that this book might take each reader on a totally unique and individual journey, as it is more or less definitely guaranteed to do that!!
Dark Surprise! That doesn’t even begin to describe what’s going on in this small corner of The Lake District and beyond!
Getting my thought processes into logic mode was quite difficult for this book, so you do need to read my review in its entirety, as my emotions and thoughts were so mixed.
There was a good strong beginning to this deeply disturbing book, and a rather satisfying and hopeful conclusion. However whilst the unique storyline definitely sucked me in completely, messed with my head until I had no idea which day of the week it was, then spat me out and left me to get on with picking up the broken pieces of my mind and senses, I felt that I wasn’t able to engage with it in the way I had hoped for, and anticipated. However that was totally my problem, as the plot was just so dark and twisted, as to be delving into the realms of horror/fantasy/ supernatural on occasion, making one or two scenes quite difficult to connect with, for me personally. I actually felt a little cheated that it didn’t quite achieve its full potential for me, as if it had, then I believe that the bits of me it had already left for broken, would have been totally destroyed to the point of being irreparable, such was the power and quality of the narrative and dialogue. For me personally, I think that some of the problem rested with the rather lengthy chapter headings, which left me slightly unsure and confused about where I was in the timeline at any given moment, thus making the storyline rather disjointed and not as fluid as I would have liked.
The author’s totally immersive and highly visually descriptive narrative has a terrific sense of location, which had me mesmerised, as I became drawn into this forbidding landscape, although I’m not sure that as an ‘armchair traveller’, David’s honest observations really endeared me to the area, and they certainly wouldn’t have been included in any reputable travel brochure! However they set the scene for this story, in an unimaginably powerful and atmospheric way.
This unconventional, multi-layered, intensely disquieting storyline, evoked and stirred so many emotions, all of which kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. So adroitly was I manipulated, that at times I found myself becoming unfathomably angry by certain turns of events, causing me to have to pause and remind myself that this was a work of fiction, although oftentimes fact is indeed stranger than fiction! Is this display of drink and drug fuelled, ritualistic and menacing depravity, really so far removed from the reality of 20th/21st Century life as we think we know it, albeit that we strive to hide our perverted mores and proclivities; or is there simply a sickening reality in this chain of corruption and denial amongst authority? This is definitely not a story to relax and escape into, as the rich atmosphere which David weaves around events, is not conducive to putting the reader at ease in any way, although it is far too compelling and gripping to let it slip through your fingers and close the pages on it. This is most definitely not a journey to be rushed through, but is one which needs time taken to savour all the nuances and I felt as though I was right at the heart of the action, albeit that the dots didn’t always quite join up.
David introduced me to an equally unconventional multi-faceted cast of characters, to whom applying the epithet ‘quirky’, doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. I was up close and personal with some of the strangest, most dysfunctional and often downright frightening individuals I am ever going to meet between the pages of a book. In fact they are a group which I would be running to get away from under any normal circumstances, although the story really would be nothing without them! They were drawn and defined with great complexity, then brought to life with complete confidence and total authority by an author who can obviously visualise and hear them all in full and glorious 3D, long before he commits pen to paper. This seems to be the community which time forgot, as this disparate and eclectic mix of bohemian, hippy and ‘otherworldly’ figures, trance their way through an existence which is far removed from contemporary normality. None of them are easy to connect with or invest in, with character dynamics and synergy, or coherent and intelligent conversational dialogue, being almost non-existent. Nonetheless, David has managed to really get under the skin of his cast and give them an unconventional form of life, giving them a physical appearance which you only have to shut your eyes to visualise and some ‘off the wall’ dialogue imbued with just the right level of unintentional wit and sarcasm, so as to make them stand out from the crowd, from time to time. The most forthright of the characters, is definitely disgraced journalist and would be author, Rowan. Alcohol, drugs and some ‘necessary’ violent and unscrupulous dealings, which have gone badly wrong, have seen him fall on hard times and his cynicism is clearly on display for all to see, as he is determined to make a story out of what he thinks is nothing, in order to fulfil his obligations and pay his debts.
As the author previously spent some fifteen years in journalism, many of those as a crime reporter, before wielding his pen in an entirely new direction, to forge a path for himself in fictional crime writing, he is clearly operating in an area which he knows all too well first-hand. But there is where I hope the similarities between himself and the dour Rowan end!
In my opinion, it is certainly a real understatement to say that this book might take each reader on a totally unique and individual journey, as it is more or less definitely guaranteed to do that!!
November 22, 2020
I'm a big fan of David Mark and enjoyed most of the books in his Aector McAvoy series (not that I didn't like the others, I just haven't read them yet). In this series David Mark has a very distinctive voice.
The first thing I noticed when reading Into the Woods was that David Mark uses a different voice to tell this intriguing and sometimes confusing story. Character Rowan Blake, a journalist with lots of issues among which the fact that he cannot use his hands at all, is not always likable but why should the main character always be likable? Another important character is his niece Snowdrop, daughter of his hippy sister and her businesswoman wife. Snowdrop is twelve going on thirty and she is great. She really believes in Rowan and that's what he needs when he picks up stories about missing girls, a hippy school, tales of missing people and the police not doing enough.
Once Rowan learns more, he is adamant he needs this story to save his career. It will cost him dearly but it will learn him lots about himself.
There are many interesting characters and even the weather plays a big role. This story is gloomy, the weather is gloomy and most characters are gloomy.
Reading this book was a whole new experience; sometimes I had to stop and think about what I've just read. There is more than just the words on the page.
Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for this digital review copy.
The first thing I noticed when reading Into the Woods was that David Mark uses a different voice to tell this intriguing and sometimes confusing story. Character Rowan Blake, a journalist with lots of issues among which the fact that he cannot use his hands at all, is not always likable but why should the main character always be likable? Another important character is his niece Snowdrop, daughter of his hippy sister and her businesswoman wife. Snowdrop is twelve going on thirty and she is great. She really believes in Rowan and that's what he needs when he picks up stories about missing girls, a hippy school, tales of missing people and the police not doing enough.
Once Rowan learns more, he is adamant he needs this story to save his career. It will cost him dearly but it will learn him lots about himself.
There are many interesting characters and even the weather plays a big role. This story is gloomy, the weather is gloomy and most characters are gloomy.
Reading this book was a whole new experience; sometimes I had to stop and think about what I've just read. There is more than just the words on the page.
Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for this digital review copy.
February 24, 2020
My reading experience was ruined by this book’s extreme need for editing and proofreading. I would hazard a guess that there were 100 instances of spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation errors, and name and gender mixups. Definitely not ready for prime time, but I did finish the book. I think this one was just too weird for my tastes. It’s labeled as the first in a trilogy. I would have to know which characters continue before I picked up the second book.
