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Enter the Forest: Murder in Taman Negara
In the beating heart of the rainforest, anyone could be the next victim…
“It was bending over me again and, somewhere between brain fog and pounding heart, I comprehended the outline as human.”
A tropical rainforest vacation. A secluded Malaysian resort. Sounds like paradise? Far from it.
Isolated among strangers, no one can be trusted.
Georgia is done with the trauma she hides in her past. Amidst the hum and heat of the jungle, the air hangs thick with promise. She’s keen to get along with her fellow travellers – a vibrant, outgoing bunch – not to mention the hot freerunner whose ego seems to rub people up the wrong way. Oh, and then there’s her boyfriend.
But for some reason, Georgia’s always a step behind the others, peering on from the outside. What fun is she missing?
Until bodies start to go missing. And now she’s definitely on edge. With no one else having crossed the river to the resort, it’s soon clear that one of them is a killer.
Georgia won’t be left on the outskirts any longer; as she embarks on a sweaty race against the clock, to unmask the traitor among them – without falling victim to the same fate.
But all is not as it seems. Because, in a masterpiece of deception, someone is playing all of them.
“It was bending over me again and, somewhere between brain fog and pounding heart, I comprehended the outline as human.”
A tropical rainforest vacation. A secluded Malaysian resort. Sounds like paradise? Far from it.
Isolated among strangers, no one can be trusted.
Georgia is done with the trauma she hides in her past. Amidst the hum and heat of the jungle, the air hangs thick with promise. She’s keen to get along with her fellow travellers – a vibrant, outgoing bunch – not to mention the hot freerunner whose ego seems to rub people up the wrong way. Oh, and then there’s her boyfriend.
But for some reason, Georgia’s always a step behind the others, peering on from the outside. What fun is she missing?
Until bodies start to go missing. And now she’s definitely on edge. With no one else having crossed the river to the resort, it’s soon clear that one of them is a killer.
Georgia won’t be left on the outskirts any longer; as she embarks on a sweaty race against the clock, to unmask the traitor among them – without falling victim to the same fate.
But all is not as it seems. Because, in a masterpiece of deception, someone is playing all of them.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 14, 2021
2 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Zoe Mayen
7 books13 followersMystery-thriller writer, London-based.
Formerly a City litigation lawyer, I changed career after eleven years to follow my dream to write professionally.
If you’d like to know more, feel free to reach out!
---
“Every day create your history;
Every page you turn you're writing your legacy.”
(HIStory - MJ)
Formerly a City litigation lawyer, I changed career after eleven years to follow my dream to write professionally.
If you’d like to know more, feel free to reach out!
---
“Every day create your history;
Every page you turn you're writing your legacy.”
(HIStory - MJ)
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 8, 2023
Georgia Winters is on holiday at a resort in the Malaysian rainforest of Taman Naman with her boyfriend, Oscar. They arrive at their hotel & meet up with ten other travellers who will be experiencing the packed itinerary over the next few days. Things get off to a rocky start when there is some inexplicable tension between some of the guests & a lone traveller in their group named Stefan. Bad feeling begins to escalate amongst the group culminating in the disappearance of Stefan, & when the others seem reluctant to alert the police, Georgia vows to find out what they are all hiding.
This is a murder mystery set in Malaysia amongst a group of young tourists. I thought that the plot itself was well crafted with some clues carefully laid out in the narrative. Georgia very much feels on the outside of what is going on - the rest of the group seem to have had some sort of get-together the first night but failed to invite Georgia & Oscar. They are also all hesitant to talk about what happened & even Oscar seems to be on their side rather than hers. I did feel that the other characters weren't really differentiated though, especially the girls. Apart from Georgia & Hazel, the others were kind of bland without a defined personality. I think having so many characters & making them all have a distinctive voice is tricky. There was also a lot of pointless arguing where nothing much was resolved. Verdict: liked the plot, loved the setting, but some of the characters were a little flat. 3.5 stars (rounded down)
TWs: murder, violence, drugs. Mention of sexual assault & suicide.
My thanks to the author, Zoe Mayen, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
This is a murder mystery set in Malaysia amongst a group of young tourists. I thought that the plot itself was well crafted with some clues carefully laid out in the narrative. Georgia very much feels on the outside of what is going on - the rest of the group seem to have had some sort of get-together the first night but failed to invite Georgia & Oscar. They are also all hesitant to talk about what happened & even Oscar seems to be on their side rather than hers. I did feel that the other characters weren't really differentiated though, especially the girls. Apart from Georgia & Hazel, the others were kind of bland without a defined personality. I think having so many characters & making them all have a distinctive voice is tricky. There was also a lot of pointless arguing where nothing much was resolved. Verdict: liked the plot, loved the setting, but some of the characters were a little flat. 3.5 stars (rounded down)
TWs: murder, violence, drugs. Mention of sexual assault & suicide.
