In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad #1): Book Review
- Author: Tana French
- First published: 2007
- Genre: Murder Mystery
- My rating: ★★★
What do a young ballet dancer and a Dublin murder investigator have in common? They were both victims of crime in a small little estate called Knocknaree in County Dublin, when they were each twelve-years old. Intrigued?
Until the final 100 pages or so, I was too! Following investigators Rob Ryan, Cassie Maddox, and Sam O'Neill through suspects, or lack thereof, and seeing how the details and turmoil of the case affected them all differently was, at times, intoxicating. In the case of Rob (née Adam) Ryan, following his journey navigating this small town he had once called home, despite him not remembering much about it was exciting. The final 100 pages however, are the reason I've given this only a three-star rating, and why I have no intention of continuing on with the rest of the series.
The author did an excellent job throughout the novel of weaving hints and details of who killed the young ballet dancer into the dialogue, descriptions of places and objects, even uneasy feelings and the timing of conversations between certain characters. At times however, I felt that she was a bit too heavy-handed with the hints which for me made it blindingly obvious who orchestrated the murder by about halfway through the book, even though I didn't fully understand their motive; this is not the cause of my lament towards everything this novel could have been.
What was the cause of my lament, and the downfall of the novel, is our protagonist, Rob Ryan. While initially his past trauma involving his friends disappearances and his loss of memory were interesting to delve into, constantly being reminded of it got old after a while. This trauma also caused him more grief (I won't spoil how or why) which to me, although it may be true of how life really happens, left me feeling quite put-off by him. These bouts of grief causing more grief for him spiraled into what I can only describe as what a dramatic teenager would do if they were seeking attention. This grief, naturally, lead to strings of hypocrisy that were either never acknowledged, or were only ever acknowledged with him thinking "oopsie daisy", which was even more off-putting and infuriating., especially considering that he is supposed to be a detective with years of experience. Combine all of these elements, plus add a healthy dose of extra information and details into the story that lead nowhere and are likely only in there to try to confuse the reader, and you've got yourself a very disappointing climax to the story.
I will admit, these things that were off-putting for me will not be off-putting for everyone. These elements, tragedy creating tragedy, getting lost in one's own world, and the repercussions of one's actions can all add value to a novel for some. For me personally, it isn't always necessary, and I've read other series, such as the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson where all of these points are dealt with and you as the reader are left feeling either understandably uneasy, or quite satisfied.
I don't regret reading this novel, despite my negativity, and would recommend it with the warning that you should not expect this to be one of those murder mysteries that come with a nice, neat bow on top.
Have you read In the Woods before? If so, what did you think? If not, do you think you will? Why or why not?
Cheers!
Until the final 100 pages or so, I was too! Following investigators Rob Ryan, Cassie Maddox, and Sam O'Neill through suspects, or lack thereof, and seeing how the details and turmoil of the case affected them all differently was, at times, intoxicating. In the case of Rob (née Adam) Ryan, following his journey navigating this small town he had once called home, despite him not remembering much about it was exciting. The final 100 pages however, are the reason I've given this only a three-star rating, and why I have no intention of continuing on with the rest of the series.
The author did an excellent job throughout the novel of weaving hints and details of who killed the young ballet dancer into the dialogue, descriptions of places and objects, even uneasy feelings and the timing of conversations between certain characters. At times however, I felt that she was a bit too heavy-handed with the hints which for me made it blindingly obvious who orchestrated the murder by about halfway through the book, even though I didn't fully understand their motive; this is not the cause of my lament towards everything this novel could have been.
What was the cause of my lament, and the downfall of the novel, is our protagonist, Rob Ryan. While initially his past trauma involving his friends disappearances and his loss of memory were interesting to delve into, constantly being reminded of it got old after a while. This trauma also caused him more grief (I won't spoil how or why) which to me, although it may be true of how life really happens, left me feeling quite put-off by him. These bouts of grief causing more grief for him spiraled into what I can only describe as what a dramatic teenager would do if they were seeking attention. This grief, naturally, lead to strings of hypocrisy that were either never acknowledged, or were only ever acknowledged with him thinking "oopsie daisy", which was even more off-putting and infuriating., especially considering that he is supposed to be a detective with years of experience. Combine all of these elements, plus add a healthy dose of extra information and details into the story that lead nowhere and are likely only in there to try to confuse the reader, and you've got yourself a very disappointing climax to the story.
I will admit, these things that were off-putting for me will not be off-putting for everyone. These elements, tragedy creating tragedy, getting lost in one's own world, and the repercussions of one's actions can all add value to a novel for some. For me personally, it isn't always necessary, and I've read other series, such as the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson where all of these points are dealt with and you as the reader are left feeling either understandably uneasy, or quite satisfied.
I don't regret reading this novel, despite my negativity, and would recommend it with the warning that you should not expect this to be one of those murder mysteries that come with a nice, neat bow on top.
Have you read In the Woods before? If so, what did you think? If not, do you think you will? Why or why not?
Cheers!
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