January 30, 2021
This one was just okay for me. And I honestly am not sure why. It has all the elements I usually love in a mystery novel, but I struggled to stay interested throughout. You can't love every book, right?
**ARC Via NetGalley**
**ARC Via NetGalley**
January 25, 2021
Thirty years ago, three young girls followed a stranger into the woods. Only two of them returned ... but without any memory of where they've been or what happened to them. Lots of conspiracy theories were tossed around, but nothing concrete was ever developed.
Rowan Blake used to be a fine journalist, but times have been hard. He's in debt, has no job, and is recovering from having skin grafts on his hands. He's moved in with his sister and her daughter to recuperate.
When he hears that one of the returned girls lives right where he is, he starts thinking about a story. Maybe something that will turn his luck around.
But Rowan isn't prepared for the truth ... the secrets that have been buried in the woods for thirty years .....
This is a rather slow-paced plot, complex, but having some really unique characters ..mostly Rowan's daughter and the sometimes quirky residents. There are some twists and turns that might challenge credibility ... and the ending lacked the excitement I was looking for. I have read this author before .. this one is not his best.
Many thanks to the author / Aria & Aria / Netgalley for the digital copy of this mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
November 6, 2020
An unconventional school, a hippy caretaker of the grounds, three odd friends who walked into the woods, but only two came out. Bloody, bruised, incoherent, and with no recollection of what happened. The case was closed without proper investigation, but one journalist is willing to go into the depths of the woods to find out what really happened all those years ago.
A missing kid, cults, old rituals, and weird practices, what’s not to like?! This was so epically good, and I loved it. Layers upon layers of story and just so exceptionally well-written I was in awe! Gripping, captivating, and all the related synonyms, I just did not want to put it down. I’m not a fan of supernatural thrillers, but this was so well-done, none of it was unbelievable.
It’s just a tad bit slow in the start but once it picked up, it was great. Very creepy and chilling throughout, and with just the right amount of slightly light tones to cut through it. The ending was great too, a perfect end to the supernatural part of the story. Initially, I felt a little dissatisfied and wanted more answers but the more I think about it the more it makes sense. It couldn’t have been better imo. If cults and ancient practices are your thing, absolutely recommended!
I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley, authors, and publishers. All opinions are my own. Pub date Jan 21st, 2021.
A missing kid, cults, old rituals, and weird practices, what’s not to like?! This was so epically good, and I loved it. Layers upon layers of story and just so exceptionally well-written I was in awe! Gripping, captivating, and all the related synonyms, I just did not want to put it down. I’m not a fan of supernatural thrillers, but this was so well-done, none of it was unbelievable.
It’s just a tad bit slow in the start but once it picked up, it was great. Very creepy and chilling throughout, and with just the right amount of slightly light tones to cut through it. The ending was great too, a perfect end to the supernatural part of the story. Initially, I felt a little dissatisfied and wanted more answers but the more I think about it the more it makes sense. It couldn’t have been better imo. If cults and ancient practices are your thing, absolutely recommended!
I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley, authors, and publishers. All opinions are my own. Pub date Jan 21st, 2021.
April 8, 2021
This story had great potential but I just couldn't get into it. It centers on Rowan, a reporter who wrote a book that was not super successful and is now on the hook for a 2nd book, of which he has no idea how to start. While staying with his sister, he stumbles onto a story from 30 years ago where 3 teenage girls from an alternative boarding school go into the woods; only 2 come back and they can't remember what happened. You also get flashbacks told from the perspective of Violet, one of the 3 teenagers, leading up the time of the event.
Firstly, I had a hard time connecting with the characters- there were a lot of them and most didn't seem like people I have ever come into contact with in my life. I found Rowan himself to be likeable in a self-deprecating kind of way, though. The other issue I had with the book is that the writing is lyrical, but that often meant long explanations for simple things and a meandering way of story-telling which frankly just bored me in many places.
The mystery itself hints at ritualistic behaviors, which isn't an area I know much about but didn't turn me off. I did have a good idea of what was really happening, which turned out to be true at the end.
Overall, this just wasn't the book for me. I think if it was shorter and more concise, it would have been more engaging to me, but I still don't know that I could've related to any of these characters. The writing is beautiful for those who prioritize that piece over the things that I care about most. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Firstly, I had a hard time connecting with the characters- there were a lot of them and most didn't seem like people I have ever come into contact with in my life. I found Rowan himself to be likeable in a self-deprecating kind of way, though. The other issue I had with the book is that the writing is lyrical, but that often meant long explanations for simple things and a meandering way of story-telling which frankly just bored me in many places.
The mystery itself hints at ritualistic behaviors, which isn't an area I know much about but didn't turn me off. I did have a good idea of what was really happening, which turned out to be true at the end.
Overall, this just wasn't the book for me. I think if it was shorter and more concise, it would have been more engaging to me, but I still don't know that I could've related to any of these characters. The writing is beautiful for those who prioritize that piece over the things that I care about most. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 13, 2020
Rowan wrote a true crime novel - celebrated by the critics, but a commercial flop. An online troll targets Rowan and causes massive damage to his hands.
Rowan moves in with his sister, her wife and daughter for convalescence. He hears a story about three young teenage girls disappear into the woods - found days later. Rowan smells a story.
The narrative is Rowan struggling to heal, combating alcoholism, despair and self loathing. It also flashes back to the 1980s, when Violet and Catherine were students at the new age school Silver Birch.
It is a long book - could crop some repetitive areas, etc. I liked the twists. Rowan's drive to discover what was hidden, his budding relationship with his niece, Snowdrop, his reconnecting with family and determining who he wants to be. Intriguing mystery.
Rowan moves in with his sister, her wife and daughter for convalescence. He hears a story about three young teenage girls disappear into the woods - found days later. Rowan smells a story.
The narrative is Rowan struggling to heal, combating alcoholism, despair and self loathing. It also flashes back to the 1980s, when Violet and Catherine were students at the new age school Silver Birch.
It is a long book - could crop some repetitive areas, etc. I liked the twists. Rowan's drive to discover what was hidden, his budding relationship with his niece, Snowdrop, his reconnecting with family and determining who he wants to be. Intriguing mystery.
April 17, 2020
It pains me to give a low rating to a book by David Mark,one of my favourite authors-an extra star because of that- but the story just isn´t good.The writing´s great,because Mark excels at words, but there´s not much flesh in the plot which at times gets disjointed.A couple of things are left unexplained.Hope this trilogy gets better.The lack of proof reading doesn't help.
December 15, 2021
First of all I won't be officially rating this because I just don't think it's fair , due to the fact that I only read a few pages . ( It's definitely a one star tho 😂)
Second there was just some weird crap which I am going to leave here as a warning . It just made me feel sick . I read creepy stuff,but what little I read made me feel sick . Also be forewarned that I am going to show you the amount of language when the character first speaks . I will censor it though .
