Rather like the Wych Elm, you have to trust Tana French to lead you on a slow journey into a character and back to the world. A retired Chicago police officer who has run away to Ireland, Cal Hooper offers poignant company, and his growing relationship with the natives of his adopted town forms the spine of the story. The novel feels less like a crime fiction than a Western - the loner, the tough beauty of the landscape, the quest. Its mood stayed with me long after closing the pages.

The Searcher by Tana French is a fabulous read and one of her very best novels, in my opinion. The plot is intricately woven throughout the book, while at the same time the characters continue to develop and surprise the reader. The way Cal and Trey get to know each other is so moving without being sentimental.

I particularly enjoyed how the remote setting is so well described and I could almost hear the Irish accent and dialect. I’m sure it’d be a very successful audio book. I thoroughly recommend it.

My thanks to Netgalley and Viking, part of Penguin Random House Publishers for the advance copy.

Somehow this book disappointed a little. Set in Ireland, with an interesting mix of characters so seemed a good premise but
it never really grabbed me as I it was a very slow burner and did not really become anything more than mundane.
In all honesty it was rambling and lacked focus.
The lead Cal appeared to be a little clichéd, ex cop moves to Ireland to find himself. I didn't feel particularly concerned one way or the other.
Overall, I was disappointed with The Searcher. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

Beautiful surroundings brought to life from the pen of an articulated writer who knows what the reader wants. Mystery, suspense and murder happen anywhere and in this case its the wilds of Ireland. An ex cop wants a quiet life but that is never going to happen when a youth turns up who he takes under his wing. A youth with a secret and a missing brother, they want the truth whatever the cost and unfortunately the cost could be a high one. Full of tension that builds slowly till it tumbles out of the pages and into your lap as you read the book. Haunting, taut and captivating the book delivers a tale of death, destruction yet also of regret and sorrow.

A slow burn with an ending that makes it all worth it!!

My first Tana French and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more! An ex cop moves to a small village in Ireland and gets unwittingly wrapped up in the search for a missing teenager. The mounting tension that slowly rises throughout the book really immerses you fully into the world French creates, this is helped along by the writing of the dialogue of the locals with all the right twangs in the right places.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin UK for the ARC

This was my first ever Tana French novel. I found a well written book with believable characters. Set in Ireland, Cal Hooper, ex cop from Chicago PD, retires and moves to Ireland to live in a small rundown farmhouse, which Cal is renovating. Cal was asked by a local resident to investigate a missing teenager, reluctantly at first, but eventually accepted. The tall American was well liked and accepted by the small community. The chapters were long and descriptive. I am not a fan of long chapters. The banter from the local Irish community was very funny in parts.

I would recommend this book to Tana French fans but, for me to slow and descriptive.

I would give a 3 star rating but only because this novel was not for me.

I WISH TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK

I like a crime or mystery novel every now again, especially an intelligent one like this, but there were quite a few times that I wasn’t convinced. The protagonist, an American police officer who has retired to rural Ireland, gets unwittingly involved in looking for a missing person in the tight-knit village, so far so good, but I didn’t quite get French’s leap to having his passing acquaintance Lena involved too. Small moments like this, where my belief is stretched, tend to ruin the reading experience for me. Something I did appreciate, French being, like her protagonist, an American immigrant in the Republic of Ireland, the limited use of dialect which can be wearying when reading something set in a place with a known accent. There was just enough - the odd “yoke” and “eejit” - to get a flavour of the setting. Overall, I’d definitely try another Tana French novel in future.

Tana French is a great writer, love her mysteries. This was was no different. I loved the literary quality to it, the atmosphere was amazing. The mystery was satisfying, the characters were well developed.
If only she could cut out the bits that don't add to the story and make it more boring and slower than it needs to be. It was the same with her other stand alone. Overall, a good read though.

Thanks a lot to the publisher and NG for this copy.

