November Wrap-Up

Didn't get as many books read as I would have liked this month, but with the holidays I guess that's to be expected. My favorite this month was The Girl Who Played With Fire. Can't wait to finish off the Stieg Larsson series soon. Happy reading! 

In The Woods

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.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Tana French tempts readers with two hauntingly terrifying mysteries in her novel, In the Woods. When Adam Ryan survived the biggest tragedy Knocknaree had ever seen, he knew it would follow him forever. Always hunting, attempting to finish what was started during that last summer of innocence. So he hid, in plain sight as a Detective on the Dublin Murder Squad. Switching to his middle name and obtaining an English accent let him blend into crowd. Until Katy Devlin is found, murdered, just outside of the Knocknaree Wood that stolen the lives of Ryan's two friends. 

Adam Ryan, Rob, is the main character of the novel and the point of view readers experience. He admits he isn't a reliable source throughout this investigation up front, allowing readers to know that he lies, and though the clues were right in front of him, he missed the murderer's flashing neon sign. Ryan is the character that readers want to help: give him a little pat on the shoulder and a few words of encouragement. He's the character who appears strong but falls to pieces. He not only evokes sympathy and understanding out of the readers, it's deeper than that. It's as if, through this entire story, no other perspective matters because the current investigation is linked to the past investigation and Ryan can see both. But it's a facade, a trap door, a set-up for the reader. The Ryan that is presented by the details, situations, and events is not the same Ryan presented by the novel's point of view (Ryan himself). It's an investigation full of intrigue and disappointment, with Ryan giving the grand tour. 

The plot of the novel mainly follows the murder investigation of Katy Devlin. It does include some flashbacks to the tragedy that befell Ryan and his two closest friends, though his memory of that time is nearly non-existent. There is a short lived side-plot love story and an interesting political sub-story, but these all revolve around the case and finding Katy's killer. Though the investigation does lead the Murder Squad to the killer, the ending is a loophole that will bring readers to the edge. Highly entertaining novel with gorgeous style and immense detail, which is just lovely in a murder investigation. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

WWW Wednesday (75)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
In the Woods by Tana French. A murder mystery with a wonderful writing style and intriguing investigation tactics.

02. Recently Finished:
Bones of My Brother by J. Frank Dunkin. A novel that depicts the parallel nature of the lives of a father and son.

03. Reading Next:
The Samaritan's Pistol by Eric Bishop. A book that explores the consequences of a split decision.

Teaser Tuesday (88)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



In the Woods (p.2)
   - Tana French

The wood is all flicker and murmur and illusion. Its silence is a pointillist conspiracy of a million tiny noises--rustles, flurries, nameless truncated shrieks; its emptiness teems with secret life, scurrying just beyond the corner of your eye.

WWW Wednesday (74)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
The Bones of my Brother by J. Frank Dunkin. A novel about the parallel lives of a father and his son.

02. Recently Finished:
The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder. Moving novel about a young girl with cancer who's one last chance to survive is a small town hidden in May.

03. Reading Next:
In the Woods by Tana French. When a young boy survives a murder mystery he grows up to become an investigator, but then history seems to repeat itself and he finds himself struggling to solve his own mystery.