Page one first paragraph of the prologue ;
"The girl is beginning to return. She takes possession of her own unconscious skin as if wriggling into a wetsuit. Graceless, she slithers her way into fleshy cul-de-sacs and dead ends. She comes to life as if somebody were blowing air into a deflated rubber doll."
What in the wha- I almost threw down my phone at that point . 😖
Then she remembers what happened her and her friends meet some dude in the forest . They drink some strange liquid he gives them . It seems like some weird cult ritual thing . 🙅 *Y'all need Jesus *It's hard to tell what parts she is remembering and which she is seeing in the present .
Chapter one ;
This is from the POV of someone I think was a reporter or something . Here are the first words out of his mouth , Keep in mind that hes talking to a bird ;
‘You’re s**t! You’re a s**t f*****g singer. Your parents are embarrassed; your kids won’t admit they know you! You’re a s**t bird in a s**t nest. And that’s a s**t f*****g tree!’
I don't feel as bad about the dialogue that I write now . 😂😂
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me this book in exchange for a very honest review . All opinions are definitely my own .
Second there was just some weird crap which I am going to leave here as a warning . It just made me feel sick . I read creepy stuff,but what little I read made me feel sick . Also be forewarned that I am going to show you the amount of language when the character first speaks . I will censor it though .
Page one first paragraph of the prologue ;
"The girl is beginning to return. She takes possession of her own unconscious skin as if wriggling into a wetsuit. Graceless, she slithers her way into fleshy cul-de-sacs and dead ends. She comes to life as if somebody were blowing air into a deflated rubber doll."
What in the wha- I almost threw down my phone at that point . 😖
Then she remembers what happened her and her friends meet some dude in the forest . They drink some strange liquid he gives them . It seems like some weird cult ritual thing . 🙅 *Y'all need Jesus *It's hard to tell what parts she is remembering and which she is seeing in the present .
Chapter one ;
This is from the POV of someone I think was a reporter or something . Here are the first words out of his mouth , Keep in mind that hes talking to a bird ;
‘You’re s**t! You’re a s**t f*****g singer. Your parents are embarrassed; your kids won’t admit they know you! You’re a s**t bird in a s**t nest. And that’s a s**t f*****g tree!’
I don't feel as bad about the dialogue that I write now . 😂😂
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me this book in exchange for a very honest review . All opinions are definitely my own .
June 29, 2022
I read this book whilst on holiday and at times, scared the daylights out of myself. The insidious, creepy descriptions of the woods made the hairs on my arms rise, I had to glance up and remind myself that I was actually sitting in the Corfu sun and not in the depths of dark, damp woodland.
Mark writes evocative and captivating descriptions of landscape, and Into The Woods contains such memorable depictions of Cumbria, not only the environment, but the small community and the people within.
Rowan Blake is an unusual, intriguing and strangely likeable character. He's a writer who had success with his true-crime book, but has struggled ever since to come up with a new story. His publisher is on his back and the tools of his trade (his hands) are bandaged after a run-in with a reader. Taking refuge in his sister's cottage in the Lakes he discovers a local story that could just be what he needs to resurrect his failing career.
Rowan is determined to find out what really happened all those years ago, when three girls went into the woods and one didn't return. Ably assisted by his enthusiastic niece Snowdrop, he starts his own investigates. Rowan doesn't always go by the book though and finds himself in some awkward situations.
This is a crime thriller with a touch of horror, incorporating issues around shamanism and looking at how some events can be brushed under the table if the people involved are important enough.
Merging the modern, by using social media, and the ancient, with the woodland fables and beliefs and packed with characters who are quirky, both in name and nature, this is a novel of complexity and intelligence that certainly kept me on my toes.
Mark writes evocative and captivating descriptions of landscape, and Into The Woods contains such memorable depictions of Cumbria, not only the environment, but the small community and the people within.
Rowan Blake is an unusual, intriguing and strangely likeable character. He's a writer who had success with his true-crime book, but has struggled ever since to come up with a new story. His publisher is on his back and the tools of his trade (his hands) are bandaged after a run-in with a reader. Taking refuge in his sister's cottage in the Lakes he discovers a local story that could just be what he needs to resurrect his failing career.
Rowan is determined to find out what really happened all those years ago, when three girls went into the woods and one didn't return. Ably assisted by his enthusiastic niece Snowdrop, he starts his own investigates. Rowan doesn't always go by the book though and finds himself in some awkward situations.
This is a crime thriller with a touch of horror, incorporating issues around shamanism and looking at how some events can be brushed under the table if the people involved are important enough.
Merging the modern, by using social media, and the ancient, with the woodland fables and beliefs and packed with characters who are quirky, both in name and nature, this is a novel of complexity and intelligence that certainly kept me on my toes.
January 12, 2021
Rowan is an author with badly injured hands. That's a problem when your hands are your livelihood. In debt and struggling with his injuries, he can't live alone.
He turns to his sister Serendipity for help. She is also known as Dippy and leads a hippie lifestyle. Figuring out how to physically help Rowan, she realises he needs a place to stay and so he moves in.
He's hoping for a good story plot to distract himself with when he hears of events from 30 years ago. Three friends from an alternative boarding school went into the woods and only two came out. What will happen when Victoria breaks her silence?
The events grab Rowan's attention and his editor wants a story. But how can Rowan do the job he now has a different love for after good and bad experiences with previously published work?
Serendipity's 12 year old daughter Snowdrop steps in. I really liked her. She was honest, curious and enthusiastic as well as helpful.
This is my first book by David Mark and it's a STUNNING thriller. Some parts border on the slightly gory such as the first few pages and other references, but if you can stomach that, it's worth it as continuing with the book is fundamental to know where and how these parts fit into the novel as a whole.
Tightly woven, suspenseful scary but also full of realistically portrayed characters.
A lot of the detail is in the dialogue. I found it was well-developed, but some of the transitions between characters were confusing and I had to go back through parts of the book and listen to them again to remind myself of some details or of who was talking.
The attention to detail and descriptions are excellent. Despite the few shortcomings of the novel that I noticed, it did not limit my enjoyment of it. The friendship between the three girls and the events surrounding the tragedy had me hooked.
Thanks to David Mark, Aria and Aries and Head of Zeus for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
4.5 stars.
I'll be searching for other books by David Mark!
He turns to his sister Serendipity for help. She is also known as Dippy and leads a hippie lifestyle. Figuring out how to physically help Rowan, she realises he needs a place to stay and so he moves in.
He's hoping for a good story plot to distract himself with when he hears of events from 30 years ago. Three friends from an alternative boarding school went into the woods and only two came out. What will happen when Victoria breaks her silence?
The events grab Rowan's attention and his editor wants a story. But how can Rowan do the job he now has a different love for after good and bad experiences with previously published work?
