Greetings,
I've noticed something about writers, especially these days. There are a lot of good ones. There are a lot of bad ones. I think the most prevalent are the merely competent ones. But, few and far between, there are writers who are distinct and unique, who use a voice that is completely their own. These are the writers that require you to read only a page or two, if that, to know who they are. Yes, they are rare, and a few years ago, I think I found one. Her name is Tana French and today, I am going to discuss her first book, In the Woods.
In the Woods is a 2007 mystery novel and is the first in the Dublin Murder Squad series, which I will speak more about later. It's about a detective named Rob Ryan, who is investigating the murder of a 12-year-old girl whose body was found on a dig site, along with his partner Cassie Maddox. The details of the case are taking Rob back to the memory of a horrific event that happened to him when he, himself, was 12-years-old, especially considering how many similarities there are between them. It is a part of his past that he keeps secret from everyone, with the exception of his partner, who he trusts due to their close relationship. That closeness, however, leads people to think they are intimately involved. Because we all know that men and woman can't ever be just close friends. That's just silly talk.
Anyway, as the investigation moves forward, as many leads are fruitlessly looked into, Rob tries to pull from his own memories of what happened to him, on the off chance that it could be helpful, not only to this present mystery, but also to the one that haunts his past. So, in a way, we're getting two mysteries for the price of one. Of course, with the lengths to which he goes to use his childhood trauma to try and fix his current adult dilemma, it only ends up messing with him emotionally and leading to some issues in his friendship with Cassie. Still, they must continue on with their job to find out exactly what occurred. And doing so leads them, and us, the reader, on a intense and gripping ride.
Now, I refuse to spoil the ending of this book, because I'm not mean and I think you should read it yourself. I will say, however, that I found it to be quite satisfying. I did not predict it at all, and the set up for it was done very well. Was it the exact ending that I wanted? Not completely, but it was true to life and how life goes sometimes. Frankly, that's all I can ask of a writer, to respect me enough to let the story be what it is, from beginning to end. And you know what? Sometimes I think the best way to insult your reader is to give them exactly the ending that they want. Or, should I say, the ending that they THINK they want. None of that here, which may upset some people, but not me.
So, about the Dublin Murder Squad. First of all, I don't think it's an actual thing, IRL, but whatever. They're homicide detectives. That's all you need to know. Now as far as the series goes, the structure of it is quite interesting. All the books are connected, but not extremely so. Obviously, they always follow the squad and you will have recurring characters, but there is a new case to solve and a new lead character for each book. Well, actually, to say "new" is a bit misleading. Usually, the lead in one book will be a secondary character from a previous book. It's a great way to be able to get the story from a fresh perspective, but said perspective comes from someone you've already been introduced to. There's just enough of a thread to connect the books, but not so much that you feel like you're stuck in a never-ending narrative. Okay, I used the word "books" WAY too much in that paragraph.
In conclusion, I definitely recommend In the Woods. Tana French is such a superb writer. Her world building is amazing, and she truly creates an atmosphere that completely pulls you into the story. And the way she writes characters is what I love most about her writing. They're complex, they have depth and you feel like you know them, because she puts you right in their head and proves that there is absolutely an art to making a first person narrative. As I said, writers like Tana French are rare, so we should make sure to show them, and their books, the appreciation they deserve.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
