In the Woods Literary Elements

Crime Fiction

Ireland, twenty two years after the strange disappearance of two young children from the woods behind the housing development

The point of view is that of Rob, a detective, who was a child at the time of the disappearances, but who cannot remember anything that happened the night his friends were taken from the woods.

The tone is discouraging and stress-filled; it is also challenging. The mood is sometimes despondent and beaten when the case seems to be going nowhere, but improves as the investigation progresses.

Rob is the protagonist. His inability to remember what happened the night of his friends' disappearance is the antagonist

There is conflict between Rosalind and her sister Katy because Katy will not always do what Rosalind tells her to do. There is a great deal of jealousy and Rosalind, who is a psychopath, decides that the only thing to do is to find a way to kill Katy.

Rosalind confesses to orchestrating the murder of her sister.

Superintendent O'Kelly learns that Rob is "Adam" and moves him to a desk job, removing him from Murder Squad.

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The novel alludes to aspects of the Irish justice system including the fact that a confession by a minor is inadmissible.

The imagery is very dark and spooky, evocative of woods that appear in fairy tales. Even when the actin in the narrative is taking place during daylight hours, the author manages to convey a darkness to the woods that does not have anything to do with the sunlight, and everything to do with the things that have happened there.

The harder Rob tries to remember the events of the night his friends disappeared, the more he cannot remember anything.

There is a parallel between Katy's disappearance and that of his friends.

The dig is the phrase that is used to encompass all of the archaeology students who are digging there.

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