I read Faithful Place, by the same author, when it came out last year and was pleased. Decided to give some of her earlier work a try, and while Woods is nowhere near as good, I also realize that this is her first novel. The plot thus far is a bit predictable (I'm about 100 pages from the finish), but the looks I get from those around me when I find myself reading the dialogue aloud with my best Irish accent (which isn't very good) is worth the time alone.

I loved In The Woods, and have been meaning to read her more recent books. I became more attached to the protagonist than I have to any main character in any book in a long time, and the fact that you gave Faithful Place higher marks is very encouraging. Also, I love reading about Ireland. I stop short at trying to speak like the Irish, though.

I read Tana French's novel The Likeness a couple of years ago. I really enjoyed the first half of it, in terms of the writing and the situations she set up. The second half wasn't as good, but it's still worth reading. However, I wasn't enthusiastic enough to buy another of her novels.