In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

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💍 In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware: A Bachelorette Weekend You'll Regret Attending

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½ - 3.5 out of 5 stars

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Perfect For: Anyone who's ever had a toxic ex-friend they still occasionally Google (no judgment)

"Some friends are forever. Some friends you bury in the woods."

Let me start by saying: this book pulled me in like a group text I knew would end in drama. Yes, it dragged a little in the middle, but In a Dark, Dark Wood kept me turning pages faster than you can say Clare is THE WORST. Maybe I liked this one a little more than I should have... because I, too, once had a Clare. (Let’s just say she’s probably still out there somewhere convincing people she’s the victim.)

🚨 Spoiler Alert! If you want to go in blind, turn back now. I’m about to spill all the tea.

🕯️ The Premise

Nora Shaw, our main character, is a loner crime writer who gets an out-of-nowhere invite to the bachelorette weekend of her ex-bestie Clare. It’s been ten years since they spoke. Ten. Naturally, Nora is like, “Uh, what?” But after some nudging from her snarky but loyal friend Nina, and a whole lot of guilt from party host Flo (who is basically Clare’s emotionally unstable #1 fan), she decides to go.

Big mistake. Huge.

🥂 Welcome to the Creepiest Hen Party Ever

The party is held in a glass house in the middle of a freezing forest in Northumberland (which gave me a weird jolt, because I used to live on a street with the same name). Flo has this whole horror-movie energy, planning everything to perfection while emotionally unraveling every five seconds. Clare is radiant, manipulative, and shockingly unbothered about springing some... news.

And here it is: Clare is marrying James — aka the love of Nora’s teenage life. The same James who cut her off at 16 via an ice-cold text when she told him she was pregnant. But wait, it gets juicier...

💔 The James Drama

Turns out, James never sent that text.

It was Clare. She impersonated him all those years ago to cut Nora out of his life — for reasons that can only be summed up as obsessive and terrifying. Clare confesses this to James right before the bachelorette weekend, thinking he'll find it sweet.

Spoiler: he doesn’t.

James demands a proper apology to Nora and insists she be invited to the party. But Clare has a better idea: why not just kill him instead? (As one does.)

🔫 One Gun, One Dead Groom

James shows up at the bachelorette party. Flo, thinking he's a burglar, shoots him with what she thinks are blanks. Clare, of course, swapped in the real ammo. Because what’s a party without a little murder and manipulation?

Nora wakes up in the hospital with no memory of what happened. But slowly, pieces start falling into place, including the realization that Clare had set her up. Even the texts to lure James were sent from Nora’s phone. Clare’s plan was to frame Nora for the murder and ride off into the happily-ever-after sunset alone.

🧠 The Big Clue

Nora finally cracks the case thanks to a tiny but telling detail: in a text she received from "James" years ago, he called her “Lee.” But James always called her “Leo.” Only Clare ever called her Lee. BOOM.

Meanwhile, Flo, racked with guilt, takes her own life. Clare, in a last-ditch effort to silence Nora forever, tries to drug her — but the police arrive just in time to stop her.

🧁 Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever had a manipulative friend who could lie through their teeth with tears in their eyes and say, “I was only trying to help,” this book will hit differently.

Yes, it dragged in places (the flashbacks were a little repetitive), but the payoff was delicious. Ruth Ware really knows how to build a claustrophobic atmosphere. Plus, there's a glass house, a murder weapon, and one very unhinged maid of honor. What more do you need?

✨ Grab Your Copy of In a Dark, Dark Wood

Buy on Amazon
(Affiliate link. No extra cost to you, just a little love for my coffee fund! ☕)

💬 Let’s Chat:

Did you see Clare’s plan coming? Have YOU ever been betrayed by a friend like this? (Tell me everything, I’ll bring snacks.)

📚 If You Liked This, You’ll Also Love:

  • Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris – (another masterclass in “you never know what happens behind perfect-looking lives”)

  • The Guest List by Lucy Foley – drama, murder, and a wedding setting? Yes please.

  • The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine – manipulation meets revenge — chef’s kiss.


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