“The morning has turned lavishly beautiful. The autumn sun gave the greens of the fields an impossible, mythic radiance and transformed the back roads into light-muddled paths where a goblin with a fiddle, or a pretty maiden with a basket, could be waiting around every game and-bramble bend. Cal is in no mood to appreciate any of it.”

Tana French is such an exquisite writer, with a gorgeous turn of phrase and a sensibility and imagination where the fae and the other and the gothic seem to be breathing heavily in the background and The Searcher is no exception.

In The Searcher – which is not one of her Dublin Murder Squad series – we focus on Cal, a Chicago cop retiring to rural Ireland after a difficult divorce. Cal is a fascinating character: he is capable of violence but bound by an iron self control, disillusioned and cynical yet also romantic, aching for his family which is on the other side of the Atlantic and grasping hard on the opportunity to fill that void.

The novel opens as a paean to Ireland and landscape and the countryside and abounds with sentences like this

Landscape is one of the few things he knows of where the reality doesn’t let you down. The West of Ireland looked beautiful on the internet; from right smack in the middle of it, it looks even better. The air is rich as fruitcake, like you should do more with it than just breathe it…

and this

The mountains on the horizon look like someone took a pocketknife and sliced neat curves out of the star-thick sky, leaving empty blackness. Here and there, spread out, are the yellow rectangles of windows, tiny and valiant.

The people around him and in the village of Ardnakelty are more of a problem for Cal: his busybody of a neighbour Mart; the group of locals who drink in the local pub, Seán Óg’s; Noreen who runs the only local shop and is desperate to matchmake between Cal and Lena, her widowed sister; the impenetrable network of family, cousins, marriages, friendships and alliances within the little village community and farms; and of course the Reddy family living in the mountains, a single mum and her six kids, one of whom, Trey, starts to sneak around Cal’s ruin of a house.

Trey has learnt that Cal was a cop and Trey’s brother has disappeared, which drags Cal into a complex family dynamic and unearths secrets and dangers within the community into which he has found himself. Tensions are discovered, subtle undercurrents of threat and menace which resolve into real violence.

I’ll be cautious about giving too many details, for fear of spoiling the novel because the plot does carry its fair share of twists, but there was a sub plot: sheep on some of the farms were being attacked and slaughtered and butchered, one farm after another, with wild theories raised about aliens and animals

“Come here,” he says, shifting his bulk around on the bar stool to face Cal. “Listen to this. Night before last, something kilt one of Bobby’s sheep. Took out its throat, its tongue, its eyes and its arse; left the rest.”

“Sliced out,” Bobby says.

Senan ignores this. “What would you say done it, hah?”

“If I was a gambling man,” Cal says, “my money’d be on an animal.”

“What animal?” Bobby demands. “We’ve no coyotes or mountain lions here. A fox won’t touch a grown ewe. A rogue dog would’ve ripped her to bits.”

I loved this side to the novel! Beasts stalking the ancient landscape is so deliciously Tana French! It took me back to the first Dublin Murder Squad series novel, In The Woods, in which the woods were or may have been haunted by a goat-smelling presence, or perhaps the muscular darkness lurking in the attic of Broken Harbour. And it was wonderful seeing Cal seduced by the possibility of something other as an explanation for these mutilations in his neighbours’ fields. I am a sucker for those urban or rural folkloric tales of big cats and the beasts of Bodmin Moor, the Roy Dog… tales that could resolve in mundane explanations (escaped pets) or something more supernatural.

The novel is not, however, plot driven: the plot is present but, detached from any pressure of the institution of the police procedural, is pursued languidly and leisurely – and the renovations in Cal’s dilapidated house, his and Trey’s work on the damaged desk together, the rooks and rabbits and fishing all take up as much of the word count as the search for the truth behind Trey’s brother’s disappearance.

What is at the heart of this novel are the characters and their relationships: Cal’s pseudo-surrogate father figure relationship with Trey is wonderful and difficult; his friendship with Lena grows into something positive and supportive and unsentimental as the rocks beneath the landscape; his friendship with Mart. Ardnakelty itself, the village and its community, is so vividly realised that it becomes a character in its own right.

The denouement and resolution of the novel is also wonderfully French: unlike many crime fiction writers, French’s resolutions are rarely simple or comforting. Truth and right and justice are complex terms and far from synonymous is French’s novels – and the resolution of this one follows the same pattern. It is credibly lacking in neatness or simplicity: the resolution is complex, nuanced and difficult and I have loved that about most of her novels.

