In The Woods

In The Woods by Tana French
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There is no way to talk about this book without revealing what it is about. I began this book at least three times before I got past the horrific event in the beginning. Three children who often play in the woods go there one sunny afternoon and all that remains  by the evening is one traumatized child clinging to a tree in a catatonic state with blood in his shoes which had been placed on his feet after they had been filled with the stuff.




Adam Ryan never recuperated from this event even though he moved,  developed complete amnesia about the first twelve years of his life, changed his name and became a homicide detective workong out of Dublin Castle.

He was successful at this endeavor until he and his partner Cassie are called to investigate the death of another child in the same area.






This is more the story of how Rob Ryan slowly decompensates and falls apart. His motives for most things are self preservation in any endeavor which may be understood but his behavior changes from an integrated human to a self pitying, morose heavy drinker who treats people like dirt. He becomes involved with a suspect and turns a deaf ear to any remonstrations.  Everything is related in a way to the trauma he underwent as a child, This event is mentioned on most pages of the book but the author French elects never to let the poor reader in on the secret. We are left stuck in the woods grasping a tree. I think I shall develop amnesia about the book.

This character is apparently not present in the next in the series but I still want the answer of the woods mystery. French leaves the reader with the impression that  a mythic animal making great flapping noises ate two of the children, but left Ryan after spitting  blood into the shoe that fell off while he was running. I guess that could happen.