Tag Archives: In the Woods

secret-place

French experiments in The Secret Place, but still succeeds

Entertainment-seekers on this side of the Atlantic Ocean tend to demand a standoff, a car chase, or some other dangerous and potentially violent incident to satisfy our American desire for drama. Irish and British consumers seem to have a more nuanced understanding of drama and suspense, allowing their artists to create compelling works of fiction that don’t rely on pyrotechnics and explosions to hold the readers’ attention.

Irish author Tana French consistently uses this more understated approach to great effect. In The Secret Place, the fifth installment in French’s “Dublin Murder Squad” novels, the author demonstrates her knack for creating suspense in subtle ways.

Like the rest of her novels, The Secret Place can be read as a standalone, though readers would benefit from the groundwork laid in earlier books in the series.

Read Curiata.com’s review of Broken Harbor, French’s previous entry in the series.

The primary narrator of The Secret Place is detective Stephen Moran, who was first introduced to readers in French’s third novel, Faithful Place. Other returning characters include detective Frank Mackey, who is making his third significant appearance in the series, as well as Mackey’s daughter, Holly, who debuted alongside Moran in Faithful Place.

The Secret Place begins with Holly Mackey bringing Moran, who is now working cold cases, a clue to a year-old unsolved murder that took place at Holly’s boarding school: a photograph of murder victim Chris Harper with the words “I know who killed him” taped over it. The photo was pinned to a board known as the “Secret Place,” where students at the school could anonymously confess secrets. Moran, along with the lead detective of the case, Atoinette Conway, head back to the school to follow up on the lead Holly has given them.

Unlike most of French’s lead characters, Moran doesn’t have a tortured past to draw from. Still, he is clearly a flawed character. Moran has never been able to create a close connection with a friend. He is also trying to prove himself worthy of joining the Murder Squad.

Conway also has something to prove; as the only female member of the Murder Squad, she has struggled with the fine line between proving her competence and fitting in. The boarding school murder has been her highest profile case, and it has gone unsolved for a year. The dynamic between Moran and Conway as they learn to work together creates an interesting contrast with the cliques among the girls they interact with at the boarding school.

French has a unique and often beautiful style of writing. She is able to make even the most mundane details seem fascinating and relevant. The unfolding events of the novel take place over the course of a single day, the bulk of which is spent interviewing witnesses, without much real action. Yet French is able to make every conversation compelling.

French also has a talent for description. Early in the novel, when referring to the impact a photo continues to have on Holly and her friends even after it has been deleted, French writes, “The photo isn’t gone. The faint rank smell of it is still stained onto the air. Becca breathes shallowly, through her mouth, but it greases her tongue.”

Imagery like this is what makes French such an interesting writer and her books so enjoyable to read. She draws the reader in with these vivid descriptions and makes the audience feel like part of the investigation — which also makes it really hard to put the book down.

With The Secret Place, French deviates slightly from the usual structure of her novels. Instead of a single first-person narrator throughout the entire book, The Secret Place alternates between Moran’s narration of events in the present and a third-person narration of the school year leading up to the murder under investigation. Through these flashbacks, the reader gets to know Holly and her friends and learn the story behind the murder just as Moran’s investigation uncovers the details. This technique helps to increase the tension of the novel as the reader gets closer to the truth. It also gives an interesting perspective on the investigation, giving the reader a window into all the characters and motivations involved.

Another way French deviates from her usual style — and the only flaw I can find in this novel — is in a strange suggestion of the existence of the supernatural. Her previous novels have all been strictly grounded in reality, but some of the interactions between Holly and her friends in The Secret Place hint that they have discovered telekinetic abilities. With the rest of this novel being so realistic, that one piece of fantasy seems a little jarring and out of place.

French never addresses whether these special powers are real or if the girls just have overactive imaginations; in fact, the descriptions of the supernatural are presented in such a way that one could argue they never actually occurred. This aspect of the story is minor and doesn’t affect the outcome at all. Because of its seeming insignificance and the unanswered questions it leaves, this plot point feels like the weak link in an otherwise extremely well-written and engaging novel. And if that’s the only flaw, then I would have to deem this novel an overall success in the genre of crime fiction.

Charissa recommended the first “Dublin Murder Squad” novel, In the Woods, back in June as part of our ‘Summer Reading Series’.

If you’re already a fan of French’s writing, you won’t be disappointed with this latest installment, despite the differences in style between this and her earlier novels. And if you’ve never read anything by French but you’re a fan of clever mysteries or British drama, then I can’t recommend this novel — or any of French’s other works — enough.

