In the Woods

In the Woods by Tana French
Published May 17, 2007

About the Book:

As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.

Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox—his partner and closest friend—find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.

Richly atmospheric, stunning in its complexity, and utterly convincing and surprising to the end, In the Woods is sure to enthrall fans of Mystic River and The Lovely Bones. And look for French's new mystery, Broken Harbor, for more of the Dublin Murder Squad.

My Thoughts:

What an incredible ride this book was!  It's psychological thriller/murder mystery written more like a work of literary fiction.  It has incredibly complex and fascinating characters; I would happily read a dozen more books about Rob and Cassie, back to back.  Rob may be one of the most interesting characters I've read ever read about really.  The book is incredibly well-written, almost poetic at times, which I know you either love or hate usually; I personally like it.  It is dark, disturbing at times, complex, heartbreaking (not something expected really from the genre), and just so utterly fascinating and readable.  You find yourself caring far more about the characters than usual for this genre too.  This book will be enjoyed by those who love Gillian Flynn's books, which I am huge fan of.  If you don't like dark and disturbing and complex, this isn't a book for you.  If you, rush to find it and read it!  I just checked two other Tana French books out from my library and can't wait to read them too.