#19 In The Woods

365 Blog Challenge: Post #19

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Last night, I finished In The Woods, a novel by Tana French, an up and coming mystery author.  I didn't want to write this review last night because #1 Scott was forcing me to watch the Australian Open with him (during which he fell asleep) and #2 I needed time to let this book settle.  

The best part of this book is by far the writing.  The prologue blew me away.  I feel that in this day of mass media mystery novels, writers focus on a formulaic story, memorable heroes and not so much on prose.  French is an exception to this.  Her writing is right up there with some great literary fiction.  She gives mystery writers a standard to strive for.  The story in this book is also intriguing.  The narrator, Rob Ryan (formerly Adam) is the sole witness a mysterious crime committed in 1984 when his 2 best friends mysteriously disappeared from a wood in Knocknaree (Ireland).  In what can only be seen as a defense mechanism, Rob cannot recall any of the events that took place until he was found, the lone survivor, clinging to a tree in fright, blood soaking his shoes.  Years later, a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad, Ryan and his partner (and best friend), Cassie, begin an investigation into another crime committed in Knocknaree, the murder of a 12-year-old girl whose body is found at an archaeological dig site.  I enjoyed the psychological aspects added not only to Ryan's unraveling, but also to Katy's (the 12-year-old victim) family.  It kept me guessing.

My biggest problem with this book was the pacing.  There were parts in the first 200-300 pages where it felt like Ryan, Cassie and Sam (the 3rd detective on the case) hit dead end after dead end.  Maybe this was important was, during this time, we watch Ryan fall apart as the case begins to hit home.  But surely it could have been sped up a little bit. The last 100 pages were quick, exactly the pace I was looking for, but I was disappointed in how long it took me to get there.  Also, without giving too much away, aspects of this book's conclusion left me saddened.  Perhaps I am too optimistic, but when the story wrapped up, I had a empty pit in my stomach, that I was hoping would be filled with some sort of happy ending.

Having said all this, I would eventually like to read another French novel.  Her gift for prose makes it worth overlooking some of the downsides to this first Dublin Murder Squad book, and I think I'll give her another chance.  And perhaps I'm just being too hard on this first one, which was quite critically acclaimed.  My own impatience may plays a role, but I don't feel that suspense should be drawn out to the point of boredom.