Linda's Reviews > In the Woods
In the Woods
by
by
3.5
Winner 2008 Edgar Award for a Debut Mystery Novel
In the Woods, Irish- American Tana French's award-winning debut is a cut above the traditional police procedural. It is a psychological thriller focusing on the gradual unraveling of the novel's narrator, protagonist Rob Ryan, a troubled detective on the Dublin murder squad. Ryan must investigate two possibly interconnected cases.
Twelve-year-old Katy Devlin's body has just surfaced in the woods near a small town outside Dublin in the identical place where two children went missing twenty years ago. Rescuers found their friend, Adam Ryan, covered in blood and without memory of what happened. To complicate matters, unknown to everyone but his partner, our detective narrator Rob Ryan is Adam Ryan, the child survivor. The story moves back and forth in time as Ryan mentally struggles to come to terms with what happened in his childhood and the current crime.
French's writing is subtle, low-key, and realistic. Her characters are flawed and complicated, especially Ryan, and she does an excellent job with the plot. If you are looking for an escape from the news, this is a book I'd recommend.
Winner 2008 Edgar Award for a Debut Mystery Novel
In the Woods, Irish- American Tana French's award-winning debut is a cut above the traditional police procedural. It is a psychological thriller focusing on the gradual unraveling of the novel's narrator, protagonist Rob Ryan, a troubled detective on the Dublin murder squad. Ryan must investigate two possibly interconnected cases.
Twelve-year-old Katy Devlin's body has just surfaced in the woods near a small town outside Dublin in the identical place where two children went missing twenty years ago. Rescuers found their friend, Adam Ryan, covered in blood and without memory of what happened. To complicate matters, unknown to everyone but his partner, our detective narrator Rob Ryan is Adam Ryan, the child survivor. The story moves back and forth in time as Ryan mentally struggles to come to terms with what happened in his childhood and the current crime.
French's writing is subtle, low-key, and realistic. Her characters are flawed and complicated, especially Ryan, and she does an excellent job with the plot. If you are looking for an escape from the news, this is a book I'd recommend.
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rated it 5 stars
Jul 31, 2023 09:48AM
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Bruce and Tim,
Thanks for your comments. This is my first Tana French and I look forward to reading more. Glad to hear that hear that you liked her other novels.
This was my first by French. Glad to know The Searcher is a good read.
Lisa and Maureen,
I am glad you both liked ths series. Its good to have a place to go when looking for a goood escape.
Thanks, Barbara. in this political climate, escape is needed to sustain mental health.