On a few occasions, the novel does strain credibility a touch: Cal’s ability to get people to discuss difficult and personal histories without the support and authority of a badge, and particularly as an outsider within a close-knit community, did rankle a little bit in places – it’s hard to see why these people did not resort to close lipped sullenness or a terse “Feck you” more often! But these were mere moments and outweighed by far by the luminous and beautiful prose as French slides from colloquial slang to lyrical description, from humour to horror, with ease.

This is the sort of quietly distutbing novel that remains with you for longer than you expect after reading it.

Although she is a prolific, well-known name in the crime genre, I’ve only ever read one other Tana French book -In The Woods. While I enjoyed it, I remember it taking me a while to read, which I’m not used to with thrillers or mysteries. When I was approved for her latest release, I wasn’t really sure what to expect but the synopsis drew me in and I was looking forward to starting it.

Cal Hooper is a retired Chicago cop who has emigrated to the remote Irish village of Ardnakelty. He plans on doing not much more than doing up his little cottage and taking walks in the beautiful mountains. However, these plans are scuppered when he gets wind of a missing boy case and the strange realisation that the boy’s brother is the only one who seems to care.

The Ardnakelty community felt very Stephen King-esque and these small town settings are perfect for evoking a eerie atmosphere, which worked really well in this book. Amongst the eccentric cast of working class Irish characters, there was an unsettling feeling of not-right-ness. I couldn’t understand why a community as close-knit as they were didn’t seem to care about Brendan Reddy’s disappearance. The fact that it was simply assumed that he’d gone off on his own accord and it was only Trey that questioned it was highly disturbing and immediately made me consider whether the whole town was involved.

The descriptions of the geography of Ardnakelty as part of rural Ireland were really captivating. French is fantastic at conjuring vivid images of place and in some parts, these descriptions were very detailed. I think it’s these passages that very much slow down the pace of her novels but they’re so well-written, it’s almost a worthy sacrifice. However, if you’re a lover of plot-driven, twisty thrillers, Tana French possibly isn’t a great choice of author for you.

Cal is very much a middle-aged man, befuddled by the modern age. He has a pretty cynical view of his daughter’s generation and struggles with seemingly performative wokeness, which he thinks he observes in his daughter’s boyfriend. I very rarely get to experience the goings-on of the mind of a man like Cal but his inner monologues definitely fit what I’d imagine from him.

Where Cal excels in his ability to nurture and impart wisdom to young teens like Trey. Their friendship slowly grew to one that resembled a parent-child dynamic and it was really lovely to watch. There is a twist regarding Trey during the second half of the book and I was shocked by how much it changed the way I thought of the character. It brought attention to some unconscious biases that I was perhaps holding and really made me question them, which I hadn’t been expecting to do. So, thank you to French for that!

The Searcher definitely has the dark, unsettling vibe that is essential to all good thrillers but it is very slow-burning. In some places, I felt that French was building more of a character study of Cal and the fact that he is living a life that is new to him, rather than the actual mystery. I think I also wanted more of a dramatic ending and resolution than it left me with. So, although there were certainly aspects of it I enjoyed, it didn’t excite me in the way that my favourite mysteries do.

Although I’ve read a number of the ‘murder squad’ books and enjoyed them, I have sometimes found the pacing a bit slow for my liking. This, on the other hand, felt paced just right for the story, the setting and the characters.

We all know the familiar ‘fish out of water’ trope but it’s so often repeated because it works so well. Here our ‘fish’ is Cal, a retired policeman who has left Seattle to bury and reimagine himself in the wilds of rural Ireland. Cal may believe that he has left his squad and his badge back home but the community he moves into has other ideas. Before he knows it, Cal is waist-deep in a mystery he has no real desire to solve and doing so may just be the death of him.

This was actually quite a spooky and chilling read and fitted perfectly into the paranoia of a fog-drenched lockdown Hallowe’en/Bonfire Night.

I am extremely grateful to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for receipt of an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an eArc for an honest review. I haven't read any Tana French prior to this and had heard great things. I think my issue with this was potentially in two parts: 1) my expectations 2) my taste as a reader.

The story follows ex-cop who has moved to a small, rural Irish village. He strikes up an unlikely alliance with a village kid whose brother has gone missing and no one seems to want to help.

