REVIEW: IN A DARK, DARK WOOD, BY RUTH WARE

 

 

 

Leonora (Nora/Lee) Shaw writes crime thrillers, and she loves the reclusive world she has created in her tiny flat in Hackney. But there are reasons for her isolation. Ten years before, she and her lover James Cooper broke up after something between them became too much to handle…and his mysterious text, totally unexpected, made the hurt impossible to overcome.

Now Nora is struggling with another e-mail, from a woman named Flo, inviting her to a “hen-do” for Clare Cavendish, another friend whom she hasn’t seen for ten years. Clare is getting married, and Nora is surprised at the invitation, but when her closest friend Nina agrees to come along, Nora accepts.

Here’s where In a Dark, Dark Wood becomes even more dark and sinister. Flo’s aunt’s cabin, The Glass House, is on the edge of a dark wood, and all the glass facing those woods creates a truly frightening ambience. What makes the weekend even more sinister is the sense that both Flo and Clare are playing some weird games…some of which are very painful for Nora. When she finds out who Clare is marrying, she wants to leave immediately. But events unfold in a tragic way, making that impossible.

What were Flo and Clare up to? Were they as innocent as they pretend to be? What horrendous event will turn the creepy weekend into tragedy, and how will Nora find the answers that seem to elude her? How do mysterious text messages lend another layer of mystery to the tale? What was the secret between James and Nora that started the events in the present?

My pages flew by, as I tried to figure out what was happening. I accurately guessed who had engineered the sinister and tragic events, but I liked watching Nora try to figure it all out. I also loved the descriptions in the beginning and at the end which show how much “home” means to Nora…and how she will fight to get back to that wonderful feeling. 4.5 stars.

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