In the Woods

ISBN-13: 9780340924761
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: November 2007
592 pp



First sentence: Picture a summer stolen whole from some coming-of-age film set in small-town 1950s.

In 1984 in a small suburb in Dublin, three twelve-year-old children wandered into the woods and only one managed to walk out alive. The boy has no memory, nor any clue to the disappearance of his other two friends, except his blood-stained sneakers when he was found gripping a tree trunk, terrified. The two children could not be found.

Twenty years later, that boy is now known as Detective Rob Ryan and working in Dublin Murder Squad. No one knows about his secret past except his partner and best friend, Cassie Maddox. When they are summoned to investigate a murder case of a twelve-year-old girl, Katy Devlin, who was found at the local archeological dig, it eerily reminds Ryan about the unsolved case of his two childhood friends, Peter Savage and Germaine Rowan.

To add complexity to the case, there is something about the Devlin's family that arouse the two detectives' suspicions, and then there is the Move the Motorway Campaign which Katy's father, Jonathan is an outspoken member against the project. Ryan knows his career will be over if his superior finds out about his identity, but he is very determined to solve the case, and most of all he is hoping to find some answers to the case which happened twenty years ago.

In the Woods is a highly addictive read as I was drawn into Tana French well-woven debut story involving Detective Ryan's childhood and the taut pacing murder case of Katy Devlin. The chemistry between Ryan and Maddox is another interesting read; as both of them have their dark past and issues to deal with. There is also a psychological element in this story, which had led me to ponder about each characters' minds and their behaviours.

This book is also the winner of the 2007 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. I cannot wait to read The Likeness, where in this next sequel, Detective Cassie Maddox will take the lead of another intriguing case.


Other review:
Bookgirl's Nightstand
Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?

Meet Delaney

ISBN-13: 9781934246634
Publisher: Peppertree Press
Published: June 2007
160pp
(Reviewer Copy)

First sentence: It seems like I've been single...forever.


Delaney Moore is thirty-six year old and a successful advertising executive. Suddenly, life is no longer a bed of roses for her when she finds herself suddenly dumped by Ryan, her husband of eight and a half years because he thinks their goals are way too different while she blamed it on their young and naïvety when they first got married. Anyway, the failed marriage torn her apart but she is very determined to get her life back and thus, she set out on a mission to find companionship again.

She met Amanda, Lindsay and Jen along the way and they became good friends. Like Delaney, the other three women are single too and Delaney no longer feels like she is alone as they share their stories and give moral support and advice to one another. Delaney is also grateful to have Abagail, a cocker spaniel to keep her company during all these times despite she is only a pet.

The novel goes on to describe Delaney's dating tales, starting with a rebound relationship to meeting boy toys, meeting someone at the pubs and from an online dating site to vacation flings, and having a one-night stand with a stranger for the experience because she had never done it in her life et cetera, until she meets Donald "Soup" Soupart, a loan officer when she purchases her new house. Their relationship is mutual and very businesslike initially, but Delaney thinks he is the one and thus, she is very cautious about maintaining their relationship. Soup likes her too, and they went on several dates and became lovers. Two years later, Soup decided that they needed a break. Though heartbroken, she felt she has grown after having experiencing a series of dating throughout the years and it is through these that she has found herself and decided that being single is not something she feel a need to run from anymore. Most importantly, she learnt that love comes in many different packages.

I liked the following passages of the last chapter:

The destination in life is not about "not being single"; it's about being happy - regardless of your relationship status.

Life is always moving forward and always changing. That's why through it all you have to find happiness in simply being alive and experiencing all of these adventures. In the end, the greatest love of your life is really yourself.

Jackie Mahaney wrote about a single woman life's personal relationships with honesty, integrity and humor in Meet Delaney. An inspiring author, Ms. Mahaney is also a dating and relationship journalist and is widely known for her dating and relationship articles, published on various internet sites.