In 1984, three kids, all aged twelve, were playing in the woods in Knocknaree. They had done this many times before, but this time it would end in misery. Their parents wondered where they were, since they were late for tea, but assumed that the kids probably got carried away with their fun. After awhile, the parents call for the kids, but they don’t answer back. When the police are called in, they can’t find two of the kids, Jaime and Peter, but they do find Adam Rob Ryan. He’s standing with his back to a tree and his shoes are filled with blood. Not his own though. Adam doesn’t remember what happened and Jaime and Peter are never found.
Twenty years later, Adam, now called Rob, is a murder detective and still can’t recall what happened in the woods. He doesn’t seem to mind too much, till he gets a call for a murder in Knocknaree woods. A girl named Katy Devlin, aged twelve, is found dead leaving Rob to wonder if the two cases are related. Rob along with his partner Cassie Maddox, search for Katy’s killer as Rob slowly unfolds what really happened in the woods, twenty years before.
In the Woods is the beautifully written debut novel by Tana French. French does a great job fleshing out the characters and does what any author wants to do. Suck you in by the first chapter. I was hooked and left wanting to know what would happen. The book is almost 600 pages in the paperback version, so there were some parts where it started to lose steam, but overall the suspense was there throughout the novel.
The mystery of Katy’s killer is pretty predictable I pretty much knew who it was midway into the novel. I didn’t mind this too much, simply because Rob would drop hints and say, “Had I known...” So I thought that we were supposed to know who the killer was, but at the end of the novel Rob says that the reader was fooled too by the killer, so we can’t really judge him for his lack of action. I was scratching my head, because if I didn’t think Rob was stupid before that comment pretty much sealed the deal for me.
I guess this would be a great time to tell you that the main character, Rob, isn’t very likeable, which I actually liked. Rob starts off as a likeable character and you are rooting for him to solve the mystery of what happened to him and his friends. The murder of Katy, however, starts his down whirl spiral into an unlikeable character. His treatment of his partner is despicable, his treatment of Katy’s family goes against police procedure, and his treatment of himself isn’t that great. Rob is miserable at the end and while I did feel sorry for him, I’m sure others would be pleased with what happened to him.
My biggest disappointment was that there were a lot of questions still unanswered by the end of the novel, leaving me slightly disappointed. This is the first book in a series, so I’m assuming that the questions will be answered in the next few books. Though, I’ve heard that Rob doesn’t even show up in the next novel, The Likeness, so I’m hoping French’s third novel will have some answers.
While the mystery part of the novel left me disappointed, the psychological part kept me intrigued throughout the novel. Watching Rob’s fall from grace was incredibly interesting to read. For that, I did like the book and I’ll probably read The Likeness, I just wish that ending could have been different and my questions were answered.
Asli has been a bookworm for over 15 years now. Ever since her grade school teacher sent her a bunch of books, she hasn't stopped reading. As for what she reads, anything and everything; from urban fantasy and thrillers to memoirs and graphic novels. If she's not reading a book, you'll most likely find her playing a video game.
