The Woods by Jessica Hamilton
A haunting novel of motherhood and menopause
A family grieving the death of their teenage daughter make a new home in a secluded property called the “murder house” by the neighbours. What could possibly go wrong?
When Alice stumbles upon a gorgeous Craftsman-style house nestled in acres of ancient woods, she makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to move her grieving family from the house haunted by memories of her late daughter to this seemingly perfect – and surprisingly inexpensive - new home. She is unfazed by the news of a brutal murder of a few years earlier, when Justine Gordon killed her husband and sons in the house, dumping their bodies in the woods behind. Unfazed that is until strange things start happening, beginning with dead animals - many dead animals. Alice’s alcoholic, failed-novelist husband blames everything she feels on Alice’s menopausal brain, fracturing their already shaky relationship. Her children are miserable, leaving all their friends behind. Her mother, living in a cottage on the property, is driving her crazy. Then Alice’s husband disappears in the woods behind the house, returning hours later with a radical change of attitude and no idea where he has been. Suddenly, Justine’s words that her family were imposters, takes on a sinister new urgency for Alice.
“Definitely slip this one in your bag for the beach.”
The Woods by Jessica Hamilton is a bone-chilling horror-thriller, “We Used To Live Here meets The Amityville Horror” according to the publisher. I think I’d add in a touch of an homage here to The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham, a Stephen King meets Gillian Flynn vibe. There are plenty of twists and turns, and heart-racing scenes where the reader will want to yell a warning to the characters. I particularly liked the use of a podcast to narrate Justine Gordon’s story.
Interestingly, menopause is a recurrent theme through this story. While a clever plot twist used to torment Alice, I did find the use of menopause a bit heavy-handed. However, it places this book firmly in a new and upcoming sub-genre named “femgore”, horror by, for and about women, flipping female characters from passive to active participants in the story. Ultimately, this book was well-written and a gripping read with some great surprises. Definitely slip this one in your bag for the beach but maybe leave it at home for that camping trip in the woods!
About the Author
Jessica Hamilton was born in Australia but grew up in Canada. She has lived and worked in the Czech Republic, Taiwan, India and Japan. She studied writing at the Humber School for Writers as well as George Brown College. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband, son and daughter. Her debut novel is titled What You Never Knew, her second novel is titled, Don’t You Dare, and both are thrillers published by Crooked Lane Books.
About the Reviewer
Heather McBriarty is the author of the non-fiction account of the First World War, Somewhere in Flanders: Letters from the Front and a novel of the “Great War” Amid the Splintered Trees. She is a blogger, reviewer and served as a juror for the 2023 Atlantic Book Awards. She is a retired Medical Radiation Technologist, doting grandmother, and avid sailor. She lives by the sea in historic Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.
Book Details
Publisher : Simon & Schuster
Publication date : Sept. 8 2026
Language : English
Print length : 368 pages
ISBN-10 : 1668236362
ISBN-13 : 978-1668236369