In the Woods (original 2007; edition 2008)

Wow. I want to like this book, but I don't. At every turn, I'm being told who to look at, how to feel, and which smarmy cop I'm supposed to love. I finish a page and get the feeling that I just want the author to leave me alone and let me figure it out. This is not a good way to feel about a book.

I miss you, Donna Tartt. I miss you. ( )

Wow. I want to like this book, but I don't. At every turn, I'm being told who to look at, how to feel, and which smarmy cop I'm supposed to love. I finish a page and get the feeling that I just want the author to leave me alone and let me figure it out. This is not a good way to feel about a book.

I miss you, Donna Tartt. I miss you. ( )

Like Mystic River and Lovely Bones, this book will stay with me for a long time. Not every question was answered and nothing about the case or the characters was tidy. Perhaps that’s why I liked it. It was more in sync with reality than is the case for most books. I picked it up because a reader’s review was selected for Powell’s Daily Dose and as such, the review landed in my inbox. It was compared to Mystic River and Lovely Bones, two favorites of mine. The comparison proved accurate. And, as I said, my reaction to this book is much like my reaction to those. The story is of an Irish detective assigned to solve the case of a murdered girl. This particular murder proves haunting to him because his two best friends from childhood disappeared in the same wood. He was with them at the time, but has no memory of what happened to him or his friends. He shares this connection with his partner/best friend, but fails to tell his boss because he doesn’t want to be taken off the case. Not surprisingly, he loses perspective and his secret is eventually found out. What disturbs and intrigues me is that this detective narrates the story and points out in the beginning and in the end that he is a liar. This acknowledgement puts everything he says into question. He can’t even trust his own memories. I like that this book takes place in Ireland. It gives it a different flavor. The main characters are supremely well drawn and complex. The mysteries that play out in the woods are fascinating, and the answers are elusive. If cozy mysteries are your taste, this is not the book for you. It also contains a considerable amount of blue language. This also isn’t a serial killer type book with gory descriptions. This is a dark and edgy mystery with complex characters and no easy answers. It leaves you unsettled long after you have turned the final page. What isn’t a mystery is why it was a finalist for the Edgar Award (named for Edgar Allan Poe). ( )

This is Ms French's first book and it is a very powerful read. I had previously read Faitfhful Place, her newest. I liked that book more than this one but I don't think this author could write a bad book if she tried.
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Oh lyric, lovely, heartbreaking boy. Is it passé to have anything resembling a resolution or a happy ending? And yet, this being the first of a series has me on the hook for more. Just one more, Rob, while I'm still young enough to find you intriguing.

Full review at Read Fragment. ( )