In a Dark, Dark Wood

Written by Ruth Ware

Narrated by Imogen Church

A weekend away deep in the English countryside takes a sinister turn in this suspenseful and compulsive debut psychological thriller.

Sometimes the only thing to fear...is yourself.

Leonora (Lee to some, Nora to others) is a reclusive writer, but when an old friend unexpectedly invites her to a weekend away in an eerie glass house, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. But a haunting realization creeps in to the party: they are not alone in the woods.

Forty-eight hours later, Nora wakes up in a hospital bed with the knowledge that someone is dead. Wondering not “what happened?” but “what have I done?” she tries to piece together the events of the past weekend. In order to uncover secrets and reveal motives, Nora must revisit parts of herself that she’d rather leave buried where they belong: in the past.

In the vein of The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl, this gripping thriller will have readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Release date: Sep 25, 2018
• ISBN: 9781982120320

Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware worked as a waitress, a bookseller, a teacher of English as a foreign language, and a press officer before settling down as a full-time writer. She now lives with her family in Sussex, on the south coast of England. She is the #1 New York Times and Globe and Mail (Toronto) bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood; The Woman in Cabin 10; The Lying Game; The Death of Mrs. Westaway; The Turn of the Key; One by One; The It Girl; and Zero Days. Visit her at RuthWare.com or follow her on Twitter @RuthWareWriter.

Reviews for In a Dark, Dark Wood

[Justine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've listened to multiple Ruth Ware books solely because I love the narrator. She knows how to make characters come alive and I've dedicated one star solely to Imogen Church's narration. Otherwise, I thought this was a very enjoyable (if run of the mill) mystery that was low on the thriller. I loved how catty the characters could be, and how batty others were. The location the story was mostly set in (a glass house in the forest) had so much potential for creepiness, but I felt that it wasn't utilized to it's full creepy potential. In my opinion, there were no annoying or unlikely twists, and everything unraveled in a way that I found satisfying but not groundbreaking or shocking, overall a solid 3 star story with 4 star narration.

[jbd1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A plenty-good-enough thriller that held my interest and made me want to figure out what was going on, which kept the pages turning at a pretty good clip. Certainly imperfect (the characters are rather one-note and the plot doesn't entirely satisfy) but for a quick read, just fine.

[Sarita Kolhatkar · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Very long winded and boring. Not as exciting as I hoped.

[Sarita Kolhatkar · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The beginning was good. Then it started to drag on and on. Very long winded and rambling and repetitive. I wouldn’t recommend.

[todd reeves · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book. A real who dunnit with amazing twists and turns. Couldn’t stop listening!

[pardamustang · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood follows Nora, who has been invited to a former friend's hen-do (bachelorette party to Americans). She doesn't want to go, but another friend, Nina, convinces Nora. Perhaps she should have listened to her instincts to stay away. Especially given that Clare is marrying a man who dumped Nora after she became pregnant in high school. The hen-do doesn't go as planned. Instead, death pays a visit and the guests are trapped in this remote location with a killer in their midst. But why? And will they kill again?I found this story okay. Not horrible, but nothing to write home about. Ware can be long on the prose, which I'm cool with. The characters, on the other hand. I couldn't really empathise with any of them. First off, if I don't like someone, wild horses couldn't drag me to spend time with them in a remote cabin. Hell no. And all of the characters, even Nora, felt superficial and shallow to me. While I've enjoyed other books by Ruth Ware, In a Dark, Dark Wood isn't one I'd recommend to those new to her writings. ****Purchased and read for my own enjoyment.

[lee.gabel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There are books that keep you turning pages. And then there are books that keep you turning pages AND constantly thinking about the reasons why, even after setting the book down. That's what you get with "In a Dark, Dark Wood." Unique characters, well-described settings, and a finely crafted narrative mystery that keeps the reader's attention. It would make an excellent film.

[hazysaffron · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What if a mean girl DIDN'T get want she wanted once...

A terrific thriller by a good storyteller.

Everyone has come across a woman or man like this. THE one who made you realize a psychopath had crossed your path leaving you dazed and confused by the wayside.

Also, the cult-like adoration of Flo makes you realize she is Claire's thrall. She owes Claire a life-debt. What is never brought to light but one wonders if perhaps Claire created the dangerous situation that made the impressionable (and slightly unhinged) Flo come into her service.

