In the Woods by Tana French
Publication date/ Length: 2008 / 464 pages
Synopsis (from Publisher’s Weekly): Irish author French expertly walks the line between police procedural and psychological thriller in her debut. When Katy Devlin, a 12-year-old girl from Knocknaree, a Dublin suburb, is found murdered at a local archeological dig, Det. Rob Ryan and his partner, Cassie Maddox, must probe deep into the victim’s troubled family history. There are chilling similarities between the Devlin murder and the disappearance 20 years before of two children from the same neighborhood who were Ryan’s best friends. Only Maddox knows Ryan was involved in the 1984 case.
Review: I loved the first few pages of this novel, but then grew increasingly disappointed. Initially I was drawn in by the characterization and prose, but soon felt as if the author was trying too hard. The protagonist became rather annoying, and ultimately I wish 
French had told the story from the female detective’s perspective instead. French’s prose grabbed me at the onset, but soon felt over-written and self-reflexive (“see how clever I am?”) which contributed to my irritation with the protagonist.
This novel was highly praised, so I feel the need to provide a few examples of what bothered me about French’s writing so you all can judge for yourselves:
How can I ever make you understand Cassie and me? I would have to take you there, walk you down every path of our secret shared geography. The truism says it’s against all the odds for a straight man and woman to be real friends, platonic friends; we rolled thirteen, threw down five aces and ran away giggling.
I love watching Cassie when she’s concentrating. Utterly focused, she is as absent and unselfconscious as a child — twisting a finger in a curl at the back of her head, pulling her legs into effortlessly odd angles, flipping a pen around her mouth and abruptly pulling it out to murmur something to herself…
Beyond the prose, I had issues with the plot, too. I was not surprised by who the killer was and was annoyed that the protagonist assumed I would be (he speaks to the reader directly throughout). Granted, I worked with adolescents for many years and have a lot of experience with truth and deception, especially in the young, but I was shocked that the detective was duped since he was supposed to be quite good at his job. I am usually not able to guess “who dun it” but sure did this time.
I initially wanted to recommend it to many people, but after about 50 pages wished I hadn’t asked my book club to read it and ultimately recommended that we change to something else. However, since this was French’s first novel (and felt like a first novel – a bit overwrought), I will read her second effort and imagine that I will enjoy it more.
Now, I know that many readers disagree with my opinion and would love to hear alternate points of view!
Hi
I have to say that I totally agree with your analysis of In the Woods. I was so glad that I had not recommended it to my bookclub! It was boring, pretentious and transparent.
Not sure I would even give the author another shot. JMHO!
Carolyn
So glad to hear I was not alone in my luke warm impressions — this novel received soooo much critical acclaim, I wondered if I was missing something! I’ll let you know if her second novel is worth a look
I know exactly what you mean by author’s who write in the “see how clever I am” style. I find it particularly annoying as well.
My Sunday Salon