There is a dark undercurrent of cruelty and menace running through the book.  The story is well told, in beautiful, descriptive prose. 
 
I enjoyed the book, although I found it slow to start and I was disappointed to some extent in the ending. It cast an ugly light on some apparently harmless characters.

Retired detective Cal Hooper moves to a remote village in rural Ireland. His plans are to fix up the dilapidated cottage he's bought, to walk the mountains, to put his old police instincts to bed forever.

Then a local boy appeals to him for help. His brother is missing, and no one in the village, least of all the police, seems to care. And once again, Cal feels that restless itch.

Something is wrong in this community, and he must find out what, even if it brings trouble to his door. 

The Searcher is the latest book by Tana French set in a remote Irish village. The book is not fast paced but it was riveting nonetheless. and a very enjoyable read 

#TheSearcher #NetGalley

When Cal left America and his job in the police force to enjoy retirement in an small Irish village, he was glad to have left the hassle and the problems of his profession behind, but then unexpectedly trouble finds him again - in form of a little kid who desperately needs clarification on the whereabouts of their missing brother and strangely enough Cal seems to be the only one willing to look into it...

"The Searcher" is a standalone and is quite the opposite from Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad books (which I love!). Where the books from the series are fast-paced, thrilling and often brutal, French really takes her time with The Searcher. It's not until almost three quarters into the book that actually something happens and the plot really moves forward but never was I bored for a minute before that. 
French paints the village and its complicated dynamics, its unwritten laws and rules that nobody tells you but you're expected to follow anyway, the land that turns harsh and haunting as autumn sets and especially the characters so vividly and with such love for detail. 
I flew through the book, getting to know Trey and the other villagers, trying to look behind their masks and untangling the web of their relations at Cal's side and I loved every second of it. Tana French just knows what she is doing!

Thanks to Penguin General UK and NetGalley for the eBook!

An engaging book which drew me in slowly into the story and entangled me in the threads so I wanted to read on. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Liked the two main characters whose developing friendship plays a large part in this story. There were also some other interesting chat but a very muddled,mixed up storyline.

Cal Hooper is a recently retired Chicago cop who, divorced and desperate to start a new life in his late forties, has bought a run-down cottage in rural Ireland.  He wants nothing more than to spend time renovating the property, and live a simple life involving long walks, rabbit stew and occasional trips to the pub.  His friendly neighbour Mart has £20 on him to stay a full year, unlike most of the other 'blow-ins' who've arrived and departed the area over the years.

Trouble soon comes calling in the form of reticent 13-year-old Trey, who eventually asks for Cal's help in finding out what happened to Brendan, an older brother who suddenly disappeared a few months back.  Cal soon finds that Chicago PD investigation techniques don't work in a village where everyone knows everyone else's business, and everything he says or does gets circulated along with the other gossip.

Although the plot is quite simple, the book comes alive due to the characters, the way they talk, and the beautiful landscape.  The characters are carefully and intricately drawn and the landscape is a character in its own right.  So much so that you can almost feel the wind on your face and smell the rain coming.  The main thing that impressed me though was the depiction of spoken language. Cal clearly has lots of Americanisms in his speech, but everyone else has a strong Irish accent which is incredibly well portrayed and reflects the gentle Irish sense of humour so skilfully.  As Cal thinks, "one of the reasons he picked Ireland was so he wouldn't have to learn a new language, but sometimes he feels like the joke is on him."

I'd highly recommend The Searcher if you're after an endearing read with a central mystery, and are willing to give it the time it deserves. Not one to be hurried.

A retired US police officer moves to a dilapidated college in rural Ireland for a more peaceful life. His tranquility doesn't last long before a local kid seeks him out to solve the disappearance of an older brother. 

'The Searcher' is an atmospheric, character-driven, slower paced mystery. 

This was my first Tana French book, and although I usually prefer fast paced reads, I will return to French's work again shortly. 

