“In The Woods” (2008) by Tana French won the Edgar award in 2009. This is her first book and it is apart of a series featuring Detectives Rob Ryan and Cassie Maddox. “In The Woods” is rich in characterization and atmosphere. There seems to be a lot of varying opinions about the author’s first book. I’ve been told that I’ll either love her book or hate it. Well, guess what? I enjoyed this book although the ending was like everybody said it was: disappointing. Warning: A few plot points are mentioned as well as a major spoiler about one aspect of the ending that aggravated readers.

The story starts off with a brief summary surrounding a tragic event. To set the scene, imagine a grainy film reel, showing you a memory of someone’s childhood. In the summer of 1984 three kids from Knocknaree Dublin went into the woods but only one came back out alive. Sole survivor, Adam Ryan, can’t remember what happened to his best friends Peter and Jamie. At the scene where the police officers find Adam, there’s a lot of blood soaked in his shoes but he can’t remember what happened before the police found him. Continue reading →