Serendipity's 12 year old daughter Snowdrop steps in. I really liked her. She was honest, curious and enthusiastic as well as helpful.
This is my first book by David Mark and it's a STUNNING thriller. Some parts border on the slightly gory such as the first few pages and other references, but if you can stomach that, it's worth it as continuing with the book is fundamental to know where and how these parts fit into the novel as a whole.
Tightly woven, suspenseful scary but also full of realistically portrayed characters.
A lot of the detail is in the dialogue. I found it was well-developed, but some of the transitions between characters were confusing and I had to go back through parts of the book and listen to them again to remind myself of some details or of who was talking.
The attention to detail and descriptions are excellent. Despite the few shortcomings of the novel that I noticed, it did not limit my enjoyment of it. The friendship between the three girls and the events surrounding the tragedy had me hooked.
Thanks to David Mark, Aria and Aries and Head of Zeus for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
4.5 stars.
I'll be searching for other books by David Mark!
January 25, 2021
This story takes the reader on a hunt for clues as each chapter alternates between present day with Rowan investigating what happened to these three girls and flashbacks to the past in the days leading up to when the girls disappeared.
The author does a brilliant job setting the scene and can be pretty gruesome in his details. I was especially uncomfortable with the details about Rowan’s hands (no spoilers).
It was a little slow to begin with, but once Rowan started to look into what might have happened was when it picked up pace. I really enjoyed the chapters which took you back to just before the incident happened as I was desperate and so intrigued as to what had happened and who was involved.
This is a very creepy and slightly disturbing story and the chapters near the end definitely felt very horror like to me. The author’s portrayal of what happened was so detailed and vivid that I genuinely felt afraid and made my skin crawl at one point.
Overall this is a slow paced mystery/thriller with a brilliant and horrifying end!
The author does a brilliant job setting the scene and can be pretty gruesome in his details. I was especially uncomfortable with the details about Rowan’s hands (no spoilers).
It was a little slow to begin with, but once Rowan started to look into what might have happened was when it picked up pace. I really enjoyed the chapters which took you back to just before the incident happened as I was desperate and so intrigued as to what had happened and who was involved.
This is a very creepy and slightly disturbing story and the chapters near the end definitely felt very horror like to me. The author’s portrayal of what happened was so detailed and vivid that I genuinely felt afraid and made my skin crawl at one point.
Overall this is a slow paced mystery/thriller with a brilliant and horrifying end!
February 8, 2022
Something dark is waiting in the woods...
When crime journalist and author Rowan Blake suffers a horrific injury to both hands, he is forced to move into a holiday home on his older sister's property. His young niece Snowdrop is responsible for checking up on him, bringing him meals and helping him with anything he needs. Snowdrop is fascinated by her Uncle Rowan and wants to learn everything there is to know about being a journalist, solving mysteries and being the first one to report them. Since Rowan has a deadline in six weeks, he decides two heads are better than one and allows Snowdrop to help him research and find a story. When they uncover a chilling secret from their own hometown's past, they work together to solve a mystery that has haunted the town for 30 years. Will they uncover the secrets, lies and mistakes of the past, or will they come back to haunt them too?
I really enjoyed this book but I did find some of the descriptions a bit long and wordy. I found the storyline in this book fascinating, especially as this was a dual-perspective and dual-timeline book. I loved reading bits of the past and present and was really anxious to have all of my questions answered. There were a few twists along the way and bits and pieces of information that all came together in the end. I also found the main character, Rowan, very likable. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a dark thriller.
When crime journalist and author Rowan Blake suffers a horrific injury to both hands, he is forced to move into a holiday home on his older sister's property. His young niece Snowdrop is responsible for checking up on him, bringing him meals and helping him with anything he needs. Snowdrop is fascinated by her Uncle Rowan and wants to learn everything there is to know about being a journalist, solving mysteries and being the first one to report them. Since Rowan has a deadline in six weeks, he decides two heads are better than one and allows Snowdrop to help him research and find a story. When they uncover a chilling secret from their own hometown's past, they work together to solve a mystery that has haunted the town for 30 years. Will they uncover the secrets, lies and mistakes of the past, or will they come back to haunt them too?
I really enjoyed this book but I did find some of the descriptions a bit long and wordy. I found the storyline in this book fascinating, especially as this was a dual-perspective and dual-timeline book. I loved reading bits of the past and present and was really anxious to have all of my questions answered. There were a few twists along the way and bits and pieces of information that all came together in the end. I also found the main character, Rowan, very likable. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a dark thriller.
March 2, 2021
This book had a lot of potential, with its dark foreboding narrative and the even darker history, this story gave me the chills. But somehow i could never engage with the story, as a result it kept dragging and dragging.. I felt like a lot of words were used to say something really basic. The constant oscillation was also carried out in a way that left the narrative disjointed and all it created was a big headache.
I loved the wide range quirky characters from Pickle to Arthur Sixpence, and Snowdrop. But i could never sympathise with the MC Rowan Blake, could not get into his head. And that left me even more separated from the book.
My Rating : 3/5
For the beautiful setting and the potential and the cool characters..
I loved the wide range quirky characters from Pickle to Arthur Sixpence, and Snowdrop. But i could never sympathise with the MC Rowan Blake, could not get into his head. And that left me even more separated from the book.
My Rating : 3/5
For the beautiful setting and the potential and the cool characters..
January 21, 2021
David Mark writes compelling dark books that somehow you just want to keep turning the pages.
I enjoyed Into The Woods but I must admit , at times I had trouble following it at first but that could just easily have been me.
Once I got into the book I was glad I persisted.
It didn't stop me from wanting to finish Into the Woods and see what happens to Rowan , a most unlikeable soul, which I love.
The book is so descriptive, you feel the evil in the air .
I enjoyed Into The Woods but I must admit , at times I had trouble following it at first but that could just easily have been me.
Once I got into the book I was glad I persisted.
It didn't stop me from wanting to finish Into the Woods and see what happens to Rowan , a most unlikeable soul, which I love.
The book is so descriptive, you feel the evil in the air .
January 26, 2021
Into The Woods is a story of mystery with a touch of evil and horror. Thirty years ago, three girls went into the woods and only two came out with no memory of what happened. Now, Rowan Blake is a journalist with a critically acclaimed true crime book under his belt that didn’t sold well and another one that he still hasn’t written. With the help of his niece Snowdrop, Rowan starts investigating what happened to these girls thirty years earlier, only to find out that the story may not be over yet.
The story is told in two timelines. In the past, young Violet and Catherine meet at Silver Birch Academy in Wasdale and we read about their friendship and the events that lead them to walk into the woods with another girl and a stranger. In the present day, we follow Rowan, who is recovering from an injury, and his adorable and smart niece trying to figure out what really happened.