Perfect read for a dark stormy day.

[nyiper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have read all of Ruth Ware's books but somehow I missed this one, her debut book! Of course this would have put her right in my list of authors to follow but I'm glad I found it---now.

[kittycunningh-815148 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Just not finding this engaging and there are other books I do want to read.

[japaul22 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Totally fun murder mystery, despite the obvious solution and some hard-to-believe character stupidity. I'll happily read more by Ruth Ware when I'm in the mood for a compulsive page turner.

[thereserose5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although the book was supposed to have shocking reveals, most of it was pretty easy to figure out and the ending had a softer execution than I anticipated. The suspense of the book was great and kept me interested. The main character, however, was somewhat boring since her entire life seemed to revolve around a man she dated at age 16 that she couldn't get over.

[joweirqt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Despite disliking the narrator/main character, and also guessing the plot twists well in advance, this book really kept my attention.

The author set the scene beautifully, placing us in the main character's flat and in the forest cabin, really well. I too felt like going on a run with her.

And while I guessed at the main plot twist there was still enough mystery ahead to keep things interesting.

I'm looking forward to her latest book as this author has become one of my favourites already.

[ncdonnas · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The title, in my opinion, is very misleading. The story was nowhere near as creepy and dark as the title and blurb would suggest. However, the combination of story, characters, and exceptional audio narration kept my attention despite the very transparent plot and flimsy ending. Overall - it's worth reading but it's a stretch to consider this a "thriller" - it's basically a mild yet entertaining mystery.

[bookczuk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pandemic read. I like Ruth Ware's books. Decent, creepy, character driven mysteries.

[lorifox · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It was compelling enough to read in 3 days. I loved the reference to the children’s story, In a Dark, Dark Wood at the beginning of the book and the spooky looking cover. But...

It wasn’t scary. Not even a little bit. The characters weren’t relatable. In fact, they were kind of annoying, whiny and predictable. I figured out the plot twist too early, so the ending was a bit of a let down. And the ending didn’t make sense.

The writing wasn’t bad, but the plot and character development were lacking. As I said at the beginning, I really wanted to like this book more than I did.

[ashleytylerjohn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good enough that I'd wonder what happened next, but let down by a few factors. It seemed quite repetitive (the main character kept voicing the same opinions in her head—quite naturally, since she was in the same mood for most of the book—but reading "God, why did I come here?" or "Oh, if only I could remember!" over and over again makes not for riveting reading. The characters were approximately 26, but came across as mid-30s at least (could be in part due to the narration, I read this through Audible). The first half of the book took about three times as long as was necessary (an enormous amount of things happening that are of no consequence whatsoever, but Ms. Ware seems incapable of writing bridging passages like "after five more unbearable hours, I retired to bed," so we get several chapters of all that went on). The final resolution of the mysteries was unsatisfying (I don't think people behave like that, at least not as described), and so, meh.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!

[snakes6 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Predictable but a fun read

[tibobi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Short of It:Not too many twists and not much going on in the woods but I still found myself glued to its pages.The Rest of It:Nora receives an invitation to Clare’s hen party, which is essentially a bride’s last hurrah at being single but what Nora can’t understand is why? Why her? She hasn’t seen Clare in ten years and it wasn’t all that great between them when they were last together. But when Nora sees that Nina, a mutual friend was also invited, she reaches out to her and they make a pact to attend together.This was a quick, page-turner and yes, it’s a little predictable, but it was still enjoyable and Ware is good at stringing you along. Right from the beginning you know as a reader that this hen party is not a good idea. A small group, and some very strong personalities. Add to that a lot of drinking and foolishness and you just know it can’t end well.Overall, I was very entertained by these characters. Some of their actions seemed a little over-the-top and could have used a bit more explanation but I was happily immersed in the drama of it all. That’s what we all need now. Drama that we can easily pick up and put down and drama that is not our own!It’s being marketed as a thriller but I’d say it’s pretty mild in that department. It’s just a fun way to spend a lazy afternoon. If you’ve read Ware’s books before, I’d say this is one of the better ones.For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.

