in a dark, dark wood

Ruth Ware's in a dark, dark wood is not scary as Witherspoon's endorsement implies or as the critics suggest on the backcover.

So, I was really let down by the misleading claims. In actuality, this story is a bit confusing. I could not relate to the characters, mainly because most of the novel is spent at a "hen" (what is that? British for bachelorette party) where Flo, the orchestrater, is acting very mighty possessive of the bride-to-be Clare, even dressing and looking like her. There's a gun, but it's never indicative of anything sinister. Another problem. And still another are the numerous terms that are not a part of American culture (biro, fascinator, crofter etc,.), making the narrative a bit distracting. What troubles me is that we don't understand Lee/Leo/Leonora's/Nora's relationship with James or Clare and why there is such tension, until the very end, which makes appreciating the underlying tension impossible. Flo's behavior is so terribly disturbing (think Single White Female) that I am dumbfounded when Nora and Nina (her friend) think it's 'cowardly' for them to want to leave the party. Huh? What's worse is that we never get an explanation for why Flo is mimicking Clare or why she's so possessive of her and downright rude to the other guests. There isn't any suspense until the end, and it's good, but it's also confusing. The culprit, the situation, well, both explanations are weak. Overall, a letdown.

http://tinyurl.com/zanxsgo