Tana French: In the Woods (2013, Hodder & Stoughton)
596 pages
English language
Published Aug. 4, 2013 by Hodder & Stoughton.
When he was twelve years old, Adam Ryan went playing in the woods one sunny day with his two best friends. He never saw them again. Their bodies were never found, and Adam himself was discovered with his back pressed against an oak tree and his shoes filled with blood. He had no memory of what had happened. Twenty years later Adam - now using his middle name of Rob - is a detective with the Dublin police force. His colleagues don't know about his past. He works as a team with Cassie Maddox, a smart, tough cookie; they are best friends as well as partners. When the body of a young girl is found at the site of an archaeological dig, Rob and Cassie get the case. And when they reach the crime scene, Rob realises it is the exact site of his childhood trauma. They also find a …
When he was twelve years old, Adam Ryan went playing in the woods one sunny day with his two best friends. He never saw them again. Their bodies were never found, and Adam himself was discovered with his back pressed against an oak tree and his shoes filled with blood. He had no memory of what had happened. Twenty years later Adam - now using his middle name of Rob - is a detective with the Dublin police force. His colleagues don't know about his past. He works as a team with Cassie Maddox, a smart, tough cookie; they are best friends as well as partners. When the body of a young girl is found at the site of an archaeological dig, Rob and Cassie get the case. And when they reach the crime scene, Rob realises it is the exact site of his childhood trauma. They also find a hairclip that he recognises as having belonged to his friend. Could there be a connection between that old, unsolved crime and this?
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?