My thanks to the author, Zoe Mayen, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
September 20, 2022
I was surprised at how quickly this book grabbed my attention and didn’t let go! I was intrigued by the initial premise - murder that takes place during a vacation in Malaysia with a group of strangers. First, one member of the group disappears, and shortly after, another - both presumed dead. Georgia (who is there with her boyfriend) tries to solve the mystery while getting to know the others. I thought I knew where this story was going, but there ended up being a twist that I didn’t anticipate! Fabulous ending, smooth storytelling and beautiful vivid language throughout! I read this in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down. A must read!!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 8, 2025
Wow, this book blew me away. If you love cozy mysteries, you will love this. It caught my interest because of the jungle setting. I wanted to cheat and see who the killer was so bad because it was so good. The setting was perfect along with the travel group being in the same little bunch of chalets.
The only thing, I sort of had trouble keeping all the characters straight in the beginning. Who was saying what. There were so many. But it’s handy that they are all introduced in the first chapter so it’s easy to look back. I wasn’t a fan of Georgia’s boyfriend. I felt like he should’ve had more of a role in some parts when she was involved. And there’s still things I have questions about that I wish were answered but maybe that is for another book? And maybe he was written like he was because of certain things.
The only thing, I sort of had trouble keeping all the characters straight in the beginning. Who was saying what. There were so many. But it’s handy that they are all introduced in the first chapter so it’s easy to look back. I wasn’t a fan of Georgia’s boyfriend. I felt like he should’ve had more of a role in some parts when she was involved. And there’s still things I have questions about that I wish were answered but maybe that is for another book? And maybe he was written like he was because of certain things.
September 14, 2022
*potentially biased review*
Thrillers and murder mysteries are a bit of my niche. I love one that keeps me on my seat but can be a bit overcritical when it comes to a newer author. "Enter the Forest: Murder in Taman Negara" did not disappoint. The subtle context clues and foreshadowing, the character development, and the plot were all very well done-I was unable to put it down at times. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was: for the first.. say 35% of the book, it was so difficult to differentiate the characters. You're introduced to so many at once, that it's difficult to determine who is who. Other than that, I would highly recommend this to anyone. Even all of us readers here in the States.
Mahalo.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Thrillers and murder mysteries are a bit of my niche. I love one that keeps me on my seat but can be a bit overcritical when it comes to a newer author. "Enter the Forest: Murder in Taman Negara" did not disappoint. The subtle context clues and foreshadowing, the character development, and the plot were all very well done-I was unable to put it down at times. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was: for the first.. say 35% of the book, it was so difficult to differentiate the characters. You're introduced to so many at once, that it's difficult to determine who is who. Other than that, I would highly recommend this to anyone. Even all of us readers here in the States.
Mahalo.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 31, 2022
Georgia is on her first international holiday with her boyfriend Oscar and when they arrive at their destination which is an island in Malaysia. She is very excited to meet everyone, but it seems when getting to know the group, it seems she’s going to be put with the ball and chain click as opposed to the young fun partying group but The more she’s around the group the more suspicious she is about what do they do at night time and when one of their fellow travelers Vincent goes missing and the group is reluctant to call the police she knows something is up but when the unofficial group leader Stephan goes missing the police are finally called in. Soon after Georges vacation turns in to a mystery that she wants to solve. Soon she will learn not everyone got that thrills from the rainforest and sightseeing in the floating restaurant wasn’t the only thing they float it on. This was such a good book and I didn’t want to give anything away that would ruin any of the twists but this is the first book in a thriller Series and if they’re all half as good signed me up. Although this isn’t an original trope it is definitely an original plot and I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
November 14, 2022
A wonderful murder mystery novel full of suspense, wit and delicious scenery.
12 travellers find themselves in one of the world’s most ancient tropical rainforests where adventure and discovery await. This group of people, brought together seemingly by chance through a travel company, quickly manage to find drama amidst what appears to be a well earned break in paradise.
Mayen weaves effortlessly between intense episodes and tension relievers. There’s plenty of action to keep the pages turning and the right amount of character and world building to get you immersed. I also love the nods to Malaysian culture.
Overall a refreshingly original take on the murder mystery genre with a super satisfying ending. I totally would never have guessed who did it!
12 travellers find themselves in one of the world’s most ancient tropical rainforests where adventure and discovery await. This group of people, brought together seemingly by chance through a travel company, quickly manage to find drama amidst what appears to be a well earned break in paradise.
Mayen weaves effortlessly between intense episodes and tension relievers. There’s plenty of action to keep the pages turning and the right amount of character and world building to get you immersed. I also love the nods to Malaysian culture.
Overall a refreshingly original take on the murder mystery genre with a super satisfying ending. I totally would never have guessed who did it!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews