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    The River at Night
    The River at Night
    The River at Night
    Audiobook8 hours

    The River at Night

    Written by Erica Ferencik

    Narrated by Joy Osmanski

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    A “raw, relentless, and heart-poundingly real” (Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author) thriller set against the harsh beauty of the Maine wilderness, The River at Night charts the journey of four friends as they fight to survive the aftermath of a white water rafting accident.

    Winifred Allen needs a vacation.

    Stifled by a soul-crushing job, devastated by the death of her beloved brother, and lonely after the end of a fifteen-year marriage, Wini is feeling vulnerable. So when her three best friends insist on a high-octane getaway for their annual girls’ trip, she signs on, despite her misgivings.

    What starts out as an invigorating hiking and rafting excursion in the remote Allagash Wilderness soon becomes an all-too-real nightmare; a freak accident leaves the women stranded, separating them from their raft and everything they need to survive. When night descends, a fire on the mountainside lures them to a ramshackle camp that appears to be their lifeline. But as Wini and her friends grasp the true intent of their supposed saviors, long buried secrets emerge and lifelong allegiances are put to the test. To survive, Wini must reach beyond the world she knows to harness an inner strength she never knew she possessed.

    With intimately observed characters and visceral prose, The River at Night “will leave you gasping, your heart racing, eyes peering over your shoulder to see what follows from behind” (Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author). This is a dark exploration of creatures—both friend and foe—that you won’t soon forget.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateJan 10, 2017
    ISBN9781508226871
    Author

    Erica Ferencik

    Erica Ferencik is the award-winning author of the acclaimed thrillers The River at Night, Into the Jungle, and Girl in Ice, which The New York Times Book Review declared “hauntingly beautiful.” Find out more on her website EricaFerencik.com and follow her on Twitter @EricaFerencik.

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    Reviews for The River at Night

    3.5/5

    265 ratings30 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Reminds me a bit of a B-horror movies. Four friends go on a secluded white water rafting trip with an unknown instructor. Soon they end up without an instructor, no raft/supplies, and miles away from civilization.
    • 3/5
      Meh. It was fine. Not great, but fairly entertaining. I enjoyed Into the Jungle by this author much more.
    • 4/5
      I am a mess of feelings right now and to be completely honest, I feel like I need to digest what happened in this book and decide what to do with it. It was an existential tornado, where I flipped between feeling small and that life is meaningless to feeling that it is profoundly meaningful. I felt what the characters felt. I felt fear and grief and annoyance. I simultaneously wanted the story to end while not being able to stop listening. It was truly a nightmare to witness but I’m glad I did. I would recommend but it’s a kind of book you don’t read again.
    • 5/5
      It kept me listening moment to moment! very spellbinding. good book/audio book.
    • 4/5
      Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it does! Super intense story, but with a really good ending and lots of character development.
    • 5/5
      I almost didn’t read it because of the reviews. But I am so glad that I read it anyway! I couldn’t put it down! LOVED it! Need more!
    • 4/5
      The book was great. I enjoyed the adventure of survival, however I felt as though the ending could have been different.
    • 4/5
      The River At Night by Erica Ferencik is a suspense thriller about four middle aged women who get together once a year on a “girls” vacation. This year they are going on a whitewater river raft trip to the beautiful, yet dangerous wilderness of Maine. This was planned by the ringleader of the group, Pia, who is looking forward to the adventure. The other three women, Win, Rachel and Sandra, are less enthusiastic but they follow along. Their river guide is a college student named Rory, who has only travelled the river five times, but seems a little over-confident. At first the group are entranced by their river experience but all too soon they experience a freak accident that leaves the women stranded, separating them from their raft and everything they need to survive. Unfortunately, their troubles have just begun as they huddle together in the night, they catch a glimpse of a fire. As they stumble into the strange camp their nightmare is just starting.While I thoroughly enjoyed the portions of the book that dealt with wilderness survival, I found the “man against man” part rather over the top and unbelievable. This is a problem that I have with most thrillers, in their desire to stir the audience and keep us in suspense, the plot lines tend to get pretty wild and crazy. The River At Night is certainly a page-turner with plenty of tension and suspense and more than a touch of creepiness which made this a good escape read but I would have like the adventure to have been a little more realistic.
    • 4/5
      Four women go on a white water rafting trip on a remote Maine river. Things go badly quickly and they must fight to survive. I liked the first half more than the second, where things became a bit repetitive. I think this one suffered a bit from me comparing it to Heller's The River, which has a similar premise but keeps the storytelling tighter. Regardless, a very enthralling and terrifying read.
    • 3/5
      Not an awful book by any means, my issue is that it is the same story that has been told many times before, only usually better. We follow a group of middle aged women on an annual reunion. Despite having graduated a number of years ago, and leading fairly different lives they have kept in touch and each year decide on a mini holiday together to rekindle old friendships. This year they decide on a rapids ride accompanied with a guid and although not to everyone's taste they all agree to take part. After an accident on the remote river they must all pull together to survive and hopefully reach civilisation in one piece. However things take a further turn for the worse when they come across a mother and son who are hiding out in the wilds. The descriptions of the countryside are really well written and I liked the background to the characters. The chapters were shot and snappy and the book flew by. My main issue was the story was very predictable and I kept hoping for a big twist that never came. I suppose it was almost a 'B' movie remake of Deliverance.Maybe looking back, 3 stars is a little harsh, but it wasn't quite a 4.
    • 5/5
      The River at Night reads like a slasher movie, think Deliverance and Texas Chainsaw Massacre! Just like in most slasher movies you will be yelling at the characters for making STUPID decisions. Four women who have NEVER been white water rafting decide to go on a three day trip going down a long, dangerous and isolated river that only a few have been down. Would anyone in their right mind actually do this?? Putting that aside this book is actually really great. If you love suspenseful books than you will definitely enjoy this one!

      I received this book for free from a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you Gallery and Scout Press!
    • 4/5
      The Short of It:Four women, inexperienced in river rafting take a rafting trip of a lifetime. What could go wrong?The Rest of It:Pia, Sandra, Rachel and Win have known each other for years. They’ve been through divorces and break-ups and weathered many ups and downs but the one thing they look forward to is the girl trip they take every year. This year, Pia books a white water rafting experience with a guide, exploring newly discovered territory and right from the get-go, things don’t go as planned.I picked this book up thinking it was another book entirely! My mistake but I kept reading and I really enjoyed this story. Some of it was a tiny bit far-fetched but the frantic pace of it and the overall desire to survive comes through crystal clear. The river plays a major role, but there are human threats to consider as well which make it a little more exciting.It’s been around for a few years and was definitely not the NEW book I thought I was reading, but I’d still recommend it.For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
    • 4/5
      This is an impressive debut novel and I look forward to reading more by this author. It's intense and deals basically with survival.The first one-third is spent developing the four, middle-aged, women who are friends and take a vacation together every year. This vacation will be a rafting/camping tour in the remote Maine wilderness. Wini, the narrator, is not a nature person and doesn't want this type of trip, but she relents, and decides to go. She is determined to make the best of things and enjoy being with her friends.The action begins with lots of secluded nature scenes, rafting, and camping. The friends end up learning things about themselves and each other as they strive to survive the wilderness. The river turns out to be a character in itself since it plays such a ruthless part in the story. My advice would be not to read reviews because there's always a chance of a spoiler which could ruin the worthwhile experience of this dark novel.The author did a great job on pacing and integrating her characters as the story evolved. It's quite a page-turner.
    • 4/5
      This book really reminded me of "Deliverance," and that's not a bad thing. It was a suspenseful, rip-roaring adventure story taking place on a river in the wilds of Maine, and it kept me on the edge of my seat. Although probably not too realistic, it nevertheless was very entertaining, and I enjoyed it.
    • 3/5
      A tense story of 4 friends who embark on a white water rafting trip in the forest in Maine. Wini, Pia, Rachel, and Sandra have been friends for years and plan a trip to be together. But, disaster strikes and they need to work together to survive.
    • 4/5
      If you are a patient reader and don't mind the 109 pages you must read before the characters actually begin their river adventure, you will ultimately not be disappointed and will enjoy this book. I did have to chuckle at the main character. Either the author had never been camping or she chose to make her character afraid of many things that campers just take for granted...and that was before anything for her to really be afraid of or had even happened. It was a better than "just okay" read.
    • 4/5
      The River At Night, Erica Ferencik, author, Joy Osmanski, narratorThe novel is told in Wini’s voice, one of the four old friends in their mid to late thirties who are fighting the idea of middle age. In that spirit, they are taking a hiking/white water rafting trip, organized by Pia Zanderlee, perhaps the daredevil of the group, who is long, lean and athletically fit. This is the latest of their yearly trips to bond again and renew their close friendship, a friendship that life has interrupted, at times.Wini is not eager to go, and Pia is attempting to persuade her. When Sandra and Rachel agree to go, she gives in, not wanting to be the one they left behind, feeling enormous guilt about her ridiculous fears. Each of the women has their own personal reasons for wanting a few days respite from their world. Each has issues, either in their marriage, their job or their personal life. However, except for Pia, the women are really not even physically ready for the difficult hike to the rafting site, let alone the rafting, but Wini is perhaps the least prepared and her severely blistered feet are tended to by Sandra.Sandra seems to be the most stable and balanced friend of the group. She is recovering from cancer. Her husband, however, is very abusive and controlling. She has a brilliant, but somewhat disabled child, Ethan, who is loved well by his sister Hannah. She protects him, similarly to the way that Wini used to protect her brother, Marcus. Wini is trying to deal with the recent death of Marcus, a developmentally challenged child who used sign language to communicate, a skill which would serve her well on this trip. Wini is also an accomplished swimmer, which will help to save her life when the raft capsizes. Wini’s husband Richard has decided he no longer wishes to be married to her. Rachel is an Emergency Room nurse. Her talents and skill will come in handy as they suffer from many mishaps, but her arrogance and quickness to anger might also place them in danger, at times. She is a recovering alcoholic. Pia is a jock, the part of her personality which hides her true fearful nature. She is hungry for love and is enamored with their much younger guide, Rory Ekhart. He is a handsome, well built, 20 year old college student. He and Pia seem to have similar personalities, each seemingly willing to take risks, even unnecessary ones, sometimes behaving recklessly or thoughtlessly, and they are drawn to each other. The women are going to have an unexpectedly difficult, nightmare of a trip. In just a few days, as their connection to civilization recedes, they will each be forced to face the fractures in their friendships, the true feelings they have for and about each other, and an assortment of dangers they could never have even imagined. They will be forced to reevaluate their thoughts on what is important in life. Perhaps, the most important idea they will face is just how much they want to go on living. The author sets up a tense atmosphere with the discovery that Rory has a bit of a checkered past regarding assault and disorderly conduct, and he is also carrying a gun. His father owns a lot of land in the very remote area of Dickey, where they are headed. Some of the locals resent his invasion of their natural environment. They are not friendly. Rory’s dad had carved a path to the Eagle Lake, in this uninhabitable place, to start the rafting/guide business. He has disturbed and contaminated their little piece of G-d’s world. Rory is now supposedly reformed and no longer reckless. He loves the rafting and guide business. As the story develops, the reader’s mind will be reminded of the horrifyingly, scary movie, Deliverance, that those of a certain age will surely remember. During their developing terrifying experience, when they lose their raft, a friend, and their guide, the surviving members will encounter an odd woman and her son, living in the woods, smelling like feral animals. They live off the land completely. The woman, Simone is very strange, and what they soon discover about her will terrify them. Her son Dean cannot speak. He is in his early twenties and has lived in the woods since the age of 5. Simone said he was born without a tongue, but that story will prove to be a lie. Wini’s ability to use sign language with him enables her to discover the murderous plans Simone has in store for them. She is able to communicate with Dean to try and intervene. How that plays out in the novel will keep the reader on the edge of the seat, up late into the night, in order to discover what happens next.Each of the four women finally discovers what is really important to them, and each will deal with their own ghosts and losses in different ways, truly affected by what they went through in this recent reunion experience which defied their idea of reality. They had to carefully consider their real desires, the choices and decisions they had made in their lives, their ability to be compassionate and their need for friends and family. Until the end of the book, I was captivated, listening late into the night, but in the author’s attempt to tie up all the loose ends, I felt that she seemed to get embroiled in too much melodrama and coincidence. I think the author wanted the reader to wonder about what was better, the idea of living in a civilization that was destroying the environment or the idea of living in the wild, off the land. In both scenarios, there would be a great deal of violence and danger. Perhaps she thought a compromise, using the ideas of both worlds, would be the ultimate outcome of such thinking.
    • 1/5
      ok, i thought this was going to be an interesting book. I love white water rafting and have been to the area in question, many times.(Maine)Wrong, wrong, wrong.... Flat story, and a bit unreal. Pretty unlikable characters, over describing the woods, a real crappy "chic"lit of a story...........Never again Erica. Grow up.
    • 4/5
      Girls Gone Wild Whitewater Rafting - 4.5 stars ...

      I love outdoor adventure/survival stories so when I saw this one featured whitewater rafting in Maine I couldn't pass it up.

      Four friends- Pia, Rachel, Sandra & Wini, all in their mid 30s, are fed up with their current lives and just need a break to have some serious girl fun. Pia, the daring, adventerous ringleader thinks they should all go on a 5-day whitewater rafting trip down a very secluded river with no public access that's owned by a friend of her father's; and where she leads they follow.

      When an accident happens on their second day on the water though, their 'girls getaway' takes a very different turn. But that's only the beginning of their nightmare, someone out there doesn't want them to get-a-way at all...

      I got so engrossed in this story and the outdoor, off-the-grid setting, I read right through to 91% before I even came up for air! So I would say it was definitely a page turner with just the right amount of suspense and action. There was a bit of girl drama though as the girls emotions were frayed and put to the test. I'm usually never a fan of drama, real or fictional, but this wasn't over the top and I felt like most was actually inherent to the story.

      There was also a little bit of humor in the story and I found myself laughing at a few parts, especially the witty snipes that occurred during and after the sex scene on the first night camping at the river. That was hilarious! I think most people have been there before and can appreciate the similarities. I don't want to spoil the scene so I'm not going to go into any details, you'll have just read it.

      I thought the ending especially with the 'mother' left a little room for maybe a possible sequel. If there ever is a second book, I would definitely like to read it. I also thought the story would make a great movie and would love to see it in the theater.

