Tana French

Twenty years after witnessing the violent disappearances of two companions from their small Dublin suburb, detective Rob Ryan investigates a chillingly similar murder that takes place in the same wooded area, a case that forces him to piece together his traumatic memories.

In the Woods

arwen

The debut novel of an astonishing voice in psychological suspense 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.

A Novel

Giving this book 2.5 stars because the ending was very predictable. This was a buddy read, and we figured out the plot pretty early into the book 😭 Honestly, I wished this book had a different ending because our other speculations were much more complicated and interesting. Also, Rob became really frustrating towards the last few chapters, that I just wanted to fight him. The only good thing that came from Rob was when he admitted that he was an idiot during this case because he was ☠️ The book also tries to convince you that you were "fooled," and I will be taking offense to that ✋😭 It basically insinuates that the reader was never going to figure out the plot when in all honesty it was really obvious to me.

Although I have my complaints, the book was an okay read. I haven't read a mystery thriller in a while, so this was a nice palate cleanser from all the fantasy I've read. I definitely recommend reading the book with a friend because it was fun bouncing ideas off one another and sharing our reactions as we read. Finally, I will be thanking Tana French for Cassie's existence because she was my favorite character 🫶

Giving this book 2.5 stars because the ending was very predictable. This was a buddy read, and we figured out the plot pretty early into the book 😭 Honestly, I wished this book had a different ending because our other speculations were much more complicated and interesting. Also, Rob became really frustrating towards the last few chapters, that I just wanted to fight him. The only good thing that came from Rob was when he admitted that he was an idiot during this case because he was ☠️ The book also tries to convince you that you were "fooled," and I will be taking offense to that ✋😭 It basically insinuates that the reader was never going to figure out the plot when in all honesty it was really obvious to me.

Although I have my complaints, the book was an okay read. I haven't read a mystery thriller in a while, so this was a nice palate cleanser from all the fantasy I've read. I definitely recommend reading the book with a friend because it was fun bouncing ideas off one another and sharing our reactions as we read. Finally, I will be thanking Tana French for Cassie's existence because she was my favorite character 🫶

vanessa

officially a huge tana french fan. also reinvigorated my love for criminal minds. also reignited a (prob unhealthy) addiction to crime thrillers

When he was twelve years old, Adam Ryan went playing in the woods one day with his two best friends. He never saw them again. Their bodies were never found, and Adam himself was discovered with his back pressed against an oak tree and his shoes filled with blood. He had no memory of what had happened. Twenty years on, Rob Ryan - the child who came back - is a detective in the Dublin police force. He's changed his name. No one knows about his past. Then a little girl's body is found at the site of the old tragedy and Rob is drawn back into the mystery. Knowing that he would be thrown off the case if his past were revealed, Rob takes a fateful decision to keep quiet but hope that he might also solve the twenty-year-old mystery of the woods.

hileahrious

Amazingly well-written mystery!!! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book this long so quickly. I had my suspicions of who was guilty at a certain point, but the narration really makes you doubt. Easy to read and so very visual. Highly recommend if you love a good mystery.

Lara Engle

Surprisingly literary, In the Woods is no typical, formulaic murder mystery. The characters are nuanced and the situations are complex. I lost count of how many times I thought a turn of phrase was lyrical or an emotion felt real and bittersweet. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Tana French may be a new favorite author for me.

Rob had the audacity to say we couldn’t have guessed who the killer is because he didn’t even know??? Speak for yourself sir.

Besides the fact that half the ending isn’t resolved, Rob was an AWFUL detective. Completely useless.

Sam White

Rob had the audacity to say we couldn’t have guessed who the killer is because he didn’t even know??? Speak for yourself sir.

Besides the fact that half the ending isn’t resolved, Rob was an AWFUL detective. Completely useless.

Colleen

4 Stars

This review contains some spoilers.

In the Woods stands out from most Mystery/Thrillers. Certainly, the premise is straighforward: Detectives Rob Ryan and Cassie Maddox investigate the murder of a little girl. It quickly becomes more complicated when they realize that her body was found in the same location where, twenty years ago, two of Rob's friends went missing never to be found. Rob was the only witness to the crime but his traumatized mind completely erased the memories of that day. Are the two cases connected? 

Whereas most modern Thrillers are so linear, underdeveloped, and completely ignore anything other than the plot, In the Woods takes its time. It sets the scene. It fleshes out the characters. It imperceptibly weaves a tangled web around the reader. This is the sort of psychological thriller that slowly gets into your head.

