July 1, 2023
Four British women aspire to climb a mountain in Norway, coming face to face with threats both natural and human. The novel opens with a body; a woman has fallen from a great height. It's unclear who she is or what happened, but this single vignette instills a sense of inevitable danger in the story from Page 1. Zoom out to meet the four protagonists, all women in their 30s who have been friends since childhood; every year they take turns choosing a travel destination, and this year, Liz has chosen a four-day hiking adventure in Norway to climb Blafjell. Helena and Maggie are less enthusiastic about the hiking, but loyalty demands that they go, packing up new gear and boots and embracing the adventure, no matter their private misgivings. The fourth friend, Joni, an international rock star whose colorful life keeps her less in touch with the group, impulsively cancels her next shows and flies out to meet them. At the lodge the night before they head out on the trail, they meet a few potentially suspicious characters and also learn about Karin, a woman who went missing almost a year ago and is presumed dead, maybe even murdered by a local man. While the stress of the hike brings some of the women's insecurities and conflicts to the surface, they also remember why they have always shown up for each other. Despite Liz's having been warned about a potential storm, she keeps them moving. Then, on the second night, catastrophe strikes. The strengths of the novel lie in the knife-sharp tension of the first half as well as the beautifully nuanced friendship of the four main characters. While there is danger and tragedy aplenty, hope and loyalty also abound.
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September 25, 2023
Clarke (One of the Girls) paints by numbers in this derivative outing centered on a deadly girls’ trip. Lifelong friends Liz Wallace (a doctor), Joni Gold (a rock star), Helena Hall (an event planner), and Maggie Padden (an artist) have a tradition of taking an annual vacation together; this year, Liz, who’s teetering on the edge of a messy divorce, has chosen a four-day hike in Norway. When the women arrive near Blafjell, the mountain they plan to ascend, they learn that Maggie closely resembles a young woman who disappeared there a year earlier. After the four friends start their climb, they face harsh weather and a devastating landslide, which turn out to be the least of their worries—soon, they begin to fear the locals may not be so friendly, and secrets they’ve concealed from each other bubble to the surface as they fight to stay alive. Clarke alternates each woman’s perspective, but fails to make them more than archetypes, and few readers will be surprised by how the plot unfolds. Chapter-ending cliffhangers make it easy to keep reading, but this is a largely formulaic affair. Agent: Gráinne Fox, Fletcher & Co.