In the Woods in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Jun 02, 2015 Nadine in NY Jones rated it really liked it

Shelves: psych-psych-psych, ireland, mystery, broken

As a book, this was really a fantastic reading experience for me, but as a mystery, it had a few flaws, so it didn't quite make 5 stars.

The plot: A little girl is found murdered at an archaeological dig outside a small Dublin suburb, and Detectives Rob Ryan and Cassie Maddox catch the case.

Things I loved:
The feel of this story and these characters is so rich and complex and real, so unlike most other mysteries. It reminded me a bit of The Chalk Circle Man, which also has similarly rich and compl ...more

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Oct 25, 2017 Heather - hturningpages rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery-thriller, i-really-tried-to-like-this, that-cover-though

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. AAGGHHH What?!! That was the most unsatisfying ending I could possibly think of.

Up until the very end I held out hope. The writing is absolutely beautiful - French makes the woods and relationships between characters feel so alive and tangible. I felt physically ill while all the characters in the van listened to Cassie's interview with Rosalind. I am sure I will keep reading her books, but SHEESHH what a depressing ending. I normally don't go into details in reviews but I'm just going to put a AAGGHHH What?!! That was the most unsatisfying ending I could possibly think of.

Up until the very end I held out hope. The writing is absolutely beautiful - French makes the woods and relationships between characters feel so alive and tangible. I felt physically ill while all the characters in the van listened to Cassie's interview with Rosalind. I am sure I will keep reading her books, but SHEESHH what a depressing ending. I normally don't go into details in reviews but I'm just going to put a spoiler warning on here and plow on.

ROSALIND: SO. FREAKING. CREEPY. I love that it turned out to be her as the mastermind, but I felt like I knew she was involved like half way through the book, which was pretty frustrating. I mean it's clear that she's jerking Ryan around and hiding something pretty early on, and that Jessica is completely under her thumb in a way that is more than just protective. WHY DIDN'T CASSIE SAY SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS A PSYCHOPATH? *Siggghhhh*

THE TROWEL. UHH. DUH?! As soon as they mentioned the freaking trowel as missing at the very beginning I was like, FIND THAT TROWEL. So to have it magically reappear in Ryan's subconscious at the very end was super frustrating. I get that complicated cases lead to overwhelming details but this felt too big to be missed. I almost wish she hadn't told us it was missing so early on so that it would be more of a surprise that leads to the big break in the whole case.

RYAN AND CASSIE. MY POOR HEART. I mean seriously?! They are so freaking adorable together. I get that Ryan is really messed up from what happened to him, and I think French wrote his struggle with dealing with it and Cassie's responses really well, I just really wanted him to show SOME KIND of positive development that could at least save their friendship. Sure it might not every go back to the way it was, but after her interview with Rosalind when he holds his arms out to her!! GAH I died :( :(

ROSALIND GETTING AWAY WITH IT. *Sigh* Okay obviously I didn't like this BUT I sort of love how they all missed the fact that she was actually 17. That kind of detail, while big, seemed more believable to miss than the trowel. Obviously I hate that she gets away with it because AGGHHH she's so creepy! But the problem is, if they had nabbed her, then at least SOMETHING would have gone right with this poor crew at the end of the book.
I mean, Sam? Really? *double sigh*

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FREAKING WOODS?! Please tell me, I really want to know. It's the title of the book and stuff *cries in corner* I thought maybe he was going to have a breakthrough at the very end because he mentions watching the large equipment tearing up the woods and I thought - hey some kind of bobcat machinery might sound like a moving monster to a scared kid, maybe maybe ... BUT NO. NO ANSWERS FOR YOU.

I really wanted to rate this at least 4 stars but the ending just killed me.
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