      *I received this ARC from NetGalley & Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
    • 3/5
      I recently read another novel that deals with survival, a YA fiction called Feel Me Fall. Compared to that, this one was a softie. This novel had a lot of positive aspects to it: it had a great premise, and an interesting friendship group. But with all of that potential, I felt that the action was lacking. The beginning started off great, and I found myself intrigued with where the story was going. However, as the story continued, I found that there needed to be more action happening. That kind of made the story fall for me a bit. Overall, this was an interesting story but it needed way more action to carry it through until the end.
    • 4/5
      3.5 Stars. I'm not sure what to say about this book. It felt so much like a straight to DVD movie, but it also wasn't all bad. I found it to be predictable but also suspenseful enough that I wanted to keep reading. I had knots in my stomach throughout several points in this book because imagining myself in this setting with these scenarios makes me very uncomfortable. Overall I would say I liked it. It felt a little obvious at times but the writing is decent and the storyline is filled with enough suspense to keep you wanting to read on.
    • 4/5
      As I have mentioned before, I have some serious guilty pleasures (though I don’t REALLY believe in guilty pleasures when it comes to reading) when it comes to the books that I stack up on my nightstand. One of those guilty pleasures is wilderness survival horror/thriller. I am not an outdoorsy person by any stretch of the imagination beyond the occasional hike or walk, and so I love stories that involve people getting messed up by wilderness. Seriously, I think that I’m so scared of nature that I love seeing fictional people finding terror in the woods, or on the open ocean, or in the mountains, or whatever. This is the girl who freaked out about the Nutty Putty Cave Incident, made her entire book club listen to a long rant about it, and then watched “The Descent” a few times in a row as personal therapy, because she LOVES that movie due to the wilderness survival theme. So yeah. When I found a book that kind of sounds like “The Descent” exists, but takes out the cave, replaces it with a river, and replaces monsters with tangible real life horrors… Oh, I was so there. “The River At Night” even seems like “The Descent” in it’s premise, at least a little bit. A group of ladyfriends go on a trip that involves adrenaline pumping extreme sports, with one of them recovering from a serious loss in her life while the others don’t really know how to approach her about it. Winifred is our protagonist, and she is still reeling from her divorce and the death of her brother Marcus. Her friends Pia, Sandra, and Rachel have always been her travel companions, on out-there and intense adventures (thanks to Pia, a true free spirit with no fear), and while Wini has reservations, the thought of white water rafting in the Maine Wilderness sounds… fun? I will be the first to admit that these four women are all pretty two dimensional caricatures, with the self involved adrenaline junkie (Pia), the tightly wound recovering addict (Rachel), the quiet sweetheart with a troubled home life (Sandra), and the wounded but determined wallflower (Wini). And I will also be the first to admit that some of the situations they found themselves in were a bit convenient, and cliche, and a little bit farfetched.But guess what? I didn’t care because DAMN was “The River At Night” a fun as hell read!!!! “The River At Night” has just the right amount of suspense, as well as the right amount of relationship tension, that I had a hard time putting it down once I was completely absorbed by it. I had thoughts on where things were going to go, plot wise, but I was kept guessing for a lot of the big reveals. Ferencik did a really good job of building up the tension and setting the scene, and I felt like I could very easily and plainly see the Maine Wilderness as I made my way through the story.I also really did like Wini as a protagonist. She is, of course, the character we get to know the best, and I felt like I understood her motivations in every choice that she made. I felt for her and I really did connect to the undercurrent of pain that she was fighting against, be it the end of her marriage or the loss of her brother, who was mute, and never really fit in outside of when he was with her. Her guilt in both of these losses was never overdone, but it was always present, like a very sad elephant in the room. It was pretty refreshing that Wini and her friends were all women who were encroaching upon middle age, an age range that we don’t really get to