In the Woods is Tana French’s award winning first novel. This murder mystery launched the now six-book Dublin Murder Squad series. It’s even found it’s way to television as a BBC One series. And yes, it’s that good.

The story focuses on Rob Ryan, a detective whose past is inextricably tied to the case he finds himself working on. The mix of psychological tension and overlapping mystery drives this story. The complicated relationship between Ryan and coworker Cassie Maddox keeps everything unsettled.

French’s first novel doesn’t read like a first novel. Her command of observation and nuance is exceptional. Consider this gem:

Maybe she, like me, would have loved the tiny details and the inconveniences even more dearly than the wonders, because they are the things that prove you belong. (110)

French notices the tiny details as much as the wonders—immersing readers in the search for the killer of a girl in the suburbs of Dublin.

French, Tana. In the Woods. Penguin Books, 2008.