In a Dark, Dark Wood is the debut novel of British novelist Ruth Ware. Nora is a twenty-six-year-old crime writer living by herself in London, her days kept orderly by routine. Out of the blue, she's invited to a hen party (that's a bachelorette party for those of us living west of the Atlantic) for Clare Cavendish, the woman who was her childhood best friend until an unspecified event made Nora leave her hometown for good ten years previously. She hasn't talked to Clare since. So why, Nora wonders, is she invited? Should she go?
Obviously, she does or there'd be no novel. What unfolds is plenty of secrets, a few lies, and a murder. Ware tends to harp on atmosphere to an almost ridiculous degree--she wants the reader to see the secluded location as creepy and doesn't miss an opportunity to describe it as such. (Meanwhile, I spent the whole time thinking I'd love to visit The Glass House. It sounds gorgeous.) I got a little tired of being beaten over the head with how the trees looked intimidating and the characters felt as if they were on stage. We get it already.
Also, the end is telegraphed from about a mile away. What I enjoy about books such as The Girl on the Train or Gone Girl is that I'm not sure how the author is going to tie everything together, how the story is going to end up. With In a Dark, Dark Wood, it was obvious from about halfway through.
Still, I didn't want to stop reading it. Ware has a way of unspooling Nora's inner thoughts that made me want to see where she'd go next, despite some of those places being rather ridiculous. I'll read another Ware to see whether she grows into her skill.
Title: In a Dark, Dark, Wood
Author: Ruth Ware
Star Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Buy, Borrow, Skip: Borrow if you're a fan of thrillers like the two mentioned above; skip otherwise
Bonus: Ouija board! Skeet shooting!
Obviously, she does or there'd be no novel. What unfolds is plenty of secrets, a few lies, and a murder. Ware tends to harp on atmosphere to an almost ridiculous degree--she wants the reader to see the secluded location as creepy and doesn't miss an opportunity to describe it as such. (Meanwhile, I spent the whole time thinking I'd love to visit The Glass House. It sounds gorgeous.) I got a little tired of being beaten over the head with how the trees looked intimidating and the characters felt as if they were on stage. We get it already.
Also, the end is telegraphed from about a mile away. What I enjoy about books such as The Girl on the Train or Gone Girl is that I'm not sure how the author is going to tie everything together, how the story is going to end up. With In a Dark, Dark Wood, it was obvious from about halfway through.
Still, I didn't want to stop reading it. Ware has a way of unspooling Nora's inner thoughts that made me want to see where she'd go next, despite some of those places being rather ridiculous. I'll read another Ware to see whether she grows into her skill.
Title: In a Dark, Dark, Wood
Author: Ruth Ware
Star Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Buy, Borrow, Skip: Borrow if you're a fan of thrillers like the two mentioned above; skip otherwise
Bonus: Ouija board! Skeet shooting!