36. In the Woods by Tana French

Twenty years ago, in a heavily wooded area of Knocknaree, Ireland, two children went missing while playing on a summer afternoon. The third child, Adam Ryan, was found at the base of a tree trunk, his sneakers filled with blood, but unable to talk or remember what happened to him or his friends. Adam, now known as Rob to escape media attention, is a police officer who has hidden his past to everyone except his police partner, Cassie Maddox. When a twelve year old girl, Katy Devlin, goes missing and is later found dead in those same woods, Ryan and Maddox get the biggest case of their careers.

This debut from Irish author French is part psychological drama, part mystery. The characters of Ryan and Maddox are expertly developed, and the flashbacks Ryan encounters lend a chilling subplot to the story. Readers will soon desperately want Ryan to remember what happens that day twenty years ago. The novel also explores the role of memory in our lives, family histories, and modern day Ireland. For readers who enjoyed Donna Tartt’s The Little Friend.