In a Dark, Dark Wood - Ruth Ware

This Mystery Thrillers follows Leonora ''Nora'' that participates in a Hen Night in the woods of a ''Friend'' she hasn't spoken to in 10 Years. What can go wrong?

I read this with Book club, and I can just recommend it for everyone else. You’ll experience the story completely different.

Right from the bat it’s made clear by Nora that the invitation is extremely weird as her and the bride Clare haven’t been in Contact for 10 years. Even weirder is the fact that she didn’t receive a wedding invitation. The points of view kinda change every few chapters to Nora being in a hospital after an accident. Apparently, someone is dead.

The worries Nora has from the beginning are a shown so vividly and you can just feel how uncomfortable she is with the thought about going.

So, its imported to know that Nora and Clare used to go way back, like being in High School together back. Then somethings happened and they broke off contact. Mixed in this whole mess is James, Noras Ex Boyfriend. It’s hinted throughout this whole book that something big happened between them that scared Nora but makes her hold on to James in a quite unhealthy way. I mean being 26 and still holding on to your love at 16 is kind of weird.

Nora decides to go but just to ask Clare why she’s there. Nina a mutual friend back from School is invited as well.

We meet the other Characters quite quickly after the arrival in the woods. Tom, Melanie and Flo. Flo is Clares best friend and from the get-go extremely weird. She dresses like Clare and her overall demeanor is off putting. Nora wonders multiple times how Flo and Clare became friends as they seem too much unalike the other. 

Flo, off the bat was extremely unlikeable. I mean yeah, she wanted to make the Hen Night good for Clare, but her behavior was strange. Melanie leaves halfway trough the book which sets of Flo into a rampage and after two extremely awkward nights things really take off.

First of we learn that Clare’s fiancé is in fact James. Nora’s first love. So, this whole thing really was a set up from Clare so essentially torture Nora, who Clare intentionally misnames multiple times as Lee, her Highschool nickname.

Nora and Nina decide to leave early next morning. But during the night the hear some one downstairs. Flo out on a whim shoot with what is presumed to be a gun filled with blanks and kills the intruder.

It’s James.

Afterwards we learn that Nora was in fact pregnant from James, and they had a fight over it, being sixteen and all. She later gets a text, where James breaks up with her.

“Lee, I’m sorry but this is your problem, not mine. Deal with it. And don’t call me again. J.”

In the hospital Nora realizes. James never called her Lee. He had always called her Jo.

I don’t wanna spoiler anything, but the ending was extremely fun, a little bit predictable but fun.

This was Ruth Ware’s debut novel, and she can be absolutely proud of that. Like I said I read it with Book Club and had the most fun talking to everyone about what was going on each chapter.

Overall, this was 4/5 stars read.

Definitely recommend (: