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, … 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.
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This was my first book by Tana French and when I finished I vowed to never read another. In my opinion she violated the trust between author and reader by establishing a mystery and never solving it. The reader is left frustrated by not learning the fate of the children. I was disgusted and furious. Don’t bother!
A well written story of a community and it’s tragedy.
This book took me AGES to get through. I think her writing style is lovely, but I found the sheer amount of details about every. little. thing. to be hard to slog through, even at 2x speed. Though I was happy with the main mystery and its outcome in this book, she still left the background mystery unsolved. I’m not sure if that mystery is solved …
This book put me through so many emotions, and a week after reading it I am still thinking about it and I can’t focus on the next book I’m trying to read. Although it isn’t in the genre I normally read, it is a fantastic crime/mystery. Well written. Kept me wondering and guessing even after the book was done. I certainly hope Tana French isn’t …
another great book by Tana French. Amazingly written. You won’t want to put it down!
I loved this book.
Hooked by page 2. The main characters are relatable and witty. A story line with so much depth
Even though I figured out the mystery early on, I was still drawn into the world, and fascinated by the characters. I have loved all of Tana French’s books. Can’t wait for her new one.
I would’ve given this book a higher rating, but I found the main character, Rob Ryan, to be a misogynist asshole for the most part. Many times I felt like slapping him. I understand the book is supposed to set about 20 years ago in Ireland, but was it really such a huge deal then to have a female murder investigator? The whole book had a very …
Very well written book with a compelling story. Lots of twists and turns in this one. Very entertaining!
Great suspense. Interesting character. Well done story lines.
Loved reading this book, but I didn’t love the ending.
It’s a good book, but the ending is infuriating and made no sense to me. Pet peeve. If you’re a fan of books where people make terrible choices and are miserable, this book is for you. The writing is great. Just can’t stand where it went and it felt forced to go there instead of a natural progression. The narrator is also very presumptuous about …
In the Woods is a master class in mystery writing. As poetic as it is chilling.
Love each and every one of her books!
French can easily take you to the world of small town Ireland and make you believe an actual murder took place. Sometimes not everything is tied into a satisfactory little bow, and that’s okay. It’s real and gritty.
Love Tana French and buy her books as soon as they come out. Intriguing plots with unique characters
My daughter recommended this book and the whole series. Like a number of other readers I would have liked the book to have ended differently. However, I still liked the book and didn’t feel especially disappointed. The book felt “real” to me. The characters are interesting and unfortunately the outcome is probably realistic. It probably didn’t …
Engrossing and brilliant.
Wonderfully written!