In the Woods They Wait

A park ranger in Devil’s Den becomes obsessed with the case of a missing child—a case that mirrors the disappearance of her own brother, whom she lost in the woods many years ago—and the possibility that both were taken by something vicious and unnatural that lives deep in the Ozarks.

“A devastating, heart-pounding story about grief, loneliness, and beasts that lurk just outside of view.” —Kerry Cullen

Fifteen years ago, Audrey Figg’s little brother, Benny, vanished on a family vacation to Devil’s Den state park, a day that split her life in two. Now, Audrey is a park ranger in the very same woods with expertise in wilderness search and rescue. Audrey has found a rhythm to her days: training new rangers, tending to injured hikers, protecting the backcountry, and still, searching.

When a little girl, Ivy, suddenly goes missing on the trails, Audrey can’t help but notice the similarities to her own brother’s case. As Audrey widens the scope of her search, she begins to believe Ivy wasn’t merely lost; it looks like she was taken by something—and maybe Benny was too. Yet the closer Audrey comes to answers, the more old memories push to the surface. Audrey is haunted not only by her brother’s loss, but a terrible secret from that day. A secret she has never shared with anyone.

Utterly absorbing and disquieting, In the Woods They Wait is an enthralling page-turner, one that asks how far you would go for a sense of closure—and what would you be willing to face to get it.

“Runs heavy with tension, authentic characters, and twists I never saw coming.” —Rob Hart

• “Carrie Lee South's impressive debut is as much about navigating the labyrinths of guilt and hope as it is surviving the Ozark wilderness. In the Woods They Wait is fleet-footed and compulsively readable, haunting and claustrophobic, and it builds to a monstrously satisfying climax.”
  Nat Cassidy, author of When the Wolf Comes Home
• “A fast-paced, thrillingly dark journey into the Ozark wilderness. Beautifully written, with a great cast of characters and a terrifying secret at its heart, Carrie Lee South’s debut novel is a stunner.”
  Elizabeth Hand, author of A Haunting on the Hill
• “Carrie Lee South is the reason my electric bill went up this week—the further I got into this book, the more lights in my house I had to turn on. In The Woods They Wait runs heavy with tension, authentic characters, and twists I never saw coming. A knockout of a debut.”
  Rob Hart, author of the Assassins Anonymous series
• "A devastating, heart-pounding story about grief, loneliness, and beasts that lurk just outside of view, In The Woods They Wait is a page-turning, atmospheric, and wholly absorbing story about the bleak and unassuming strength it takes to live with regret until it becomes courage. This is a beautifully written shriek of a book."
  Kerry Cullen, author of House of Beth
• "Written with the assurance of a seasoned novelist, Carrie Lee South's debut drips with dread. Equal parts heartbreaking and frighteningly real, this one draws you in and threatens to never let go."
  Jacquie Walters, author of Dearest and Turn Off the Light
• “An engrossing, intimate tale of Arkansas horror designed to chill and break the heart. Carrie Lee South is one to watch.”
  Andy Davidson, author of The Hollow Kind