The Observation Deck

New Sticky Please...

Hi everyone, this month we are discussing In The Woods by: Tana French. I finally got my copy this week, and I've read about 100 pages so far. Has anyone else started it? Finished it? What are your first impressions? I am enjoying it. I've become slowly drawn into these mysteries, and I'm very curious to learn the solutions to both the present day murder and the 1984 crime. As always all are welcome to join in the discussions. Let me know your opinions...

I've actually been done for a few weeks... I took it on vacation. I'm looking forward to hearing what everyone thinks!

I got the book - I read the back cover. It seems pretty scary - will it keep me awake at night?

Just get under the covers with a flashlight, you'll be OK.

Ok, I'm now through about 300 pages, and it is killing me that the author seems to be teasing me about what is happening and drawing everything out. Rob will have snippets of memories, but he's yet to learn the whole truth. Lynn, it's not too scary, it's just one of those books that seems to draw you into the mystery. I am really hoping for the detectives to crack the case(s) before Rob's mind cracks. I hope to be finished in another day or so.

Too scary for me

I finished the book this afternoon, and we MUST discuss how it ended, but I won't discuss the ending until Lynn is finished, it just wouldn't be fair. However, even though I sort of pulled this book out of thin air for this discussion, I really enjoyed it and it kept me engaged throughout.

Also, did you see that Tana French's next book: The Likeness is being released in August and it is told from the viewpoint of Cassie as she works on a new case, and it picks up a few months after this book finishes.

I'll post a few questions in the next day or so. In the meantime, any other comments?

I've been waiting weeks to discuss the ending... but I'll wait for Lynn.

Here are a few discussion questions to get us started (A few questions I borrowed from the author's website). I'll post a few more once I know that Lynn is finished.

1. One of the reasons for choosing this story for our discussion is that it was set in another country. Does the Irish setting contribute significantly to the telling of the story or is it more of a universal story?

2. How does Ryan's experience in the woods at age twelve affect his ability to function as a detective? Does it hinder him and/or improve his insights?

3. Discuss who was your favorite character and why?

4. Did you have any "guesses" early on about who was Katy's killer. Did your theories change as the book wore on?

5. If you were a therapist, what aspects of Ryan's personality would you want to help him work on first?

These are my answers:

1. One of the reasons for choosing this story for our discussion is that it was set in another country. Does the Irish setting contribute significantly to the telling of the story or is it more of a universal story?
I did not see this as a strictly "Irish" tale. The story just as easily could have been happening in the US. The archeology of the area was interesting, but not critical. I thought it interesting that the characters often seemed to be afraid of driving under the influence. There was an awful lot of drinking going on after hours, which may seem stereotypically Irish. Overall Ryan's description of the summer of 1984 didn't seem all that different from childhood summers here in Ohio, and I think that this is more of a universal story that a purely Irish one.

2. How does Ryan's experience in the woods at age twelve affect his ability to function as a detective? Does it hinder him and/or improve his insights?
Ryan brought alot of past baggage with him onto this case, and by trying to come to terms and perhaps solve the 1984 case, I believe he likely missed important clues in Katy's murder. He certainly seemed to have been fooled early on by the killer. I think that because most of his childhood memories have been forgotten, it makes it very difficult for Ryan to relate to Katy, her friends and family. The only thing that may have helped him was that he was familiar with the area of Knocknaree, and the people of the area.

3. Discuss who was your favorite character and why?
My favorite character was Cassie. She was just so smart and interesting. A very well developed character. I found her abilty to question suspects and utilize her psychological training fascinating. I'd be interested to read the next book told in her "voice". I also liked the killer a bit, because it was a fun, cold, evil character to read about.

4. Did you have any "guesses" early on about who was Katy's killer. Did your theories change as the book wore on?
I suspected someone in Katy's family, probably because the detectives kept commenting on how there was something "not right" about that family. I also kept wondering about the archeologists in general. I felt that the author had them in the story to either unearth something from 1984 or to provide suspects in Katy's murder.

