Pg. 69: Tana French's "In the Woods"

The current feature at the Page 69 Test: Tana French's In the Woods.

About the book, from the publisher:

A gorgeously written novel that marks the debut of an astonishing new voice in psychological suspense.

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.

Richly atmospheric, stunning in its complexity, and utterly convincing and surprising to the end, In the Woods is sure to enthrall fans of Mystic River and The Lovely Bones.

Among the praise for the novel:

"Ambitious and extraordinary."
--Washington Post

"Intelligent and beautifully written… An outstanding debut."
--Booklist (starred review)

"A compellingly complex case with nuanced characters and a richly detailed sense of place."
--Kirkus

"Harrowing… [French] sets a vivid scene for her complex characters… The intricate nature of her storytelling is something of its own reward… Drawn by the grim nature of her plot and the lyrical ferocity of her writing, even smart people who should know better will be able to lose themselves in these dark woods."
--The New York Times Book Review

Read a brief excerpt from In the Woods, and learn more about the novel and author at Tana French's website.

In the Woods won the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award for Best First Novel.

The Page 69 Test: In the Woods.

--Marshal Zeringue