Thank you, #NetGalley and Viking for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this rather unusual book from Tana French.  I have been gripped by her detective series and her last book, The Wych Elm, but this one was totally different, though written in her trademark engaging style with an emphasis in interesting and believable characters.  I liked the subtle blend of Irish setting with the American tone and expression, allowing both to create a sympathetic and rounded picture of an ex-cop's early retirement to an unfamiliar countryside.  A fascinating and absorbing story and a real surprise to expectations.

This is a beautifully written and engaging book that I was sad to leave behind when I finished it. It is set in a rural part of Ireland and the descriptions of the landscapes, the weather and the wildlife are great to read for someone living in a busy, capital city.

The book tells the story of a retired US cop who moves to a small Irish village to try and get a chance of pace and to escape the pressures and dangers of big city life. At first it seems he has succeeded in 'getting away from it all' and the reader can enjoy his new sense of freedom along with him.

But it turns out that similar dangers to those he left behind exist everywhere.

Cal, the former cop, is a great character. We find out gradually about the breakdown of his marriage and, along with him, start to figure out the reasons for its ending. French paints a picture of a man who has somehow lost his way and isn't sure how it happened. 

Cal regularly reminisces about being with his daughter when she was young, and it's clear that he misses her now that they have less of a connection.

Cal sets about doing up his dilapidated new home, but is distracted from his soothing, relatively stress-free work when a young kid called Trey starts visiting him and pulls him into investigating the mystery of a missing brother.

Both these characters are very well written and there's a great twist in the character of Trey. French is also excellent at conjuring up a feeling of what it's like to be a newcomer in a small town. There are several eerie points where Cal can't be sure whether he trusts his new friends and acquaintances. 

His investigation ends up bringing him up against many of the townsfolk for one reason or another. The book is great at creating a creepy, unsettling atmosphere and making the reader identify with Cal's uncertainty about who he can trust.

The story doesn't drag at all, and there are enough side plots and minor characters to hold the reader's interest. French gets across horribly how people can be pushed into carrying out brutal acts because they believe it's the least bad option. The dilemmas that people find themselves in help to create characters that aren't black and white.

It's a great read with a relatively simple plot that nonetheless creates all kinds of complications for so many people along the way. I would highly recommend it.

I have been a fan of Tana French since I first read ‘Into the Woods’ and so was thrilled that she had written another.  Although this isn’t part of the Dublin Murder Squad series, it just highlights the brilliance of Tana French’s writing.
There is a lyrical, dream-like quality to the writing.  The setting becomes a character itself as we discover the town of Ardnakelty and the strangeness of the mountains , which are sinister in a fairy tale way.  
I absolutely loved this book – the rooks calling, the bitch and her puppies, the minute detail of the desk repairs.  Such beautify writing, I shed a tear in places at the despair experienced by the teenager who asks for Cal’s help.
An absolute triumph.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General UK for a review copy.

4-5 stars 

Cal Hooper, ex Chicago PD, relocated to the rural west of Ireland after retirement and the break up of his marriage. He’s fixing up a wreck of a house he bought for a song, now he knows why it was so cheap! He is befriended by his neighbour Mart Larvin who makes this outsider welcome. He feels he is being watched which transpires to be Trey Reddy, a teenager who eventually asks him to find missing brother Brendan. 

I think this book proves you don’t have to throw everything but the kitchen sink into a plot for it to be good. If you want to read an all action thriller then this isn’t for you but if you want a beautifully written, fascinating slow burner that encapsulates rural Ireland and depicts its lovely people then it is. The pace matches the rural surroundings where the pace of life is slower. I really enjoyed being immersed in the storytelling with its rich characters, great craic and building moments of suspense and tension while Cal catches on to what is going on. I love the images of the rooks laughing at him as he tries to make sense of a different world and not disrupt it too much. It’s very funny in places and I laughed out loud at some of Mart’s thoughts! He is a fantastic character as are all his mates in the bar. 

This is Tana French’s take on a western and I can see the many analogies clearly in the narrative. For example, Cal is a settler in a new land, he’s almost building his home almost from scratch, there’s a bar/saloon, poteen for moonshine and some of the villagers are like cowboys looking for trouble and certainly finding it!! However, there are definitely 21st Century issues afoot here. There’s acceptance of the truth even though it may not be conventional- maybe another western analogy? I like the way it finishes symbolically with a sense of renewal, with rifts and damage repaired which is very clever. 

