In The Woods - Tana French
Tana French published In The Woods in 2007 as the first book in the Dublin Murder Squad series. It seems like it was her first published novel. I have found that writing is often strange in first novels, so having been introduced to her through The Searcher which she published in 2020, I wanted to see how she had begun. And this was quite a beginning.
French wrote the book in the first person voice of the narrator, who is a Dublin murder detective whose name varies between Rob Ryan and Adam Ryan. He tells the reader, “What I am telling you, before you begin my story, is this - two things: I crave truth. And I lie.”
There are two primary story lines: the first is of three young people playing in the summer sun who take off into the woods next to their housing development, as they have done many times before. Only this time two of them disappear, and the third one (who turns out to be Adam Ryan) is found clutching a tree with someone else’s blood in his shoes. The second story line is Rob (Adam) returning to the housing development to investigate the murder of a young girl who is found on top of an ancient sacrificial stone. A highway is about to be built through the ancient site and some people don’t want that to happen.
There are lots of threads of emotional entanglements and distress. Adam has changed his name to Rob in order to avoid curious questions about events from ten years earlier.
Tana French's writing is as rich as a death-by-chocolate cake. The psychological aspects of this book are disturbing, and the pace seemed slow as lead after lead came to a dead end. But by the time I finished the book, I understood it had to be written the way it was written in order to building the troubled natures of the characters. It clearly fits into the police mystery/psychological genres, and I will keep it on my reference shelf just for the way French handles the suspect interviews.
I will also keep it on my reference shelf for the most truly evil character I have ever met in a work of fiction. Another reviewer compared this book to Steinbeck's East of Eden, which had also occurred to me as I was reading it. I wonder if Tana French had to turn away from her character who seems a bit thinly developed compared to the others in the novel. To develop the evil would have meant getting inside and seeing the world through evil eyes.
Getting inside the head of a truly evil character is scary as hell.
This is not a quick read, but this is another five star novel from Tana French.
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The Beast in the Basement
When the outside temperature drops below 65°F, it’s about time to turn on the heat. Many smart thermostats will do that automatically. Most people pay little or no attention to the beast in the basement that keeping them comfortable. But with the price of energy rising rapidly, getting the furnace or boiler serviced is a splendid idea. It can:
- Reduce energy bills as much as 15% per month;
- Keep the system running longer;
- Bolster its efficiency;
- Make the house more comfortable;
- Ensure safety;
- May be needed to maintain the manufacturer’s warranty.
Systems that burn gas or oil don’t burn the fuel perfectly. The goal is to extract the optimum amount of energy with the least amount of waste. And there are a lot of parts in boilers and furnaces that wear out and need cleaning and adjusting after a year of operation. It’s a matter of saving money, improving comfort, and enhancing safety. Getting a regular tune-up for the car seems like a normal idea. It is logical to do the same thing for the boiler or furnace in the house.
I just had $815 worth of oil put in my tank this week. My oil fired steam boiler is running at about 83% efficiency. That means that about $140 worth will go up the chimney, or about $400 worth of waste over the course of the year.
Money is certainly important, but ensuring that the system is running safely tops my list. A good tune-up can verify that there are no gas leaks (for a gas furnace). When I was testing houses with gas fired heating systems, I found that almost 80% of them had small gas leaks. Combustion systems can also spill carbon monoxide and other nasty fumes into the air. Filters need to be changed. Blower motor belts may need to be adjusted. And preventative maintenance will limit future major repairs.
Heat pump systems are not immune to performance degradation. Filters still need to be cleaned or replaced. Condensate drains need to be cleared. Coils need to be cleaned. You don’t want to breathe moldy air.
So don’t ignore the beast in the basement. Be nice to it or it may become a dragon.
PS: Check out this guide from ENERGY STAR which includes a handy checklist.
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