Tana French is best known for her Dublin Murder Squad series of books but here she has produced a standalone dark psychological family crime tale that certainly had me engrossed and captivated by its depth, complexity and profundity. Due to the book's length the author was able to explore in detail themes such as memory, familial attachments and how past actions affect the present. This is I would contend slightly more superior to the normal psychological crime fiction that is presently proliferating the market as the reader has to relay on a narrator that is not wholly reliable in terms of memory and is also undergoing a personal voyage of discovery.

The story is a first person narration by 28 year old Toby who at the beginning of the book is something of a chancer who has always managed to glide through life using his charm and personality. Nothing really bad has happened to Toby until one night returning to his Dublin apartment after a night out he is attacked by intruders and is left physically and mentally damaged which includes memory loss. Is this a random act of violence or something more calculated relating to Toby's previous actions in the art world?

The opportunity then arises for Toby to stay with his dying uncle at the Ivy House, the scene of happy childhood play and teenage parties that were shared with his two cousins. However not long after his arrival a skull and skeleton are discovered inside the old wych elm situated in the garden and once the identity of the remains are identified, the past comes back to haunt the present.

What I particularly liked about the book was how it felt that you were being taken on a journey not knowing where you were heading. There were so many twists and turns in the plot that it was quite impossible to decipher how it would all end up. The characters were well drawn and the writing conveyed a sense of place and atmosphere as well as increased paranoia as Toby tried to unlock his incomplete memory of the past and exactly who he was. This is one of those long slow burning books where you just have to sit back and let the author take over. For me this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

The best thing about reading a Tana French book is being transported to another place and the Wych Elm is no exception. I don’t know how she does it, but from the very first page she drew me in and held me captive.

Toby is a wealthy, happy go lucky chap who is living the highlife. One night he is attacked in his own home and from here on in Toby’s life spirals out of control and by the end of it he has become a completely different person.

The story moves to Ivy House, where Toby goes to look after his Uncle who has a brain tumour and where he and his cousins spent most of their idyllic childhood. One day a skull is found in the Wych Elm at Ivy House and each inhabitant becomes a suspect, not only to the detectives but also to each other.

This is what Tana French, does best, sets a scene so vivid that I, as a reader, could sense the atmosphere and actually see the drama unfolding in front of me - and believe me you are watching and not reading, such is the tone of the book).

The Wych Elm is a is a dark physiological thriller with chilling overtones that Tana French has honed to perfection.

Absolutely brilliant!

When a sudden and brutal attack leaves Toby damaged and traumatised, he struggles to recover and his happy go lucky character is changed forever. He goes to a family home to recover and to care for his terminally ill Uncle, while he is there he finds a skull in the truck of an old elm tree, following this discovery it become clear that his life and his past is not what he believed it to be.

This is my first Tana French book and I believe there are many, this started off really well, exciting from the beginning and kept a good pace throughout. I’ll definitely look out for more.

I have really liked the books I have previously read from Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series so I was excited to hear about this new stand-alone novel. As with all of French’s books, it is quite lengthy but I absolutely flew through it. I just love the way French writes. She brings an evocative atmosphere to her stories but they still feel completely grounded in reality and her dialogue always flows beautifully.

The Which Elm starts off introducing the reader to the character of Toby. He comes across as just a little arrogant but French still manages to keep him rather likeable. The real story starts after Toby suffers a horrific attack leaving him with severe injuries, both mental and physical. The scenes of the aftermath of the attack are some of the most effective I have read about trauma. They felt so brutally honest in the way Toby reacts to his situation. The book then moves on to Ivy House, a large home belonging to Toby’s uncle where he and his cousins spent a great deal of their youth. Toby moves into the house to help his unwell uncle and that is where the mystery begins.

What I love about Tana French books is that I very rarely have any idea where the story will end up and The Wych Elm was no different. I felt like the plot moved slowly enough for the reader to really appreciate the way Toby reconsiders his whole life but also throws in enough twists and shocking moments that the book feels urgent and unpredictable. A lot of The Wych Elm is about the subjective nature of memory. Two people can remember the exact same event in two completely different ways, and this is what forces Toby to reevaluate the relationships with his closest friends and family. I loved the way these relationships were portrayed and picked apart throughout the novel.

