Thursday, October 26, 2017

In the Woods - Mystery Review

In the Woods by Tana French (Amazon link)

Rating: Very Good
Source: Library

Description:   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 and stunning in its complexity, In the Woods is utterly convincing and surprising to the end.

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  This has been on my must read list for years and it was past time to read it!

My Impression:  Tana French was an author I had never heard of in the pre-blogging days but once I had heard of her I couldn't help but wonder how I had missed her.  I mean a police procedural set in Ireland?  This should have leaped off the bookshelf at me in a bookstore and yelled - "Read Me".  For some reason that didn't happen and I was left to discover her on my own and even harder - make time to read the first in the Dublin Murder Squad series.

I really enjoyed this one.  It wasn't the fastest read but it was one I enjoyed savoring.  French's writing is darkly atmospheric with a seriously twisted mystery.   I loved Cassie Maddox right from the start and am really excited she'll be front and center in the 2nd book in this series.  Ryan was a little harder to like but he's an interesting character.  He has a shiny slick veneer but it's hiding some serious baggage.

  The two mysteries intrigued me right away.  What happened to the two children in the woods all those years ago and who murdered the young girl found that morning?  I really had no idea until the reveal though I had inklings that something wasn't right.

What kept me from loving this book was the ending.  While the modern day mystery was wrapped up nicely the old mystery wasn't.  I don't think I'd mind this if there was a follow up in the next book but there doesn't seem to be - or any conclusion in any of the other books.  The mystery is developed enough that it got just as much page time as the primary mystery and by the end I'm dying to know what happened.  I'm hoping that French will go back to Knockanaree and just what happened to Peter and Jamie but until then not knowing does dampen my enjoyment of this book.    That aside I've already bought a copy of The Likeness and can't wait to see more of Cassie.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I already have a copy of the 2nd book and can't wait to read it!

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy mysteries - especially police procedurals like Deborah Crombie and Ian Rankin - this is a great choice.

25 comments:

  1. did the kid do it? So it's a real mystery and nothing paranormal?

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    1. The mystery with the kid is much earlier so while the location is similar he isn't connected with the murdered girl. This is straight up mystery - nothing paranormal about it!

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  2. This one sounds like a good one, Katherine, and one I will definitely check out! Hugs...RO

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    1. I enjoyed it and French's writing is gorgeous though creepy.

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  3. Interesting to hear your thoughts on In The Woods... I've been meaning to read Tana French for so long and still have yet to. I'm glad you enjoyed the start of this series!

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    1. That's how I was. This book has been on my TBR for YEARS! I'm really glad I took the time to read it and hope you enjoy it!

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  4. I am curious to read more about Cassie, but this wasn't a favorite of mine. Like you, I really wanted the old mystery solved too and it kind of dampened the overall enjoyment when it wasn't.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. I"m so glad I wasn't the only one. I was so caught up in the old mystery and so disappointed when it ended unresolved. I hope she revisits it soon.

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  5. This is probably my absolute favorite mystery author! I adored this book and I have loved all of her other ones. The Likeness has a plot that...requires a little suspension of disbelief but I loved it; it was so well written!

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    1. I don't mind a little suspension of disbelief if I'm enjoying the book. I'm really looking forward to trying this author!

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  6. nice review! It's about time I try this author!

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    1. That's how I felt for so long! I'm really glad I finally made the time!

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  7. Tana French is absolutely one of my favorite mystery writers. I’m so glad you enjoyed this post and I will be interested to know what you think about The Likeness. That’s Probably my favorite in the series.

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    1. I'm hoping to get to The Likeness sooner than the 3 years it took me to get to this one! It sounds really good!

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  8. Ya know, I may actually have this one my kindle. Your review and excitement have me wanting to read it. Either way, it is going on my reading list :)

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    1. I think you'd enjoy this one. It's a slightly slower pace but the atmosphere makes up for it.

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  9. I've had this book on Pippa since 2014...and I know why I'm hesitating. It is a hefty one. I do plan on reading it someday, though. It sounds pretty good. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I don't remember it being ridiculously hefty but it isn't the fastest read. I think you'd like it though I understand the hesitance!

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  10. I love your description "darkly atmospheric with a seriously twisted mystery", it's perfect. This book is the only one with an ambiguous ending. And The Likeness is my favourite book EVER, hope you enjoy it.

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    1. Thanks! Wow on The Likeness being your favorite book ever! I doubt I'll get to it before the end of the year but I'm hoping for a January read. I love the sound of the premise.

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  11. A great review, Katherine - and I love the cover. Glad you've got the second book and I'm now tempted to track down this one...

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  12. Nice to you got to a book long on your radar. Disappointing about the old mystery but not enough to deter you which says overall the book was .... very good!

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  13. I am so glad you enjoyed this one, Katherine! The ending has been a problem for a number of people, I'm afraid, so you aren't alone. I didn't mind it myself, actually. I still haven't read any of the other books, although I loved this one so much. I have them on my TBR shelf though, so there's no excuse.

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  14. Glad you liked it. The ending was off, and she never does anything like that again so maybe she heeded the feedback? I've found each successive book gets better written and less rambly. Or maybe I got used to her style? The next one with Cassie is crazy good. Like, the plot is crazy. Tana French is one of my favorite mystery writers now. Glad you've joined the ride

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