10 Best Books Like In the Woods
If you loved In the Woods by Tana French, here are the most similar books our readers recommend.
Quick Answer
The best books like In the Woods are:
- 1Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn4.2
- 2Mystic River by Dennis Lehane4.1
- 3Into the Water by Paula Hawkins4.3
- 4The Breakdown by B.A. Paris4.2
- 5The Maidens: A Novel by Alex Michaelides4.1
- 6Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane5.0
- 7The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson4.6#2
- 8A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins0
- 9Big Sky by Atkinson Kate4.2
- 10The Perfect Son: Library Edition by Freida McFadden0

Detective Rob Ryan keeps a dark secret from his past: twenty years ago, he was the sole survivor when two of his childhood friends vanished in the Dublin woods, leaving him traumatized and unable to remember what happened. When a young girl is murdered in those same woods, Ryan and his partner must investigate a case that eerily mirrors his own tragic history. As the investigation unfolds, Ryan is forced to confront the buried memories of that terrifying night and uncover the truth about both mysteries.
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Detailed Recommendations

The Girl Who Played with Fire
Millennium #2 (works standalone)by Stieg Larsson
Why you'll love it:
This thriller shares a dark and relentless tone that will resonate with In the Woods fans.
Quick Comparison: Books Like In the Woods
| Book | Author | Rating | Year | Pages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharp Objects | Gillian Flynn | 4.2 | 2018 | 393 | Closest match |
| Mystic River | Dennis Lehane | 4.1 | 2016 | 592 | Similar vibes |
| Into the Water | Paula Hawkins | 4.3 | 2017 | 386 | Similar vibes |
| The Breakdown | B.A. Paris | 4.2 | 2018 | 352 | Similar vibes |
| The Maidens: A Novel | Alex Michaelides | 4.1 | 2021 | 335 | Similar vibes |
| Shutter Island | Dennis Lehane | 5.0 | 2010 | — | Similar vibes |
| The Girl Who Played with Fire | Stieg Larsson | 4.6 | 2009 | 832 | Similar vibes |
| A Slow Fire Burning | Paula Hawkins | 0 | — | — | Similar vibes |
| Big Sky | Atkinson Kate | 4.2 | 2019 | 352 | Similar vibes |
| The Perfect Son: Library Edition | Freida McFadden | 0 | 2022 | — | Similar vibes |
Authors Who Write Like Tana French
If you enjoy Tana French's writing style, explore these similar authors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What books are most similar to In the Woods?
The most similar books to In the Woods are Sharp Objects, Mystic River, Into the Water.
What should I read after In the Woods?
After finishing In the Woods, readers most commonly pick up Sharp Objects next. Alternatively, you might enjoy more books by Tana French, such as The Likeness.
Who writes books like Tana French?
Authors similar to Tana French include Gillian Flynn, Kate Atkinson.
What genre is In the Woods?
In the Woods is a Thriller novel by Tana French, published in 2019. It features elements of Mystery.
How long is In the Woods?
In the Woods is 560 pages long.
About In the Woods
The bestselling debut, with over a million copies sold, that launched Tana French, author of the forthcoming novel The Searcher and “the most important crime novelist to emerge in the past 10 years” (The Washington Post).“Required reading for anyone who appreciates tough, unflinching intelligence and ingenious plotting.” -The New York TimesNow airing as a Starz series.As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox-his partner and closest friend-find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.Richly atmospheric and stunning in its complexity, In the Woods is utterly convincing and surprising to the end.