I would absolutely recommend The Which Elm and it would be a great introduction to Tana French’s work if you haven’t read her books before. The characters felt so real to me and I was completely immersed in their lives from beginning to end. Things did not end up quite the way I wanted or expected them to, but then real life rarely does and this didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this complex mystery.

This is the first time I have read this author and I was really looking forward to reading this book. What a disappointment, I tried so hard to get into this book. A Slow Burner that never got started. It was unconvincing and predictable. Not a book for me saying that I am sure that there will be readers who will rave about.

What makes this book enjoyable is that it reads like a mystery wrapped in a mystery that is then hidden in a secret place. The characters are both likeable and unlikeable and it is difficult to work out their loyalties to each other. There's some going forwards and backwards in time which is enjoyable.

I admit to approaching this book with trepidation after reading the reviews, plus, it's a BIG book. However, I really, really enjoyed reading about Toby and how the attack on him changes his life completely. It is clear that he is a privileged young man; he is educated, comes from a loving wealthy family, is good looking and has a great career ahead of him. The attack turns his life on its head and he is no longer the happy go lucky man he once was, nor is he an entirely reliable narrator as he has suffered a brain injury that nearly cost him his life.
When a skull is found at the family home Toby's life is thrown into further disarray and the book takes on a new urgency. Was Toby's attack somehow linked to the discovery? Is Toby guilty of murder? Can anyone really be trusted, particularly the cousins he was so close to as a child and teenager? The sense of paranoia is palpable and Tana French's writing talents really shine here as she depicts the tangled web of loyalty, blood, family bonds and the fine line between love and hate.
The ending though really threw me. I couldn't see the need for this particular plot development hence the 4 rather than 5 stars.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This was the first book I've read by Tara French , Its a great story , a little slow paced but 100 percent worth sticking with.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.
I was really looking forward to reading this publication, but now that I'm finished it, I've got to say I was a little disappointed in it. No disputing the fact that there is a good story in there and that Ms French can relate a yarn.
Certainly a decent plot BUT I honestly felt it was just a little bit drawn out, in my opinion without adding any great value to the story.

The Wych Elm is a story about Toby ,a guy who seems to have everything ,good looks ,good friends ,a beautiful girlfriend and money until one night his flat is broken into and he is viciously beaten up and only surgery saves him .Toby 's life is changed forever he is left in constant pain and severe mental issues .To aid his recovery Toby moves into the families ancestral home Ivy House with his Uncle Hugo who is terminally ill with brain cancer .All the family come over to see him and a human skull is found and the mystery begins .The story moves along at a painfully slow pace and in my opinion it was far too long .Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and Netgalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

The Wych Elm focuses on Toby, who after suffering a brutal attack, learns his uncle has terminal brain cancer, and goes to stay with him to take care of him. Whilst there, Toby and his family, become embroiled in one heck of a mystery, when a human skull is found in their 200-year-old Wych Elm tree.

I quite enjoyed this book, it delivered a story that had interesting characters and an appealing mystery. This was my first Tana French novel, and I had read great things about her books, so I was really excited to dive in.

The actual mystery-plot from the book's blurb didn't begin until around 30%. The book had been mildly interesting up until this point, but it did feel like it took too long to get to the start of the central storyline. There was a sluggishness throughout the book, as at times, the prose was rather long-winded. There was too much detail to irrelevant sub-plots, and an overly descriptive history to certain parts. But once the mystery and plot got going, I really liked it.

I loved the setting of this novel. The story primarily takes place in the Ivy House, which was atmospheric, as if the old, family house had stood the test of time, and like the Wych Elm, was witness to all the badness and growth that occurred.

I didn’t love or loathe any characters, but the type of story this is, I don’t think many (or any) were meant to be likeable; it was as if everyone was the bad guy. The majority of the characters were interesting to keep me engaged with the book, as there was sort of a family-drama feel to the story. The main character, Toby, who narrates the story, was a haunted character, dealing with demons, he may or may not have deserved. His cousins, Susanna and Leon, were also intriguing. I enjoyed the dynamic French established between the three cousins, one minute they were thick as thieves reminiscing about the past, and then the next minute it was like a Mexican standoff.

