3.5*
French has given us a follow-up to her first Cal Hooper book. In The Searcher we met Cal, a retired Chicago police detective who has moved to the Irish countryside. He’s now settled in and become a surrogate father to Trey, a wild, stubborn, teenage girl. When Trey’s absentee real father Johnny suddenly returns with a scheme to make money, Cal is instantly concerned. He cares for the girl and won’t let her life be turned upside down by Johnny’s machinations.

When a murder occurs, Cal feverishly works to keep Trey out of danger. But the girl has her own plans and often they don’t coincide with Cal’s efforts. She has one goal in mind and it drives her to make poor choices. Cal’s surrogate father role is endearing, though sometimes his actions are a little baffling. One can’t help but be fascinated by him and his desire to make a home in Ireland, amidst an array of colorful neighbors.

French is great at creating interesting, complicated characters. Her plot is complex and will keep readers guessing about what really happened. This sequel isn’t as strong as the first book, but still quite an engaging read.

If you enjoyed reading The Searcher, this is your chance to reconnect with the characters in Ardnakelty, Ireland. Cal is presented with another dilemma when Trey's father, Johnny, returns home with the tale that there is gold on the land of the locals. Cal doesn't trust Johnny, Trey wants Johnny to leave, and the locals begin to believe Johnny's story. But things begin to fall apart and the town looks for a scapegoat and Cal tries to protect Trey. This book was a great read and hard to put down.

Tana French is not Irish, yet she has captured their tone and their language as well as any native speaker. This second in this particular series of hers is her best yet. Although the American former police officer from Chicago may be the main character, all the others, and there are many, are fully fleshed out. When you finish the book, you know everyone in that town, as if you’ve lived there your entire life. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this incredible read.

This is a sequel to "The Searcher," a book that introduces ex-Chicago cop Cal Hooper who retired and moved to Ireland to find peace and work on his carpentry skills. "The Hunter" covers some of that background, but those wishing a fuller picture of the relationship between Cal and 15-year old Trey who comes into his life would benefit from reading that book first.

This latest book unfolds in a leisurely pace, which at times seemed a bit too leisurely to me. So much so that I didn't feel guilty about setting it aside periodically and dipping back into it. But when Trey's father returns into her life and brings a mysterious Englishman with him the pace picks up.

As with all of the author's works I've read she develops a real sense of place which is as authentic as the characters that inhabit it. For those who like their mysteries, this one holds true to the end and then breaks the leisurely pace with a headlong rush, which seemingly wraps up this book as well as its predecessor quite satisfactorily.

THE SEARCHER was my least favorite Tana French book -- not bad, by any stretch, but I wondered why her focus had shifted to the quiet countryside after six thrilling Dublin detective novels and the weirder-than-I-remember WITCH ELM. If it was all to get us this book, it was worth it: French dispatches with the sloooow burn of that novel for a steady growing heat, like a hot summer that just won't break. THE HUNTER shows that her nose for moral ambiguity hasn't gone away and I guarantee you'll be shouting at the pages of this one as you also can't put it down.

Tana French is an expert in making the mundane so compelling and has a suspenseful tension that builds throughout. This one was written a little different than her others as it is not in first person alternating characters but so great!

I am a longtime Tana French fan. This latest effort feels incredibly unique, even moreso than its predecessor, The Searcher. As she gets deeper into her career, French is less and less concerned with the caper, and more with the deeper and pressing questions that have always been at the heart of her characters and work. What makes a community? What makes a family? French sinks deeper and deeper into her invented Ardnekelty community in this book, drawing out more and more history of the intersection of class, masculinity, and violence within it. I hope this series continues!

It pains me to say this as someone who once worshipped Tana French, but I’ve really struggled to enjoy her work since she moved away from the Dublin Murder Squad series.

The Cal Hooper books have been an especially tough hang, though I thought the first in the series was at least more well plotted and cleanly edited than this book.

This is a slow read, and not in that anticipatory, simmering way that makes for a good slow burn mystery. Part of the problem is that the book is overlong, dense with petty arguments between the sorts of people most of us don’t ever want to interact with. There’s a lot of insipid small town drama to this, long suffering shrewish women and the drunken scammers they end up marrying. It’s all fairly depressing and not especially interesting.

The actual mystery isn’t terrible, but because the murder takes place more than halfway through the book, I had largely lost interest before it even happened.

French’s novels have always been bleak and I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but it’s harder to find something to root for in these than in her previous books. The fact that Cal is a decent person or that you may feel sorry for Trey just isn’t enough.

Unless you really love small town politics, I’d skip these. Here’s hoping French returns to the intricate procedurals that she is so good at writing before too long.

Book 2 of Cal Hooper series. Very enjoyable. Hooper is a retired Chicago police enjoying and trying to fit in with the folk of a rural village in Ireland. His mentoring of a wild teen and the return of her no good dad starts a hugh scandal in the village resulting in a life lost. Rumors of gold and a missing brother are hilited in the story.

