In the Woods

Detective Rob Ryan carries a devastating secret from his childhood that he's managed to bury for two decades while building his career with the Dublin Murder Squad. When a young girl's body is discovered in the same wooded area where Ryan experienced his own childhood trauma, the boundaries between past and present begin to blur dangerously. Partnered with Detective Cassie Maddox, Ryan must navigate the investigation while confronting fragments of suppressed memories that may hold the key to solving both cases. Set against the atmospheric backdrop of suburban Dublin, French crafts a psychological mystery that explores how the past refuses to stay buried.

Steven Crossley delivers a masterful narration that captures the haunting, literary quality of French's prose while maintaining the tension essential to the mystery genre. His nuanced performance brings depth to the complex relationship between Ryan and Maddox, shifting seamlessly between the procedural elements and the more introspective psychological exploration. Crossley's pacing allows listeners to fully absorb French's rich atmospheric details and layered storytelling, making the twenty-hour runtime feel engaging rather than daunting. The audio format particularly enhances the novel's dreamlike quality and unreliable narrator elements.