Additionally, I was impressed with how uncomfortable I was with the police detectives. At one point, I was horrified for Toby, not because I cared about him, but because of how effective French wrote her leading detectives; Rafferty and Kerr, who certainly were intimidating.

I found the climax of the novel to be really engaging, and the conclusion to the mystery was fully developed. I was quite satisfied with how the story was ending, but it suddenly went limp. I'm still sort of stumped with the ending. In one way, I see it ties into concluding the character development of Toby, but in another way, I think the story continued on beyond the point where it should have finished, where it could have ended on a dramatic cliff hanger which would leave the reader breathless, so to speak. Instead, the ending was kind of underwhelming, when it could have finished off with impact.

Overall, the Wych Elm had some problems, but it was, otherwise, an enjoyable read. I read the book within 3 days, and I have decided to rate this 4 stars, however, I would have preferred to go for 3.5 stars. I can’t forget how gruelling some parts of the story were, due to how longwinded, and at times, irrelevant some details were. Nonetheless, the characters in the story were the strongest element, as they were thoroughly developed and were interesting enough to keep me engaged. As well, the story was very intriguing and I was excited to get to the bottom of the mysteries, and see how each character’s story ended.
As already stated, this was my first Tana French novel, and I am now keen to read her other books, because I did like this one, and would recommend it.
Thank you kindly to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

Like 'In The Woods', the only other Tana French book I have read, I feel this book is at least one hundred pages too long and in need of a lot more editing. The pace in my opinion is far too slow. About 100 pages in, I was wondering what exactly is this about and where is it going, and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to invest the time to find out. There are a couple of ‘set pieces’ which I found stunning pieces of writing and it made the plodding through the novel to get there worthwhile.

Thanks to Netgalley for a pre-publication copy of this novel.

Toby Hennessy thinks he's a lucky man. He's grown up in a comfortable middle-class family: he's handsome, charming, et cetera: nothing bad has ever happened to him. At the outset of <i>The Wych Elm</i>, he's handling publicity for an art gallery. They're about to put on a new show featuring art by what might politely be termed 'disadvantaged youth': Toby discovers that Tiernan, his colleague, is 'improving' the art, and keeps quiet until the boss finds out. Toby's luck holds, of course, and it's Tiernan who loses his job.

But then something bad does happen: Toby surprises burglars in his flat, and ends up in hospital with a head injury and bad PTSD. He can't cope by himself ... but then his Uncle Hugo, who is terminally ill, invites him to stay at the Ivy House. The place brings back fond memories of long-ago summers for Toby, and he agrees. He even ends up helping Hugo with his genealogical work ('They’re afraid that they’re not who they always thought they were, and they want me to find them reassurance,' says Hugo when Toby asks him why people want to know about their ancestry).

And then Toby's nephew discovers something horrible in the garden, and Toby starts to wonder if he is actually who he always thought he was.

That's the first third of the book. The remainder charts the disintegration of Toby's sense of self. It's a stunning tour de force of PTSD, gaslighting, unforeseen consequences and morally dodgy police work. (Yes, there are detectives here, though not characters we've met in French's 'Dublin Murder Squad' novels). The final chapters, in particular, are a masterclass in tension and resolution: because everything is connected, and small actions that should mean nothing can matter immensely.

I found Toby's narrative, his struggle to make sense of everything, compulsively readable: I also very much liked his cousins Susannah and Leon. Susannah in particular is sharp as a knife in a linen drawer, and perhaps the most articulate individual in the novel: her speech about people who treat you as though you're not a person (something that Toby, of course, is only just starting to experience, with his slurred words and confusion) is very powerful.

For many readers (myself among them) this novel's title will evoke <a href=" in the Wych Elm</a>: I'd also, fairly recently, read a novel based on that case, Cathi Unsworth's <a href=" Old Black Magic</i></a>. Aside from the site of the remains, there are no similarities: but I wonder if French was making a deliberate reference. (She does talk about it a bit, in <a href=" spoilery interview</a>.)