The story is told in first person by Rob. I am not a huge fan of first person, but it was well done. Rob is also clearly an unreliable narrator which is another usually hate. I have come to realize though that the reason I typically hate unreliable narrators is that they are usually used to cover up sloppy writing. But it worked for me in this book. Rob is also retelling the events after the fact, so there is a fair degree of foreshadowing. A lot of it was along the lines of "if only I knew then what would happen" which is the type of lead on that usually annoys the hell out of me, but French managed to use it to successfully build tension.


  “What I warn you to remember is that I am a detective. Our relationship with truth is fundamental but cracked, refracting confusingly like fragmented glass. It is the core of our careers, the endgame of every move we make, and we pursue it with strategies painstakingly constructed of lies and concealment and every variation on deception.”

Granted, this type of storytelling won't appeal to everyone. If you like mysteries with a breakneck speed and the focus only on the plot, then you might find this book tedious. It has a slow, languid pace that lets you absorb all of the little details. The descriptions are lovely and the writing is atmospheric and entrancing. And beyond just the details of the case, the book touches on a lot of issues surrounding a tragic case as well as other life issues. Here you get experience the despair, see the toll that working the case of a murdered little girl takes on a person, the anxiety and depression and problems such as alcoholism that often surround that situation. There are the frustrating moments, critical breakthrough moments, and there are the little everyday moments in between- the pauses between the notes that make the music more evocative. 

The ending a bit slow (view spoiler)[and depressing (hide spoiler)] but somehow I liked it. Maybe because I happened to be in just the right morose sort of mood reading it on a dreary, rainy winter day. (view spoiler)[I can't call the ending satisfying, but after reading so many books where everything wraps up too succinctly with a giant pretty bow I appreciated that this story reflected that life is messy and rarely as satisfying as fiction. But still I was awake late last night pondering what really happened. This was an interesting tumble down the rabbit hole of the mind of a sociopath. It's one of those stories that could be interpreted more than one way, and I'm not sure I'll ever decide which version I believe. (hide spoiler)] It was definitely a captivating and complex story all the more impressive for being a debut novel.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 5 Stars
Characters: 5 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars
Level of Captivation: 5 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars

Vilandra

Really good. Not the same old dime a dozen crime book. Characters are well developed and the text is witty. They act like real people act, included doing stupid and terrible things. I’m sorry these aren’t partners we’ll see again.

Alexis

** spoiler alert **
           This was the first book my book club chose and it was not a fan favorite lol. I was the first to finish and the others are having a hard time getting through it. It was a sad slow book that didn’t need to be 25 chapters. I absolutely love reading so I appreciated the imagery and emotion the writer was trying to convey. Especially between Ryan & Cassie but I can’t convey how badly I did not like the main character... I mean what a giant miss. He was intolerable! The motive for the crime was beyond weak in comparison to the crime and the storyline. All the dragging on just to leave us feeling so unresolved. This was my first time reading a mystery novel and I can confidently say I wish we had went with a different one.

Eloise

Good writing, but unlikeable main character, slow pace, unsatisfying ending.

The writing was great but slow for a thriller. The majority of the book was about character development instead of the mystery, whereas it should've been more half and half. One of my pet peeves is when the main character's life is falling apart and... that's it. No resolution, nothing. Tana French definitely makes you feel for the guy, but it just left me feeling frustrated every time I put the book down. 

It was written in past tense, hence all the unnecessary, nostalgic, over-descriptive detail. It's harder for me to get as involved with a book written as if it's a memory, especially if it's a thriller/mystery. There were parts that got suspenseful, but then the narrator would mention something about how he remembered it, which would totally kill the suspense. 

As far as the mystery goes, the only interesting parts happened at the very beginning and very end. The murder was eventually solved, but unsatisfyingly. You don't even learn about what happened to the main character in his childhood, which was what intrigued me about the book in the first place. Loose ends everywhere.

I guess I gave this three stars because the book is clearly well written. I am no book snob, but I think that many book enthusiasts would enjoy it because it's definitely original. It's just geared more to those who don't generally read mystery/thrillers, because it just seems more like a novel about a guy who hates himself.

Rebecca Shaffer

This book is so wonderfully written, but if you are wanting a procedural mystery that gets tied up in a nice little bow, don't expect that. It was a slow starter for me. And the book is complex, at times frustrating, and left me feeling like life can be a bit sad & empty. But that can also sometimes be what makes us beautiful.

Sandi King

Really really good book. Lush descriptions that actually put images in my head (a rarity for me). Multi dimensional characters, intriguing story that kept you guessing. Excited to continue this series.

