"Picture a summer stolen whole from some coming-of-age film set in small-town 1950's . . ." (p. 1)
Rob Ryan has a past to fit his profession. 20 years ago, in a harrowing event marking him for life, the homicide detective was witness to two child murders in a wood near his boyhood home. Now another case of uncanny resemblance has found its way to Ryan and partner Cassie Maddox. The victim, Katie Devlin, was a 12-year-old aspiring ballet dancer, already accepted to the Royal Academy, when she went missing one day in August. The impending search would end soon, however; her body discovered at an archaeological site only days following the disappearance. It's with eerie irony that Ryan must confront these circumstances as he and Cassie erect an investigation; himself having found remnants of the two children—Peter and Jaime—in the exact same location (more or less) only decades before.
Mirroring the now cold case from his past, Ryan’s current assignment is anything but open-shut, even as a more-than-normal collection of leads and motives intersect in the murky, beneath-the-surface exploration into Katie’s world. There’s her family for one, a visibly normal but quirky set with more than their share of ambiguities. For while its apparent that her loving--if tenacious--father cared deeply for his daughter, unselfishly supporting Katie's dancing ambitions alongside his reserved wife, it's also evident that various confidentialities are concealed behind both parents' curious demeanor. Then there's the sisters--the older Rosalind and Katie's twin, Jessica; their very manner and appearance bespeaking of deeper issues within the home. Other factors play into the drama. Not least among them is the archaeological dig itself and the political uproar aroused over the new expressway set to bypass it (tax dollars footing the bill).
In the Woods won the 2008 Edgar Award for best mystery novel but the book recommends itself. A psychological thriller of the old school, it will gratify those enjoying suspense as much as the more sinewy world of crime and detective fiction. Genreflecting aside, the writing is the real hook, a willowy style of revelation branded with a practiced air of authenticity. Irish author French must've done quite a bit of her own 'digging around' in researching for this exquisitely articulated work.
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