Overall this is an almost lyrical read, it’s captivating and an atmospheric depiction of rural Ireland which took me right back there. Some of the descriptions are superb and the characterisation is excellent. 

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for a much appreciated ARC for an honest review

Tana French's latest slow burn of a standalone novel is rather different fare from her usual, set in a fictional West Ireland small town, Ardnakelty, a place where the reality bears little resemblance to the idyllic rural community where nothing much happens. American Cal Hooper is a burned out and disillusioned man, retiring from Chicago PD after seeing too many of the problematic issues that readers will be familiar with, given the contemporary focus on American policing and the continuing protests in the United States. With a daughter, but divorced from his wife, he decides to shift in another direction, to try and forge a life that brings him some measure of peace and which involves him moving to Ireland, buying a run down home that will require him to spend considerable time engaged in its renovations.

Cal appreciates the natural environment, and we are given in depth details of his work doing up his home, conversing with a neighbour, Mart, holding back from jumping into too hasty social interactions with people, preferring to observe instead. However, he finds himself drawn back into utilising his investigating skills, when a 13 year old youngster from a poor background, Trey, watches him closely, aware of his background in policing. Trey wants Cal to find out what happened to his brother, Brendan, who disappeared a little while ago, and the local police have shown little interest in looking into this. A tenacious and determined Cal searches for the truth, not put off in the slightest by the obstacles that litter his path.

This is not my favourite Tana French novel, but I still enjoyed the character driven mystery, particularly the strong evolving bond between Cal and Trey as they work together. The narrative brings out the nature of small town living, including the claustrophobic feel of it, providing the backgrounds of a range of different characters. The slow moving storytelling means this will require patience from some readers to get the most from it. A complex tale of mystery, secrets, friendships, morality and ethics, relationships, of being a man, justice and the natural environment. Many thanks to Penguin UK for an ARC.

A poignant story of an ex Chicago cop retiring to a remote part of Ireland where the cut and thrust of front line policing will be replaced by the tranquility of a life without deadlines or danger. Still recovering from a  traumatic divorce a life of isolation and no responsibilities for anything or anyone is high on his agenda . An unexpected meeting, a cry for help, and unwillingness to turn his back on a troubled child leads him into a search for a missing person that his life experiences announces loud and clear that this path he intends to take spells trouble, danger and ultimately bad news for all involved. The reader is drawn into a pace of life and standard of living from what for many is a bygone age. Needs are simple, wants are only those required to survive  and the community is dependent on each other for support and survival. To buck the system is to have any support removed. A story unlike anything read previously with a slow build up that allows the scenery, the sound and smells, and the culture to wrap a sensory perception around every page . We the reader suddenly care, agonising over  every action and result fearing for the worst, hoping for the best. A conclusion delivered by our protagonist who has lived long enough to understand life is never simple or easy but is still to be lived and endured. An immensely enjoyable incredibly unusual book that weaved and spread It’s magic as a mystery slowly unfolded and several diverse characters found a means of living in peace and harmony. Many thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Although this didn’t grip me as much as The Wych Elm, I was intrigued by the story. However, it isn’t the plot so much as the incredible scene setting and lifelike characters that make The Searcher a worthwhile read

A beautifully atmospheric book with a real, rural Irish backdrop. It’s a slow burner, but that only adds to the vibe. The characters are so rich and the dialogue between them is satisfyingly realistic, which I love to see. 

I couldn’t leave this book alone! This was my first Tana French novel, but now I’m so excited to read more.

