Book Review: "In The Woods"

"In The Woods" by Tana French

When Adam Ryan was twelve years old, he and two friends went into the Knocknaree woods to play. Peter and Jamie never made it back out and Adam Ryan was found clinging to a tree with blood filled shoes and no memory of what happened.

Twenty years later, Detective Rob Ryan (Adam) is working for the Dublin Murder Squad. Cassie, his partner, and Det. Ryan take on the case of 12-year old Katy Devlin who was found murdered on an archaeological site in Knocknaree. In the very same woods where Ryan's two friends disappeared 20 years earlier.

There are a lot of details that tie the two cases together. However, Cassie is the only person on the Murder squad that knows Ryan's true identity and that he was involved in the earlier case. Using the bits and pieces of current evidence that is found, Rob finds himself remembering things that happened in the summer leading up to Peter and Jamie's disappearance. A good amount of those memories tie the father of Katy Devlin to both cases.

During the case, you get a good look at the rise and fall of the relationship between Cassie and Rob. With Cassie using her criminal profiling skills, they eventually bring in a suspect. While the motive is unclear at first, everything falls into place for a shocking outcome.

"Whodunit", indeed.

Would I recommend this book?
You bet I would.

It's a little slow going at first, but the details are all essential to the story. I will say that the outcome of the cases did shock me a little. I guess I was expecting a different ending for Detective Ryan, I feel like there was a lot left unanswered.

The one thing that bothered me: Rob Ryan is a Detective on the Murder Squad. He never legally changed his name from Adam to Rob - just used his middle name instead of his first. His partner was supposedly the only one who knew he was actually "the Adam Ryan". You mean to tell me that the police force, his boss and whoever else had access to his file had no idea? Do they not need to know the background of the people they trust to bring justice? It's discovered over time, but come on, they had to know something. That's just not realistic.

Anyways, I loved the book. It's a great murder mystery and a very well written novel. I'm excited to read some of French's other books.

Now I have the difficult task of choosing what to read next... I have too many new books to choose from!