I will read anything at all by Tana French, a fact that is confirmed with every new title she publishes. I was not sure how invested I would be in more of Cal's story (and Trey's, Lena's, etc, of course), but I was quickly carried away by French's characters, scene-setting, and writing, as usual. I only wish I had the next book ready and waiting!

DNF at 36%
THE HUNTER just wasn't working for me. It was very slow, so I kept putting it down and not wanting to pick it back up. It's set in the same world as THE SEARCHER, which was also pretty slow, but that one was livened up quite a bit by all of the old Irish dudes smack-talking each other nonstop -- this one was missing that humorous spark. I may end up finishing this at some point, but not now -- I always think of Tana French as an auto-read author and will still want to read whatever she writes next, but this one was not a great fit for me.

This was more of a slow burn than I expected from Tana French, but I still really enjoyed it. I would recommend it to those wanting a mystery with a lot of family drama.

What great interpersonal dynamics and dialogue. This is such an interesting read with wonderful descriptions as well.

It’s amazing how Tana French keeps me coming back when I know there’s going to be some level of irresolution. It’s like putting together a jigsaw knowing one piece is missing, yet hoping it will turn up somehow. You get to see the big picture, but not the whole thing.

Somehow this is my first Tana French novel?! This book surpassed my expectations & I'm looking forward to going back & checking out her earlier books.

Some reviewers have implied The Hunter could be read without having read The Searcher, and I would strongly advise to not do so. The impact of The Hunter is far greater after reading French’s previous in this series. Whereas the Dublin Murder Squad focuses more on the characters first, then the crime and the investigation, the Cal Hooper series is still character-driven with an emphasis on the setting versus the crime and investigation. I don’t think any Tana French fan reads her work exclusively for the crime but more for the character development she masterfully creates. French’s past life as an actor informs her work and character studies, it’s her greatest strength as a writer. Combined with bringing Ireland to crime/mystery fans worldwide, she truly continues to establish herself in a genre in which she already reigns supreme.

I have read all of Tana French’s books, her ability to create convincing perspectives for her characters and the taut psychology of the stories are what draw me in every time. The Hunter delivers. The general storyline feels almost quaint, an Englishman searching for gold in a mountain village, it could be a 70’s comedy film, but our knowledge of and investment in Cal and Trey and their village gives teeth to the situation. As the mystery unfolded it was my concern for the main characters that propelled me through the book at breakneck, staying up late, ignoring the world speed even more than the twist and turns of whodunnit.

“The Hunter,” by Tana French, Viking, 480 pages, March 5, 2024.

In “The Searcher,” Cal Hooper took early retirement from Chicago PD and moved to Ardnakelty, a small village in the West of Ireland. He built a relationship with a local woman, Lena Dunne, and he’s gradually turning Trey Reddy from a half-feral teenage girl into a good kid going places.

“The Hunter” is the sequel. Cal and Trey repair furniture for people and buy wrecked furniture to restore and sell at a Saturday market in Kilcarrow. The rural community is going through a heat wave and subsequent drought that is causing concern for farmers.

Then Trey’s father, Johnny Reddy, who has been gone for four years, reappears, bringing along an English millionaire, Cillian Rushborough, and a scheme to find gold buried at the base of the mountains. But is Johnny running a con?

Johnny and Rushborough cause trouble that almost no one could have foreseen. Cal and Lena are both ready to do whatever it takes to protect Trey, but Trey doesn’t want protecting. What she wants is revenge for her brother’s death.

Will the community band together against an outsider or turn on one of their own? What does one individual owe to the community that turned on that person?

The characters are really true and the setting is beautifully written. The plotting is complex and well-drawn, and there are twists and turns as the story develops with a surprise towards the end.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I just love Tana French and this book is no exception. Her mysteries are slow-moving, richly detailed, suffused with of a sense of place, character-driven and full of twists I never saw coming. A beautiful writer. Thanks to PRH for letting me read the advance readers copy on NetGalley.

Thank you to Net Galley and Viking Press for an early copy of The Hunter by Tana French

The long-awaited latest work from Tana French has arrived and Cal Hooper from her previous book The Searcher is once again the central focus as he attempts to help in solving an mystery in his small Irish town.

His relationships have grown, particularly with Trey and Lena, but the town in general has come to accept him. He continues to work on refurbishing old furniture pieces with the aid of Trey.