Cal has retired from the Chicago police force and has moved to a rundown cottage in a small village in Ireland. He is beginning to  settle in, getting to know the neighbours and is working on his house. A young teenager, whose older brother has disappeared, comes to him for his help. Through his investigation Cal gets to know more about his environment and the secrets that exist around him.
As usual Tana French has written a great, engaging story involving some excellent characters. I especially enjoyed the relationships between Cal and Trey and the one between Cal and Mart, his next door neighbour. It examines and portrays very well the workings of a small village and the relationships therein.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Cal Hooper has just moved to remote Ireland in search or a new life. Recently retired from the police force, as well as recently divorced he had to get away. Whilst working on his land, he senses someone is watching him, soon enough he catches 13 year old local boy Trey following him. Treys brother is missing and needs Cals help to find him. Without Cals help Trey may never know what happened to his brother. 
This is a slow paced mystery perfectly written for the patient readers who appreciate well written books. A strong four stars for me. 
      Thank you NetGalley and Penguin group/ Viking for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Penguin Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Mesmerising and hypnotic - a future classic of its genre. Does any other writer understand the complexities of the human condition better than Tana French? I sincerely doubt it. This is a majestic contemporary thriller from an unparalleled    talent. But, be warned: there are no gimmicks in this book, just great storytelling. It may take you a few chapters to become properly acclimatised to the mysteries of this particular patch of rural Ireland, but the rewards are immense. The atmospheric resonance of the book is somewhat Wicker Man-esque. The community which Cal Hooper, retired Chicago cop, finds himself living amongst has its own, somewhat impenetrable social cues and customs to decipher, especially for a newly arrived stranger. Just when Cal is being accepted into this somewhat insular community, he is asked to solve a mystery  by teenager, Trey, an intelligent child but somewhat lacking in social graces. The mystery involves the disappearance of Trey’s older brother, Brendan. Reluctantly Cal begins to investigate, despite being warned off by more than one colourful character of this claustrophobic community. But the mystery deepens. Secrets take on an oppressive force and the community begins to close ranks. Contrasting with contemporary themes of drug abuse, alcoholism and violence are the traditional ones of myths and legends, centred on the collective imagination of the inhabitants of the Emerald Isle. The clash of cultures that coincides in Ireland’s rural communities is beautifully realised by French in this haunting mystery. ‘The Searcher’ certainly put a spell on me. An extraordinary feat of the imagination - a cerebral thriller of unrivalled quality.

That was what I would call a ‘quiet’ thriller. That does not mean cosy. It means something that can move you in a quiet and thoughtful way. The book is not fast paced but it was riveting nonetheless. Tana French’s writing is so lyrical, in this, more than any of her other books I’ve read, she brought Ireland to life for me. I felt as if I were there. And the lilting Irish speech was so wonderful to ‘hear’ (even though I read it, I heard it in my mind). I also felt the claustrophobia that Cal finally felt after moving from a large city to the small Irish Village of Ardnakelty.

Calvin John Hooper (Cal) retired from the Chicago Police Department after 25 years and a nasty divorce. He moved to small town Ireland for a complete change and a quiet life restoring the run down cottage he had bought on a few acres. He has interesting chats with his neighbour Mart, who tries to fix him up with a local widow, and enjoys a few evenings in the local watering hole. But while working on his cottage he gets the sense that he is being watched and finally the watcher reveals themselves - a teenager named Trey, skittish and fearful, clearly from a disadvantaged home and not very talkative makes his acquaintance. Cal puts Trey to work and doesn’t push things. After two weeks he is rewarded with the reason Trey is there. The brother, 19 year old Brendan has been missing for 6 months and Trey is desperate to know what happened to him.

Cal agrees to look into it - reluctantly and after a a great deal of deliberation. But his search, digging as it must under what goes on in the village, uncovers some ugly truths that he perhaps wishes were never unearthed. There is no unknowing what he learns and Cal must think long and hard about what he is going to do with this info. If you must have adrenalin in your books you probably won’t like this one. But if you like the odd quiet but deep and personal journey with beautiful writing and vividly drawn characters with warts and all you will love this latest offering by Tana French. Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Tana French for my copy. My opinions are my own.

Beautifully written slow burn thriller. Rural Ireland may as well be it's own character with just as much time dedicated to it as to Cal and Trey and Mart. The comings and goings, the village, the local community. So if you want a quick thriller, this isn't one for you. If you want a smart story that takes it's time and moves all it's pieces into place and then pulls them together... this one is for you!