So to understand my feelings on this I should explain myself. When I read a thriller, I want it to be a quick pace read, I want to lose sleep because I can't put it down. I also had a vague expectation of this going into the book because the plot seemed centred on the missing brother.

This is not a thriller. It is a very slow character study and about the place it is set in. I was so bored. So bored. It moves at a glacial pace and like the majority of the village the main character doesnt seem to have a sense of urgency either to find the missing young man. The characters seemed like cardboard cut outs and I'd pretty much guessed at the very start who was responsible.

Had I gone into this with a different mindset would I have prefered it? Possibly. But I just dont think this was a writing style that suited me.

My thanks to Penguin Books U.K. Viking for the invitation to read an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Searcher’ by Tana French in exchange for an honest review. As I began reading on the day of publication I complimented my eARC reading with its audiobook edition narrated by Irish-American actor, Roger Clark.

Tana French is a brilliant writer and here she settles in for a slow burn, character-led mystery set in rural Ireland.

After twenty-five years in the Chicago police force Cal Hooper put in for retirement. However, rather than be delighted by Cal stepping away from his demanding job, his wife filed for divorce. Cal’s solution was to buy a fixer-upper in a remote Irish village. It seems to be the perfect escape, a place where he can build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub. A place where nothing much happens.

Then Trey, a local kid, starts coming around. Trey is skittish but eventually asks for Cal’s help. Trey’s brother has gone missing, and no one, least of all the police, seems to care. Cal really isn’t keen to get involved with any kind of investigation, but somehow is unable to walk away. Inevitably Cal discovers that this seemingly idyllic community has many secrets lying beneath the surface.

Tana French captures the claustrophobic atmosphere of village life with ease. I especially loved the matchmaking efforts of the locals.

As initially noted this is quite a slow paced novel. The fish out of water trope was effective, though I was surprised at how restrained former Chicago cop, Cal, was in the circumstances.

Overall, another engaging crime thriller that drew me into the lives of the characters and delivered some effective revelations before its final page.

This book received a lot of good reviews but this book just wasn't for me. I have never read a Tana French novel before and based on this one I won't again. To say it is a slow-burner is an understatement; she didn't even light the gas til half way through. Even with a slow starter, the readers needs something to keep their interest. French did not do this. Despite a lot of words (an awful lot of words), the characters never came to life. I read it out of duty as the author had kindly allowed me a complementary copy.

This book sounded like just my type of thriller but did not live up to it. I don’t mind a gentle build up to increase the tension but this was too slow. I admit I had to skim read some of it or I might have given up.
Plenty of high ratings so obviously not everyone agrees and that’s exactly as it should be but it was just not right for me.

I just could not get on board with this story, I really wanted to love it, but unfortunately it was just not for me. I found it too long winded and just a bit boring, I found myself wanting to skim read in order to just see the final outcome. I know this is probably a very unpopular opinion but a very honest one,

Although this was not one for me I would still very much like to thank NetGalley and Publishers for the opportunity to read and review it

Cal is an ex New York detective with 25years service and a broken marriage. He moves to rural Ireland to start a new life and buys a run down property to renovate. Despite his intention to put his past behind him ,when 13 year old Trey comes around and asks him to find out what happened to his brother Brendan, he cannot help making some enquiries. The investigation is without the police support he is used to and he soon finds the locals are tight lipped about what might have happened to Brendan. With atmospheric location description this is a slow burn of a book. All is not what it appears to be however.

'A small place. A small town in a small country. It seemed like that would be easier to make sense of. Guess I might have had that wrong.'

THE SEARCHER is Tana French's latest captivating novel. Like her last, THE WYCH ELM, the book is a standalone, unconnected to her excellent Dublin Murder Squad series, although the protagonist in this case is a policeman or, at least, a ex-policeman. Cal Hooper is a 48 year-old retired Chicago detective, disillusioned and somewhat burnt out, who has relocated to a small village in the west of Ireland, to a dilapidated cottage which he intends to fix up, as he rebuilds and mends his psyche. Cal is befriended by Trey Reddy, a local kid whose brother has disappeared, he begins to investigate, initially reluctantly; less so as it becomes clear that not everyone in the village wants Trey's brother found.

