Tana French

Best Book of 2020 New York Times |NPR | New York Post "This hushed suspense tale about thwarted dreams of escape may be her best one yet . . . Its own kind of masterpiece." --Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post "A new Tana French is always cause for celebration . . . Read it once for the plot; read it again for the beauty and subtlety of French's writing." --Sarah Lyall, The New York Times Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a bucolic Irish village would be the perfect escape. After twenty-five years in the Chicago police force and a bruising divorce, he just wants to build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub where nothing much happens. But when a local kid whose brother has gone missing arm-twists him into investigating, Cal uncovers layers of darkness beneath his picturesque retreat, and starts to realize that even small towns shelter dangerous secrets. "One of the greatest crime novelists writing today" (Vox) weaves a masterful, atmospheric tale of suspense, asking how to tell right from wrong in a world where neither is simple, and what we stake on that decision.

The Searcher

'One of the most compulsive psychological mysteries since Donna Tartt's The Secret History' THE TIMES Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a remote Irish village would be the perfect escape. After twenty-five years in the Chicago police force, and a bruising divorce, he just wants to build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub where nothing much happens. But then a local kid comes looking for his help. His brother has gone missing, and no one, least of all the police, seems to care. Cal wants nothing to do with any kind of investigation, but somehow he can't make himself walk away. Soon Cal will discover that even in the most idyllic small town, secrets lie hidden, people aren't always what they seem, and trouble can come calling at his door. Our greatest living mystery writer weaves a masterful tale of breath-taking beauty and suspense, asking how we decide what's right and wrong in a world where neither is simple, and what we risk if we fail. ----------------------------------------------------- WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING ABOUT TANA FRENCH 'An engrossing, unpredictable, beautifully written mystery' SOPHIE HANNAH 'To say Tana French is one of the great thriller writers is really too limiting. Rather she's simply this: a truly great writer' GILLIAN FLYNN 'French offers a masterclass in unreliability' SUNDAY TIMES 'I'm a big fan of Tana French' IAN RANKIN 'The Wych Elm should cement French's place in the first rank of great literary novelists' OBSERVER 'This book confirms Tana French as [crime fiction's] biggest contemporary star' GUARDIAN 'Terrific - terrifying, amazing, and the prose is incandescent' STEPHEN KING 'Another one of her rich psychological thrillers that will work its way under your skin' LUCY MANGAN, STYLIST 'This mystery about family, memory and the cracks in both will haunt you for a long, long time' ERIN KELLY

A kind of DNF (listened to the last 100 pages not particularly attentively). I liked lots about it but could have been shorter, felt like it dragged. 

Molly Bridge

Bella Koch

A well-written and beautiful story... but not what I'm looking for when I read a thriller.

This book follows Cal Hooper, an ex-Chicago cop who moves to small-town Ireland and ends up investigating the disappearance of a local boy. Cal has some struggles about what his values and morals are and whether he is adhering to them. I found these internal debates really interesting and relevant to issues today. 

This book was also really nicely written; the language was beautiful and it had a great level of subtley. One scene I really liked was when Cal's neighbor warns him off his investigation during a night of drinking. The warning was subtle enough to be easy to detect without being an overt warning. The control over relationships and dialog in this book was beautiful.

All that said, I had a hard time feeling compelled by this story. It just felt slower paced than what I want out of a thriller. That also made it so I was not scared at all, which (call me crazy) is actually something I want out of a thriller. And when the "twist" happened it was so late in the novel with so many hints that I was... unsurprised. That was disappointing because I read mysteries to be awed at how I've been fooled :D. 

I would definitely recommend this book but not if you're looking for a spooky, fast read which was what I went in suspecting

Ipek

Tana French is another favorite author of mine whose recent output I haven't enjoyed as much as I used to. I guess that says something about me as much as French herself in terms of change, but still. Wych Elm, her previous novel, engaged with issues of social justice etc. in what I thought was a clunky manner, and the murder mystery, which was a cold case, was underwhelming. Still, I think French's prose makes up for a lot of things and so it wasn't an altogether unpleasant reading experience. 

With The Searcher, she appears to have taken a further step away from constructing an elaborate plot and instead relies on the atmosphere to carry the weight of the narrative. In both senses of the word, really, since the elemental force of nature is a constant presence in this book, and also, reading it was a very mood-y experience - the feelings of oppression and isolation bear down on you. The purported main "mystery" was sort of straightforward, but there was a surprising twist somewhere around the middle, and it added a great touch, I thought. Overall, more the kind of book critics call a meditation on something or other; in this case, on poverty, small-town life, middle age, and all that serious stuff. On how it feels to have no options at all, no way out, both materially and spiritually. Not completely unexpected from French, not what I expected either, but a good reading experience all the same. I'm not going to say pleasant because it was pretty bleak and made me feel like life is pointless at times, but it was good.

