I'm a fan of Tana French and have generally enjoyed all the books of hers I've read so far. I did like The Witch Elm but not as much as I've liked her other work, unfortunately. I think the main sticking point for me was how unlikable the main character was. I have mixed feelings, because I think French knew exactly what she was doing and intentionally created a character so deep in his own privilege that he fell apart the moment he faced any actual adversity. I think she actually did this very skillfully, and her exploration of privilege was interesting and well handled. That said, I just found Toby so frustrating as a narrator, and was so annoyed by all his decisions, that it made the book somewhat less enjoyable for me. I also don't think the pacing was quite as well done as in some of her other work.

One other thing I could have done without were some of the slurs included. There weren't a lot, and I realize this was part of Toby's characterization, but they still bothered me and seemed unnecessary to include.

Overall, it's not a bad book, and others might not be as bothered as I was by various aspects. I think it's worth a read if you're a fan of Tana French, even if it's not her best.

As a Tana French groupie, I was thrilled to see she was writing a standalone outside of the Dublin Murder Squad (as much as I adore those). The Witch Elm had French's classic enigmatic and ethereal way of writing, plus a twisted murder mystery as she is wont to do. I can't say much about the actual plot, as the description does it justice already, but this is just another great masterpiece from Tana French, with the bonus of it being a standalone with a new cast of characters. Highly recommended.

Another winner from Tana French. The problem with her books is I can’t get any sleep as I stay up all night reading!

I like her other books, the Dublin murder squad very much. However, I couldn't get in to this book. I didn't like the main character very much. The beginning was very slow going too .

I really love Tana French, but this one was not my favorite. It took me awhile to get into and moved slower than I would have liked. I'm sad, but I know that I'll be looking out for her future books anyway. I'll support Tana no matter what because she's one of my favorite authors.

I thought the first 75% of this book was extremely compelling and French set up a beautiful mystery. The resolution dragged a bit. The audio was very well read.

Tana French has done it again! She is the best when it comes to crime fiction. This is her first standalone in years and it surely entertains! The characters are well-developed. The writing is strong and fast-paced. If you've never read a French novel, you'll be fine starting here, but do yourself a favor and start reading the most addictive author on the market now!

I so wanted to love this book. I have read all of Tana French's other novels and really enjoyed them. I was, therefore, looking forward to this new edition to her work. But I was sadly disappointed. The main character, Toby, was quite depressing and not all that likable as were most of the characters. The story was drawn out, rather tedious and slow. It seemed to be mostly dialogue going nowhere. For me, it was a hard book to finish with a rush to wrap up an ending. I will still check out her next novel and hope it is more on the line of her previous work.

I tried a few times to get into this book and just couldn't, which is a real shame because I really like the Dublin Murder Squad. This one just doesn't seem like one of her best.

What can I say, Tana French is the best in the biz, and anytime her work is published it is a revelation! Highly recommend this one as well. What a time to be alive when we can read such amazing fiction.

I've read every Tana French book since her first and, while this one was good, it wasn't her best by any stretch. I love when writers branch out from their series work, but I didn't think there was enough story here to warrant the nearly 500 page length. It really dragged on and on. That being said, she's an excellent writer and character builder, so it did hold my attention...it just took me far longer to complete than it should have.

I have heard great things about Tana French, but I wish I had started elsewhere. This was slow and hard to get into and gave me no desire to see it through to the end.

As a true crime fan with an interest in the legend of Bella in the Wych Elm, I anxiously awaited Tana French's lastest novel. I was not disappointed! I finished the book in a matter of days, reading in the car, on the train, while cooking dinner... The plot was truly character-driven, and as a reader, I found myself diving deep into the psychological workings of not only the narrator, Toby, but also his family, friends, and the detectives investigating the various crimes in the novel. While the story was certainly not a retelling of Bella in the Wych Elm, it was just as jarring and gripping, with a compelling ending and a variety of engaging characters. I will absolutely be purchasing a copy for my library and recommending The Witch Elm to friends!

Disappointing—French’s Dublin mysteries are favorites of mine, but this doesn’t hold a candle to her Dublin series. Toby’s an interesting character, dealing with physical, cognitive and emotional challenges after the break-in. But his upper crust sensibilities and self-centeredness wear thin, especially through the pages and pages where nothing happens. His cousins seem scurrilous and Uncle Hugo a tad odd—making me suspicious early on. There are flashes of drama and eventually a mystery, but readers must endure endless descriptions and thought processes before the climax and conclusion.

This book wasn't for me. Just not my personal taste for an enjoyable mystery and the plot didn't grab me.

Oooooh Tana French, I love you again! This was a bit different from French, as it's the first one without a strong police procedural element. Something about a bulk of the action taking place not in the Dublin streets but in the insular world of the family home almost reminded me of one of Kate Morton's books, interestingly enough. There was so much going on with the dual mysteries of the skull in the elm tree at the same time that Toby is recovering from an unsolved home invasion, but added to that is the incredible character development and examination that only French can do, not just of Toby but of his uncle and cousins as well. And Toby is one of those super rare characters in literature that I absolutely could not stand and yet still found him (and his experience) fascinating. Honestly, two months later (as I'm writing this review) I've already partially forgotten the ending, but the reading experience was just brilliant at the time. I know it's unlikely with all the books in the world and my slowing pace of reading, but I hope one day to come back to reread this book and a few others she has written (along with some other authors, of course!) and enjoy them all over again. Perhaps in my retirement!

I loved the characters and the way the story unfolded. I've never read a Tana French book, but I will for sure go back and visit her books now, Never a lull in the story, definitely kept my attention until the end. An awesome mystery with so much going on.

Love this book. Characters are believable. Plot started slow and now I can’t read it fast enough. Her characters are so developed. Main character has PTSD. Very realistic portrayal of PTSD. Plot definitely reads as real life.

This book started off extremely slow and I almost gave up. I wasnt quite sure where the tree in the title came into it. The author eventually connected the dots toward the middle and then the tale picked up. However the book took a super weird turn at the end. This wasn't one of my favorite French stories.

I've been a fan of Tana French for a while, and although I've found one or two of her premises to be a bit of a stretch of the imagination, I've really enjoyed her work. This book was a miss for me, though. I loved the first half, but the second half devolves into a series of false endings rife with misery. Although I don't require a happy ending, to have several depressing endings in quick succession feels like emotional manipulation.

The characters that are established in the first half and the relationships between them is truly the standout feature of this book. French's exploration of the narrator's personality traits and self-perceptions through various lenses throughout is interesting. The family relationships are captivating. The situation as it unfolds throughout the first half of the book (and maybe even the first 3/4) made me want to keep reading. But then...the misery piles on to an extent that broke my immersion. I get the sense that French wanted to explore the character's interiority in response to the latter part of the plot, but it didn't work for me.

5 stars for the first half, 1.5 for the second