When Trey's father, Johnny Reddy, returns to Ardnakelty, he comes with a scheme to dig for gold in the surrounding mountains based on old legends. He has established a partnership with a man he met in London but is originally from the Ardnakelty area as well. It will not take long for the men of the town to become embroiled in the scheme and ultimately to seek vengeance.

There is a murder in the town, and author Tana French does not disappoint when creating the atmosphere of fear and subterfuge. When a guarda arrives from Dublin to investigate the crime, everyone in the town has something to say, not all of it truthful.

French has managed to hold the reader's attention to every detail as every character has his or her own motivation in seeing the crime solved.

I don't think Tana French is capable of writing a book worth less than five stars. Saying that, this one blew The Searcher out of the water for me. Her characters and their motivations are, as always, excellent.

As always Tana French writes another compelling, smart, can’t pit down mystery that kept me up all night! One of my favorite authors for sure! Don’t miss The Hunter!

Is revenge worth the price? This is a question Trey must come to grips with as her wayward father returns with a scheme to get rich quick at the expense of the small town residents. Trey seeks revenge for her brothers death, but who is to blame and then who killed her father’s partner in crime. Trey is very surprised when she learns who the killer is and why. She risks her life to protect what is important to her.

This second in this series by Tana French is just as powerful as the first. She writes so well and the story of a retired Chicago cop who moves to a small town in Ireland is beautifully done. There is a lot of silence here -- between people giving each other emotional space, between family members pondering the future, between neighbors stewing about the past.

We met Cal, the cop, in the first book where he begins mentoring teenage Trey whose family is a train wreck. Her grifter dad had split and her older brother had disappeared. Trey is a young woman of few words but she doesn't miss much. Cal and his girlfriend Lena represent the only stability and structure in Trey's life. When Trey's con man daddy Johnny reappears, it sets in motion a disastrous chain of events.

The beauty of this book is the wonderful characterizations, sparsely yet completely drawn. Cal is a good man but he has no illusions, particularly about Johnny, who is just like every loser Cal encountered in his long law enforcement career. Trey has become like another daughter to Cal and he will do most anything to protect her. But, Trey is prickly. She doesn't particularly want to be sheltered and is feistily independent. And she has agendas of her own.

This is a book to read slowly to appreciate the pace and the language. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was another great one by Tana French. The story continues of the retired American detective and the local teenage Irish girl who is effectively his carpentry apprentice who he has started to think of as his own kid when her dad blows into town to shake things up. The American continues to learn how the locals handle things their own way and how he has a choice to make regarding being a part of that or going against the grain.

Simply based on the intricate plot, this is a five star book. But the characters, the humor, the descriptions are more than supporting characters. I loved the dialogue amongst the town people and sympathized with them over the unrelenting heat of summer with no rain. Even the dogs become minor characters in this character driven mystery.

Thanks to Viking and NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

Set in rural Ireland, this novel describes what happens to a community that is seduced by the charm of a returning local man who promises riches for everyone. The daughter of this con artist, Trey, despises her father and most of the men in town, whom she believes are complicit in her brothers death, so she undertakes her own scheme.i felt that the intensity of her hatred could have been better explained. The dark side of a disfunctional family and community are offset by Trey's solid friendship with two adults who do actually support and protect her as much as they are able.

"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Searcher and "one of the greatest crime novelists writing today" (Vox), a spellbinding new novel set in the Irish countryside.

It's a blazing summer when two men arrive in a small village in the West of Ireland. One of them is coming home. Both of them are coming to get rich. One of them is coming to die.

Cal Hooper took early retirement from Chicago PD and moved to rural Ireland looking for peace. He's found it, more or less: he's built a relationship with a local woman, Lena, and he's gradually turning Trey Reddy from a half-feral teenager into a good kid going good places. But then Trey's long-absent father reappears, bringing along an English millionaire and a scheme to find gold in the townland, and suddenly everything the three of them have been building is under threat. Cal and Lena are both ready to do whatever it takes to protect Trey, but Trey doesn't want protecting. What she wants is revenge.

From the writer who is "in a class by herself," (The New York Times), a nuanced, atmospheric tale that explores what we'll do for our loved ones, what we'll do for revenge, and what we sacrifice when the two collide."

It's a good day where there's a new Tana French, which are too few and far between.

Much more a story about characters than a mystery, especially in the first half. And that’s all to its credit. This was a fantastic book - the sense of place, the rich detail of characters -none of whom were all one thing or another, and the well-plotted story all made this book well worth reading, even for people who don’t usually read mysteries. I would, however, recommend reading the first book in the series before this one.