The narrative is not fast-paced, but there are twists and the elements of horror keep the tension high. Into The Woods is my first novel by David Mark and I must admit that I really like his writing style and I found the descriptions beautiful and detailed.
Into The Woods is a dark tale of secrets, murders, disappearances, and occultism featuring interesting and quirky characters and a chilling and creepy plot that gave me goosebumps. Highly recommended!!!
The story is told in two timelines. In the past, young Violet and Catherine meet at Silver Birch Academy in Wasdale and we read about their friendship and the events that lead them to walk into the woods with another girl and a stranger. In the present day, we follow Rowan, who is recovering from an injury, and his adorable and smart niece trying to figure out what really happened.
The narrative is not fast-paced, but there are twists and the elements of horror keep the tension high. Into The Woods is my first novel by David Mark and I must admit that I really like his writing style and I found the descriptions beautiful and detailed.
Into The Woods is a dark tale of secrets, murders, disappearances, and occultism featuring interesting and quirky characters and a chilling and creepy plot that gave me goosebumps. Highly recommended!!!
January 21, 2021
I’m a fan of David Mark’s writing. His brain never fails to come up with an intriguing plot, some fascinating and often dark characters and usually a good helping of dark and gruesome. He is good at levelling this style with dark humour and a bit of the ordinary in life which brings it all together in a believable way.
Our protagonist is Rowan Blake, a journalist with a bit of a moral vacuum. With one moderately successful true crime book behind him (critics liked it, didn’t make mass sales) he is now bereft of ideas and his publisher is biting his ear off for the book whose advance has long since been spent on drink and other necessities of life.
When we meet him, he is nursing badly injured hands as a result of an encounter with someone who really didn’t like his last book and Rowan has retreated to his sister’s cottage in the Lake District, the biliously named Bilberry Byre, ostensibly to write his next, now very late, book, but in fact to lie low and hope no-one finds him.
It doesn’t hurt that he can live rent free, either. Having left journalism to write books, he has no source of income to fall back on. Just as well his sister, Serendipity (Dippy) is a decent woman who though she despairs of her brother, still doesn’t have the heart to see him on his uppers without helping.
Dippy’s 12 year old daughter, Snowdrop is entranced by her uncle. She dreams of becoming a journalist and is determined to help him with whatever his next project is. In fact, she has an idea that he might want to explore.
Dippy has a friend, Violet Sheehan, who is a member of the local library book club. Three decades ago, she was a pupil at the Silver Birch Academy, an alternative, slightly hippy school in Wasdale with new age ideas and a holistic approach where the teaching was relaxed and pupils were encouraged to express themselves and to explore alternative cultures.
Violet had two friends then: Catherine Marlish, the local vicar’s daughter and Freya, a new girl at the school whose father was away on business so much of the time that she really just lived at the school.
Mr Sixpence, was the school healer; something of a shaman, he worked with the unhappy and troubled pupils sent there by harassed and troubled parents who didn’t have any ideas about how else to find help for their children. Mr Sixpence was a gentle, friendly soul whose treatments may have been unorthodox, but who listened and seemed to get results.
It all came adrift after one night when these three friends went into the woods with a stranger and though no-one can remember exactly what happened, only two came out again and Mr Sixpence was never seen again.
Now Violet has been trying to piece together bits of her fragmented memory and to write it down, hoping to make sense of it. But Violet, who was never the most likeable of children, prone to selfishness and bouts of rebellion, has suddenly gone off on her travels to ‘find herself’.
Still, Rowan sees the kernel of a story here. At the very least, it is something he can sell to his publisher to keep him off Rowan’s back; at best it will turn out to be a story worth pursuing. With Snowdrop ready at his side to push him when he loses heart, Rowan begins to investigate.
David Mark writes a slow burn of a novel that creeps into your soul and slowly wraps its evil tentacles round your heart squeezing roughly as it finds the weak spots and starts to exert its horrific hold on you. The dank weather and the bleak, sparse woods with their old mine workings hold horrors that you wish you hadn’t discovered.
There is real malevolence here; a madness in the air and as Rowan looks more deeply he finds a trail of menace, violence, evil and corruption that some have worked hard for years to keep buried.
Mark’s characterisation is spot on. Rowan Blake is a fascinating character – a mix of rascal and intrepid journalist. Blake is a charming rogue and a man with no moral compass and no hesitation when it comes to getting a story.
With this book you want to give yourself time to soak in the atmosphere and consider the complexity of all the characters. Mark’s writing drips with atmosphere and the sense of menace and real evil is palpable even leavened as it is by some fantastic darkly humorous moments.
I’ve become a huge David Mark fan over the course of several of his books and I loved this one for its atmosphere, characters and the way in which he magically captures the intensity of the story.
Verdict: Utterly compelling reading, it held me in its grasp and squeezed ‘til I was breathless.
Our protagonist is Rowan Blake, a journalist with a bit of a moral vacuum. With one moderately successful true crime book behind him (critics liked it, didn’t make mass sales) he is now bereft of ideas and his publisher is biting his ear off for the book whose advance has long since been spent on drink and other necessities of life.
When we meet him, he is nursing badly injured hands as a result of an encounter with someone who really didn’t like his last book and Rowan has retreated to his sister’s cottage in the Lake District, the biliously named Bilberry Byre, ostensibly to write his next, now very late, book, but in fact to lie low and hope no-one finds him.
It doesn’t hurt that he can live rent free, either. Having left journalism to write books, he has no source of income to fall back on. Just as well his sister, Serendipity (Dippy) is a decent woman who though she despairs of her brother, still doesn’t have the heart to see him on his uppers without helping.
Dippy’s 12 year old daughter, Snowdrop is entranced by her uncle. She dreams of becoming a journalist and is determined to help him with whatever his next project is. In fact, she has an idea that he might want to explore.
Dippy has a friend, Violet Sheehan, who is a member of the local library book club. Three decades ago, she was a pupil at the Silver Birch Academy, an alternative, slightly hippy school in Wasdale with new age ideas and a holistic approach where the teaching was relaxed and pupils were encouraged to express themselves and to explore alternative cultures.
Violet had two friends then: Catherine Marlish, the local vicar’s daughter and Freya, a new girl at the school whose father was away on business so much of the time that she really just lived at the school.
Mr Sixpence, was the school healer; something of a shaman, he worked with the unhappy and troubled pupils sent there by harassed and troubled parents who didn’t have any ideas about how else to find help for their children. Mr Sixpence was a gentle, friendly soul whose treatments may have been unorthodox, but who listened and seemed to get results.
It all came adrift after one night when these three friends went into the woods with a stranger and though no-one can remember exactly what happened, only two came out again and Mr Sixpence was never seen again.
Now Violet has been trying to piece together bits of her fragmented memory and to write it down, hoping to make sense of it. But Violet, who was never the most likeable of children, prone to selfishness and bouts of rebellion, has suddenly gone off on her travels to ‘find herself’.