You know that feeling when you want to keep reading because a book is so compelling but you want to stop because you don’t want to run out of book? That’s The Hunter. This completely gripping follow up to The Searcher takes place two years after the events of that book. There is a murder and there is a mystery, but really these are devices to dig deeper into the characters and the world set up in the first book.

Cal Hooper, the Chicago cop who moved to Ardnakelty in rural West Ireland on something of a whim, has settled into the townland, and while he’ll never be fully accepted by those whose blood connects with the land over centuries, his comfortable relationship with local woman Lena Dunne helps. The carpentry work that he and 15 year old Trey Reddy have been doing has made Trey less of an outcast and Trey has agreed with Cal that she won’t pursue revenge for the death of her brother. But maybe there’s a way around that promise?

Then Trey’s shiftless and charming father, Johnny, the very archetype of the silver-tongued Irishman, returns with a “big idea” that is going to make him and all the folks in Ardnakelty rich.

Our three perspectives are outsiders: Cal is still considered suspicious both because he’s a “blow-in” and because of his police background; Trey’s family has always been on the outs, and now with the return of untrustworthy Johnny, the townsfolk’s suspicions return; Lena has roots in the townland which she never wanted and deliberately eschews.

The novel is largely built up of long and often slow conversations, mostly between two people but sometimes between the group of men who make up the inside of Ardnakelty. What is spoken, what is veiled, and what is not spoken moves the novel forward while building a rich and textured picture of the characters and their culture. The land and its people are like a separate state: isolated, self-governed, meting out their own justice, and deeply distrustful of outsiders. The mountains and the fields, and all they hide, loom in the physical and metaphorical background, offering security but also concealing dangers for those who don’t know the terrain.

I was sad when Tana French moved on from the Dublin Murder Squad but have enjoyed her subsequent, less straightforward mysteries. This is easily the best novel I’ve read for quite a while and I highly recommend it if you like long, absorbing, immersive, and atmospheric reads.

Thanks to Viking and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Another stunner by Tana French. Such a strong sense of place…you could feel the heat and stress. Great return to the world of Cal and Trey.

You know, I heard all the buzz about Tana French's new series before it started, but after seeing goodreads reviews of The Searcher, I decided to pass on it.

Boy, was that a mistake!

I was lucky enough to get a review copy of The Hunter to read, and it is so so quintessentially Tana French! It's well written, the pacing is outstanding, and just like with every other book I've ever read by her all the little details add up over time and when the fireworks start they are insanely intense.

I really like that Tana French decided to set this new series in rural Ireland because she absolutely gets what it's like living in a rural area; how everyone knows your business even if you don't want them to, how everyone is related in very tangled ways, and most importantly, how well rural areas can hold very very dark secrets.

I also enjoyed how Tana French respected every characters' intelligence, i.e. let the teenage girl be smart, but also make mistakes and learn from them. Overall, I can see this novel appealing to both Tana French fans and those new to Tana French. I also think it would be a great read for teens who are looking for a mystery with substance that respects their viewpoint. One of the best novels of 2025, and very highly recommended

In the 2nd installment of the Cal Hooper series Tana French continues the close relationship between Cal and teenager Trey Reddy. Trey's father returns to Ardnakelty, Ireland after a four year absence and his return is not appreciated by his daughter or it seems, his wife. Most of the book is character driven as we delve more into the lives of the townspeople and the Reddy family.

There is a drought in Western Ireland and the weather along with the scenery and culture of the town are as much a part of the plot as the characters in the town. Everyone is hurting with the lack of rain and high temperatures so when a scam is introduced, the hope that times could be better is too much to avoid.

As serious as much of the story is there is also humor, usually brought to us by the various animals in the book. There are the dogs owned by both Cal and Trey along with the ones with Lena, Cal's local girlfriend. Then, there are the rooks who hang out around Cal's home who try to terrorize the dogs and the cops who come to talk.

I truly enjoy a good character driven novel and I think French has created a great sequel to The Searcher, I highly recommend you read the 1st book first to better understand the relationship between Cal and Trey.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I have read all of Tana French’ s books and looked forward to this one. I had difficulty getting into it for at least the first third of the book. I was bored and found myself just reading in snippets of time. But after that, the story and pace really picked up.
I found the characters interesting especially Cal, Lena and Trey. They felt authentic, if not always likable. The story line, once powered up, kept me reading. The Hunter is about a murder, yes, but mostly about small town dynamics, dysfunctional family and social dynamics, and a
coming of age story of a very bright, damaged teenage girl.
Even though the story kept me involved I have mixed feelings about the ending- I am not the kind of person who feels that “the ends justify the means” I also decided I would not want to live in the town portrayed despite the obvious natural beauty of the area
I will look forward to Tana French’s next book despite my mixed feelings about this book. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review The Hunter as an ARC

This is the second installment in the Call Hooper series and it doesn't disappoint. I love the rural Western Ireland setting and the great characters. The writing is so good that I felt like I was there. Tana French is truly a great crime writer!

