My favorite part of French's writing is how descriptive her writing is especially concerning the setting of the stories. The descriptions of the countryside set the tone very well. I miss the Dublin Murder Squad action, but this is a deep dive of a whole different sort.

It was a delight to chat with Tana French about the themes of masculinity in this book for Feminist Book Club: The Podcast (episode forthcoming on 11/5/2020). French is especially skilled at writing lush landscapes with a sense of foreboding. At the center of THE SEARCHER is a small rural town that becomes a character all its own. We meet all kinds of townies, none of whom you can really trust. At the center of it all is Cal, who is just a regular guy wanting to do right in this world. He's likeable but flawed, stoic but familiar.

I loved this new novel by Tana French. It was different than her Dublin Murder mysteries. It had a slow burn feel to it. I loved the characters, especially Cal and Trey. French's insight into the Irish is awesome, and makes me want to return to the Irish countryside again after being there a few years ago. Another great novel to recommend to my customers.

For those who are unaware of Tana French, she has a great police procedural series–each book can be read as a standalone novel–following detectives on the Dublin Murder Squad. She also has a standalone suspense murder mystery, The Witch Elm, and now The Searcher, a second standalone, which is a slow burn, possible missing persons mystery.

If you like procedurals, character driven stories, and want a faster pace, you want her Dublin Murder Squad books. If you want to sink deep into a life and have a murder mystery filled with suspense, you want The Witch Elm. If you want to be plunged into a life in a tiny town that is a slow burn possible missing person case, you want The Searcher. I love all her books and feel like a main theme is they should have a trigger warning for men. And by that I mean, if you think about the male leads, they are presented as “nice guys” but they’re kind of terrible.

Case in point: in The Searcher we meet Cal Hooper, a retired American detective, who is divorced and a father to an adult woman. He has a not-great relationship with his ex and his daughter, and he retired pretty young from the police force. He wants to have a better relationship with his wife and is certainly trying to have a good relationship with his daughter, so naturally he moves alone to a remote village in rural Ireland to work on those things while they are in the U.S. You see what I mean? And why did he retire early you wonder? Because he was coming to understand the Black Lives Matter movement and it was too difficult for him to wade through all of it to make any kind of decision, so retiring early seemed the best plan. You see!

Welcome to the life we’re plunged into. And by that I mean this was one of the few books this year that truly transported me out of the hellscape we are in and took me somewhere else. Cal may have moved away from all his problems but as he will soon discover, life is hard no matter where you go, and you’re going to have to make tough decisions, buddy! His comes in the form of a young teen named Trey who he keeps catching lurking around his property as he tries to fix the cottage. Trey is like a stray that will not leave and will not give up and forces Cal to do something about his inability to make hard decisions because Trey is convinced their brother did not pack up and leave, and Cal, being a detective and all, has to be able to help.

Problem is, small towns aren’t real big on outsiders to start with let alone ones that show up and start poking their nose into a mystery they claim isn’t a mystery… If you like slow unraveling mysteries, character studies, excellent writing, and want to live in rural Ireland while getting to know the locals (and all their gossip and secrets) this one is for you. I find myself once again longing for the next Tana French–always my feeling as I turn the last page of one of her crime books. (TW brief mention suicide, detail/ domestic violence discussed, not graphic or on page/ animal deaths, cruelty, hunting/ mentions fake rape rumor, no detail/ child abuse off page, results detailed)

Great stand alone story from the author of the Dublin Murder Squad series. Brooding, damaged former Chicago cop Cal Hooper moves to Ireland to escape his broken marriage and get far away from the stress of his former career. The quiet verdant village surrounded by miles of sheep farms seems like the idyllic salve for Cal. But things are not as they seem....and soon Cal finds himself embroiled in mysteries and violence that make him question everything and everyone around him.

More like 3 1/2 stars. Not my fave Tana French but still really well written. The plot wasn’t as mesmerizing as her plots usually are.

Thank you to NetGalley, Viking, & Penguin Group for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

When people ask me for mystery recommendations, my go to author has been and always will be Tana French. (It's not necessary for them to know she's the only mystery author I read, because it's irrelevant - I'd still recommend Tana!)

As much as I loved the Dublin Murder Squad series, I'm thoroughly enjoying Tana French's foray into standalone mystery novels. I found both The Witch Elm and The Searcher compulsively readable, and honestly think she's just getting better with every book.

This one feels different than her previous novels - for one, it's not written in first person; for two, the pacing is almost glacial compared to prior books. The pacing won't work for everyone, but it sets the entire scene so well I personally couldn't help but be absolutely entranced by it - Tana French set out to write an Irish Western and dangit, she went and did it. The plot could be described as meandering to the boiling point, but my goodness, when it gets there you feel the intensity of the water bubbling over on every page.

The relationships and interactions were a standout portion of this book for me. Cal was such a great protagonist in The Searcher - he was an antihero for sure, but I had no contrition in rooting for him. Trey, the kid that Cal begrudgingly befriends, was just as much of a mess. The two of them together? It worked. All the history binding the townspeople together - while also pulling them apart at the seams - was gritty, and thick, and almost tangible in its complexity. (OH, and, um, THAT TWIST THOUGH.) (The aftermath of said twist was handled exceptionally well.)