THE SEARCHER is a slow-burn, unhurried, character-driven story, full of the gorgeous, descriptive, evocative writing for which Tana French is known. After a phone call to his daughter, Cal feels 'a sense that somehow, inspire of having been on the phone all that time, they haven't had a conversation at all; the whole thing was made of air and tumbleweed.'. A character has 'the look of a woman who's had too much land on top of her, not in one great big avalanche but trickling down little by little over a lot of years.'

It is perhaps not accidental that the title of the novel is almost that of John Ford's 'The Searchers'. The feel of the novel is that of a western set in rural Ireland, particularly a scene in which Cal and another character keep watch through a restless night, anticipating some attack on the house. This is not the romanticised Ireland of The Quiet Man or, if it is, it is now blighted by unemployment and the drugs trade. There is a melancholy, a feeling of inevitability to the events of the novel. And it is very, very good.

I have liked all of Tana French's books. FAITHFUL PLACE is my favourite and THE SEARCHER, whose theme and tone echoes that earlier book, comes very, very close.

This is the 1st book I've read by Tana French and although I found it to be a slow burner I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I found the main characters well developed with lots of facets. The description of the Irish countryside was beautiful and made me want to visit it!
I think this book will make a wonderful TV series!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin UK and Viking for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

<i>5 stars</i>

Reading <i>The Searcher</i> has left me feeling poignant and introspective, which is definitely not how I thought I’d feel when I started this book – mystery books rarely end on such a note. I’m almost sorry that this book has come to an end, because a part of my mind feels like it still lives in the Irish countryside this book is set in – I’m sometimes watching the rain pour over the fields, clutching a cup of warm tea in my hands; sometimes walking along a dirt path on the mountainside, feeling the crisp breeze play across my face; sometimes coming back from the local pub, slightly drunk, feeling nature press into me as I make my way home.

Many reviews of this book compare this novel with Tana French’s <i>Dublin Murder Squad</i> series. I am not qualified to make such an analysis (since I have only just checked out the audio book from the library) – I can only review this book for what it was. As someone who has always meant to read French’s works, my first taste of her writing prowess has only left me hungry for more.

<i>The Searcher</i> focuses on Cal Hooper, a Chicago PD retiree and divorcee, who emigrates to a remote village in Ireland after having had enough of his old life. As he settles into his new, slow-paced life, Trey Reddy, a local kid, reaches out to him. His older brother has gone missing, and no one seems interested in finding him. Cal decides to poke around, and finds that this seemingly scenic Irish town has something sinister going on under its surface.

Right from the beginning, I was invested in French’s writing. Her vivid descriptions of Irish countryside, with the flocks of sheep, the green but mountainous terrain, the fog that rolled by often, a weather which is moody and changes every half an hour – they all took me back to the vacation I went on with my family last year, where we spent some time at a geographically similar place. I wasn’t home anymore. I was physically there in Ardnakelty village, experiencing everything that Cal Hooper did. In a way, I was reliving my vacation as well.

And for me, that highest level of escapism – there is no greater mark of brilliant storytelling than that. To lose complete grasp of what’s going on around you and be wrapped up in those words that you’re reading? That’s excellent writing.

While it did take a while for the pace to pick up (about 40% on my Kindle, I’d say), the slowness of the initial chapters managed to instil a sense of foreboding in me as I made my way through Cal’s narration. Once I’d gotten through those slow chapters, I couldn’t stop reading, and even when I did, it was much against my will. (Alas, like most other readers, I need to work to finance my reading habits.)

Cal, at times reminded me of Ove from <i>A Man Called Ove</i>, which only endeared his character to me all the more. Cal’s no-nonsense narration set the perfect tone for the mystery. The story had a very <i>Broadchurch</i>-like vibe to it, what with that restless quality which comes from something shady going on in a small town, and it only added to my enjoyment of this novel.

One thing I must note is the directness with which French touched upon racism. We always get the sense that Cal didn’t just quit his job and move across an ocean because of his divorce, and the manner in which French included racism, xenophobia and racial profiling in Cal’s backstory mirrored real life in a very tangible way.

Coming back to the story – there were plot twists I didn’t see coming. After all, what is a good mystery if there isn’t something that whacks you right in the face in that microsecond that you blink? While some things could be discerned, there were so many other things that I never foresaw, which made it an exciting read. I definitely never anticipated that this book would be interspersed with wry humour, which made me snigger into the cushion I was balancing my Kindle on while I highlighted those paras for future reads.