I’ve not read anything by Tana French before, and after reading this book, The Searcher, I’ll definitely be looking at more of her books.
This story really grabbed me; the retired cop from Chicago moving to a small community in Ireland with a house he intends to fix up, expecting peace and a complete change in lifestyle but instead finding himself caught up emotionally and physically in something way out of his control when a local child comes to him for help.

I loved this book. The characters were great and well rounded and the story line was really different to the usual ones you find. I highly recommend it.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. It’s well paced with some great characters and enough twists and turns to keep you hooked to the very last page! I found my self very invested with the lives and events of the book and the relationship between Cal and Trey and then the two’s relationship with Lena. The book shows some insight in to close knit communities and the outsider living amongst them.
There are plenty of surprises throughout the book to keep you turning the pages Tana French is brilliant at putting things in you hadn’t even thought about therefore leaving me shocked at several points in the book! All in all a great read!

Excellent. The clash of cultures and sense of an outsider moving to a tight knit community was cleverly described. The main characters were well sketched out and the plot involving a missing young man was well developed. Recommended

This is the first Tana French I have read, but it certainly won’t be the last. I got this as a ARC from netgalley, so didn’t really know what to expect, but the characters and the area are so well written, I could hear them talking in my head and see the countryside around the main characters. It is a very good story told extremely well, I would recommended this to anyone who likes a good story.

My first Tana French read. This was a really atmospheric book, very descriptive. I wouldn’t call it a thriller definitely more of a mystery read. There was a strong focus on character building, family, relationships, and community. I did enjoy it however it was a slow read with minimal suspense. If I could I would give this 3.5🌟 however I have rounded this up to 4.

I was completely drawn in to this novel with its superb characterisation and rich descriptive language. Desperate to find out more of the back story of its flawed narrator Cal, ex US detective, and how he found himself in rural Ireland. His relationship with the neglected teenager Trey was so well drawn and we see It develop through his eyes as they try to discover what happened to brother Brendan. Cal’s acceptance by the close knit local community is key to the plot as is his relationship with his elderly neighbour Mart forged in biscuits and with Lena and her pups who provides a female perspective. Violence is used with impact where necessary.

Slow Burn Of Mounting Tension....
Atmospheric mystery, character driven and engaging with a haunting setting. A slow burn of mounting tension, well written and often emotional with multi faceted, and always credible, characters. An interesting standalone.

Cal Hooper decides to move to a small town in Ardnakelty, Ireland, following how retirement from the Chicago police force and a stressful divorce. He’s seeking a quiet, stress free retirement, fixing up his new property and enjoying the countryside. However, almost against his will, he is drawn into investigating the disappearance of a local boy, relying on his well-honed detection skills. But will his skills serve him well, in small-town Ireland? In a town where everyone knows everyone else’s business, and nothing gets past the gossipy tongue of the local shopkeeper or the barflies in the local pub, are there ever any real secrets, and is everyone what they seem to be?

I am a huge fan of Tana French, and think she is an accomplished mystery author. I felt that this was a bit of a departure from her Dublin Murder Squad books, and on reflection, that was probably a deliberate choice by her. It’s not quite as twisty-turny as her previous books, leaning more on character development, which I greatly enjoyed. The mystery had a good solution, and I didn’t think it was particularly obvious. A good read, and definitely would recommend this!


I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another thrilling novel from Tana French. A slow burner, with a dark undertone. The ending feels slightly rushed, and personally I would have liked it wrap up in a slightly clearer way. But a great read for long, dark winter nights.

I loved everything about this book. I loved the characters and the setting. The descriptions and the pace of the story made me feel as if I was there. I could imagine the characters and the scenery. The storyline was well thought out. I just wanted to keep reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Definitely a slow-burn that didn't develop in the ways I thought it might. Very descriptive of the Irish landscape and authentic patterns of speech. I found the protagonist a bit hard to connect with as he's not an emotional character and the twist with Trey was surprising but didn't particularly add anything to the story for me.