Still, Rowan sees the kernel of a story here. At the very least, it is something he can sell to his publisher to keep him off Rowan’s back; at best it will turn out to be a story worth pursuing. With Snowdrop ready at his side to push him when he loses heart, Rowan begins to investigate.
David Mark writes a slow burn of a novel that creeps into your soul and slowly wraps its evil tentacles round your heart squeezing roughly as it finds the weak spots and starts to exert its horrific hold on you. The dank weather and the bleak, sparse woods with their old mine workings hold horrors that you wish you hadn’t discovered.
There is real malevolence here; a madness in the air and as Rowan looks more deeply he finds a trail of menace, violence, evil and corruption that some have worked hard for years to keep buried.
Mark’s characterisation is spot on. Rowan Blake is a fascinating character – a mix of rascal and intrepid journalist. Blake is a charming rogue and a man with no moral compass and no hesitation when it comes to getting a story.
With this book you want to give yourself time to soak in the atmosphere and consider the complexity of all the characters. Mark’s writing drips with atmosphere and the sense of menace and real evil is palpable even leavened as it is by some fantastic darkly humorous moments.
I’ve become a huge David Mark fan over the course of several of his books and I loved this one for its atmosphere, characters and the way in which he magically captures the intensity of the story.
Verdict: Utterly compelling reading, it held me in its grasp and squeezed ‘til I was breathless.
February 9, 2021
*Thank you to NetGalley and David Mark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Into the Woods is a slow burn, worth every second to the shocking end.
Rowan Blake is a down-on-his-luck journalist. His first true crime novel was well received but commercially a failure. He is now licking his wounds in a barn in Bilberry Byre, owned by his sister. His hands have been ruined by an attack, and he spends his days drinking and thinking about how to get back at the person who attacked him. Besides being filled with anger and jealousy over other journalists’ success, he is also in debt, having spent all of his advance for the two books he promised his publisher. And he is out of ideas for his next book.
Snowdrop is the one person who still believes in him. She is his twelve-year-old niece and the daughter of his supportive sister, Serendipity, who is a loving hippie. Snowdrop loves Rowan. She looks up to him and wants to be a journalist, just like him. Rowan agrees she can help him with his next true crime story, though he doesn’t have any idea what that may be.
There is a local story he hears about that he thinks might have potential for his next book. A tale of three girls who were students at a New Age school, Silver Birch Academy, who followed a strange man into the woods. Only two of the girls came back, with no memory of what happened. Into the Woods flashes back 30 years, and is also set in the present, with Rowan investigating what actually happened in those woods. Violet Sheehan is now an adult and seems to have her own issues with confronting her past. Catherine Marlish has no interest in confronting her past, though her decision has repercussions on her current situation. As our journalist delves deeper into the story, it is becoming a tale of good and evil and ultimately murder. With Snowdrop at his side, Rowan finds more than ever before of himself and his capabilities Ultimately, he puts himself in danger to solve the mystery of the disappearance of the girls from 30 years ago.
There are many wonderful characters in this book. All are mysterious in their own way, but the characters that stood out make this book so amazing. Derek Millward, the retired police officer who has been chasing a missing man for many years. His partner in many ways, DCI Eve Cater, who is not at all who she seems. The enigmatic Mr. Sixpence, who lives in an abandoned bus on the grounds of the Silver Birch academy, who disappears without a trace.
It is raining constantly in this novel, which contributes to the darkness of the subject matter and the feeling of dread that the author wants you to feel. It is almost too much to bear. Into the Woods is a heavy book, thick with description, and darkly engaging. Be prepared for an intense ride to a shocking conclusion.
*This review was previously posted on https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/in...*
Into the Woods is a slow burn, worth every second to the shocking end.
Rowan Blake is a down-on-his-luck journalist. His first true crime novel was well received but commercially a failure. He is now licking his wounds in a barn in Bilberry Byre, owned by his sister. His hands have been ruined by an attack, and he spends his days drinking and thinking about how to get back at the person who attacked him. Besides being filled with anger and jealousy over other journalists’ success, he is also in debt, having spent all of his advance for the two books he promised his publisher. And he is out of ideas for his next book.
Snowdrop is the one person who still believes in him. She is his twelve-year-old niece and the daughter of his supportive sister, Serendipity, who is a loving hippie. Snowdrop loves Rowan. She looks up to him and wants to be a journalist, just like him. Rowan agrees she can help him with his next true crime story, though he doesn’t have any idea what that may be.
There is a local story he hears about that he thinks might have potential for his next book. A tale of three girls who were students at a New Age school, Silver Birch Academy, who followed a strange man into the woods. Only two of the girls came back, with no memory of what happened. Into the Woods flashes back 30 years, and is also set in the present, with Rowan investigating what actually happened in those woods. Violet Sheehan is now an adult and seems to have her own issues with confronting her past. Catherine Marlish has no interest in confronting her past, though her decision has repercussions on her current situation. As our journalist delves deeper into the story, it is becoming a tale of good and evil and ultimately murder. With Snowdrop at his side, Rowan finds more than ever before of himself and his capabilities Ultimately, he puts himself in danger to solve the mystery of the disappearance of the girls from 30 years ago.
There are many wonderful characters in this book. All are mysterious in their own way, but the characters that stood out make this book so amazing. Derek Millward, the retired police officer who has been chasing a missing man for many years. His partner in many ways, DCI Eve Cater, who is not at all who she seems. The enigmatic Mr. Sixpence, who lives in an abandoned bus on the grounds of the Silver Birch academy, who disappears without a trace.
It is raining constantly in this novel, which contributes to the darkness of the subject matter and the feeling of dread that the author wants you to feel. It is almost too much to bear. Into the Woods is a heavy book, thick with description, and darkly engaging. Be prepared for an intense ride to a shocking conclusion.
*This review was previously posted on https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/in...*
January 25, 2021
This is a wonderfully descriptive slow burner.
You are drawn in instantly with the description of a girl who seems to be being tortured. Then, we see that a short Tweet from a journalist named Rowan Blake has had a reply from a neo-Nazi telling him that he was "going to burn". Very intriguing.
In present day, we follow Rowan whose life has basically gone to pot. He went from being journalist to author to TV presenter and then right back down again. He had one decent book about a real-life serial killer but despite being told that he has a knack of getting into people's heads, he didn't get many sales and he is desperate to make some money with another.
We also have flashbacks from the late 1980s to early 1990s at a school called Silver Birch. It is not your typical school, a bit "hippy" and they focus on reiki and shamanic healing. This is a recurrent theme running throughout the book. Here, we follow Violet and Catherine then their new friend Freya. The three of them go missing but only Violet and Catherine return.