Janice Hopper

Listened to this on audio through Scribd. Steven Crossley is an excellent narrator, and I really enjoyed his narration on this book.

As far as the story itself: I don't read too many mysteries anymore. I'm not sure why. Maybe because cozy mysteries seem a little too pat, while hard-boiled stories are a little too dark. O.o This story about a murdered child plodded on a little at the beginning. It did go on to a tense and exciting finish with an appropriate (to the story) denouement. 

I got pretty frustrated with the protagonist, who does several things that are totally inappropriate in his work and personal life, and generally acts like a jerk. And there is a really horrible character late in the book. And so much smoking! Everyone smokes like frickin' chimneys. I grant that that's a fairly petty complaint, but still... ewww.

But the story was pretty well-told, and definitely had me going out of my way to stay with it, especially toward the end. So 4 stars in spite of some reservations.

A gripping thriller from "New York Times "bestseller and the acclaimed author of "Broken Harbor "and "The Secret Place " 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.

Zoey Mikalatos

I loved this mystery. With most mystery books, I discover that I know who the murderer is halfway through, or even earlier. With In the Woods, I was guessing the wrong answer the entire time. It reminded me of Jane Harper's mystery novels in that way, and I loved that the book is set in Ireland. There are enough cultural details to make it feel strange and foreign to a non-Irish reader, but at the same time everything is perfectly integrated in order to make the setting feel natural throughout the book. The main character was well developed - not perfect, but had redeeming qualities. I particularly enjoyed the relationship and banter between the two detectives, as well as how there were developed subplots rather than just the singular mystery plot. I will definitely be continuing to read this series.

"Humans are feral and ruthless; this, this watching through cool intent eyes and delicately adjusting one factor or another till a man's fundamental instinct for self-preservation cracks, is savagery in its most pure, most polished and most highly evolved form."

macy

“whatever elliptical beauty Cassie possesses has always lain not in the vulnerable planes of color and texture but deeper, in the polished contours of her bones … it seemed an impossible thing to me, it seemed the vastest and saddest miracle of my life: I touched her hair, once.”

Latitude Tamarind

There is no satisfying conclusion to this book, which is not the point of a mystery novel. Other than that I loved it.

when you read a 600 page book only for the mystery to never be solved 

wtf

Sian Wadey

This book had been recommended to me by my Mum a while back and I really fancied a book that was gritty, surprising and a page turner. I must admit, upon reading the prologue I was disappointed. The author used lots of flowery language and fluff about summertime in Ireland and I like my murder mysteries to open with a body on page one. But, after the prologue the story soon got going. We are introduced to Rob/Adam Ryan and instantly he informs us that he lies. It is clear he is far from a reliable narrator. 
He details us on the case of his missing friends, and the events that took place around the time. The situation is really intriguing and it's clear that the police officers at the time hadn't got a clue. 
Then we are brought up to the date, Rob had relinquished his first name as a child and has now become a policeman on the Murder Squad. He and his 'more than friends, but not quite lovers' partner Cassie get the case of a murdered twelve year old in the same location as where his friends went missing. 
The case is slow going, with different leads and suspects. The family are certainly interesting and not everything is as it seems. But could the two cases be related?
Tana French is an excellent writer, her characters seem full and thought out and she sets the scene beautifully. As I read I felt my feelings change, felt tense and hatred which is exactly the kind of reaction I want when reading a novel. Rob Ryan for me personally went from a character that I put up with to a character that I hated after one single event. His behaviour infuriated me, so I must admit I did rush the last portion of the book, just to finish it.
The case itself had plenty of twists and turns and I didn't figure out who the murderer was, but I was disappointed by the result. After everything that had happened it seemed a bit of an anti-climax. But what irritated me more was that the original case, of Adam's lost friends was never resolved! And it doesn't appear to be resolved in any follow-up books. 
I originally gave this four stars when finishing it, but since I've delegated it to three. The ending was so unsatisfying, and the behaviour between Cassie and Rob seemed odd to me. I have a male best friend and you couldn't pay me a million pounds to touch his feet!
Overall, a solid novel, with so much promise. I really enjoyed French's style of writing, so I'm likely to pick up another of her books. As long as you can promise me that there is a conclusion!

Ley Stanton

Megan Vaughn

** spoiler alert **
           (Spoilers)

I’d like one free punch at Rosalind’s face. 

In all seriousness, this may have been one of my favorite books I’ve read in a while. It was a beautifully written, captivating story that had a perfectly constructed balance of crime suspense and personal heartbreak. There were so many twists and turns and I was genuinely surprised by the outcome. 

