Buried in the Woods Below

Olivia and Charlotte were thick as thieves when they were young, with Olivia leading the charge and “CharBar” following along. Tragically, Olivia falls from a ferris wheel, and while she is still in a coma, Charlotte’s family leaves town, and the girls lose contact. Eighteen years later, Charlotte’s mother invites Charlotte to join Olivia’s family on Big Island, a place that Eric, Olivia’s dad, wants to own in its entirety. Recently suspended due to a workplace harassment issue, Char says yes, though she can already feel her anxiety starting to spiral. Once there, nothing seems right—Olivia’s mother, Laelynn, is frosty, her twin sisters are odd and a bit threatening, and someone has poisoned their dog. On a hike, Charlotte comes across her former boss Vivek, the one responsible for her suspension, and accuses him of stalking her. When Laelynn leaves for a business trip, the action really picks up with one striking horror after another. Miller piles it on in the last third of the book, swinging readers’ suspicions from one character to the next at a dizzying pace. Love watching folks lose it? This one’s for you!—Dodie Ownes