In a Dark, Dark Wood

By Ruth Ware

*AUTHOR OF THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 and THE LYING GAME
*INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, AND LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER
*SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

An NPR Best Book of the Year * An Entertainment Weekly Summer Books Pick * A Buzzfeed “31 Books to Get Excited About this Summer” Pick * A Publishers Weekly “Top Ten Mysteries and Thrillers” Pick * A Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year * A BookReporter Summer Reading Pick * A New York Post “Best Novels to Read this Summer” Pick * A Shelf Awareness “Book Expo America 2015 Buzz Book” Pick

What should be a cozy and fun-filled weekend deep in the English countryside takes a sinister turn in Ruth Ware’s suspenseful, compulsive, and darkly twisted psychological thriller.

Sometimes the only thing to fear…is yourself.

When reclusive writer Leonora is invited to the English countryside for a weekend away, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. But as the first night falls, revelations unfold among friends old and new, an unnerving memory shatters Leonora’s reserve, and a haunting realization creeps in: the party is not alone in the woods.

BUY THE BOOK

Published Apr 19, 2016

352 pages

Average rating: 7.16

561 RATINGS

|

Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *In a Dark, Dark Wood* is a chilling psychological thriller with a slow-to-medium pace and classic British mystery feel. Many praise its e...

Mellific
Jul 09, 2026
10/10 stars
I have been working through Ruth Ware books and I cannot believe that this is her debut novel because of how amazing it is. I loved the mystery of this, as well as the writing. As usual, Ruth Ware is a quick yet satisfying read and has quenched my thirst for thrillers once again. I'll be going through all of her other books as soon as I can!
ValerieRuiz
Apr 06, 2026
8/10 stars
n a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware is a chilling psychological thriller about a bachelorette weekend gone wrong. Reclusive writer Leonora Shaw is invited to a hen party for a long-lost friend at a remote glass house in the woods. But when secrets resurface and tensions explode, Leonora wakes up in a hospital with no memory of what happened—and must uncover the truth before it’s too late. In a Dark, Dark Wood was my first Ruth Ware novel, recommended to me by a friend back in 2017—and I still haven’t forgotten it. From the opening pages, I was hooked. The atmosphere was perfectly eerie, the suspense kept building, and I found myself flying through the pages, desperate to piece together what happened in that secluded glass house. It was one of those books that left me thinking about it long after I’d finished, and it definitely sparked my love for psychological thrillers. If you're into twisty thrillers set in isolated places with unreliable narrators, this one’s a must.
Caitlin Drake
Mar 03, 2026
The club generally found the book to be formulaic and the premise to lack believability. The description, cover, and title reference made it seem like it was going to me more on the thriller/horror side. Ultimately, this would be a good pick for readers looking for a traditional, British-style mystery novel with a slow-medium pace.
Deborah Trahan
Oct 23, 2025
8/10 stars
I can't say I enjoyed The Woman in Cabin 10 as much as I enjoyed In a Dark, Dark Wood, Ware's debut novel. As per expectation, the plot twists and turns a few times as the reader is teased into the novel's resolution. A solid read, though, I find it most interesting that Ware says she's surprised that readers think the book is "scary" at times.
kylie_fitz
May 26, 2025
6/10 stars
All and all not too bad of a read. I might of liked it a bit more but was not a fan of the main character so it was difficult for me to care about her. Actually none of the characters particularly wowed me.

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.