There was also a lot of talk about right vs wrong, about morals, about ethics, and about being a good person. I loved the nuanced look at these topics, and especially from the viewpoint of an ex-cop that left his 25yr police career due to his own misgivings about himself and those around him. When does the end justify the means? Is getting the bad guy the only way to bring justice or peace to those around you? What does your community and your family need from those tasked to protect us?

If you can't tell, I have feelings. Lots of 'em. This one would make such a great book club book - and if it's your introduction to Tana French I highly recommend reading her backlist as well!!

Very different from her other books and the first not set in Dublin. Instead it is set in a small Irish Village, a village of farmers, fishermen and people who have lived there for quite some time. Cal, our narrator, is a Chicago cop who has left that vocation. He is a divorced father of a grown daughter, whom he misses dearly. He has come to Ireland, this village, to find peace and a place where he can be pretty much left alone. He bought an old, dilapidated, long abandoned house which he is repairing, fixing some furniture left by previous owners. It is while engaged with this work that he meets Trey, a young teenager who will eventually ask him to find a missing, older brother.

Although there is a missing boy, this is not really a mystery, or not only a mystery. It is very slowly paced, a measured sloshed that allows the reader the opportunity to totally know the characters and their environment. To notice the details, the setting, and the feelings that live within. The slowness also serves as a way to ratchet up the tension, the insidiousness that grows as more in uncovered, discovered. There is violence, but not more than is necessary to serve the storyline.

Ultimately it is a story if a unique, multi generational friendship and of people that want to live their lives they way they always have, without interference. Also a book that highlights poverty and what the lack of opportunities will compel people to do, desperation. I enjoyed it, but be warned it is more a quieter, immersive read, not what I would call a thriller. This author though, sure can write and exceedingly well at that.

ARC from Netgalley.

What a lovely read. Perfect for the fall - with the misty cold starting to seep into our bones, we can empathize with Cal's lonely and quiet existence in the Irish countryside. After losing his wife, growing distant from his daughter, and becoming disillusioned with the police force, Cal finds a piece of land in the middle of nowhere in Ireland, and has been slowly working on rehabilitating the dilapidated farmhouse. He is friendly with the small community but not particularly close to anyone - until one night he feels someone watching him. Small towns have their secrets, but Cal isn't used to letting things lie. This is a great read with believable, likable characters and a moral dilemma that will keep you thinking after the ending. A faster read and much more of a traditional mystery than French's last novel, The Witch Elm, which I also enjoyed.

The Searcher by Tana French is a slow moving mystery that takes place in a remote Irish village in western Ireland. The main character Hal Cooper has relocated to this part of Ireland seeking to make a complete lifestyle change. Hal is a retired Chicago detective and recently divorced. He is a novelty in this small town, where local families have lived for generations. Repairing the dilapidated cottage, fishing and drinking at the local pub, Hal is trying to assimilate with his new neighbors. However, Trey Reddy, a 12 year child seeks Hal’s help trying to locate his brother Brendan who has disappeared. There are many secrets that Hal must uncover to locate Brendan. Why do the town people have a disdain for the Reddy family? Will Hal locate Brendan and will the outcome satisfy everyone involved?

Tana French takes us to the west Irish countryside and away from Dublin. Our intrepid hero is a recently retired chicago policeman who is trying to reset his life among the insular community. He soon meets a troubled teenager with a problem they think he can solve. As usual her characters are complicated and interesting. The setting provides suitably beautiful and ominous. While not cheery this is not quite as dark as some of her books which I welcomed in these dark times.Overall a very good book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Science, facts, hope and the resilience of children. As the World Burns is the story of Juliana v. United States and the 21 young people who challenge the government to preserve their future. I found this inspiring and it makes me hopeful for our future.

**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

Though what I really want is a new book in the Dublin Murder Squad series, The Searcher was a much more satisfying read than The Witch Elm.

Retired Chicago cop, Cal Hooper, has settled into a run-down house in a tiny village in West Ireland. His marriage has broken up, his daughter is distant, and police work had become unsatisfying and morally queasy.

As he slowly renovates his house, he is joined by a young teenager, Trey, who, it turns out, wants Cal to use his detective skills to find out what happened to Trey’s brother Brendan, who has disappeared. As Cal talks to locals, secure in his belief that his casual questions will cover up his true line of investigation, it becomes clear that what he felt was an acceptance by the villagers is superficial at best.

The author does an exceptional job of capturing the soft and harsh beauty of the landscape in the changing seasons and it becomes an integral part of the novel. Her portrayal of the people in this hardscrabble village is deft and skilled and she shows how this tight-knit community comes to hold deeply rooted secrets. At the center, Cal and Trey make an odd and quirkily endearing couple.

