In the Woods | 
pickWow. Read this on recommendation of a friend who said bk 2 after this in the series changed her life. I loved this. So atmospheric & riveting. With an unreliable narrator—that snuck up on me! She delves into detectives‘ psyches/history as much as the suspects while investigating current crime possibly connected to a historical case. The characters feel REAL. French‘s writing shows where others just tell.
I am SO part of the #TanaFrench cult now.
#12Booksof2023 @Andrew65
June: IN THE WOODS by Tana French. I had never heard of this author, but my retired English teachers' book club picked it for June, and boy, it did not disappoint! I'd like to read the others, too, but I have to stop joining so many other buddy reads because I can only read so much in a day! What a wonderful problem to have, huh? 🤩😂🤩
panIt‘s not a bad book. It‘s a bad fit for me. I don‘t often like mysteries, so it was already a bad start. It was fine until all the narrative winks and nudges started, which threw me and then irritated me. I had most of the twists pegged early, then couldn‘t figure why it was supposed to be surprising. I really disliked the (lack of) resolution to both stories and it frustrated me greatly. Sorry, French fans, but I just didn‘t like it.
I think this could be said of many places, except maybe for the Thatcher bit.
Diving into this one, finally, seeing as I‘ve had it from the library for almost a month.
I don't know why I'm surprised by enjoying French's book the most for the first half of the year, but I am. Seeing that it was published way back in 2007, I'm rather late to the show. #betterlatethannever 🤩
Read this for my book club. One of the best books I've read to show a police procedural for a local murder in the woods of a small town in Ireland. Also one of the best books I've read to show an unreliable narrator. He tells us right at the beginning: “I crave truth. And I lie.“ And finally ... one of the best books I've read with a duo investigative team. French exhibits beautiful prose within a horrific murder case. I'll have to read more!
If you‘re going to mention TWO mysteries on the back blurb, you better solve both!!!
Honestly MC sucks, I know he went through something as a kid (that we don‘t know bc they won‘t solve that mystery!!) but that does not explain him treating his female partner the way he does or being dog walked by a 17 yr old psychopath. Seek help dude. Also officially done reading books where girls are the victims to drive the plot. BYE.
Here are some options for #LMPBC #GroupH. Y‘all let me know what you think! @robinb @Laughterhp @BookwormAHN @suvata
pick#SeriesLove2023 @TheSpineView @Andrew65 This is a very long book and a bit of a slog, but I still really liked it. If you want to put in the time, I think it‘s well worth reading.
pickBest book I have read all year. Haunting mystery about detectives investigating the murder of a young girl, which may or may not be related to the disappearance of two children in the same area 20 years ago. This novel is elevated from genre fiction by fresh, arresting imagery and descriptions and depth of the characters. It follows the development, and later gut wrenching dissolution, of the friendship between detectives Rob and Cassie. ⬇️
“In 1984, in a small Dublin suburb, 3 children do not return home. Police arrive and find only one of the children, unable to recall anything. Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. A 12 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 Rob Ryan‘s.”
This author has such a way with words. I love the description of a little kid who has an adult face as "bansai adult" with a voice like a heavy smoker. So funny! Loving the descriptive language in this book.
I can't remember if we are supposed to post when we receive our package, but I got mine on the 13th and can't wait to open it!!! #jolabokaflodswap @MaleficentBookDragon @julieclair
Another semester in the books. Time for some much needed self care 🖤
pickDefinitely a page turner. French is a good writer. I didn‘t care much for the friendship story between the detectives. Disappointing ending: I didn‘t guess who did it, but was expecting that the cold case would be solved too.
#BookCoverChallenge
Day 183.
Here I will note 365 books (or as many as I will have before I get tired) that have shaped my taste in literature. No explanations, no reviews. Just the cover of the book.
