In this second book of French’s Ardnakelty mysteries, Retired Chicago PD Cal Hooper has developed a bond with half wild tomboy Trey Reddy, whose brother was accidentally killed by the locals. When Trey’s no-good dad Johnny shows up with a new money-making scheme, the fragile willow-the-wisp peace that Cal has found in his adopted home disappears.

At times, I felt like I was reading an American Western thanks to climate change - a hot, dry Ardnakelty reminds me of a pioneer town on the edge of the frontier, where the townspeople are so in on each other’s business, where the men are the peacekeepers, and Cal is the unsuspecting newcomer whose lawman past provides an interesting pull and push. Does the town absorb him or reject him? I also felt like I was reading a fantasy. As an American reading a murder mystery set in Ireland, I appreciated how French utilized the non-native characters as foils to bring out the magic of the land. Ardnakelty is not only a place, it is an entity wherein its people are its stewards and servants. You as a reader feel this in the way the land accepts or banishes inhabitants in fae ways–with the help of the natives or on its own.

I think of all the Tana French I’ve read, this one is my favorite. The story is complex not only because French is a master at plot, she’s also a master weaver of atmosphere. I love a tale with rich layers. I usually write more about the novels that I read, but I really don’t want to overgush here. Suffice to say, this makes my number one so far for 2024.

Reader Advisory: You’ll want to begin with Searcher. I also think that my experience of the book was enhanced by reading Irish folk and fairy tales and books like True Grit by Charles Portis or News of the World by Paulette Giles.

Many thanks to Viking and Netgalley for access to the ARC. Any opinions are my own; I didn’t receive compensation for my review.

As this is a sequel, I advise starting with book 1 (The Searcher). Following up on The Searcher, Tana French immerses us in the lonely, quirky, tiny town community of Ardnakelty in this atmospherically dark and exquisitely drawn character-driven slow burn of a return to West Ireland. With the help of Lena and his connection with Cal, a former NYPD investigator, he has managed to carve out a space for himself in his new home. He has also taken in troubled adolescent Trey under his wing and taught her construction skills. The reader will likely be surprised to learn who killed the person because it isn't revealed until the end of the narrative. Like the previous Tana French books, I liked this one as well. She clarifies the misconceptions about rural Irish people found in other works and presents an authentic picture of modern Irish people. Four of five strong stars for me!

Tana French is one of very few authors who can hold my interest when nothing much is happening on the page. That holds true with this book, another slow burn where the mystery is far less important than what the characters do about it.

Tana French never fails. I was quickly immersed in this story since it picks up with the setting and characters from French's last book. I will never tire of her dialog and the sense of place is so strong. The tension in this story maybe didn't feel as intense as in some of French's earlier books, but I don't really read her books for the mysteries as much as I do for the characters, and here she is as good as always.

This was a good book but not great as her others were. A little slow at times but I still love these characters and did like the book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book, the second in a series, is a written in a very different style than French's Dublin Murder Squad but in the best way. It is beautifully written, a slow paced mystery that is very character driven, which is my favorite kind. I loved the setting and French's descriptions of the Irish landscape. A highly enjoyable read.

I am a firm believer that there are two types of mystery/thriller books: one that is compulsively readable and very plot heavy, and one that builds tension with atmospheric writing. Tana French is undoubtedly in the second category. There's always a murder that is underpinning the book but it's more about the journey than the destination.

Because there's not a lot of plot here, I think it's best to give this a general review. The Hunter is the second in the Cal Hooper series, though like French's Dublin Murder Squad books, I think it would be easy to pick up without having read The Searchers. There's familial dysfunction, a surprise millionaire, and some buried gold. There's lots to unpack with the characters' motivations and while you're over 200 pages in before the murder happens, you'll be following along, soaking up the gorgeous prose.

If you like your mysteries with atmosphere, this book is for you. Taking place in a rural Irish town, past and present secrets and grudges unfold. The author's style conveys details, idiosyncrasies and personalities almost entirely through conversations amongst the insulated inhabitants. Twists and turns, lies and truths are all questioned during a sweltering summer heat wave.
Reviewed courtesy of an ARC.

Dark and Brooding

The Hunter is a quiet, character-driven novel fueled by intrigue, mystery, and murder.

Two years have passed since retired Police Detective Cal Hooper moved from Chicago to the small village in West Ireland, where he has taken a local teenager, Trey Reddy, under his wing. But when Trey’s absentee father returns home with a cunning scheme, the peaceful life that Cal and Trey have built comes crashing down.

Read The Searcher before The Hunter to better understand Cal and Trey's backgrounds. Be aware that this novel is different in tone, plotting, and structure from French's Dublin Murder Squad series, so be open to something different if you plan on reading this.

The chapters alternate between Cal, Trey, and Lena’s POV, with a few others mixed in. Johnny Reddy's character brings chaos into the calm as he preys upon the vulnerable and exploits their desires to achieve wealth, forcing Trey and others to come to terms with their beliefs about loyalty and friendship.

One of the strongest elements of the novel is the beautiful landscape of Western Ireland, set against the unusual summer heat and drought conditions. The heat and lack of rain escalate the tension.

The Hunter is a beautifully written, complex, and nuanced book. The pacing is slow, especially the first 20% in which French sets up the plot. However, it is a bit drawn out and overwrought. I imagine that the pacing will turn off some readers. I got past it as I got deeper into the novel, especially as French explores the complicated dynamics of small-town life coupled with fragile familial bonds. She also explores themes of friendship, family, and love. The strong characterization is subtle and bold, and Johnny Reddy is one of the most compelling and complex characters. All comes together in a satisfying conclusion that left me wondering if we will see Trey and Cal again in future books.

I received a complimentary copy of The Hunter from Penguin Group Viking in exchange for an honest review.

This is a featuring to The Searcher with Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago PD detective who moves to rural Ireland to leave his old life behind and find some kind of peace. This story is about family, the ones that we are born into, the ones we make and how some choices can only be made with your heart. French writes another evocative, riveting novel with a compelling pace and lush imagery, where you both want to stop and absorb the beautiful language and keep going because you have to know what happens next. Love it. I miss the Dublin Murder Squad but this is excellent. Thank you #NetGalley for my ARC. #thehunterbytanafrench #calhooperandtreyareback #netgalley

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.