in a dark, dark wood

Last night I finished British novelist Ruth Ware's first book, In a Dark, Dark Wood, published in 2015. She's written two novels since then, the latest published this year, and all three of her books hit the bestseller lists.

Her work had been discussed on several book forums I frequent, and although I wasn't familiar with her, I decided to check her out. I'm certainly glad I did and now have her second book on order at our local library.

In a Dark, Dark Wood is part mystery, part thriller, and is very tightly written for a first novel. The plot is somewhat complex, and the author manages to keep all the balls in their air without dropping any.

For almost all of the book, you're not sure if you're dealing with an unreliable narrator, which makes it all the more of a page turner. I love stories with unreliable narrators as well as those where you're uncertain if you're dealing with one or not.

I found only one sort-of plot hole the author didn't miss but didn't quite plug effectively, either. It actually had a easier fix that I believe the writer set up and did not really use, but she obviously didn't think of that or didn't want to go there.

The book is not long, so if you like tightly paced, edgy thrillers from a woman's perspective coupled with an intriguing mystery that's not quite like anything you've seen before, you might enjoy In a Dark, Dark Wood. It's a very fun and enjoyable read.