In the Woods, Tana French
In the Woods, Tana French
134 Rating(s)
List: $30.00 | Sale: $21.00
Club: $15.00

In the Woods

Author: Tana French

Narrator: Steven Crossley

Unabridged: 20 hr 28 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 05/17/2007


Synopsis

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.

About Tana French

American born author, Tana French, was born in Burlington, Vermont, but traveled extensively with her family throughout her childhood. She now is a longtime resident of Dublin, Ireland, so she can claim to be an American-Irish author. Her works include: Into the Woods, The Likeness, Faithful Place, Broken Harbor, The Secret Place, The Trespasser, and The Witch Elm. She has been the recipient of several prestigious awards.

French has lived in Dublin since 1990. She is married and has two daughters.


Reviews

AudiobooksNow review by Virginia on 2009-08-24 17:37:28

It took me three tries to read this book. I had taken it out of the library twice but could never get going so it was with relief that booksfree had this book. I was finally able to keep going and really, in the end, enjoy it. So much so that I've got her next book in my queue now. I read many reviews at Amazon.com and there was quite a discussion. I really didn't figure out who the killer was but I cheated and read the end so I could keep an eye on them. I know I'm not saying a lot about the story but if you like mysteries I think you'll enjoy this book.

AudiobooksNow review by Morton on 2009-09-27 12:04:30

I was puzzled about how to rate this bool. It is a well written mystery with realistic characters and a nicely developed plot--though it might have been improved with some judicious pruning. My main argumenf,however,is not with the author b=but with the publisher. The book is printed in lightly inked 10 point type with the lines a bit too close together, The whole thing looked like a grey blur when U first picked it up, That I persevered and actually finished the book was a tribute to Tana French talent. But the publisher did her no favor by combining a small but normally readable type font by I believe skimping on black ink, To sum up I can recommend this book to all mystery lovers with strong eyes. To all others I say read at your own risk.

Goodreads review by Elle on June 04, 2022

I.... have no fucking clue how I felt about this book. Because, hey, beginning? Awesome. Ending? Trash heap that ruined the book for me. Let’s talk. The first half of this book was - honestly - excellent. You can read a thousand reviews talking about it, so I’ll keep it short. The writing is hone......more

Goodreads review by Emily May on May 17, 2015

Though the isbn is the same as the one pictured, my edition of this book has a much creepier cover and tagline: Needless to say, I was completely expecting something a bit dark and twisted, a creepy psychological murder mystery with an outcome I never would have seen coming. And I got that. But I nev......more

Goodreads review by Rick on January 20, 2020

Wow, Tana French can write. I appreciate a well-constructed mystery, and this is certainly one, but it is also one of those genre-transcending books that proves that the whole idea of genre fiction is an artificial construct. My ‘Rick Riordan Presents’ imprint buddies J.C. Cervantes, Rebecca Roanhor......more

Goodreads review by Fabian on January 21, 2020

This book is amazing... really truly excellent. I took a risk at the UTEP library last week, just picking this out at random... & what true serendipity it was! This particular week was rife with parties & late nights (daytime reserved for sleep) and all throughout "In the Woods" was a faithful compa......more

Goodreads review by karen on June 20, 2018

it must be really hard to write convincing mystery novels. you can't have your killer be too obvious or no one will bother reading past the third chapter. but you can't have them be too unexpected, without textual support, or you will be accused of cheating. the super-saturation of police procedural......more


Quotes

"[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


Awards

  • Anthony Award
  • Barry Award
  • Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel
  • Macavity Award