In the Woods

A Novel

By: Tana French

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

The bestselling debut, with over a million copies sold, that launched Tana French, author of the forthcoming novel The Hunterand “the most important crime novelist to emerge in the past 10 years” (The Washington Post).

“Required reading for anyone who appreciates tough, unflinching intelligence and ingenious plotting.” —The New York Times

As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.

Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox—his partner and closest friend—find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.

Richly atmospheric and stunning in its complexity, In the Woods is utterly convincing and surprising to the end.

Critic reviews

"[An] ambitious and extraordinary first novel...rank it high."
—The Washington Post

“Part whodunit, part psychological thriller, and wholly successful...French’s plot twists and turns will bamboozle even the most astute reader...A well-written, expertly plotted thriller.”
—NPR

“In the Woods is as creepily imaginative as it gets.”
—USA Today

“Drawn by the grim nature of her plot and the lyrical ferocity of her writing, even smart people who should know better will be able to lose themselves in these dark woods.”
—The New York Times Book Review

Praise for Tana French

“When you read Ms. French — and she has become required reading for anyone who appreciates tough, unflinching intelligence and ingenious plotting — make only one assumption: All of your initial assumptions are wrong”
—The New York Times

"It has become increasingly clear that American-born, Dublin-based Tana French is the most interesting, most important crime novelist to emerge in the past 10 years."
—The Washington Post

"[Tana French] inspires cultic devotion in readers…most crime fiction is diverting; French's is consuming."
—The New Yorker

“To say Tana French is one of the great thriller writers is really too limiting. Rather she’s simply this: a truly great writer.”­
—Gillian Flynn

“French is a poet of mood and a master builder of plots.” ­
—The Washington Post

“One of the most distinct and exciting new voices in crime writing.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“French does something fresh with every novel, each one as powerful as the last but in a very different manner. Perhaps she has superpowers of her own? Whatever the source of her gift, it’s only growing more miraculous with every book.”
—Salon.com

Will it ever end

A great thriller, well read and acted, but the book should have been abridged. I could/would have skimmed through parts if I were reading the book, but this isn't easy to do when you are listening.
My husband and I listened to this on a road trip, and the first half was great. My husband gave up after 16 hours.
I give it 4 stars because the story and reader were good, but would recommend it only to those that like lots of description and words, not those who like suspense and get eager to know how it will end!

Slow, quiet, cerebral, sad

I prefer more action, humor, and excitement in the books I listen to; but I had to give "In the Woods" five stars, because Tana French wrote it so beautifully. It proceeds slowly and quietly, without thrills and chills, to the ultimate solution of the murder mystery. The solution does not provide the happy ending that I wanted, but probably more accurately depicts real detective work in the real world. I like the reader, Steven Crossley, but it puzzled me that he never used an Irish accent, since the story takes place in Ireland. Also, it disappointed me that the protagonist -- the detective solving the murder -- never solved his own twenty-year-old mystery that had propelled him into police work in the first place. I recommend this book to people who value exquisite character development and lyrical writing, but maybe not so much to fans of the mystery-thriller genre.

great story, OK narrator

The story really gripped me, and, as I listened through, I found myself doing housework with the ipod on, taking the long way home to listen a while longer etc. I don't mind the ambiguous ending - it's what I've come to expect in modern writing (and TV!). What irked me was the narrators unfamilarity with Irish colloquialisms (the use of the word "sure" and "yer man", etc.) and Irish place names, which were often mispronounced. Hearing placenames familiar to me prounced so oddly took me right out of the story...

Compelling

This is one of the best audiobooks I've listened to in a long time. It was difficult to put down. I especially liked the fact that the characters seemed real and human, and not slick stereotypes. I also liked the fact that the author did not feel the need to have everything wrapped up like a neat little package at the end. Life isn't like that. In life, as well as in this book, even though there's a certain degree of resolution to an issue, questions remain, and the feeling of satisfaction often isn't 100%. The writing was gorgeous and added a richness to the story. I definitely want to see what this author does in the future.

Still in the Woods

This book starts wonderfully, then kind of meanders along for a long, long time! I liked it, but I'm not sure the plot ultimately warrants more than 20 hours of listening. French shows some fine language skills and develops her characters well; I'll certainly stay with this series for at least one more volume.