I also definitely never anticipated how wistful the ending would make me feel. The mystery does get resolved satisfactorily, but the way things were written made me wonder about human beings as a species, our ability and inability to be satisfied with our lot in life, the extent to which we’d go to protect what is ours, and made me think along the lines of existential and moral nihilism.

If I’m being honest, my mind still ponders those deeper questions, even as I write this review. Just as I feel like I’m permanently stuck in the Irish countryside, I also keep thinking about the human condition.

This novel is a very powerful piece of work in many ways, and I truly feel blessed that I had an opportunity to read an ARC. Thank you, Penguin General UK and NetGalley. I never thought a mystery/thriller would leave me feeling the way I am; I absolutely loved this book.

Tana French is a name I hear all the time, I know so many people that absolutely adore the Dublin Murder Squad series. After failing to get into the tv adaptation I’ve never been tempted to read anything by her, not even The Witch Elm and I live quite locally to the wych elm which I assume that book is based on - until now! I was sent my copy of The Searcher to review by Viking and netgalley.

The Searcher is about Cal Hooper, a retired policeman from Chicago, who has bought a house to restore in a remote village in Ireland. One day a local boy comes looking for his help after his brother went missing six months ago. Cal quickly finds that people aren’t always what they seem in this picturesque village and trouble comes calling at his door.

I found the pacing of this so odd. I did enjoy the slow burn initially getting to know Cal but it soon started feeling like it was drawn out for no real reason. The tension wasn’t building and there was no sense of danger until near the end of the book.

This book has so many high ratings yet it didn’t hit the same, I guess this just wasn’t for me. I’d really like to see what other people think now it’s out in hardback in the UK.

The beginning of this book was good iv thought who wouldn't love the idea of fixing up an old cottage in Ireland i did finish the book but did find it boring at times sorry

What can I say about this book? - it is beautifully written, so atmospheric. Tana French never fails to draw a full picture of her characters which engages the reader completely. There are no 'typical' caricatures - just rounded people who we learn all about - their past, their thoughts, their feelings, their aspirations for themselves and others. Although there is a mystery this book is very character driven. Cal and Trey develop a complicated but close relationship. It is one of those books that I like to read slowly and absorb every word and feel disappointment when it is finished.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Tana French/Penguin General UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Revealing too much about this fantastic new work from Tana French – arguably one of our greatest living mystery writers – will give away the thrill of staring, open mouthed, as its languid, drawn-out, razor-sharp plot unravels, exquisitely. Suffice to say that protagonist Cal Hooper, newly retired from the Chicago PD, recovering from a grim divorce and hoping for a quiet life renovating a project house in a remote Irish village, does not quite get what he hopes for. The characters he encounters are truly believable, and the slow, almost meditative pace of the beginning of the novel is perfectly fitting for its stunning setting in the Irish countryside – yet all this beauty and hope is masterfully dotted by French with the occasional, unsettling prickle of doubt and uncertainty, as if you’ve seen something sinister scuttle across the edge of your vision, and shake your head to brush it off. But as Hooper ends up wondering: what is real anyway – and did he really want a quiet life? This book challenges conventions and reveals ill-meant truths, well-meaning lies: friends who turn out to be less than promised and strangers who become closer than family – adding up to make this, like all books from French, into an absolutely perfect winter read.

EXCERPT: He's halfway through his second pint before he tunes into the argument going on down the bar. It catches his ear because it sounds unusual. Mostly the arguments in here are the well-worn kind that can be made to stretch for years or decades, resurfacing periodically when there's nothing fresh to discuss. They involve farming methods, the relative uselessness of local and national politicians, whether the wall on the western side of the Strokestown road should be replaced by fencing, and whether Tommy Moynihan's fancy conservatory is a nice touch of modern glamour or an example of jumped-up notions. Everyone already knows everyone's stance on the issues - except Mart's, since he tends to switch sides regularly to keep things interesting - and is eager for Cal's input to mix the conversation up a little.

This argument has a different ring to it, louder and messier, like it's one they haven't practiced. 'There's no dog could do that,' the guy at the end of the bar is saying stubbornly. He's little and round, with a little round head perched on top, and he tends to wind up on the wrong end of jokes; generally he seems okay with this, but this time he's turning red in the face with vehemence and outrage. 'Did you even look at them cuts? It wasn't teeth that done that.'

ABOUT: THE SEARCHER - 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.

