INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, AND LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER
SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE
An NPR Best Book of the Year, 2015
A ShelfAwareness Best Book of the Year, 2015
An Entertainment Weekly Summer Books Pick
A Buzzfeed “31 Books to Get Excited About this Summer” Pick
A Publishers Weekly “Top Ten Mysteries and Thrillers” Pick
A BookReporter Summer Reading Pick
A New York … Pick
A Publishers Weekly “Top Ten Mysteries and Thrillers” Pick
A BookReporter Summer Reading Pick
A New York Post “Best Novels to Read this Summer” Pick
A Shelf Awareness “Book Expo America 2015 Buzz Book” Pick
What should be a cozy and fun-filled weekend deep in the English countryside takes a sinister turn in Ruth Ware’s suspenseful, compulsive, and darkly twisted psychological thriller.
Leonora, known to some as Lee and others as Nora, is a reclusive crime writer, unwilling to leave her “nest” of an apartment unless it is absolutely necessary. When a friend she hasn’t seen or spoken to in years unexpectedly invites Nora (Lee?) to a weekend away in an eerie glass house deep in the English countryside, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. Forty-eight hours later, she wakes up in a hospital bed injured but alive, with the knowledge that someone is dead. Wondering not “what happened?” but “what have I done?”, Nora (Lee?) tries to piece together the events of the past weekend. Working to uncover secrets, reveal motives, and find answers, Nora (Lee?) must revisit parts of herself that she would much rather leave buried where they belong: in the past.
In the tradition of Paula Hawkins’s instant New York Times bestseller The Girl On the Train and S. J. Watson’s riveting national sensation Before I Go To Sleep, this gripping literary debut from UK novelist Ruth Ware will leave you on the edge of your seat through the very last page.
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This weekend, I read In a Dark, Dark Wood, which I mostly enjoyed. It received tons of great reviews, and Reese Witherspoon is turning it into a movie. I loved the premise: A woman named Nora is mysteriously invited to a bachelorette party for an estranged friend she hasn’t spoken to in 10 years. The group heads to a remote cabin for a weekend, and things quickly turn creepy/murdery.
I definitely had issues with it, however. I guessed most of the characters’ motives early on, but that usually doesn’t prevent me from enjoying a mystery or thriller. My main gripe is that the main character, Nora, is a crime writer, but this barely comes into play as she finds herself in dangerous scenarios. Every once in a while she would be like, “I should know what do to in this situation — I write crime novels!” but that was about it. I thought her career could have been utilized in a much more interesting way.
In a Dark, Dark Wood is a mystery/thriller novel written by author Ruth Ware. I enjoyed this reading experience so much! From the first chapter, my mind was already trying to strategically figure out the who, what, when, and why of this slow-to-be-revealed mystery. There are two parallel time frames only a few days apart from each other, and in my opinion they both contribute a grave amount of suspense. Something has happened, and snippets are revealed leisurely. As you read, you realize the author is not being cruel with this tactic, but the reader learns along with the main character what has come to pass and I was on the edge of my seat!
According to an online interview with the author, Ms. Ware’s writing in In a Dark, Dark Wood was influenced by Agatha Christie and the movie Scream. I could definitely feel these influences while reading. The writing style itself exudes creepy suspense, the setting is nothing short of a horror film waiting to happen, and the characters create an interesting group dynamic that keeps the reader guessing at each of their intentions.
This was a great book and I would highly recommend it to fans of mystery novels. Personally, I was surprised by aspects of the mystery’s outcome; however, I think any readers who guess the whodunit beforehand may still enjoy watching how it plays out. This is Ms. Ware’s debut novel and she is a talent to keep an eye out for. Check it out!
I had read all Ruth Ware’s books except this one, her first. I decided to read it as a ‘pre-Halloween’ scary book. And, wow, it did not disappoint in that regard. Unusual plot, so many twists. Great, quirky characters and you’re left guessing till the very end about who did what & why. It starts with a bachelorette party in England (where it’s called a ‘hen’ party), with a stranger, a gun aimed in the dark. A true “who REALLY done it” you won’t forget. Highly recommend this book-great mystery and characters, amazing writer.
For some reason I picked this up on Friday even though thriller-ish books aren’t normally my cup of tea. That meant I was very non-judgmental! Like this book could just be a million tropes and references to other suspensey books and I would never know.
Anyway there’s a crime writer who weirdly never thinks about her writing who goes to a bachelorette party in a creepy house in the woods and creepy things ensue. It was good! I read the first couple chapters alone late at night and they SCARED me. Then I got over being scared but was still intrigued.
Mostly I thought this was a super fun, fast read. I was not entirely convinced by how hung up the MC was on James, though. There was a ~reason~ and ok, sure, but also I would HOPE you wouldn’t obsess about it forever. Also it included one of my least favorite tropes, which is everything would fall apart if people just TALKED to each other.