Back in present day, Rowan is currently living in his sister's land with injured hands that he has had a skin graft on. With publishers asking for pages for his new book, he needs to find something worth writing about. His pre-teen neice Snowdrop makes a portfolio of all of the articles he's written, in a way to boost his spirits, and he comes across the story of the Three Girls. He then vows to find out what happened to the third one who was never found. Rowan enlists Snowdrop to help with the writing.
Rowan's sister, and Snowdrop's mother, Serendipity is acquaintances with one of the girls who was abducted - Violet. He then uses his journalistic background to dig deeper and get in contact with anyone who may have information, from neighbours to police officers and staff from the school. He is definitely looking at this from a "How much money can it make me?" point of view, rather than actually trying to find justice.
This book is so descriptive. The jumble of the women's memories really makes you as the reader feel confused. It has been a long time since I've read a book that is as descriptive as this. Not only does it put you in the scene but you can imagine smells and tastes too. I genuinely felt queasy at some scenes. It keeps you guessing right up until the very end.
You are drawn in instantly with the description of a girl who seems to be being tortured. Then, we see that a short Tweet from a journalist named Rowan Blake has had a reply from a neo-Nazi telling him that he was "going to burn". Very intriguing.
In present day, we follow Rowan whose life has basically gone to pot. He went from being journalist to author to TV presenter and then right back down again. He had one decent book about a real-life serial killer but despite being told that he has a knack of getting into people's heads, he didn't get many sales and he is desperate to make some money with another.
We also have flashbacks from the late 1980s to early 1990s at a school called Silver Birch. It is not your typical school, a bit "hippy" and they focus on reiki and shamanic healing. This is a recurrent theme running throughout the book. Here, we follow Violet and Catherine then their new friend Freya. The three of them go missing but only Violet and Catherine return.
Back in present day, Rowan is currently living in his sister's land with injured hands that he has had a skin graft on. With publishers asking for pages for his new book, he needs to find something worth writing about. His pre-teen neice Snowdrop makes a portfolio of all of the articles he's written, in a way to boost his spirits, and he comes across the story of the Three Girls. He then vows to find out what happened to the third one who was never found. Rowan enlists Snowdrop to help with the writing.
Rowan's sister, and Snowdrop's mother, Serendipity is acquaintances with one of the girls who was abducted - Violet. He then uses his journalistic background to dig deeper and get in contact with anyone who may have information, from neighbours to police officers and staff from the school. He is definitely looking at this from a "How much money can it make me?" point of view, rather than actually trying to find justice.
This book is so descriptive. The jumble of the women's memories really makes you as the reader feel confused. It has been a long time since I've read a book that is as descriptive as this. Not only does it put you in the scene but you can imagine smells and tastes too. I genuinely felt queasy at some scenes. It keeps you guessing right up until the very end.
January 2, 2021
Well this was a little different to what I was expecting - and in a good way! We meet Rowan Blake, a damaged soul, washed up from his career as a journalist and quite badly injured too. He is convalescing in a remote cabin belonging to his sister aided, and as it soon transpires abetted, by niece Snowdrop. He is supposed to be writing his third true crime book but is struggling and avoiding both agent and publisher. But, having spent the advance already and pretty much living on air with no way of paying it back, time is running out. And then a story practically falls into his lap. A local story from 30 years ago. Three girls went into the woods but only two returned. The other, never heard from again, the survivors with no recollection of what happened. Maybe this could be the story to resurrect his flagging career? Or will he be opening up a right can of worms that others want to stay firmly shut...?
This is a bit of a slow burn of a book. I guess it really has to be as there are many layers of intrigue to build up - both in the present and the past, told in flashback - before we can start to peel them all back again to reveal the whole truth of what happened 30 years ago. As things start to unravel, as the truth starts to come to the surface, there's a whole host of things going on. So many that it does skirt being too busy but manages to stop just shy of it being so.
One thing that does make the book stand out is its eclectic mix of characters. Each one so well drawn as to be wholly credible, even those who come across as rather eccentric and larger than life. Rowan I took to immediately, even with all his faults. Snowdrop also being a worthy sidekick.
This is billed as being book one of a trilogy - it's not wholly clear to me which characters will return but even without knowing that, I'm up for book two...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
This is a bit of a slow burn of a book. I guess it really has to be as there are many layers of intrigue to build up - both in the present and the past, told in flashback - before we can start to peel them all back again to reveal the whole truth of what happened 30 years ago. As things start to unravel, as the truth starts to come to the surface, there's a whole host of things going on. So many that it does skirt being too busy but manages to stop just shy of it being so.
One thing that does make the book stand out is its eclectic mix of characters. Each one so well drawn as to be wholly credible, even those who come across as rather eccentric and larger than life. Rowan I took to immediately, even with all his faults. Snowdrop also being a worthy sidekick.
This is billed as being book one of a trilogy - it's not wholly clear to me which characters will return but even without knowing that, I'm up for book two...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
January 9, 2021
Missing children, rumours of a cult, and a hidden story about what really happened in the woods thirty years ago and why the police didn’t do their job properly, the dark premise of Into The Woods is an alluring promise of sinister ongoings and disturbing truths that is sure to have you intrigued.
Brilliantly written and full of captivating descriptions that detail the supernatural setting well, this is a chilling book that has obviously been excellently researched. You can sense that David Mark is a great journalist and that he’s spent a lot of time getting to understand the themes of his book. And just like his character, Rowan, you can see the passion in his writing.
Rowan is a sympathetic character as he is struggling to heal, fighting despair and self-loathing, and trying to re-establish himself as a credible journalist. But just like the book’s setting, it’s quite an unconventional story with its focus on spiritual energies, the supernatural, and holistic philosophies. I loved learning about Shamans and found so much of the book interesting in its exploration of unorthodox practises, but I struggled to find the “hippy” characters relatable so I wasn’t always completely enthusiastic to carry on.
The problem is that Into The Woods is a real slow burn–one that took me almost half of the book to really find myself invested in it. There’s a lot of detail with little plot progression so you do have to stick with it at times. But I got there in the end, and the revelations in the second half will soon have you gripped as the ominous feeling takes over.
Even though I didn’t love this book, I can tell that David Mark is an excellent writer and will be definitely be checking out some of this other books, which I have only heard great things about. And as the first instalment in a planned trilogy, I’m certainly interested to find out more about Rowan.
Brilliantly written and full of captivating descriptions that detail the supernatural setting well, this is a chilling book that has obviously been excellently researched. You can sense that David Mark is a great journalist and that he’s spent a lot of time getting to understand the themes of his book. And just like his character, Rowan, you can see the passion in his writing.
Rowan is a sympathetic character as he is struggling to heal, fighting despair and self-loathing, and trying to re-establish himself as a credible journalist. But just like the book’s setting, it’s quite an unconventional story with its focus on spiritual energies, the supernatural, and holistic philosophies. I loved learning about Shamans and found so much of the book interesting in its exploration of unorthodox practises, but I struggled to find the “hippy” characters relatable so I wasn’t always completely enthusiastic to carry on.