5. If you were a therapist, what aspects of Ryan's personality would you want to help him work on first?
If I was his therapist, I would want to try and hypnotize him and bring back his lost memories. I would also want to work on his ability to build and maintain romantic relationships. In many ways he seems to be stuck emotionally as a twelve year old, preferring platonic friendships to adult relationships.

1. One of the reasons for choosing this story for our discussion is that it was set in another country. Does the Irish setting contribute significantly to the telling of the story or is it more of a universal story?

I think there were some insights into Irish culture with the archaeologucal site, but it was more modern culture which is a bit of a change for us. Most of the cultural books we've read have been more historical in nature. However, I do think that the story was mostly universal and didn't "need" to be set in Ireland, certainly not in the same way that A Thousand Splendid Suns or The Chinese Maze Murders needed to be set in their respective countries.

2. How does Ryan's experience in the woods at age twelve affect his ability to function as a detective? Does it hinder him and/or improve his insights?

I don't think it helped, other than early on it made him more determined. But I think the author kind of beat to death that she wanted us to think it was not helpful.

3. Discuss who was your favorite character and why?

Rob, I guess, until he slept with Cassie. The whole story went downhill after that and became a Lifetime movie. I thought the older sister was a great character, but I can't remember her name.

4. Did you have any "guesses" early on about who was Katy's killer. Did your theories change as the book wore on?

I was kind of rooting for it to be Rob, that we'd find out he had killed his friends when he was little and Katy through some cool psychological twist. But in most mysteries, I try not to think too much about it. If it's a well-crafted novel, there's no way to "guess" without it being totally random.

5. If you were a therapist, what aspects of Ryan's personality would you want to help him work on first?

Not to be such a baby after he slept with Cassie. Again, the whole novel went downhill at that point and I was frequently annoyed with all the characters. The same thing happens in lots of books and movies, and it's always lame.

I just reread my last post and felt that it unfairly gave the impression that I did not like the book. The first half was great... it did a great job detailing the police work and forensics (I've always been a CSI fan - Vegas only). But, just like the trap CSI has fallen into, the book started getting too much into the personal lives of the characters.

In a book like A Thousand Splendid Suns, which I loved, that's completely appropriate. But in a good murder mystery, too be frank, I don't really care that Rob and Cassie slept together, which one wanted a relationship and which one didn't, and who was feeling hurt or not. I don't want to hear it, just stick with the story, which was very well-crafted, even though the end was completely unsatisfying... can we discuss that yet? Lynn?

I agree Brad, the book seemed to fall apart after they slept together and Ryan got all moody and frankly a bit annoying. However, I think part of the author's point was to show how everything was unraveling for him, and how that prevented him from learning the truth sooner. I'm waiting to discuss the end once we hear from Lynn...

SPOILER ALERT!!!












I'm ready to talk about the ending, or the lack of one. Katy's murder was solved, and it was a pretty good story line, but what about Rob's childhood friends? I can't believe she left that unanswered... that's where the whole book was going! Other than some foggy allusions to Peter and Jamie being murdered by some supernatural monster, there was no resolution to it. I've already stated my general disappointment with the second half of the book, but the ending takes the cake.

Jennifer, you've wanted to discuss the ending too. Is this where you were headed?

I liked how Katy's murder was solved. Rosalind was evil and Damien was simply stupid. Cassie's final encounter with Rosalind was good, but once again Rob botched the whole thing in the end with her legal age.

I too was disappointed that the 1984 crime was left dangling. I think that the author is trying to spin this into a series, since her latest book features Cassie. Her website suggests that we haven't seen the last of Rob, so I think that she left it dangling to possibly solve in a future book. Sort of like movie sequels that leave something hanging... Or maybe the author couldn't come up with a plausible ending so she just left it.

Playing the devil's advocate though, the author may have wanted the ending to be more realistic. Since, in reality, not every crime is solved and some children are never found.

Do you have any theories about what may have happened to Peter and Jamie? DId they run away and stage it? Was it a "drifter" or a towns person? I never really thought that it was Katy's father. I'm not buying the idea of some animal/monster in the woods. Could Rob have killed his friends? Personally I'd bet on a drifter who was living in the woods, but I think that it would be more interesting if it was Rob. What's your opinion?