In true Tana French style, “the real mystery to which Cal would love an answer is how, while doing everything right as far as he can tell, he somehow manages to fuck everything up.” The answer is always in the characters and what they can and can’t see, and it’s no different here. While not such a Shakespearean tragic character as Scorcher Kennedy in Broken Harbor, Cal still has the blindspots that lead him into trouble.

The looming tragedy foreshadowed early on when Cal muses that “he can’t see a way that this might turn out well” makes this a tough read but a highly recommended one.

Thanks to Viking and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for the eARC of this exceptionally engrossing Tana French standalone.
Cal Hooper is an American cop who took early retirement. He has left behind a daughter and an ex-wife in the US for what is essentially a home renovation project in the rural west of Ireland. Before long, he befriends 13-year old Trey, from one of the town’s poorest and most outcast families. Trey wants Cal to help find his older brother, Brendan, and Cal can’t resist picking up what is basically his old job, except without the state sanction or resources.
So, yes, there is a sense of mystery here, even if ultimately I wasn’t surprised by the ensuing events. What is surprising - more for a “mystery” than necessarily for a “Tana French novel” - , and supremely satisfying is the writing and characterization that French brings to the story. The focus on characterization means that the actual story takes some time to get moving, but regardless, it’s fine just spending time with Cal as he gets to know the town and its people.
I don’t think I’ve detailed it all that well, but suffice it to say, this is a terrific novel - forget the mystery part - just enjoy.

I've read every Tana French novel to date, yet I was NERVOUS to pick this one up because the critical reviews ... are not good. And then nothing happened for the first 125 pages. I did enjoy it well enough in the end, but it's certainly different in feel than her Dublin Murder Squad books. French calls her new novel "her version of a Western," and for the first time, her protagonist is an American—a retired Chicago cop who quit the force when he began to doubt his own moral code, and wanted to move far away to start over in a small Irish village. This is also the first time she's written in the third person, and as a writer, I enjoyed noting how that affects the telling. If you're looking for a gripping novel that won't let you go, this isn't it. But for careful prose from a seasoned writer, and an especially interesting 13-year-old character, this may be worth picking up.

The Searcher, like other titles from Tana French, starts off slow. Think it took me a week to read half the book and a weekend to finish. The slow start pays off as the reader really gets to know the characters and the town. The development of Cal's character really allows the reader to feel how conflicted he is. When Mart tells Cal that Trey is a girl and when Alyssa tells Cal that Trey needs consistency are two points in the book that reveal Cal's struggles.

Cal is a recently divorced and recently retired Chicago PD detective who relocates to a remote village in Ireland after buying a fixer upper cottage online, sight unseen. He thinks someone is spying on him (I was worried that this might be a delusion and that it would veer into very stressful Broken Harbour territory), but it turns out to be a local kid who wants Cal to investigate his brother’s disappearance. Cal decides to do it, against his better judgment, and gets wrapped up in small town dynamics that he doesn’t see or understand. A tense, lonely-feeling book, with a solid mystery and great characterization. A good option for late fall or early winter reading.

I love Tana French's characters and think she can depict the true nature of male, female, and child characters as well as any writer. In The Seatcher, aretired Chicago cop and a needy Irish child join together to learn about a crime, but also for both of them to grow as people. With plenty of action and a truly captivating view of everyday Irish life, The Trespassers will be loved by many.

This is another outstanding mystery from the talented French. It’s set in Ireland, but not part of the Dublin Murder Squad series. The main character is an American transplant. He was a Chicago police detective and when his personal life took a downturn, he moved to Ireland for a fresh start. Cal Hooper thinks he will live a quiet, isolated life but he’s drawn into a missing person case by a local youth. The relationship between Cal and young Trey is complex and fascinating. Cal tries to learn what happened to Trey’s brother as the two develop a connection while working on the fixer upper that Cal is trying to make livable. The restoration of a decrepit desk and other jobs like painting, are a subtle construct that French uses to build a relationship between the recalcitrant Trey and the quiet older man.

The small town that seemed idyllic in its simplicity, especially compared to Chicago, has its own secrets and violence. Cal finds himself enmeshed in a case that has become bigger and more complicated than he could have imagined.

What French does with her mysteries is build characters that are rich and complex. The suspenseful situation is built around the Irish setting and the characters. The small-town locals are a rough, hardy group and Trey is especially memorable. Cal gets roped in by the kid’s desperation and uses his investigative skills to learn what happed to the missing brother.

This stand-alone mystery will add to French’s popularity. It is another strong, suspenseful tale that is rich in its humanity.

Old habits die hard. Especially if you’re a middle-aged ex-cop from Chicago who’s specialized in missing persons and a missing person’s case comes knocking at your door.

In Tana French’s gripping new novel, The Searcher (Viking), all Cal Hooper wants is peace and quiet. He’s purchased a ramshackle cottage in Arknakelty, a village outside of Dublin, and has left his emotional baggage back home in the U.S. His ex-wife wants nothing to do with him, and he suspects that his grown daughter doesn’t either. He certainly desires to forget about an arrest that went awry, which challenged his dedication to urban policing.

Read my full review at Booktrib.com.