In the Woods

A Novel

By: Tana French

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

Length: 20 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Anthony Award winner

Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel winner

Macavity Award winner

The bestselling debut, with over a million copies sold, that launched Tana French, author of the forthcoming novel The Hunter and “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.

©2007 Tana French (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc.

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)

a mystery without an end

Would you try another book from Tana French and/or Steven Crossley?

no. The story was engaging but there were no answers to the mystery. Very frustrating.

Taught, exciting who done it!

Very well written, with a complex plot that will have you listening well past your bedtime !

Good book

Would you try another book from Tana French and/or Steven Crossley?

Yes, I would try another book

Would you be willing to try another book from Tana French? Why or why not?

I like the plot of the narrative and the characters.

Which scene was your favorite?

Realization of the true psychopathic colors of Rosalind's personality were absolutely shocking and left me in wow...

Any additional comments?

The plot is very good but the story itself is a bid lengthy... Definitely would recommend reading.

Personal & Professional

As a clinical psychologist I found the portrayal of sociopathic behavior well done and the response of one of the characters to this captivating. The ending was a bit disappointing because it left some details unresolved, in my opinion.

Oh the personalities!!!

What an unexpectedly engaging, detailed book. Yes, there is mystery but the character development left me totally engrossed. The emotions I felt ran the full gamut and I'm sad the book has ended.

Into so many woods!

Reading Tana French is a rich delight but Crossley turns her words on paper into a lived theatrical experience. Bravo!

great until the end

What did you love best about In the Woods?

Good character development of main characters and well read

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Changed the ending

What about Steven Crossley’s performance did you like?

Loved it!

Any additional comments?

Okay spoiler alert!but the book never resolves or gives answer to the original premise which is what caught my attention in the first place. You finish never knowing the answer to the whole mystery that starts the book.

AMAZING! I could not stop listening

Would you consider the audio edition of In the Woods to be better than the print version?

I was on vacation when I was listening to this. I listened for the 5 hour drive to Long Beach Island. I couldn't put my headphones down while I was there. Found any reason to sneak off to the local coffee shop to listen more. I finished it and could not wait to listen to more from Tana French. The characters were flawed, but realistically, not forced. They left you wanting more from the partnership of the detectives. I found myself wanting to make sure they were ok well after the book ended. Highly recommend this book.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes! There are two stories you are following here. While one is current and one is from the past you are constantly on the trail of one of them.

Very distracting narrator

This was my first Tana French novel. I loved her character development, the story line and her writing style. I found myself trying to picture the events as they happened- a sure sign that I am enjoying the material. The narrator, however, was terrible. His reading of the story was just that, a reading. His inflection made it difficult to get the proper meaning of what was going on; I found his narration boring, monotonous and monotone. I stuck with the book only because I liked the characters. He really ruined the book for me.

It started off so well.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Sure. It was still a good story.

Would you be willing to try another book from Tana French? Why or why not?

Yes, I think she is an excellent writer.

What does Steven Crossley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He did a great job.

Could you see In the Woods being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

I just wish the ending was such an obvious twist. The main character became such an idiotic tool.