[bookbrig-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is not my genre, so I pretty much only finished this because it was a book club book. I disliked these characters SO MUCH. Well, except Nina, sort of. It didn't help that I just couldn't sympathize with the main character's state of mind at all, since I didn't have any sort of tragic break up via text as a teenager that I'm still not over.

I spent most of the book frustrated that Nora hadn't just left for home when everyone started getting on her last nerve (and mine). I eventually talked myself down all: there wouldn't be much of a story here if she went home, right? But then the resolution wasn't particularly satisfying to me either because I'd guessed the villain really early in the story and it's not very exciting to be proved right.

Anyway, these characters are awfully unpleasant people and I'm glad they aren't my friends.

[stephanie_m-868484 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not a bad book. But not particularly amazing one. It's laden with a sociopath no one recognizes, a couple plot-twists you see coming, a convo that should have been had ten years ago, a slip-of-the-lip that should have been realized ten years ago, and a premise that probably wouldn't have happened irl, because rarely would anyone go to a hen party for someone they haven't seen in ten years.
It's a fast read, it's fairly enjoyable, and it's not taxing on the brain. If you want something oddly charming, but suspense-light, then this novel is for you. I'm hoping that the author's next novel is quite a bit better.
3 stars.

[bbbbecky13 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I know that this book has some quite negative reviews, but that didn't deter me one bit. The fact is, I'm easy to entertain, and I'm terrible at solving mysteries. Maybe those two things contributed to me liking this book so much, I don't know. I just know that I read it in three days, and would have finished it sooner than that if I hadn't, you know, had a life to deal with.

I was fascinated with the setup - a group of (mostly) strangers, alone in a big glass house deep in the woods, completely secluded. Remember that movie 13 Ghosts? I loved it for a similar reason. Because WHO KNOWS what can happen in the middle of the woods in the dark of night? If a book features that setup, I'm in.

I also love the whole unreliable narrator thing, and I think that Nora having lost her memory was a great way to do that. Again, I am AWFUL at solving mysteries, but I honestly had no idea what was going happen at any point. Some people have mentioned that the book was very predictable, but it didn't seem that way to me.

[suline_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Read The Woman in Cabin 10 first, over a year ago. Then picked this up. Kept thinking the heroine was the same character in both books. The author needs to change it up a bit, unless it really was the same person, and I missed the connection.I guessed it long before I should have, and that may be due to the fact this is my favorite genre, and I read a lot of it, and there are only so many outcomes that can happen.All said, it was great as a rainy Sunday morning coffee read, and took only a few hours.

[sidwilliams · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A cleverly plotted relationship drama-cum-thriller with twists revolving around what we in the U.S. would know as a bachelorette weekend at a remote estate. The past is never dead, and its shadow looms over an effort to create a joyous send-off for a beautiful bride-to-be. The narrator's an author and old and estranged friend of the bride who's surprised to get an invite. The weekend's more about her than she realizes. I see a lot of negative reviews of this book interestingly. I found the buildup engaging, but this is a novel that simmers a while after a teaser opening. Yet a lot of details are being put in place as the weekend unfolds and old wounds are re-opened. Packaging of a twisty thriller may set unreasonable expectations. This isn't a slasher in the woods story, but it's ultimately rewarding and sharp-edged as it scrutinizes friendships as a two-edged sword.

[letora · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nora has a secret. Ten years ago it forced her to leave everything behind and start a new life. But the past catches up to her when she is invited to Clare Cavendish's hen party.

Clare was the best friend she abandoned. The last thing Nora expects to find is an invitation to her hen party. Nora knows she won't be able to leave the past buried if she goes, but anxious and riddled with guilt, she arrives at the hen with her childhood friend Nina.

Out in the woods, where cell reception is spotty and the nearest neighbor is miles away, Nora will discover that Clare's future husband is none other than her childhood sweetheart James. The boy she left behind. Forced to relive painful memories, the hen party will escalate into events that will make Nora wish she never tried to confront her past.

The opening of this book took me in. Nora is running through the woods, chasing after someone. She's scared, branches are tearing at her and she runs into the road, flinging her arms out to stop an oncoming car. Chapter one begins and she is covered in blood, being treated at the hospital with no memory of what happened, or how she ended up in the road.

