In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

In a Dark, Dark Wood
by Ruth Ware
Narrator: Imogen Church
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication Date August 4th 2015
Source: Library
Genres: Thriller
Goodreads

What should be a cozy and fun-filled weekend deep in the English countryside takes a sinister turn in Ruth Ware’s suspenseful, compulsive, and darkly twisted psychological thriller.
Leonora, known to some as Lee and others as Nora, is a reclusive crime writer, unwilling to leave her “nest” of an apartment unless it is absolutely necessary. When a friend she hasn’t seen or spoken to in years unexpectedly invites Nora (Lee?) to a weekend away in an eerie glass house deep in the English countryside, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. Forty-eight hours later, she wakes up in a hospital bed injured but alive, with the knowledge that someone is dead. Wondering not “what happened?” but “what have I done?”, Nora (Lee?) tries to piece together the events of the past weekend. Working to uncover secrets, reveal motives, and find answers, Nora (Lee?) must revisit parts of herself that she would much rather leave buried where they belong: in the past.
In the tradition of Paula Hawkins's instant New York Times bestseller The Girl On the Train and S. J. Watson’s riveting national sensation Before I Go To Sleep, this gripping literary debut from UK novelist Ruth Ware will leave you on the edge of your seat through the very last page.

First Impressions

I bought into the buzz that surrounded In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware. The premise of murder at a bachelorette party seemed a little far-fetched, but as it had been a hyped thriller and since it is October I thought I would give it a try.

Impressions While Reading

Sadly, I was disappointed. My thoughts of the absurdity of a bachelorette murder were correct. It was lukewarm at best, with a predictability that became tedious. I had high hopes and the flip-flop between the party and “after” the crime held my interest somewhat but was not enough to hold its retention.

Unfortunately, the characters in A Dark, Dark Wood could have been plucked out of ABC Family’s The Secret Life of the American Teenager. They created their own drama and rehash it over and over. This does not even begin to cover the petty high schoolesque cliques which I frankly distanced myself from twelve years ago.

Impressions on Narration

I did enjoy Imogen Church’s narration. It was pleasant to listen to and the distinction between characters was well-played. I could see myself listening to more by her.

Final Impressions

I had been looking for a thriller to send chills up my spine and knew In a Dark, Dark Wood was a shot in the dark. Regrettably, Ruth Ware’s novel missed the mark and felt doomed from the start.