Updated Review Style!

I am thrilled to be unfolding my new and improved book review format with the New Year and with my first review for 2011.  I have always admired Juju’s reviews at Tales of Whimsy for her conciseness and readability factor.  I have been working on this for awhile and both of my wonderful daughters gave their input – my first-born practically took what I had and re-worked a few things to create what I consider magic.  So, I credit Juju for the original inspiration (thank you darling!) and then my daughters for their passionate belief in all things literary. Thank you my loves!

In the Woods by Tana French

Sites of Interest: Author's site |Info on Knocknaree, Ireland | Buy the Book 

Chapter 1 | Book Trailer |

Publisher: Penguin | Published May, 2007

Available in Audio, Paperback, Hardback, e-reader | 464 pages

Source: Purchased Audiobook | ISBN: 978-0143113496

Plot:  Detective Ryan grew up in the Knocknaree estate (or small subdivision, I am thinking is what we would call it in the states), along with his very best friends Jamie and Peter until he was 12 years old.  When the children were 12, they went into the woods one summer afternoon and only Adam Ryan was found – catatonic and with someone else’s blood in his shoes.  He had no memory of what happened – even as an adult, even after numerous attempts at trying to regain his memory – nothing.  His family moved from the estate, put him in boarding school and from there he went on to grow up and join the elite Murder Squad.   

His partner, Cassie, was a psychology major who dropped out in her fourth year, joined the force as an undercover drug officer, got shot and had her pick of assignments.  She chose the the Murder Squad.

One afternoon while everyone else was on break except Det. Ryan and Cassie, a call came in about a young girl who had been found murdered in Knocknaree.  Her body was found at an archaeological dig. The case became Detective Ryan’s and Cassie’s by default.  What happens next is a tautly-wound thriller unlike most I've read in a long time! 4 out of 5 quills!

Setting: How I’ve always wanted to visit Ireland! Listening to a more modern Ireland than the version I’ve had in my mind all these years doesn’t give me one ounce of hesitation in my beating heart’s desire to visit the land of fairies!  In the Woods goes between the prospering city of Dublin where the police headquarters is located in a former castle (I want a job there!) and then to Knocknaree, the archaeological dig and estate where Detective Ryan lived until he was twelve years old. 5 out of 5 quills!

Characters: Oh, I really liked Detective Ryan, as flawed as he was.  Can you imagine being the sole witness to survive the horrific crime of your two best friends disappearing and not being able to remember what happened?  I can tell you honestly, memory loss is no fun.  I survived an almost fatal car crash when I was 18 – I don’t remember the ½ hour prior to the car crash nor the two weeks afterward; but, the disappearance of two best friends and at the age of 12? Well, that’s something else entirely. Tr-au-ma-tic!

Cassie, Detective Ryan’s partner and best friend was only seen through the lens of Detective Ryan – and that was certainly messed up at times!  There were moments when I would have liked to have heard her side; I could only imagine what was going through her head as the partner to someone who survived such a childhood trauma.  4 out of 5 quills!

Dialogue: So much of this book moves along because of the dialogue.  It’s interesting to note that Tana French was born in the United States but has lived abroad for most of her life, the past 20 years living in Dublin.  I think because of the author’s own international background, the dialogue was especially well-written. 4 out of 5 quills!

There was a time when I believed I was the redeemed one, the boy borne safely home on the ebb of whatever freak tide carried Peter and Jamie away. Not any more. In ways too dark and crucial to be called metaphorical, I never left that wood. ~Detective Ryan

The truth is the most desirable woman in the world and we are the most jealous lovers, reflexively denying anyone else the slightest glimpse of her. We betray her routinely, spending hours and days stupor-deep in lies, and then turn back to her holding out the lover's ultimate Möbius strip: But I only did it because I love you so much. ~Detective Ryan

Audio Narrator: Steven Crossley had a lovely British accent with a tinge of Irish lilt every now and then when only (surprisingly) the female characters from the estate were talking.  It was somewhat difficult early on in the book to understand which character was speaking if it was a pivotal moment in the conversation and he had to jump back and forth from one to the other – it took awhile to catch on to Mr. Crossley's inflections or lack thereof, and the speech patterns he was using to distinguish between the characters. I did think he portrayed Detective Ryan quite well.  3 out 5 quills!

*the audio version is 20 hours and 23 minutes in length

Mood this book evokes:  Dreary, rain-soaked archaeological digs bring on a petulance and somberness making it necessary to build a glowing, warm fire to chase away the chill; bits of scattered 80’s humor from Detective Ryan that only make him feel more human, as if he is sitting on the couch next to you; and a pervading sense that there is something or someone in the woods that knows so much more than the good detective…..makes you want to pull the covers tighter and keep the flashlight close! 4 out of 5 quills!

If you like this book, then you just might like:

 

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

The Poe Shadow – Matthew Pearl

Ghostwalk – Rebecca Stott

In the Woods gets a solid 4 out of 5 quills!

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