Just Finished Reading: In The Woods by Tana French (FP: 2007) [592pp] 

It was just like a dream. He knew he shouldn’t be there, shouldn’t be involved but he had to be. So much was as he remembered it from 20 years ago. The houses, the people and especially the woods – much reduced since his childhood adventures in them but still there. What surprised him most though was that no one recognised him. He stared into their faces, seeing them as they were so long ago, and they looked back without a flicker of recollection – nothing. Of course, much had changed since that defining moment so long ago when he and his friends went into the woods for the last time together and he came out alone, unresponsive and caked in blood. He was older, bigger and had lost his local accent after years in English boarding schools. Still, he shouldn’t be there. It was wrong. Now a detective in Dublin’s Murder Squad he should have told his boss about the link between himself and the latest case to drop on their desks. But he couldn’t bring himself to speak the words. He needed to know if the latest killing, of a young child, had ANYTHING to do with the disappearance of his two friends twenty years ago. He wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if someone else had missed a clue, failed to pick up on the piece of evidence, failed to interview someone in the right way. His partner, Cassie Maddox, knew he had to do this and covered for him. But it still felt like a dream. Unfortunately for Detective Rob Ryan, AKA Adam Ryan, this was not going to be a happy dream, quite the opposite... 

I picked this up in my local supermarket a few years back because, as always, it looked interesting. I don’t often read ‘modern’ crime novels so, I thought, it’d make a nice change of pace. I only knew that it had ‘inspired’ a BBC crime series from the cover blurb and have never watched the actual TV show to this date (though no doubt my Mum has!). For once the oft repeated phrase ‘grabs from the very first page’ had something to it. Related from Detective Ryan’s perspective and told throughout in his ‘voice’ this was an absolute master class in the crafting of a police procedural narrative. ALL of the characters were real and totally believable. Ryan himself was a great construction, thoughtful, intelligent and haunted by his past (most of which remained suppressed throughout the investigation with leaks emerging from time to time). His partner, Maddox, was the gem of the novel for me though. She was an amazing creation and I loved every scene she was in. Their relationship – both in and out of work – was very realistic and their dialogue together was both believable and naturalistic to the highest degree. It was honestly like being a literal ‘fly on the wall’ watching and listening to them just being real. At the center of everything is the murder of a young girl with a bright future ahead of her. The investigation, just as with the characterisation throughout, feels real, grounded and solid. It flows just as we’ve seen countless times in newspapers and media reports – breakthroughs, disappointments, arrests, accusations.  

This certainly didn’t feel like an almost 600-page novel. Whilst not exactly a breeze of a read – it was too involved and often too intense for that – I fell into the narrative and loved every minute of the time spent there. What truly amazed me, for such an accomplished work, was that this was the author’s first published work. That fact alone is pretty stunning. It came as no surprise at all to discover also that it had won numerous awards soon after publication. Definitely a highlight of the year and, therefore, highly recommended for all crime lovers. Much more of this author to come, I think. 

Awards: 

Anthony Awards - Best First Novel 

Barry Awards - Best First Novel 

Edgar Awards - Best First Novel 

Macavity Awards - Best First Novel 

New High Score (since records began 22nd October 2020) 

Average Page Count: 339pp (+1p) 

Previous Record Duration: 151 days.