The story switches between Nora recovering in the hospital, and her memories of the night. The intensity of the hospital scenes are what kept me reading, as Nora wrestles with a mix of emotions trying to figure out why the police are interested in her and the struggle she has trying to piece everything together.

The plot, unfortunately, was predictable due to the character's personalities. I knew who the antagonist was before anything happened, and there were too many cliché moments. The only landline phone stopped working and the characters pulled out an Ouija board, which put the group on edge with its messages.

I also didn't find Nora to be a very likeable character. I enjoyed Nina's quick wit and sharp tongue, more than Nora's demure nature. She let everyone poke fun at her and tear her down as if she were still in high school. Despite this, I didn't put the book down because I wanted and needed Nora to step up and be a better person. The Nora in the memories was radically different than the Nora lying in the hospital, and I wanted to see how that transformation happened. I wasn't displeased as I saw it unfold.

In a Dark, Dark Wood was a quick read and I would recommend it to people who want to read a light mystery. I would be willing to give Ruth Ware another try, as this was her debut novel. I'd like to see how her writing style evolves with a new novel.

[chibitika-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating mystery. Unbelievable that this is her debut novel. Extremely well written.

[pepperwings · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In a Dark Dark Wood follows the story of Leonora Shaw, who finds herself unwittingly in attendance at her school friend's Bachelorette party, although since the author is British, it's called a Hen Party. Lee, Leo, or Nora, goes through several names, and as a crime writer herself, you might think she's gathering material for her next book. She's mostly as confused as the reader throughout, this story keeps you guessing, and I recommend giving it a read.

[misstamaradawn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"I am running. I am running through moonlit woods, with branches ripping at my clothes, and my feet catching in the snow-bowed bracken."I've had this book in my TBR pile for the longest, so I couldn't wait to read it. From the moment I started reading, I was honestly hooked by its mystery in just a couple of pages. That's what drew me in. The guessing as every page I turned is what I liked the most while reading 'In a Dark, Dark Wood'. The characters were wild, to say. But they were all really likable in their own way. There was also one character, Flo, who drove me nuts. She was just so sensitive throughout the story. She wasn't my favorite. Leo, and the "deep" secret between her and her ex she couldn't tell anyone about, really disappointed me. I just didn't get why she just didn't say it. That's just my opinion.The plot was just a bachelorette party gone wrong. Jealous friends, obsessive friends, ex's and their feelings and a bunch of drunks all mixed together as one. What more could go wrong with a party in the woods? I think the setting could have been a bit creepier since they were at a cabin in the woods.I feel like Ruth Ware was repetitive in this story. It was an easy giveaway about what was going to happen a few chapters in. I do see why others would and wouldn't like this one. Although I didn't quietly hate this book, it wasn't my favorite. That's why I gave it 3 stars. It does give its thriller vibe to it, and it's being turned into a movie. So if you would like to read this before seeing the movie, then I suggest you do.

[jjnaaucoin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don’t think I have read a book by Ruth Ware before but I certainly am making my way through her works now. I was hesitant to read the Woman in Cabin 10 because I wasn’t sure I would like it but as all my reviews show I am a reader for a certain style of writing and I was always looking forward to the few minutes I have to read and getting back to this book. So happy I happened upon one of her books at the book store marked down...now I can get to reading them all. I won’t say it was a perfect thriller but I didn’t figure out the end half way through the book nor did I fee like I wanted to...I just enjoyed the book.

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.25 starsWhen Nora (Lee when she was growing up; both short for Leonora) is invited to the “hen party” (bachelorette party/stagette) of a friend from high school, a friend she hasn’t seen in 10 years, she wonders why she was invited. However, a mutual friend. Nina, decides to go, so Nora figures she’ll join them. This hen party is a weekend away in the woods in a glass house. Chapters alternate between what happened at the hen party and Nora currently in the hospital, with a police guard outside her hospital room door, while she tries to remember what happened. Imagine her surprise when she overhears the word “homicide”!I really liked this. It wasn’t go-go-go from the start, with the hen party and the set up there, but it was definitely enough to get me curious as to what was going on. Part-way through, especially with that glass house in the woods, it did get creepy in parts. Of course, it was easy to second-guess everything that went on, with Nora not really being able to remember what had happened. There was more history between Clair and Nora to delve into, as well.