see much when it comes to women in books such as these. The way that they interacted with each other was pretty believable in terms of how sometimes friendships can be rife with tension, especially friendships that have gone on for so long and have seen so much. I believed every single action and choice that each of the characters made, and while I liked some more than others (Rachel was just the absolute worst and Pia was also pretty insufferable) I think that each of them added a unique piece to the whole of the story.On top of that there were very sweet moments involving Wini and a character who is introduced a little more than halfway through the story. I don’t want to give any of it away, but just know that I thought that it was very touching for a book that had a slew of moments where I thought I was going to fall of my seat because of the ratcheted up tension. It was nice to see some legitimate moments of tenderness, even if some of the circumstances were a bit hard to swallow, realism wise. I absolutely found myself a bit teary eyed at a few of these moments, especially when Wini was thinking about Marcus and how she felt she failed him.Realistic or not, “The River At Night” was an unsettling and adrenaline pumping survival thriller that captured my attention for a full evening. Thriller fans, MAKE NOTE. This will be a great book for the upcoming summer months to take along on a vacation.
    • 4/5
      THE RIVER AT NIGHTERICA FERENCIKMY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️PUBLISHERSimon & Schuster Audio PUBLISHEDJanuary 2017SUMMARYHow do you feel about white water rafting? Four long-time girlfriends plan a rafting vacation in a remote wilderness area in Maine. It's their annual girls trip, a time to get away from their jobs and families and try something different, something fun, something challenging. Winifred (Wini) and friends Pia, Rachel, and Sandra pile in the car and head from Boston to Maine. These women have been through 15 years together--marriages, births, divorces, cancer, and deaths. But nothing has prepared them for this trip, physically or emotionally. Their blond haired, good looking river guide, Rory, has made this trip five times. He assures the nervous women they have nothing to worry about. After Rory gives some basic instructions the group takes to the turbulent waters. It's not long before the raft overturns the first time. But the women regroup and now understand the necessity of following Rory's directions and working together. They continue down the raging river, through the canyon of trees lining the river. And that's when things go horrible wrong-it's a fight for survival in the Allagash Wilderness.REVIEWThe River at Night is an action-packed unforgettable white-water rafting thriller, that took my breath away and dispelled any notion of a future rafting trip. It's off the bucket list! The pacing of the story was slow at first, but picked up nicely once the actual road trip began. And once the women get on the water it was an intense trip downstream. The women were scared, cold, and struggled against the river, the elements, and the wilderness. Author Erin Ferencik's river and wilderness scenery descriptions were great.I really enjoyed the book's dialogue. The women's discussions did a great job of bringing out all the reluctance, stress and fear of the experience. I also liked having Wini, the divorced, and most reluctant member of the group, as the book's narrator. I think by doing that, Ferencik, was able to really dig deeply into the women's emotions of the situation. Pia's strong and fun loving character added drama, interest and excitement to the book. The River at Night is a story about friendship and survival. I could easily see this being made into a movie, it has great scenery, great tension, great characters, and great dialogue. Thriller lovers will love this book. I listened to the audio version of the book, and the narrator, Joy Osmanski did a fabulous job.
    • 3/5
      Winifred Allen is fed up with her professional and personal life but can't seem to figure out what to do next. She's looking forward to a vacation with her three best friends, and is hoping they will do something fun, like sit by a pool and drink margaritas. Unfortunately, Pia, wants to fulfill something on her bucket list and talks Win, along with Rachel, a recovering alcoholic and Sandra, mom and cancer survivor, on a white water rafting trip on Maine's Winnegosset River.

      Along with them is their guide, twenty-ish Rory Ekhart, and it becomes apparent very quickly that Pia is attracted to him. Win has been filled with tension about this trip and their ominous start just adds to her feeling of fear. The reader knows from the beginning something bad is going to happen.