Thanks to Viking and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.

The Searcher…The Hunter. These linked and simply titled novels by Tana French are highly recommended. While The Hunter can be read without having read The Searcher, they are best as a pair (even if, for any reason, a reader picks up The Searcher second.)

These stories feel different from the author’s earlier Dublin Murder Squad books. I loved those and miss them but these two titles tell of new directions (and welcome ones) on French’s part.

Ardnakelty, the setting, is a small, Irish, mostly farming community feels so real that a reader will believe that they could visit. It is a place with a population that includes some quirky characters.

Readers will get to know the most important characters well (although I think that some of the secondary characters sometimes were hard to keep track of). Among these are Trey. To me, she feels like a kindred spirit to Scout in Harper Lee’s book. Both have strong opinions and beliefs. Trey is a teen who has become close to Cal, initially despite herself. Cal is an incomer to Ireland. He has become a kind of mentor to Trey and their relationship has much meaning to both. Lena has become involved in a relationship with Cal though she does not want to marry. She also cares about Trey.

In this novel, Trey’s ne’er do well father, Johnny, is back from England. He has a grand scheme in mind. Readers can find out about this when the pick up the novel…and they should! How will Johnny’s arrival impact Trey who is just beginning to have some stability? Will there be a great deal of destruction?

This book, for me, was kind of a slow burn. I relished its pace however and was in no hurry to turn the last page.

It is very easy to recommend The Hunter. Its characters, setting and story are all memorable.

Many thanks to Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

This character driven mystery is one to sink into, full of atmosphere and deep relationships. Truly, the mystery aspect is secondary to the relationships and environment, but the story overall was engrossing.

The Hunter by Tana French is the second in the Cal Hooper series. For those of you who enjoy French’s Dublin Murder Squad books, the Cal Hooper series is not at all similar.

The Hunter is a deeply atmospheric and excruciatingly slow story. The first half of the book is dedicated to background and plotting. The murder doesn’t occur until 60% in. The last 5% sees the majority of the action.

This is not an easy or quick read, but French’s writing is excellent as always. There were times I contemplated giving up, but I wanted to see where the story took Cal, Lena, and Trey.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley.

All in all, this was a solid novel. I enjoyed the story line, the characters were unique but down to earth and real, and the story was plausible. That said, I can’t say this was my favorite Tana French novel. I felt that it fell just a little flat in comparison to her previous novels in terms of the suspense. It didn’t have an overwhelming suspenseful feeling beyond having some shady interactions.
I would recommend this novel, it was well written and held my attention.

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was on the fence about this - I’d heard it was kind of slow, and while I enjoyed The Searcher, I really just wanted more of Dublin Murder Squad (I guess we sort of get that here, with the inclusion of Nealon?). I think your enjoyment of this book rests pretty heavily on how interested you are in these characters, because it takes a solid 40% of the book for the actual plot to show up. Overall, there’s simply a LOT of talking - there are several long scenes where people are laying out the facts to one another (basically a version of “here’s how things are in Ardnekelty”). Weirdly, I feel like those would play better on screen than they do in print.

Ahem. Plot. So we pick back up with Cal and Trey and all the rest not terribly long after the events of The Searcher. Trey has mostly given up trying to learn the truth about what happened to Brenden - she knows he’s dead, and she knows Cal knows more than he’s letting on, but she doesn’t know where his body is or who actually killed him, just that it was accidental (I confess to not remembering much about how that all shook out the first time around, but it doesn’t end up mattering too much here). Trey and Cal have a pretty great friendship - he’d love her to hang around more because he feels paternal about her, and she’d really just love for him to adopt her, but she doesn’t want to hang around TOO much, lest he get sick of her. It’s sweet, and a little bit sad. Cal and Lena are also still together, and Cal’s feeling as much like a local as he possibly can, after two years there.

Eventually, Trey’s erstwhile father Johnny Reddy returns, much to the chagrin of both Trey and Cal. Johnny’s your typical snake oil salesman - he blows into town with some scheme, tries to sweet talk people out of money, then blows out again. Only this time he swears he’s going to stick around, because thar’s gold in them hills! He’s also brought an Englishman along with him - Cillian Rushborough. Rushborough claims to have had family in the area, and his grandmother told him stories about the hills being full of gold. There’s a lot of back and forth (and SO much talking) about who’s scamming who, but what it boils down to is a gigantic mess that definitely threatens the peaceful life Cal has built for himself.

It’s hard to say too much else without getting into spoiler territory! Suffice it to say, there is eventually a crime that involves a detective from Dublin - although I don’t *think* Nealon is someone we’ve met before? It’s been a while since I read The Trespasser, so maybe he pops up with Antoinette and Stephen there. Or maybe this is like a backdoor pilot for Dublin Murder Squad #7?