Prashanth Srivatsa

A decently absorbing thriller, whose best moments come in the tension simmering beneath mundane conversations.

A New York Times Bestseller A New York Times and NPR Best Book of 2020 This hushed suspense tale about thwarted dreams of escape may be her best one yet...its own kind of masterpiece. --Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post A taut, chiseled and propulsive (Vogue) new novel from the bestselling mystery writer who is in a class by herself. (The New York Times) Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a bucolic Irish village would be the perfect escape. After twenty-five years in the Chicago police force and a bruising divorce, he just wants to build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub where nothing much happens. But when a local kid whose brother has gone missing arm-twists him into investigating, Cal uncovers layers of darkness beneath his picturesque retreat, and starts to realize that even small towns shelter dangerous secrets. One of the greatest crime novelists writing today (Vox) weaves a masterful, atmospheric tale of suspense, asking what we sacrifice in our search for truth and justice, and what we risk if we don't.

A Novel

Raphaëlle

Kathy Andrew

Fraser Simons

A retired cop moved to a small town in Ireland. Of course, he’s not really processed anything about his previous life and rather than deal with his baggage he figures he better just start over elsewhere. New house, new person, right? When a problem is unearthed, he finds himself slipping into old patterns. Constantly finding himself unable but to insert himself into a situation he doesn’t completely understand.

Again, French produces something like contemporary upmarket fiction. It’s liminal and striking. She has her own pacing and fairly subversive themes. Usually critical of archetypes, like here. The foundation is put down so intentionally and methodically you can’t help but see the craftsmanship. And where other books like it couldn’t pull it off, every one of French’s books seem to hit some kind of sweet spot for me. It doesn’t feel literary. It’s got to be that weird upmarket thing you hear about. Right?

I just love how astute her fiction is regarding various forms of character people have. It’s articulated in a nuanced, often multi-faceted way. It’s prism fiction. Character driven. Adjacent to crime and mystery. Turning a flaw into the beating heart of the story. It’s competent, well executed, well delivered, and entirely it’s own thing, to my my mind. 

I think it might be like paying for those question mark gift bags, except it always delivers. You have some expectations based on genre conventions and maybe having read her other works. But ultimately, you’re not getting that. But you like whatever the heck it is you took out the grab bag.

Cindy Lieberman

A divorced, former Chicago detective buys a ramshackle fixer-upper on some acreage near a small town in Ireland and gets pulled in to unraveling a small town secret. This is a slow build, a character study quite different than the author’s Dublin Murder Squad series. Great to read by the fire and/or under a blanket, when the sky is grey and misty.

Carolyn CW

Love Tana French and this was a really good one

A DISAPPEARANCE. A SMALL TOWN. A QUESTION THAT NEEDS ANSWERING... 'One of the most compulsive psychological mysteries since Donna Tartt's The Secret History' THE TIMES ----------------------------------------------------------- Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a remote Irish village would be the perfect escape. After twenty-five years in the Chicago police force, and a bruising divorce, he just wants to build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub where nothing much happens. But then a local kid comes looking for his help. His brother has gone missing, and no one, least of all the police, seems to care. Cal wants nothing to do with any kind of investigation, but somehow he can't make himself walk away. Soon Cal will discover that even in the most idyllic small town, secrets lie hidden, people aren't always what they seem, and trouble can come calling at his door. Our greatest living mystery writer weaves a masterful tale of breath-taking beauty and suspense, asking how we decide what's right and wrong in a world where neither is simple, and what we risk if we fail. ----------------------------------------------------------- WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING ABOUT TANA FRENCH 'An engrossing, unpredictable, beautifully written mystery' SOPHIE HANNAH 'To say Tana French is one of the great thriller writers is really too limiting. Rather she's simply this: a truly great writer' GILLIAN FLYNN 'French offers a masterclass in unreliability' SUNDAY TIMES 'I'm a big fan of Tana French' IAN RANKIN 'The Wych Elm should cement French's place in the first rank of great literary novelists' OBSERVER 'This book confirms Tana French as [crime fiction's] biggest contemporary star' GUARDIAN 'Terrific - terrifying, amazing, and the prose is incandescent' STEPHEN KING 'Completely, indescribably magnificent. Tana French is a pure genius' MARIAN KEYES 'An audacious departure for this immensely talented author . . . not to be missed' THE NEW YORK TIMES 'Immersive and atmospheric ... Cal and Trey could very well be the new sort of heroes we need in this strange world' ARAMINTA HALL 'The Searcher is its own kind of masterpiece' THE WASHINGTON POST 'This mystery about family, memory and the cracks in both will haunt you for a long, long time' ERIN KELLY 'Nuanced and compelling' THE NEW YORKER 'With a tension that mounts inexorably throughout, French creates a world whose characters stay with you long after the book is finished. I didn't want it to end' HARRIET TYCE 'This is a tour de force of suspense and storytelling. Comes closer to perfection than anything I've read in the last decade' SARAH HILARY 'A tale of flawed characters, complex relationships and elusive loyalties. Subtle and powerful' CHRIS HAMMER