      The River at Night is a compelling, atmospheric thriller, with plenty of plot twists and turns. Each of the characters are filled with strengths, insecurities, and flaws. I did think the book is hampered by a slow start but once the girls set out on their vacation it became mesmerizing for me.
    • 5/5
      A page turning literary masterpiece,
    • 3/5
      This book starts off slow, with four friends assembling for an extended whitewater rafting trip in the Maine wilderness. Then everything picks up quickly when, mid-way through the book, their guide dies, the friends find themselves at the mercy of a woman and her son who've been hiding in the wilderness for years, and things escalate to murder quickly. This novel is a good, quick read, but I'm certain I would classify it as "thrilling" as I always felt certain the characters would make it out alive and I did feel somewhat letdown by the book's resolution.
    • 4/5
      Four women friends go on a whitewater-rafting adventure trip, but an accident leaves them lost in the Maine backwoods, where they run into unexpected dangers.This was a quick page-turner of a survival story that I enjoyed. The four main characters were neither idealized nor one-dimensional, but seemed like real people, and their friendships were nuanced and realistic. The narrator, Winifred, seemed especially relatable; she's in a midlife slump, wondering what her purpose is and mourning some losses, when she's thrust into this life-or-death situation. Some reviewers noted that the characters made stupid decisions, but other than their initial decision to go on the trip in the first place (and if they hadn't gone, there wouldn't have been a story), I don't agree. In fact, their choices seemed like ones I would make under the same circumstances, and although a couple of the plot elements strained belief, on the whole I thought this was an engaging and exciting thriller. It reminded me quite a lot of a similar story I "discovered" last year: Lost Canyon by Nina Revoyr.
    • 4/5
      Four friends embark on a remote white water rafting adventure with mixed feelings. The women are reliant on a young guide they don't know much about. When things go horribly wrong, the stress brings out the flaws in their friendships, their weaknesses, and their strengths. The first half of the book lays the groundwork and then quickly ramps up to a high speed adrenaline rush until the very end.
    • 4/5
      I absolutely loved this book! I have always enjoyed books that deal with out in the wild camping and the fight to survive against Mother Nature and sometimes other people. This book has that but also has wonderful character development and is so descriptive that you can imagine that it is you fighting to survive. Oh, did I mention that I loved this book?I am still trying to figure out how to describe Winifred who is basically the main narrator of the story. Her character is so complex that it is hard to describe her in one sentence. She seems to be at that point where she is just overwhelmed by everything happening all at once. Her long marriage has just ended, her beloved brother has died, and she is wondering where her career is going and why she chose it to begin with. Enter her three best friends who have decided to go extreme hiking and river rafting in the remote wilderness. Winfred is the cautious one but is talked into going on the trip despite her concerns.Of course things cannot go as planned and the friends have to spend their vacation fighting for their lives. It does have elements of "Deliverance" but only in the sense of friends stranded in the wilderness trying to survive against all odds. The story is unique because of the complex relationships between the friends and Wini herself.Highly recommended!
    • 5/5
      The River at Night is Erica Ferencik's (fantastic!) debut novel.We all have them - long term friends that you try to get together with at least once a year. That's what Wini, Pia, Rachel and Sandra try to do, picking a new vacation destination every year. It's white-water rafting this year in the remote wilds of Maine. A place where no one lives. Or do they? And when they have an accident on the river..... Great premise!The four are all very different personalities. Friends yes, but personalities do clash - especially in stressful situations. Ferencik nails the interactions between the four - their depictions are realistic, the friendship rings true and the personalities remind me of some people I've known. The friendship between the four is tested as the book progresses, as is each woman.Great plotting - a hint of Deliverance for those that remember that movie. (No worries, not as graphic) Lots of action. I kayak, but I don't think I'll ever go white water rafting. And I no idea what was going to happen next. I can't tell you how much I appreciate being kept in the dark, wondering where an author is going to take the story.I chose to listen to The River at Night. The narrator was Joy Osmanski. Her interpretation of the novel was excellent. Each woman was easily identifiable - with their own tone, cadence and attitude. I absolutely believed the interactions between the four. And the other characters (not going to spoil it by saying who) had a dark and sinister voice that gave me chills. Osmanski conveyed the sense of danger and desperation really well - and had me listening to just one more chapter before turning in. This is a book I know I enjoyed more by listening. I felt caught up in the story, included in the conversations and decisions. Although I was mentally voting (and shouting) 'no' for many of their choices!The River at Night was such an addicting tale! Absolutely recommended. I'll be watching for Ferencik's next book!