MY THOUGHTS:For some unknown reason, I haven't read anything by Tana French for several years. But I am glad I decided to resume our relationship with The Searcher, very much a character driven mystery.

Her characters are 'characters': from Cal, fresh out of Chicago who came looking for a small place, a small town in a small country, settling on Ireland because at least he wouldn't have to learn a new language; to Noreen who runs the shop in the brief double line of buildings that counts as Ardnakelty village, and who won't order the cookies Mart likes because of a complicated saga that took place in the 1980s and involved her uncles and Mart's father and grazing rights.

The townsfolk are insular, almost feudal. They will look out for and protect one another, even punish one another, but are slow to accept change or new people into their midst. The 'bush telegraph' is alive and well in Ardnakelty. At one point, Cal concedes that 'a guy can't pick his nose around here without the whole town telling him to wash his hands.' The pub, Sean Og's, is the social centre of village life, along with Noreen's store, where you will be served a healthy slice of gossip along with your grocery order. Unless, of course, you're on the outer, in which case all you will get is misdirection and obfuscation at best; at worst, stony silence and a withering stare. Or, a warning.

The beauty of The Searcher lies in its characters, who come very much alive with French's skilful depiction. There are many laugh out loud moments, but also moments of deep emotional complexity. This was a slow read, in the context that I took my time and lingered over passages, enjoying the depth of the characters and the complexity of their thought processes.

This is not a thriller. The Searcher is an atmospheric mystery underpinned with a lurking menace. It is a portrait of a small village determined to protect itself. It is an immensely satisfying read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.4

#TheSearcher #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Tana French, born 1973 in Burlington, Vermont, is an American-Irish writer and theatrical actress. She is a longstanding resident of Dublin, Ireland. Her debut novel In the Woods, a psychological mystery, won the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, and Barry awards for best first novel. She lives in Dublin with her family.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Penguin General UK via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Searcher by Tana French for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago Police Detective has decided to relocate to West Ireland after his marriage breaks down in the hopes of finally leading a calm peaceful existence with no crimes to solve. But fate has other plans for him when Trey, a thirteen year old local boy enters his life.
I have had a love hate relationship with Tana French’s books. She either makes me love a book or leaves me completely frustrated but wither way I know I am in for a ride.
The Searcher starts out slow with nothing much happening for about 10-15% of the book. It’s extreme slow burn with a simple seeming, meandering mystery.
I am happy I stuck with it for a while because it definitely hooks you in the more you read. More than a mystery, it’s a character study and a look into the life in an isolated small town with a close knit local community and its many many secrets. The way French explores the small town community dynamics is fascinating. It was this element more than the mystery that kept me rooted.
Both Cal and Trey salqyirms their way into your hearts without even you noticing and leaves a lasting impression.
Overall I am happy to say this is a French book I loved and this is the reason I will keep picking up her books because there’s no saying what I might find next.
Definitely recommended for people who are looking for a slow burn mystery with more emphasis on the characters than the plot. Not recommended for people looking for a fast paced thriller

This was way too slow for me. I'm beginning to realise I'm not a fan of 'slow-burners' as I just get bored and lose interest. I was skim reading waiting for it to get to the missing man, but I got to 11% and still nothing. For it to be the entire premise and the reason for the title, I shouldn't have to wait that long to read about it! I've heard great reviews about this book and the author, so think it's just not one for me.

This is a slow and meandering mystery, which features Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago Police Detective. After finding his job too stressful, especially after his marriage broke down; Cal has made a move not just to leave the police, but to leave the country, and has relocated to West Ireland. Now he spends his day fixing up his remote house, chatting to his neighbour, occasionally heading to the local pub and enjoying not being responsible for the minor misdemeanors that may happen in the area.

However, although Cal enjoys his feeling of irresponsibility, life is about to become a little more complicated when a local boy starts to drop by. Trey is thirteen and comes from a local family who are viewed as troublesome by the locals. At first, Trey doesn't state why exactly he has started to linger around the property, but it soon becomes obvious that he is aware Cal was in the police and he thinks that he can help him trace his missing brother. Although Cal is not keen to get involved, he reluctantly agrees to help and tries to uncover what happened.

This is not a typical mystery and is far more about the characters than anything else. I liked the writing and enjoyed getting to know the people of Ardnakelty. Just be aware that, although this has a good sense of place and character, it is not a book to be hurried and you just need to relax and enjoy getting to know the people and their backgrounds. I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, for review.