In a Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware: a review

Being free of that last book truly is a blessing. It wouldn’t take much for me to feel truly blessed by a book, but this one was sent from on high. I’ve had this book on my shelf for a little while and never got around to reading it. It came up on my recommended on Audible and I thought, might as well go for it. There must have been a reason that I bought the book in the first place.

            Ruth Ware’s In a Dark Dark Wood follows Nora as she goes to the hen weekend of a friend that she hasn’t seen in 10 years. The house where the hen party is secluded in the middle of the woods, and it isn’t the wedding party that anybody hoped for. Slowly, Nora’s past with the hen, Claire, and her fiancé, James is revealed throughout the book.

            This review is going to be kept short, because I never want to talk too in depth about crime books. Almost everything is a spoiler, so I have to keep it rather vague, and the reveals in a book like this are integral to its enjoyment. Also, the last review was pretty hefty, and the book I’m currently reading is shaping up to give me another review of that kind of scale.

            I think one of my favourite things about this book is the way it handles time. While talking about the hen weekend, we’re told the story in past-tense, though in one chapter we hear Nora talk about being in hospital, and does so in present tense. At first, I thought it was a dream, as that’s how it came across but the revelation of why Nora is in the hospital is done brilliantly. The back and forth between past and present built tension throughout, and is one of the biggest reasons that this book kept me so hooked.

            Character development isn’t something I can go too in-depth about because it goes hand-in-hand with the spoiler side of the plot development. However, the way that the characters are built in this book is superb. Ruth Ware is an expert in bringing characters to life. Nora’s schooltime with Claire gave me a real pang in my chest. I really felt for Nora. She wasn’t aware of the ways she was being manipulated until she was much older. I was hardly the popular kid at school, and this kind of manipulation from people who were popular was commonplace. I can see a lot of myself in Nora, not just here. Whenever she talks about her career as a writer, and her need for routine despite being in a job with no routine really hit home. Though, I can’t say running is likely to be a part of my own routine– not with my joints.

            This book took me on an absolute trip in the best way possible. I know that’s the point of a good book, but my last read didn’t exactly deliver. Every twist and turn had me hooked. I should also say that Imogen Church’s narration of the book was fantastic. She brought every character to life, and each one felt truly individual. At no point was I unsure who was talking. The pairing of Ware’s words and Church’s narration was close to perfection. If you love a good crime thriller, then pick this up. I completely recommend that you get yourself a copy of this, whether it’s physical or audio.