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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Fans of detective fiction should keep in mind that this is not strictly a genre book. Its pace is slower and more introspective than most detective novels. That’s one reason why I liked it so much.
Interesting treatment of a life lived with a hugh shadow haning over it.
Definitely a page-turner. I couldn’t put it down. Dublin-based police procedural, full of twists and turns. I can’t wIt to read the next one!
Slow start, good finish although somewhat unresolved
Very slow read. I was waiting for the story to tie itself together in the end but I feel the plot was just dragged out for too long and did not have an ending that made sense.
Complex, not always likeable characters especially the chief protagonist. Somewhat confusing narration from protagonist’s point of view, mixing present and long past events. Some plot points are so predictable! Some are never resolved. In spite of all this, the writing is very good and kept me interested. I’m hoping her next book is an improvement.
Tough read
If you are in the mood for a mystery/thriller detective read, look no further. This book engaged me from the first page and kept me going through many twists and turns to the end, which, while surprising, was satisfying. And–I instantly looked for the next book by Tara to follow these characters. Loved it!
Great writer
Liked it needed more finality but like it and her work.
“In the Woods” is a great twisty mystery with complex characters in tight situations. Complexity added by plot taking place in two time-frames. I’m currently reading French’s “Faithful Place,” also very good.
I don’t usually find police/detective procedurals interesting, but this one is soooo good! Intimately honed characters. Story reflects the joys & pains of childhood & the mess of the human mind.
I read this book after starting the television series “Dublin Murders”. I have finished the book, but the series on TV is not over. The producer and writer of the TV series have included another one of the author’s books, The Likeness, into the series. Now I’ll have to read it.
This book really blew me away. The characters and build up were paid off great at the end.
There was a lot of unnecessary verbiage. It made the story drag some.
As a twelve-year-old, Adam Ryan played in the woods with his pals, Peter and Jaime. But Adam was found later, traumatised and alone, and his friends were never seen again. Now an adult with a new name (Rob) and a different accent, detective Adam enjoys a close relationship with his work partner Cassie. But when the body of a young girl is found in …
The writing itself is very good, but the story got quite boring.
I enjoyed this book very much. Tana French is one of my favorite authors. Book was suspenseful with good story line.
Tana French is a master of thriller mysteries!
Awful characters and plot. Only finished read to about 40%. What a disappointment