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My honest review is: so good I may actually buy a copy as well as having the review copy!

What a disappointment. This is the first book by Tana French I have read and I was so looking forward to reading it. As I read the book, I realised that I was going to be disappointed. I tried to like the characters but failed. The story plodded along at such a slow pace I thought we would never get anywhere. I would have given up on the book before halfway but having received this book as an ARC I felt obliged to persevere to the end. I had hoped that there would be a dramatic improvement in the second half, an exciting plot twist of two, but it was not to be. The plot was unconvincing and often predictable.

Toby suffers a vicious attack at home one evening and his life changes forever. To recover, he goes to stay with his Uncle Hugo at the family home. This is where he spent most of his childhood with his two cousins.
One day, at a family lunch, a skull rolls out of a tree, the Wych Elm, and past memories are re-discovered and examined. The rest of the body is then discovered and identified.
As a result of his injuries, Toby is unsure of anything? Was he involved or did he do it? If not who did and why? and who is hiding secrets.
This is a well written book which will have you guessing till the very end. Brilliant.

A gripping book that twists and turns. It's a long read, but one that is worth persisting with. French traps you in the claustrophobia of a murder investigation in which nobody can quite be trusted, and nothing as quite as it seems. Tackling loyalty, memory and our sense of identity, this is an unsettling book that is well worth a read.

The Wych Elm is my first Tana French book, although I do have other books of hers on my TBR shelf. I liked Toby, the young, happy-go-lucky, almost cocky young man. Toby gets beaten to within an inch of his life when he disturbs burglars in his apartment. He is left with residual complications from the beating and decides to take himself to his uncle's house for recuperation and respite whereupon a mystery presents itself when a skeleton is found on the grounds of the property.

The pace of the book is incredibly slow and wordy. Every slightest detail is recorded and I must admit to skimming pages of verbose language. At well over 500 pages long, it could have been much more exciting, gripping and fast paced had it been shorter. I really struggled with this book and unfortunately did not finish it.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I'd read two books by Tana French before - the first of these blew me away, while the second (although beautifully written) had a plot I found unconvincing. - so I wasn't sure what to expect from this. Fans of her police procedurals should be aware that this is a very different type of story. I'd describe it as a psychological drama in that it takes you right inside a group of people and reveals the dark secret at its heart. The mystery takes a while to get established but once it starts to unfold it becomes more and more gripping. I think it would appeal to fans of Ian Banks's The Crow Road and Donna Tartt's The Secret History.

The story's told by Toby Hennessy, a privileged, good-looking, happy-go-lucky young man who's never really had to question himself until a violent break-in leaves him hospitalised and traumatised. While recovering he goes to stay at Ivy House to help his Uncle Hugo who's dying. A lot of Toby's childhood memories were formed at Ivy House with his cousins Leon and Susanna. 

The first third of the book introduces us to the characters who are vividly portrayed. There are some beautiful descriptions of the house, witty lines and thought-provoking observations:

"It's taken me this long to start thinking about what luck can be, how smoothly and deliciously deceptive, how relentlessly twisted and knotted in its own hidden places, and how lethal."

It becomes clear that Leon (who's gay) and Susanna (who as a teenager went from "untroublesome" reclusive to wild child and back) had a difficult time at school which doesn't match Toby's recollection of events - but then because of his head injury chunks of his memory are missing.

While playing in the garden Susanna's children discover a skeleton in the Wych Elm. A police investigation begins and the body is identified as a boy who the three of them were at school with. How did the body get there and how is it linked with the cousins?

From this point the tension picks up and I couldn't put the book down. The characters and their motivations were all believable and there's a clever twist at the end.
(Reviewed on amazon.co.uk as katyj and goodreads as Katharine Johnson)

This was my first Tans French and I was really intrigued by the blurb but sadly after persevering through to 37% I had to give up. Although it's well written and the characters convince I just kept waiting for something to happen....the pacing was just far too slow.

This is one of those books that once you start it you can’t put it down! Totally gripping and full of twists and turns. I loved it!