French has some of the most developed and compelling characters I’ve read in modern fiction; they’re all flawed, but fascinating and so very real. Her plots are also not predictable or formulaic. So put down James Patterson’s thousandth novel and pick up something truly original.

summer-reading

Curiata.com recommends books for summer reading


The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler’s Wife is the story of librarian Henry DeTamble, who at any moment can disappear into the past or future as a result of some genetic anomaly, and Claire Abshire, an artist whose entire life has been shaped by Henry’s time travel. The novel alternates between Claire’s and Henry’s perspectives as they share the story of their unusual lives. As one might expect in a novel about time travel, the chronology of the book is not always linear, but it doesn’t suffer, for it is beautifully written and completely engrossing. The time travel elements to the story are subtle yet complex, and the book is endearing and tragic at the same time. Niffenegger has managed to weave together an intricate tapestry between the past and present to tell the complete journey of these two characters. Seeing how all the pieces fit together becomes completely absorbing. I read this novel for the first time years ago and have yet to find any book that sticks with me the way this one has. It’s the perfect blend of romance and science fiction.


Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Storm Front is the first of “The Dresden Files” series by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden is a professional wizard living in Chicago; he can find lost objects and missing persons and occasionally consults with the Chicago Police Department’s Special Investigations unit — the team that handles all the “weird” cases. In this first novel, a serial killer is using black magic to rip out the hearts of his victims, and Dresden is recruited to stop him. I was immediately drawn in by Dresden’s narrative voice and humor, and his endless nerd-culture references never cease to amuse me. The best part about “The Dresden Files” is that they just keep getting better. Butcher recently released book 15 in the series, Skin Game, and it may be the best yet. The way Butcher is able to weave threads through the course of the novels fascinates me; in 15 books, he has yet to write himself into a corner, a great feat for any author of a series this long. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter and would like to find a more adult equivalent, Harry Dresden is your man. I highly recommend giving this series a chance.


In the Woods by Tana French

If you’re a fan of British crime dramas such as Broadchurch or Wallander, you’ll definitely enjoy the novels of Tana French, whose Broken Harbor we reviewed earlier this year. In the Woods is the first of what have become known as the “Dublin Murder Squad” novels. Each book in the series is told from the perspective of one of the characters on the Murder Squad of the police force in Dublin, Ireland; In the Woods is from the point of view of Rob Ryan. When Ryan was a child, his three best friends disappeared and only he was found, covered in blood and terrified. Twenty years later, Ryan investigates the murder of a young child in those same woods. French’s novels are completely gripping and compelling and her writing style is brilliant; these aren’t action-packed adventures but completely character driven, and every detail is important. French is a brilliant writer who takes the reader on a winding path to obscure the ending from view. She creates vibrant characters with many layers to keep uncovering until the final pages. I’m not a big fan of the standard mystery novel, but these books are fantastic and hard to put down.


Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster

Really any book by Jen Lancaster would make great summer reading; I love her wit and sarcasm and her sense of humor. However, Bitter is the New Black is the first of her series of memoirs; while I’ve enjoyed each book since, this one remains my favorite. Bitter is the story of how Jen and her boyfriend Fletcher, both with successful jobs and a seemingly perfect life, suddenly find themselves unemployed and unable to pay their electric bill. Lancaster shares how she and Fletch hit rock bottom, then pulled themselves back up again, with many humorous anecdotes along the way — including the decision to get married just so people would have to buy them gifts or give them money. Lancaster’s bluntness and humor may seem abrasive to some; I see her as the friend who says everything you’re thinking but wouldn’t dare speak out loud. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Lancaster in person and can tell you that “book Jen” is not a persona; she is just as witty and fun as she comes across in her books. If you’ve never read anything by Lancaster I recommend starting with Bitter. Then, the rest of her books can be read in any order you choose.


City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

If you’re a fan of young adult fantasy but are tired of sparkly vampires, you might enjoy the “Mortal Instruments” books by Cassandra Clare. City of Bones is the first of this series about a race of nephilim (part-angel warriors) known as Shadowhunters that fight demons, vampires, and other creatures. When I first read this book, I was anticipating your typical fantasy romance; girl meets guy, becomes involved in whatever supernatural world he’s a part of, girl and guy fall in love, girl is placed in mortal danger and must be rescued, both live happily ever after. This was not one of those stories, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. While some of the twists are easy to figure out before they happen, I still didn’t feel like anything in this book was as predictable as most YA books tend to be. I also believe Clare writes for a more intelligent audience, not simpering teenage girls who are looking for the next Edward Cullen. The final book of this series was released just a few weeks ago, but if you enjoy the world Clare has created, there is also a prequel trilogy to check out, plus she has plans for another series within the world of the Shadowhunters.