“I know him by heart.”
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware is an engaging psychological thriller that will capture readers from page one to page last. In this novel, the setting involves a disastrous hen party at an isolated glass house in the forest, a betrayal of lies and secrets with deathly outcomes.
The novel traces the adventures of Nora Shaw, a crime fiction novelist of dubious history, as she takes up an impromptu invitation to Clare’s hen weekend (weekend bachelorette trip) for her old friend Clare. Clare and Nora have not spoken for decades, but Nora joins the impromptu invitation, and she embarks on a weekend in the woods with a collection of virtual strangers. But what starts as a rollicking reunion becomes hell when the rest of the weekend doesn’t go so well.
Nora lies in a hospital bed, bruised and dazed, remembering nothing. Trying to reconstruct the weekend, she finds that somebody was murdered and that she might have committed it. The evidence is buried in her repressed memories, and the more she tries to find them, the more lethal they become.
With suspense, unreliable narration, and a creepy atmosphere, In a Dark, Dark Wood is a suspenseful page-turner that will have readers guessing until the very end.
In a Dark, Dark Wood Book Summary
Dark, Dark Wood, by Ruth Ware is a twisted psychological thriller that interlaces the darkness of atmosphere and unpleasant flaws in the main character, and vicious plotting to make me keep glancing over my shoulder. It follows the story of Leonora aka”Nora”Shaw, a reclusive writer who, upon receiving a mysterious invitation for the bachelorette party to see her estranged childhood friend, Clare. Reluctantly agreeing to just go along, Nora soon finds herself locked in a far-off glass house in the woods with several other strangers besides tormented memories of what has occurred.
As secrets begin to unravel and tensions rise in the air, things take a very dark turn towards murder. Locked away in the woods with no easy explanation for what’s happened, Nora navigates her own unclear world, blurring memories and reality in search of an explanation of events. However, the more Nora digs towards answers, the less she can differentiate between truth and trustability.
It is a darkly chilling story of betrayal, remorse, and the extreme steps others go to to protect their own secrets while trapped in this claustrophobic atmosphere and twisty suspense.
In a Dark, Dark Wood Book Review
“Prepare to be scared… really scared!” Reese Witherspoon’s review warns.
Ruth Ware’s In a Dark, Dark Wood is the kind of book that you can be glued onto starting from page one and refuses to put down without finishing. Here I am stranded within the threatening ambiance of every move, piecing the puzzle in the last phase leading up to the gigantic reveal. While reading the book it felt like the tension keeps building at a steady, continuous pace, making it impossible to put the book down until all the secrets are revealed. One of the most remarkable strengths of this book is the setting. The glass house in the woods seems to have its own personality: beautiful yet cold, modern yet vulnerable, and utterly isolated.
It creates a perfect backdrop for the unfolding drama, amplifying the sense of dread as the story unfolds. Descriptions are so vivid that you can almost hear the creaking of branches and feel the chill in the air.
The characters, particularly Nora, are well-written. Nora’s unreliability of her point of view is engrossing; this adds a mystery to the narrative. Her mental battle along with the broken recollections kept me guessing whether she was an innocent party or had a hand in it all. There are plenty of interpersonal conflicts, especially the more subtle tension between Nora and Clare, but the interpersonal drama is as thrilling as the mystery.
The only problem was that some parts were way too predictable. There were plenty of twists and turns, but I knew a couple of the reveals before they happened. But that didn’t take away from the overall experience because the journey was as exciting as the destination.
It’s a Dark, Dark Wood, which is a masterclass in atmosphere and suspense. It does not reinvent the thriller genre but does create a chilling, page-turning experience to be beloved by fans of psychological thrillers. The narration moves briskly; it is sharp writing, with real characters and all their flaws. If you enjoy mysteries with a touch of menace and a dash of psychological complexity, then this book has got to be at the top of your list.
I will give In a Dark, Dark Wood 4 out of 5, in my honest opinion. If you are seeking the perfect page-turner to sleep over with and feel that moment when you wish to feel terrified and excited in equal proportions, then here is the one for you.
In a Dark, Dark Wood Book Characters
Leonora (“Nora”) Shaw: The protagonist and narrator of the novel. She is a shut-away writer, carrying on unresolved issues from her past, and sometimes confusing what is reality and not.
Clare Cavendish: Nora’s childhood friend and bride. Clare is a charismatic manipulative friend who keeps people under her control on the web.
Flo: An overbearing obsessive best friend to Clare and the organizer of the hen do, her explosive personality adds to the tension mix.
Nina: Sharp-tongued Nora’s friend, no-nonsense; some laughs relief, while she can at the same time be very strong in defense.
James: Clare’s fiancé ex-boyfriend Nora; added other complexity to this plot because he had experience with Nora
About Ruth Ware
Some best-seller writers write interesting psychological thrills and it is so atmospherically built in the description. The works of this author always revolve around themes that are of the very essence, such as trust, memory, and secret motives. Another good work of the same author is titled The Woman in Cabin 10 and The Turn of the Key. This bestselling author can also be located in Sussex, England, where more fiction-wielding narration would bring suspense within a novel down to the final page.
What’s In a Dark, Dark Wood About?
In short, In a Dark, Dark Wood is the story of how one faces ghosts in the woods and out of it, be they literal or metaphorical. It is a tale of soured friendships, buried secrets, and the destructive after-effect of betrayal. Being a murder mystery, it is also the story of survival and discovery about the self: the process through which Nora unravels her emotions and memories to seek truth.
Author: Ruth Ware
Date Published: July 30, 2015
Pages: 352 pages, Paperback
Goodreads Rating: 3.7/5
In a Dark, Dark Wood Ending
In In a Dark, Dark Wood, the mystery closes well but unexpectedly.
It does this without revealing too much at the climax, exposing who the killer is and why on earth they would do such a thing. It’s chillingly sad, leaving much for readers to take home and ponder further. Although it’s a little subdued compared with the build-up, it serves the tone of the story just right and gives a feeling of closure.
I’m John Stauffer, a Harvard professor and book lover. Here at John Stauffer Books, I share my thoughts on the books I read through honest reviews and recommendations. I cover everything from well-known classics to lesser-known works that deserve more attention.
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