Tana French: In the Woods (2007)
English language
Published July 10, 2007
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. He is 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 12-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 …
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. He is 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 12-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.
A gorgeously written novel that marks the debut of an astonishing new voice in psychological suspense.
Loved, loved, loved this book. Beautifully written and captivating, human-centred and utterly believable. A big win for a crime drama novel.
I enjoyed this fast-paced police procedural, set in Ireland.
Focusing on the murder of Katy Devlin being investigated by detectives Rob Ryan and Cassie Maddox, the book presents the parallel themes of acting and lying. Are these traits requirements to be successful investigators? Ryan and Maddox believe so. Ryan is proud of the suits (uniform? costume?) he wears when he joins the Murder squad, and the "BBC" accent he picked up in boarding school. He tells us that "Central Casting would definitely think I was a good detective." Later, he and Maddox "get into character" to perform routines in front of witnesses.
In the course of the murder investigation, the detectives manipulate suspects, just as the psychopathic bad guys in the story manipulate others—and this creates dissonance in the minds of the protagonists. These techniques have served them well in the past, but the Devlin case brings to light how …
I enjoyed this fast-paced police procedural, set in Ireland.
Focusing on the murder of Katy Devlin being investigated by detectives Rob Ryan and Cassie Maddox, the book presents the parallel themes of acting and lying. Are these traits requirements to be successful investigators? Ryan and Maddox believe so. Ryan is proud of the suits (uniform? costume?) he wears when he joins the Murder squad, and the "BBC" accent he picked up in boarding school. He tells us that "Central Casting would definitely think I was a good detective." Later, he and Maddox "get into character" to perform routines in front of witnesses.
In the course of the murder investigation, the detectives manipulate suspects, just as the psychopathic bad guys in the story manipulate others—and this creates dissonance in the minds of the protagonists. These techniques have served them well in the past, but the Devlin case brings to light how similar Ryan and Maddox may be to their prey; the case also brings to light their weaknesses.
We learn that Cassie Maddox has been hurt (both physically and psychologically). She becomes protective of Ryan—is she being a vigilant detective or is she hypersensitive because of her past? When they are not in character, they go to great lengths to hide their vulnerabilities and end up the worse for it.
Ryan's backstory involves the disappearance of two children, Ryan's best friends, 20 years ago, and how this event continues to haunt him. I am very pleased with the way that Tana French resolved this plotline. I'd say more, but I don't want to ruin it for you!
Spoiler here! I would have rated the book one star higher had I not been so bothered by the fact that Ryan's backstory was unknown by any of his superior officers. Really? In this day and age, wouldn't he have undergone a background check that would have brought his past to light?
I enjoyed this fast-paced police procedural, set in Ireland.
Focusing on the murder of Katy Devlin being investigated by detectives Rob Ryan and Cassie Maddox, the book presents the parallel themes of acting and lying. Are these traits requirements to be successful investigators? Ryan and Maddox believe so. Ryan is proud of the suits (uniform? costume?) he wears when he joins the Murder squad, and the "BBC" accent he picked up in boarding school. He tells us that "Central Casting would definitely think I was a good detective." Later, he and Maddox "get into character" to perform routines in front of witnesses.
In the course of the murder investigation, the detectives manipulate suspects, just as the psychopathic bad guys in the story manipulate others—and this creates dissonance in the minds of the protagonists. These techniques have served them well in the past, but the Devlin case brings to light how …
I enjoyed this fast-paced police procedural, set in Ireland.
Focusing on the murder of Katy Devlin being investigated by detectives Rob Ryan and Cassie Maddox, the book presents the parallel themes of acting and lying. Are these traits requirements to be successful investigators? Ryan and Maddox believe so. Ryan is proud of the suits (uniform? costume?) he wears when he joins the Murder squad, and the "BBC" accent he picked up in boarding school. He tells us that "Central Casting would definitely think I was a good detective." Later, he and Maddox "get into character" to perform routines in front of witnesses.
In the course of the murder investigation, the detectives manipulate suspects, just as the psychopathic bad guys in the story manipulate others—and this creates dissonance in the minds of the protagonists. These techniques have served them well in the past, but the Devlin case brings to light how similar Ryan and Maddox may be to their prey; the case also brings to light their weaknesses.
We learn that Cassie Maddox has been hurt (both physically and psychologically). She becomes protective of Ryan—is she being a vigilant detective or is she hypersensitive because of her past? When they are not in character, they go to great lengths to hide their vulnerabilities and end up the worse for it.
Ryan's backstory involves the disappearance of two children, Ryan's best friends, 20 years ago, and how this event continues to haunt him. I am very pleased with the way that Tana French resolved this plotline. I'd say more, but I don't want to ruin it for you!
Spoiler here! I would have rated the book one star higher had I not been so bothered by the fact that Ryan's backstory was unknown by any of his superior officers. Really? In this day and age, wouldn't he have undergone a background check that would have brought his past to light?