I’m interested some theories of what happened to Jamie and Peter. Based on his final interaction with Rob, I don’t think Jonathan had anything to do with their disappearance but I am not convinced his two friends are innocent. I also never fully bought in to Jamie’s mother’s story. 

The way things ended with Cassie left me with a very sad memory of this book but I loved it all the same.

Riah Forbes 

** spoiler alert **
           I might up this to 4 stars once I am done feeling enraged by the ending. >:(

Fraser Simons

Cassie Maddox and Rob Ryan of the (fictional) Dublin police force—as noted afterward, there is no such thing—catch a particularly grizzly case that harkens back to Ryan’s hometown, and a past he’s not nearly thought of or reckoned with. If any duo, far more close than most detective pairs tend to be, can pull it off, though, you’d think it’d be these two.

In fact, the book starts out essentially building the B plot, that of the complicated relationship between the two that is built on a framework neither of them is aware of. More like old patterns overlaying their behaviours, rather than a conscious decision to build a friend and partnership on. By the time the A plot starts we are absolutely saturated with character knowledge and the framing of first person narration of Ryan telegraphs that this is no simple case or relationship. He tells us he’s a liar and far from objective in this case. And that’s all true. Nor is Cassie, for her part in this positively gutting story.

It’s these kinds of books that are why women can write men and it’s so often the case that men do not write convincing women. As much as it’s about the case itself. Who did it and why. How maddening it is to work a case of child murder. It’s also absolutely about the unconscious and savage patterns were undertake in our lives every day. And how, when trauma is involved, there is absolutely a cyclical and vicious framework applied to the generally the most victimized and, for lack of a better word, broken people. 

Never have I read a book that provides such vital understand and comprehension of a protagonist. Ryan is traumatized and self destructive in a noir way, but French refuses to characterize him as a loveable or heroic like that framework often does. Indeed, from the horses mouth we see and learn just how messed up Ryan is. And although he and Cassie are the people to dig into the case—we also clearly see the web of trauma and pain correlating to our main characters as well as the victim. 

There is no simple, easy solution. I absolutely think this book is interrogating the fact that many traumatized people enter a cycle of pain that the Justice system simply is not built to resolve. This endless meatgrinder just continues to allow for victims to have no restorative process, becoming debilitated in numerous ways. 

Unwilling to glamorize the casual pain people inflict on each other, no matter how close they are, this book is gruelling. I think it was Gaiman said a good book has every character get what they need. Not what they want. In this case the stark light feels, to me, like a few hard truths French planted with a stern flag. We can acknowledge our fascination with the darkness of humankind and with death and murder. 

But we also too often skate accountability in our own thoughts and actions; unwilling to interrogate our own pain, and so we too become just another person who disintegrates relationships or replicates toxic behaviours and patterns simply because we can. Perhaps we don’t ever find another way without help. There are conversations in here that feel so intimate and relatable. Where the secret parts of yourself are put in display as you tell another person about them and it feels like you’re loading a gun with each word, handing it to them, and hoping to god that in the future, come some argument or change in power dynamics, they don’t shoot you dead. 

There is far more, somehow, at stake in this story than finding the killer of a young girl. Everyone feels at a crossroads or on trial. Death hangs in the air. Even if it’s emotional stakes. Like I said, the book _starts_ with a detailed accounting of Cassie and Ryan as people and partners trying to just be people despite their past. And if you care about that then there is always a lot more at stake than a killer. 

Absolutely incredible debut. My only qualm is the prose being uneven. However the themes feel incredibly well realized and meaningful. This book had a real impact on me. Mostly because I read something like Bewilderment and I don’t see reality. I see the Disney channel. When I read about people just trying to be okay for most of the day, and being caught up in destructive patterns, I see reality. I see the human condition. That’s the fine line these kinds of books walk. And this one does it with absolute grace.

Cindy Lieberman

3.5. An interesting murder mystery narrated by a junior member of the Dublin Murder Squad who is seemingly no stranger to murder, having lost his two best friends at the age of 12. This could have been a solid 4 or above had the ending not been so drawn out (and, by that point, obvious to even the least curious of readers). Will be interesting to see what comes next, as there were very few well-drawn characters that could conceivably continue the series.

Molly Morgan

** spoiler alert **
           I enjoyed the first part of this book, as I continued reading I got frustrated. The way the MC sexualized his female partner. The way he eventually DID have sex with her. The way the OG mystery DIDN'T GET SOLVED. The way the second mystery gets solved. It all just feels frustrating. Overall, I just felt like tearing this book in half. The first book that frustrated me this much to read.

In the Woods

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