I do not challenge anyone. You are all welcome to take part.
pickThis was a hard story for me to get through, as it hits every button in terms of things I have a hard time reading about. I probably wouldn't have made it through at all if French hadn't set up such an intriguing story. It's complex, wrapped w/secrets & misunderstandings and of course amnesia. I struggled w/the pacing a few times, Ryan is an immature (& icky) jerk, and I did want a SLIGHTLY neater ending. For the most part though, interesting.
pickI liked this a lot….until the end. It left me wanting more. This was my first read by Tana French, and I have to say I‘m now definitely going to be sucked into the Dublin Murder Squad series. As far as contemporary fiction crime writers go, I feel like French is probably one of the better ones out there. Good plot, but also good character development.
#FallTreasures #Day22 #FallEquinox
I‘ve still not yet read this one, but I‘ve heard nothing but good things about this series. I‘m just not a big thriller reader, so books like this take awhile for me to get to. I thought the cover gives off fall vibes, though.
pickI can‘t believe I hadn‘t read this one yet! I liked it a lot & it kept me guessing most of the way through. French is a beautiful writer, & her descriptions of childhood are evocative, but I agree with the reviews that note she could use a more ruthless editor - it does drag a bit in the middle.
On reflection, I think I enjoyed The Likeness more, even though it‘s wildly implausible, but then I‘m a sucker for anything in the dark academia genre!
First book from this author. Anyone read?! Looks good! ☺️
After giving up on two books in a row, I'm now nicely settling into this, my third Tana French read.
pickIn between a pick and so so mainly because it was so long winded and I just wanted the plot to move along!
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️ A child disappears and her body is found. The hunt is on for her killer. One of the investigators has his own secret...
so-soI wanted to love it but found it a little long in the tooth. Found myself skimming forward over descriptions of how the main character was feeling to the conversations to push the plot along. I would recommend it though to anyone who likes police procedurals. The interviews were very well done.
so-so#unpopular opinion. Way too wordy and I predicted almost everything. I wouldve bailed but everyone said it was a great book. To be honest, the beginning story of the missing kids was more interesting than the murder that was the plot.
Kindle died so I got the paperback out. Fitting in some time while dinner cooks.
Book 47
pick#LitsySpringBreak Day 17: Naturally, I had to read a book from #Ireland while I was in #Ireland (Dublin, specifically) back in 2018. Wrote about it here: https://gatheringbooks.org/2019/01/22/photo-journal-84/
so-soFinally finished In The Woods, by Tana French after a week. (And I usually finish a book in a day or two)
⭐⭐⭐
For me, this book lost a star because it seemed to go on much longer than necessary and I was left with questions. Plus another because I'm a sucker for a happy ending and this didn't give me even a smidgen of that. But the writing was beautiful and I was intrigued enough to finish it.
Reading this for my #IRL #bookclub #everythingbutselfhelp before our meeting next week! I had no idea it was a series.
“. . . I described my classmates as “a herd of mouth-breathing fucktard yokels who wade around in a miasma of cliché so thick you can practically smell the bacon and cabbage and cow shite and altar candles.” Even assuming I was having a bad day, I think this shows a certain lack of respect for cultural differences.”
This is my first Tana French. So far, so good!
Tana French is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I love her writing style. I feel like I‘m in the book! If you haven‘t, check her out. ☺️❤️📚
so-soJan 2021 - watched then read / crime drama. The series The Dublin Murders was very true to the book. Story was grizzly and the characters were flawed. Read well and the opening is just creepy.
#FirstLineFridays
"What I warn you to remember is that I am a Detective. Our Relationship with the truth is fundamental but cracked, refracting confusingly like fragmented glass"
I love thoes two sentences.
A few of my Christmas pressies for 2020. Thanks @Jas16 for In The Woods. U know I love a good mystery!!
@AmyG you are a sweetheart! Thank you so much for this copy of Into The Woods. I am looking forward to reading it!
Thank you what a wonderful unexpected surprise for me in my mailbox, this afternoon. #LitsyLove
#audiowalk #hoopla #litsywalkers #dashingdecember #readathon
Best walk ever! I got to pet two dogs and I found $5!
Only one hour left in the book!
@Andrew65
