Book Group Report: Dublin Murders 1

In the Woods by Tana French

Just a short post today about this month’s book group read which we discussed earlier in the week. It’s quite rare for our group to all be in agreement, but everyone who was able to read this book enjoyed it, and appreciated the quality of the writing. I read and reviewed this book back in 2018 and raved about it then (see here), so having watched the recent Dublin Murders TV series, naughtily relied on recall rather than re-reading.

Sarah Greene & Killian Scott as Cassie & Rob

We had some small quibbles: the lack of resolution in one of the strands, about Adam/Rob and how he could have managed to keep his secret with his Mrs Doyle-alike mother around, and it is a little over-long at 600+ pages! However, as a whole, it felt plausible and we could picture the locale of the murder. We particularly liked Cassie Maddox as a character who will go on to be the lead character in the second novel in this series, The Likeness, which was entwined with In the Woods in the TV series.

Most of us said we’d like to read more by French, I certainly plan to, although I have other plans for Reading Ireland month hosted by Cathy this year, involving Sinéad Gleeson and Olivia Kiernan.


Tana French – In the Woods (Hodder & Stoughton, 2007). Hodder paperback 608 pages.

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7 thoughts on “Book Group Report: Dublin Murders 1

  1. Cathy746books says:

    I really enjoyed this one (although I gave up on the TV adaptation). I think French writes really well and even when her books veer into slightly unbelievable territory, she still brings the reader with her. Thanks for taking part x

  2. Laura says:

    I’m glad your book group liked this. I’m a huge Tana French fan and, although I think this one isn’t her best, I still get frustrated when people say they hated it because of the inconclusive ending, which I think is so emotionally right (not to mention much creepier!) My quibbles with it are more about the rather melodramatic treatment of Rosalind.

  3. Rebecca Foster says:

    I need to give French another proper go. I read 100+ pages of The Wych Elm but gave up — so much preamble to the actual mystery plot. I’m assured that some of her others are more immediately gripping. Perhaps I’ll read this one since it’s the first in the series.

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