The mesmerising new thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wych Elm

Andy Nicolaides

The synopsis sums up the story very well, and to be frank there aren’t too many further layers to discover beyond this initial paragraph. I don’t know Tana French, the author, well enough to question the statement that she is the ’greatest living mystery writer’ but it doesn’t appear evident from reading this novel.

The story rolls along at a decent pace, but is definitely lacking any real thrills or the aforementioned suspense. It’s hard to go into much detail here without spoiling anything, but the mystery is solved very suddenly and without much fanfare or follow up.

This was a very relaxing read (or listen in my case) and was very well written from a realism standpoint. Nothing in the story felt contrived and it flowed along wonderfully. The book certainly has heart, but the stakes felt very low and the conclusion and resolution come out of nowhere.

I had fun listening to this book, but it really could have done with less world building that didn’t really go anywhere and more actual mystery to be investigated. All in all, you could do a lot worse if you’re after a relaxing read. If you’re actually after a mystery novel, however, you may need to look elsewhere.

nuha ✨️

I was really contemplating between 4.5 (which I usually round up to 5) and 4 stars, and in the end, I decided to stick with 4 stars. 

I would say I spent about the first 25% of the book being wishy-washy. I wasn't sure if it was good enough to continue with. I had heard a lot of great things about Tana French, and I wanted to give one of her books a chance. But nothing happened in the first quarter of the book, and I was wondering if I would get what I came looking for. In the end, though, I ended up contemplating between 4 and 4.5 stars, so it was all worth it. 

This book is character-driven. The plot is pretty basic. You can work it out with what is given in the synopsis and the interactions between the characters. But what makes this a great read are the characters. I was a huge fan of Cal Hooper and Trey. Cal was this perfect blend of all these different emotions which made him so likeable. And it wasn't like he was only made out of the good stuff, he had his bad moments and that made him perfectly human. 

Trey was a great character too. For once, the teenage character felt realistic. Usually, teenagers (young teens) are depicted as these dumb, annoying kids overflowing with emotions. So I was grateful that Tana French made her teenage character sensible. The other characters were well written as well. They had their appeals, and they had their flaws too. And that made the plot easier to understand. With this kind of plot, it was all about the characters. A single mistake in writing them could have easily messed up the plot. But because of how well they were written, that didn't happen. 

So if you're looking for a novel that will keep you at the edge of your seat, this is not for you. But if you have a bit of time on your hands, and want to read something not too sappy, go for this.

Anna Adams

Ben Nathan

This was one of those books that feels like it would win literary awards but the author wasn't trying to. Too many books like this have that "I want to win an award" feel and they suffer for it. This was beautifully written and had thoroughly engaging characters. Strongly suggest for those that tend to like contemporary fiction with a literary feel.

Paige Morgan

Tana French promised that this book would be less depressing than "The Witch Elm," her previous novel, and she keeps that promise -- "The Searcher" is almost uplifting and even heartwarming -- and at the same time, it manages to be creepier than "The Witch Elm" was. More uplifting and creepier at the same time is a serious achievement in my book, but I shouldn't be surprised that French would manage to achieve it.

Cal has retired from his job as a Chicago policeman, divorced his wife, and more or less started over in a small fixer-upper home in rural Ireland -- a new and quieter existence, where he is happy to devote himself to home improvement grunt work, and building casual and cordial relationships with nearby neighbors. Part of what gives this book its sense of calmness and kindness is that French follows Cal through his regular routines, Of course, things get complicated. As Cal spends more time getting to know the people and the location, as he builds relationships, his sense of the village changes. He becomes friends with Trey, who comes from a poor family on the village outskirts. When Trey asks for Cal to use his police skills to help find a missing older brother, Cal finds himself grappling with questions of the village's past and its future -- and these questions have the potential to cement or uproot Cal's peaceful "new" life.

Sometimes French has dazzled precisely because she can write multiple characters -- but in this case, the through line and heart of the novel is Cal's steady presence, and his determination to do the right thing, even in the face of uncertainty. A comforting read for the ongoing pandemic, despite the darkness.

The Searcher

Reviews