The problem is that Into The Woods is a real slow burn–one that took me almost half of the book to really find myself invested in it. There’s a lot of detail with little plot progression so you do have to stick with it at times. But I got there in the end, and the revelations in the second half will soon have you gripped as the ominous feeling takes over.
Even though I didn’t love this book, I can tell that David Mark is an excellent writer and will be definitely be checking out some of this other books, which I have only heard great things about. And as the first instalment in a planned trilogy, I’m certainly interested to find out more about Rowan.
December 13, 2020
Journalist, Rowan Blake is convalescening in Wasdale Valley. While his body is in recovery, his mind is active. He needs another big story or he might lose his mind. His next big break just sort of falls into his lap.
Thirty years ago, three girls went into the woods and only two came back. The two surviving girls have spotty memories about what happened in the woods, and no idea where the third girl is. Police investigation lead nowhere, bringing everything to a halt.
Rowan wants to know what happened to the missing girl. What he uncovers is something sinister.
Into The Woods sucked me in. Marks words cast a spell that holds you hostage until the end. His writing style is beautifully descriptive with hints of sarcasm. You definitely don't want to skim through the book, or you will miss the meat of the story.
The book is a slow burning read, it took me a few days to finish. Thats purely because I did not want to miss a thing. I honestly wanted more character development for the girls, which would have made the book even longer to read! The big twist was perfectly timed and unexpected, but led to the end too quickly. I wanted more!
I felt like the book would make a wonderful season of True Detectives on HBO. With hints of the occult, police cover up, and suppressed memories, the story would be amazing done on TV.
I really liked this book. I do feel it could have been darker, focused more on the occult aspect then the investigation. But then again, I always want writers to go darker..lol
Thirty years ago, three girls went into the woods and only two came back. The two surviving girls have spotty memories about what happened in the woods, and no idea where the third girl is. Police investigation lead nowhere, bringing everything to a halt.
Rowan wants to know what happened to the missing girl. What he uncovers is something sinister.
Into The Woods sucked me in. Marks words cast a spell that holds you hostage until the end. His writing style is beautifully descriptive with hints of sarcasm. You definitely don't want to skim through the book, or you will miss the meat of the story.
The book is a slow burning read, it took me a few days to finish. Thats purely because I did not want to miss a thing. I honestly wanted more character development for the girls, which would have made the book even longer to read! The big twist was perfectly timed and unexpected, but led to the end too quickly. I wanted more!
I felt like the book would make a wonderful season of True Detectives on HBO. With hints of the occult, police cover up, and suppressed memories, the story would be amazing done on TV.
I really liked this book. I do feel it could have been darker, focused more on the occult aspect then the investigation. But then again, I always want writers to go darker..lol
December 6, 2025
This is the first book of David Mark I have listened to (yes, listened as I had it as an audiobook).
After reading a bunch of fantasy books, I was really happy to have a thriller/detective story to lose myself in.
The book switches between different points of view, depending on whether you’re in the present or the past. The present-day narrator is Rowan, a somewhat washed-up writer who is not really likeable. His previous book flopped, he has had a few bad years, and has moved in with his sister and niece. It’s his niece that he starts a project with: to teach her about writing, they set about to solve a local mystery of missing girls. The journey is darker and more twisted than they could expect.
The past is told from Violet’s point of view. A young girl who has some behavioural issues and struggles making friends. She is sent to an alternative boarding school that does things differently (with yoga classes and reiki lessons and a shaman in the woods). Violet is one of the girls that went missing all those years ago. She and two of her friends, but only Violet and one other friend ever came back.
It’s a darker story; no one (except for Snowdrop, the niece) is a likeable character - they are all very flawed, slower-paced, and you will have figured out where it’s going before the end. If you don’t like reading in two different points of view or two different times, then it probably won’t be for you.
I enjoyed it and was happy to put on my headphones and dive back into the story each time.
After reading a bunch of fantasy books, I was really happy to have a thriller/detective story to lose myself in.
The book switches between different points of view, depending on whether you’re in the present or the past. The present-day narrator is Rowan, a somewhat washed-up writer who is not really likeable. His previous book flopped, he has had a few bad years, and has moved in with his sister and niece. It’s his niece that he starts a project with: to teach her about writing, they set about to solve a local mystery of missing girls. The journey is darker and more twisted than they could expect.
The past is told from Violet’s point of view. A young girl who has some behavioural issues and struggles making friends. She is sent to an alternative boarding school that does things differently (with yoga classes and reiki lessons and a shaman in the woods). Violet is one of the girls that went missing all those years ago. She and two of her friends, but only Violet and one other friend ever came back.
It’s a darker story; no one (except for Snowdrop, the niece) is a likeable character - they are all very flawed, slower-paced, and you will have figured out where it’s going before the end. If you don’t like reading in two different points of view or two different times, then it probably won’t be for you.
I enjoyed it and was happy to put on my headphones and dive back into the story each time.
February 17, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and Aria&Aries for the arc of Into the Woods by David Mark,
3 star read- This follows washed up journalist Rowan whom has badly ruined injured hands and needs to reach the deadline for their next piece of work/book but their hands are bound in big bandages as well as gloves to protect his skin grafts. So for now he is staying in the Lake District in a small holiday home thats owned by his own sister, Snowdrop his young cousin is looking after him, he ends up hearing a story about 3 teens who went into the woods and only two returned the girls followed a busker who got them stoned, drunk and made them drink this 'mysterious brew'.. But recent one of the girls violet starts to remember bits and pieces and wants to go find their other friend who didnt return whom is called Freya. The deeper and deep in which Rowan delves into this then the more mysterious things turn up. Snowdrop who’s really passionate to become a journalist assists him in his research...
a gripping thrilling read, was a bit confusing at first but understood as i read more slow at first then really grips you in, i recommend
3 stars⭐⭐⭐
3 star read- This follows washed up journalist Rowan whom has badly ruined injured hands and needs to reach the deadline for their next piece of work/book but their hands are bound in big bandages as well as gloves to protect his skin grafts. So for now he is staying in the Lake District in a small holiday home thats owned by his own sister, Snowdrop his young cousin is looking after him, he ends up hearing a story about 3 teens who went into the woods and only two returned the girls followed a busker who got them stoned, drunk and made them drink this 'mysterious brew'.. But recent one of the girls violet starts to remember bits and pieces and wants to go find their other friend who didnt return whom is called Freya. The deeper and deep in which Rowan delves into this then the more mysterious things turn up. Snowdrop who’s really passionate to become a journalist assists him in his research...
a gripping thrilling read, was a bit confusing at first but understood as i read more slow at first then really grips you in, i recommend
3 stars⭐⭐⭐
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