There was a time when I believed, with the police and the media and my stunned parents, that I was the redeemed one, the boy borne safely home on the ebb of whatever freak tide carried Peter and Jamie away. Not any more. In ways too dark and crucial to be called metaphorical, I never left that wood.
In Knocknaree, Ireland in 1984, young Adam Ryan and two of his friends disappeared into the woods near their home. Ryan was later found standing in the woods, his shoes filled with blood, in a near-catatonic state. He has no memory of what happened in the woods or where his friends ended up, and he’s done everything he can to forget the experience, move on with his life, and prevent people from finding out that he was the boy who came back.
Now, twenty years later, Adam Ryan has become Rob Ryan, and he’s a homicide detective. When a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in a clearing where Knocknaree’s woods used to be, Rob and his partner (and very close friend) Cassie Maddox are called to investigate, and Rob, wondering if this murder is somehow connected to the long-ago disappearance of his friends, is simultaneously excited and terrified.
What if he gets answers? What if he remembers something he’d really rather not? What if the truth about his identity gets out, and what if the truth about what happened to him is even worse than what he’s imagined for the last twenty years?
Tana French’s debut novel In the Woods is a deliciously creepy psychological thriller of the very best sort. While the whodunit element of the story is certainly important and well-written, the real beauty of In the Woods lies in French’s depiction of the easy, comfortable intimacy between Rob and Cassie—the sort we all feel with our very closest friends but can rarely put into words—and her vivid imagining of the effects the investigation has on Rob. Unable to keep his usual professional distance from this case, Rob finds himself slowly falling apart. A crack here. A slip there. One drink too many some night or other. They’re small things, but he is both painfully aware of them and unable to make himself stop, and they become impossible to ignore.
Not only does French craft a smart, unpredictable, well-told mystery that will keep readers guessing AND bring her characters to life with spot-on descriptions and true-to-life relationships, she does it all with wonderful writing. I don’t always expect that from mysteries, since the linchpin of a mystery really is the plot, and it was such a delightful surprise with In the Woods. I occasionally found myself pausing to savor a particularly beautiful sentence or absorb a vivid description, and that’s the kind of thing that really makes me appreciate a book.
In the Woods is engrossing and frightening in that all-too-possible way, and it will appeal to seasoned mystery fans and cross-over readers alike. After devouring this great read, I can hardly wait to get my hands on The Likeness, French’s second novel, told from Cassie’s perspective. 4 out of 5.
Check out this book trailer for In the Woods, and visit Tana French’s website for more details.
Filed under: Book Reviews | Tagged: Book Reviews, books, fiction, in the woods, mystery, reading, tana french, thrillers
Great review. I loved in In The Woods and The Likeness. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts once you have read them both.
I have had this on my wish list forever!
I totally got chills reading that paragraph again. So glad you liked it!
I rated this one a 4 as well – would have been higher, but I was so dissatisfied with the ending!!!! Great review, I LOVED The Likeness, I think you will too.
I accidently read The Likeness first (actually listened to it on audio) and was totally blown away. I ran out and bought In the Woods, but it still sits on my shelves. I’ve heard really good reviews and really bad reviews, I was so confused! Regardless, gonna read it. Just don’t know when.
Sandy, I think both books are probably very good, but it is very interesting that there’s really no agreement on which is better. I think about half the people I’ve heard from say they liked In the Woods better, and the other half say The Likeness…and these are all people whose opinions I trust, so maybe it comes down to reading preferences and which narrative perspective you like better?
I’ve had this for a while and need to get to it. I keep reading good things about it.
So glad you liked this one. It was one of my favorites this year. The Hubster liked it too. I haven’t read The Likeness yet, but plan to. I know a lot of people didn’t like the end of this one but I thought it was good and gutsy of her. I just loved her writing style.
Definitely need to get ahold of this one soon! I’ve heard so many great things about it, and now that I’m confident the plot won’t freak me out too much, I need to read it
Yes, yes you do. And it’s not freaky or scary, just a good thriller that unfolds at the perfect pace.
I’m a new reader who usually doesn’t post, but just wanted to say thanks for the great review of Into The Woods. I own the book and started reading it about a year but just couldn’t really focus on it. I felt like it hadn’t drawn me in quickly enough. Now, I’m certainly going to give it another try.
As you know, I’m a huge fan of Tana French, and I’m so happy to see how much you enjoyed this one! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on The Likeness.
I saw this one and her second novel, The Likeness, at a used bookstore this week, but when I wandered back towards it on the shelf, both were gone. Stupid me, not grabbing them while I could! It seems like a lot of people liked this book. Even though I do REALLY badly with creepy/scary stories, I may give it a shot!
DUDE! Do you have The Likeness yet?
Not yet…am planning to pick it up for my Christmas travel. My MIL loves mysteries, so I’ll lend both of them to her when I’m finished.
I really liked this book, but liked The Likeness more!
[...] this follow-up to her debut In the Woods (which I loved), author Tana French changes up the narrative voice, writing this time from the perspective of [...]
This is a first for me, Rebecca, but I did not enjoy this book as much as you did. It seemed to drag on forever without really going anywhere. I definitely don’t agree with the term “psychological thriller” that some reviews have applied to this book. I didn’t find it thrilling at all!
Now, on to “Picking Cotton”
Sorry to hear that, Kim. I just read the sequel The Likeness and found it to be much faster and more compelling (and it’s written from Cassie’s perspective). Maybe that one will be a better fit for you, too.