May/June 2011 Group Read: In the Woods

[Wendy]

Just received a copy sent from a nearby library to my library. Started reading it this morning, and like what I've read so far. I like psychological mysteries and the Brits/Irish are so good at them. I'll add more later after finishing it.

[Pamela]

Hi I am looking for a book site that keeps track of the series a person reads So one recommended awhile ago and I can't remember the name. If anyone can help I would apprecitate it thanks

[Yvonne]

Hi Pamela~
It's called FictFact.
http://www.fictfact.com/index.aspx
:)

[Liz]

I read this book a while back. I was absolutely in love with it right up until the ending. It was so well written really pulled me in, but I wasn't satisfied by the ending.

[Susan]

Patricia wrote: "I've read everything Tana French has written. I wish she would come out with a new one. Her latest Faithful Place was awesome.

ETA: Was just looking around on the internet and..."

Wow! I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for sharing

[Heather L]

Just finished this last night, and like many hated the ending. The book starts out slow, but by page 100 I was drawn in, wanting to know how/if the two cases were related, and how/if they would be resolved.

(view spoiler)[It wasn't only the main character (narrator) I disliked at the end, but Cassie and Sam as well. I think my problems with Sam and Cassie are that, while Rob stays true to character--he's messed up and becomes even more messed up--I didn't feel the other two did. Granted there was a lot of stuff going on that tested their strength of character, but still... You wanted Sam to stay true to character, despite orders, and confront the uncle.

And Cassie...she knows Rob better than anyone and essentially turns on him in the end. Completely shutting him out of her life and throwing him to the wolves didn't seem like something she would do. It made her look like a real bitch in the end. They all blame him for the way Rosalind's arrest goes south, but she's equally to blame. They all are. As the captain put it, they all looked at those medical files, and none of them caught her birth date.

Also, if Cassie had shared her suspicions about Rosalind with her partner and the rest of the team, you have to believe the outcome would have been different. Whether Rob believed her or not, the doubt would have at least been planted in his mind, and maybe he might have been less susceptable to Rosalind's tricks.

I was also disappointed that the 1984 disappearance of Rob's friends was never resolved. The author leads us along the entire book, giving us glimpses of his returning memories, and then...nothing! We never find out what actually happened, and that made me feel cheated. (hide spoiler)]

[Ken]

I reread this book. It was many years ago I read it but, I still think that she handled Rob wrong. I know that this is how life is and there is no excuse for how he treated people. He could have had a better ending.

[Jan C]

Maybe he'll resurface sometime in the future. Like after he rehabilitates himself.

[Gatorman]

He is too good a character not to bring back, IMO.

[Yvonne]

I think Ms. French should bring Rob/Adam back too.
And resolve his mystery!

[Maryellen]

I just started reading this book but I find it extremely slow I sure hope it's worth reading.

[Maryellen]

Maryellen wrote: "I just started reading this book but I find it extremely slow I sure hope it's worth reading."

[Melki]

I know I'm in the minority, but I was satisfied with the ending. Leaving one crime unsolved made it more "real" somehow. People disappear all the time and no trace is ever found. The entire novel has a rather murky tone and to have everything neatly tied up would have been too much like a tacked-on "Hollywood" ending. Speaking of which - there is a movie called "In the Woods" coming out in November. It has NOTHING to do with this book.

[Gatorman]

Melki wrote: "I know I'm in the minority, but I was satisfied with the ending. Leaving one crime unsolved made it more "real" somehow. People disappear all the time and no trace is ever found. The entire nove..."

Totally agree about the ending. Sometimes not knowing the truth is better.

[Donna, Co-Moderator]

The ending did not bother me that much either. It's true some things are never solved but I also figured the author would return to Rob's past later in the series. It's such an integral part of his character that to resolve it would have to fundamental change his character.

[Tammy]

I just joined the group and got this book so I could discuss also, I was able to find it for $.099 on Amazon! So, I will be reading it. I hope you don't mind someone being late to the discussion!

[Donna, Co-Moderator]

Hi Tammy, We don't ever close the group discussion threads so feel free to post any time. You can also look through the other group read threads and comment on any of those as well.

[Maria]

I read this book a couple of years ago, and I hope my memory is still good, especially regarding Rob and the ending of the book, which I liked because of it's ambiguity.

(view spoiler)[Am I the only one who thinks that Rob was the psychotic person who killed his friends when they disappeared back in the '80's? This would explain why he feels driven to stay close to the present case, and why Cassie grows increasingly distant from him. As a woman, I identified with her instincts about men, and when she stopped communicating with Rob, I started to get suspicious of his motives. His memory loss was also a big red flag for me. Anyone else have this reaction to the book? (hide spoiler)]

[Donna, Co-Moderator]

Hi Maria, Yes, the same thing crossed my mind.

[Wendy]

Finally finished the book. I did enjoy it, as I love books with psychological twists and turns. I didn't mind the ending either as the author gave many hints along the way that the Adam/Ryan character was flawed and several times lied to himself and others, which in real life would have caused problems to muck up the investigation as it did in the book. So, I was prepared, especially after reading the comments.I have ordered the next book by Tana French, "The Likeness."

[[deleted user]]

Pamela wrote: "Hi I am looking for a book site that keeps track of the series a person reads So one recommended awhile ago and I can't remember the name. If anyone can help I would apprecitate it thanks"

Hi Pamela. I'm a little late, but there's also

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/

[Karen]

I finished this book and I enjoyed it. I like flawed characters because they add dimension to the storyline. Rob's character was full of twists and turns which made him as interesting as the murder investigation. I hope the author will return Rob in future storylines. I am reading the second book "The Likeness".

[Almeta]

Donna wrote: "I know we've kept the discussion away from the ending but I think enough people have finished to bring on the comments about the ending.

Just mark spoilers or use the hide function.

So, did you like the ending or not?"

Although I wanted to know, (view spoiler)[ what heappened in the woods in his childhood (hide spoiler)] I am actually quite pleased with the ending. It was refreshing to have this incident be the cause of Rob's flawed character, rather than the usual; detective is damaged because his significant other's death is unsolved.

I does feel like there would be a sequel coming on though, doesn't it?

[Almeta]

Donna wrote: "How do you think she did with the character of Rob? Believeable? ..."

To me Rob is very believable. (view spoiler)[ I think many people have witnessed the fear of intimacy from their companions. Abandonment behavior is not unusual, just heartbreaking. (hide spoiler)]

I think it is harder to believe that Cassie would allow Rob’s buddy/buddy behavior, with lots of drinking, smoking and couch sleep-overs.

Perhaps the reason we liked their partnership so much is that we wish it could be true. We LOVED the interplay between the two. We LOVED that they knew each other’s moves and role play scenarios. We LOVED the banter. We LOVED how they protected each other’s vulnerable spots. We LOVED them, because they LOVED each other.

Sex changes everything. (view spoiler)[ Kids get in the way of adults having it; teen boys can think of nothing else but getting it; teen girls view their worth by providing it; young woman manipulate with it; young men abandon all morals to have it; adult men are not trusted to be responsible with it; adult women expect “next level” discussions when they have had it. (hide spoiler)]