In the Woods

I read a lot of mysteries and psychological thrillers. I picked up this book on a random shopping trip because it looked like it might fit the bill. It did not. About half of the way through the book I knew who the murderer was without having to read on. I did read on in case there was an interesting twist. There was not, there was only a weak ending which left me feeling wholly unsatisfied. I was expecting a rich Irish mystery, but instead found myself reading a generic story which could have been set anywhere. I'm not even sure why Ireland was used because it felt more like a silly American cop show. I would not recommend this book to others who are looking for a great mystery. Read Val McDermid or Ruth Rendell if you want a satisfying murder tale. Skip this book.

This is your basic nothing special mystery book. If you're looking for a standard no thrills, no surprise ending, no exciting climax then this is for you. Issues I had with the book:
-100 pages too long. French gives us too many details about completely irrelevant things. While I love a book with great descriptions this is just overkill. If I had to read one more sentence talking about how it rained and what kind of rain it was I was going to scream.
-The reader discovers the guilty person just like that. There's no exciting build up. It's just blam, this person did it.
-The ending doesn't tie things together. I don't like books that leave things sloppy and open ended. It's just a personal preference.

Overall, if the book had been shorter I would have been fine with it's plot. Nothing special but it wouldn't have taken up so much of my time. But since it was 400+pages, I was expecting something more than your avg whodunit.

Detective Robert Ryan thought he left his past behind him. He changed his name, and it's been years since he's seen anyone from "back then." There's no one to associate him with Adam Ryan, the boy who was a witness to a crime in the woods of Knocknaree, a Dublin suburb. There were three of them that summer - Adam and his friends Jamie and Peter. One afternoon, the three of them went into the woods as they always did, but two of them never came out. Adam was found in complete shock, his shoes filled with blood, unable to remember what horrible nightmares occurred in those woods.

Twenty years later, Robert is called back to Knocknaree when a twelve-year-old girl, Katy Devlin, is brutally murdered and he and his partner, Cassie, are assigned to the case. The murder evokes memories of his childhood; though no one on the force except for Cassie is aware of his tie to the earlier case, Robert can't help but feel that the two are connected. As he delves deeper into the mystery of Katy's death, Robert uncovers recollections that have lain dormant all these years and must face the memories that he has tried to hide for so long.

In the Woods is at once a police drama and a psychological thriller. While the procedural portion of the novel is certainly interesting, it is the psychological component that really makes it worth reading. French delves deep into Robert's mind, emerging with the threads that have made up his life - threads that seem to be unraveling before his very eyes. As he begins to remember what has been buried for so long, Robert begins to fall apart. His carefully crafted life begins to crumble, and he desperately reaches out to anything that can save him, namely Cassie.

The mystery portion of the book, while intriguing, doesn't measure up. The resolution to one mystery, while well crafted, is a bit disappointing, and the conclusion to the other is nonexistent. One wonders if French did so on purpose in order to be able to continue the story at a later date. There is more than enough material for her to be able to do so. Her next book, The Likeness, continues Cassie's story, so it isn't inconceivable that French will decide to revisit Robert at a later date.

There is also the problem of the characters themselves. While most of the secondary characters are acceptable, Robert is not a very likeable personage. Indeed, in the book, he admits that he has not been portrayed in a flattering light. He seems indecisive and makes the classic literary mistake of shutting everyone out. That said, it seems as though French wanted her main character portrayed somewhat negatively. She certainly has the capability to write sympathetic characters; Cassie is a perfect example. Still, author's intention or not, it is difficult to read a book with distaste for the protagonist.

Overall, In the Woods is a remarkable debut with an intriguing storyline. Though there are issues with plot resolution and character, the novel demonstrates French's remarkable ability to write a psychological thriller. I look forward to her next novel with anticipation.

Originally posted at Curled Up With a Good Book

...but the middle of this novel! Ms. French's "In the Woods" is, clearly, her first novel. The premise and characters are interesting (and show the promise in French's writing), but her sense of pacing is entirely off. I was riveted by this novel...for a time. By page 200, I had completely lost interest! Boredom is a cardinal sin of mystery literature! If the journey to the conclusion is painfully uninteresting, why would reading sleuths even bother?

I really felt that the middle section of the book was just padding. Readers weren't getting character development or story progression. The entire narrative just meandered for a while. It drove me completely off the wall! I was invested in the mystery and the characters, but I was completely uninterested in the reading.

That being said, French has a talent for characterization and descriptive writing. If she could fix her pacing problems, I would be a huge fan of her work. I plan to (timidly) explore her second novel, "The Likeness" and see if things have improved...

I could NOT get into this book at all, I forced myself to finish it hoping that it would get better and it didn't at all. I normally don't read books that are placed anywhere else but the US because I find the dialect a little hard to follow but I gave it a shot and it took me forever to finish which isn't like me at all! I would've thought you would've unearthed something more about the 2 missing childern but NOPE!! Not even a hint, nothing, zip, zilch, nadda!

I figured out who did it too quick, it was too easy to detect, maybe from reading too many mystery novels I don't know. It was just a bore, sad to say if another book is written I wouldn't waste my time with this author. Sorry!