What do you do when you can’t trust your own memory? This novel explores this question in all the best ways. Reminiscent of The Girl on the Train, In a Dark, Dark Wood forces readers to see the story in slivers of information fed through the main character’s damaged psyche. What’s real memory? What’s nightmare? And how in the world did she end up in that hospital bed? Highly recommend if you enjoy deep character POV (and feeling a little off-balance until the end).
I have so many books on my nightstand! I have reader ADD at this point.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I did guess the ending long before the end, but that didnt make the book any less entertaining.It is great for a thriller book club!
My book club chose this quick, engaging thriller as our October read to fit with the Halloween season. I expected it to be scarier than it was (I wouldn’t even really call it scary, just atmospheric), but I did enjoy the twist at the end and the narrative voice was compelling. I’d definitely read more of this author’s work in the future!
Ruth Ware does a phenomenal job of drawing the reader in and not letting go until the last word. Great twists in this page-turner!
Ruth Ware’s story of a woman waking after an accident to realize she might have murdered someone is original and gripping. It took me a while to figure out the whodunnit, and I couldn’t put it down ’til I was sure I was right.
I loved Ware’s “The Woman in Cabin 10” but wasn’t as impressed with “In a Dark, Dark Wood.” The main character was not particularly likable, and the mystery wasn’t as thrilling or unexpected as I would have liked. I also felt the motive, or the “why” you wait for during the entire book, was weak and underdeveloped. I enjoyed the book, but not as much as I thought I would.
Nora’s a bit of a recluse, but when she’s invited to the “Hen Do” of a past friend, she feels she must attend. The get-together is scheduled for a weekend in an immense glass house in the middle of the woods, with its spotty cellular service and opportunities for creepy interactions. Included for the guests by the up-tight party planner are a trip to a shooting range, no coffee, and even an Ouija Board. What wasn’t on the agenda was the murder.
Ruth Ware writes of a strange encounter where the suppressed past collides with the present, and her protagonist can not run from the intrigue when blood is spilled. She expertly crafts a mystery that weaves subtle elements of “The Talented Mr. Ripley” with aspects of Gillian Flynn’s books to create a suspenseful, intriguing tale.
**I had the poor judgement to read this before my sister’s pre-marriage party which was, incidentally, hosted over a weekend in a dark, dark wood of our own.
Having read THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10, I didn’t doubt for a moment that I wouldn’t also love IN A DARK, DARK WOOD, both by Ruth Ware. Oh me. Oh my! This intense story is a fast-paced thrill ride, and I virtually tore through the pages. I highly recommend this book!
Really love the way Ruth Ware builds characters. Great layers and depth.
a good thriller with twists and turns
This will scare you especially when you are in a very open house with lots of windows. Reese Witherspoon has optioned this book to make into a movie. Love most of the characters.
This book should have gotten more attention and better reviews when it came out. It is creepy, it is slow as it builds the tension as it is suppose to……the author wants you to think and go over the actions of each person. And the glass house is the star as it adds the perfect touch of being cold and distant with the dark scary woods peeping into it and everyone’s secrets.
And the real reason two people have not spoken in ten years after a traumatic event…please remember that the people were young at 16 and hormones raging and love and lust and fear and all things were all consuming. Then 10 years pass.
The characters Clare and Flo were so interesting that you never knew who was leading the show. And what a show, a hen party, with just a few guests to enjoy the games with the bride to be. And you wonder why Nora stays and doesn’t leave as it becomes a visit from hell….but how many people do stay in weird situations and say afterwards that” it didn’t feel right but felt it’s be rude to leave”…..lots!!
I enjoyed this so much and I thought the plot was different, twisted and held my attention. This would make a hell of a movie with the damn glass house as the most important character. And Nora shows strength and gutsy moves to defend herself rather than relying on friends or the police to solve the crimes. And this book holds up well, very well, in plotting and character development. Just stay away from a window at night when reading this!
This was my first time reading a book from Ruth Ware. I did enjoy the story, characters and setting. I found myself losing track of time and staying up late just to read this mystery. In my opinion, this is more of a mystery than a thriller.
A true page turner. I couldn’t put it down! I think I read this in 3-4 days. It was easy to see ‘what was coming’ but I still enjoyed it. Flo is super annoying and has serious mental issues, but I liked all of the other characters ok. I liked this book more than Ruth Ware’s other book, ‘The Woman in Cabin 10.’ That book wasn’t bad, but the main character in this book wasn’t as annoying or an alcoholic. This new trend of making women characters alcoholic’s in these mystery/thriller books is old.
I love her books very very good to me it kept me interested and I like horror books. The characters were also interesting to me.