A symphony of plot intricacies graces this mesmerizing thriller, crafting a narrative that at first whirls through interwoven circles, spiralling into dizzying depths. Yet, as the story unfurls, its scope expands, revealing broader landscapes that break free from the confines of initial circularity.

At its core, this novel fearlessly tackles intricate themes, most notably the journey from the innocence of adolescence to the complexities of adulthood, and even the twilight years of old age. The narrative is a poignant exploration of these life stages, delving into the depths of human experience with a keen psychological eye. While the psychological insights offered are engrossing, the portrayal of pharmaceutical side effects leaves me partially unconvinced, detracting slightly from the immersion.

Cleverly nuanced and deliciously dark, the story grips you with increasing intensity as you delve deeper. The initial third sets the stage, but it's in the subsequent sections that the true power of the narrative comes to light. Heartfelt thanks are in order for delivering such an imaginatively profound foray into the realms of the psychological thriller genre.

It's clever, it's dark and after the first third, quite compelling. Thank you for such an imaginative exploration of the psychological thriller genre.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

Toby considers himself very lucky, until a seemingly random break in leaves him badly beaten and nearly dead. After a number of surgeries and some copious physiotherapist, Toby goes to stay at his uncles house to recuperate. But when a human skull is found inside a Wych elm on the property, Toby questions what he knows about this house, the summers he and his cousins spent here as kids, and his own memories.

Tana French is one of my favourite authors. I love her Dublin Murder series, and was so excited to read her first stand-alone.

The Wych Elm is a hefty book at just over 500 pages, and I have to admit it is quite slow paced. But I don’t mean this in a bad way. There is a lot of build up to the mystery and it creates such a strong atmosphere of the characters but also, in this case, the Ivy House. This has many plot points that are dropped in so subtly but pack such a punch at the same time, and I was hooked throughout. I love how alive the characters are and how deep into their lives we get to see. This isn’t just a thrilling mystery that doesn’t go where you expect, it’s a case study on human emotions, on heartbreaking mistakes and the deep rooted consequences, not just on life or those around you, but on who you are as a person.

I absolutely loved it, and I had only just started before I ordered Tana French’s second standalone novel, The Searcher, which I can’t wait to read either.

I haven't read Tana French before but this absolutely gripped me,ch is impressive since most of the real “action“ happens at the start and the end with a slow-moving coagulation of unreliable memories and unreliable witnesses bubbles in between. It's just brilliantly written. The main mystery wasn't hugely difficult to solve but the characters and relationships and the way they were unpicked through time was wonderful to read

I found this novel incredibly hard going. It took an age to get going and then I feared it would never end. The long-windedness of it meant that any interest or intrigue that built up soon petered out as the plot got bogged down in superfluous wordiness. I stuck with it till the end, however, but unfortunately it wasn't worth it. Toby's endless self-absorbed introspection got on my nerves and something about the other characters just didn't ring true. I found the ending tedious and depressing and it made me resent the time I spent on this book.
While I'm able to fully appreciate the quality of French's writing, in this case it got flabby, repetitive and frustrating. I didn't like this book but would read the author again.

I haven't read any of Tana Frenchs previous work but the premise of this book really appealed to me - a family mystery combined with the discovery of some old remains in a spooky wych elm tree. Unfortunately I found that the story just dragged and that the main character - Toby - was really unappealing.

Although the plot began to pick up once Toby's cousins were introduced and he had returned to the family home, it was not the page-turner that I had expected and I felt that the mystery kept getting bogged down in cumbersome detail or overly-intricate plotting that was designed to confuse the reader and 'pad' the story.

Toby’s struggles to overcome the physical and psychological trauma he endures at the beginning of the book was compelling but I still struggled to connect with him as a character, and some of the side characters felt a bit one-dimensional to me also.

Whilst I am sure some readers will love the dense plotting and the way the author slowly creates tension and draws the story out, this ultimately wasn't a book for me.

Tana French channelling Barbara Vine 3.5 raised to 4

Although the Dublin police, including a couple from the Dublin Murder Squad do make their presences felt in this novel, The Wych Elm is not a part of French’s police procedurals. This is a very different kind of novel, almost a different subsection of thriller. In fact, in its unpicking of a superficially ‘golden’ family, exposing the darkness buried in the past of the central character, it is much closer to a Barbara Vine novel. And it is the central character, thrown into turbulence by not one, but two cataclysmic life changing events, who for personal reasons, is uncovering the mysteries, trying to stay ahead of police investigations as it is just possible that he may be suspect as much as victim.

Toby is a lucky man, so he has always believed, life looking favourably upon him, due to his charm, intelligence and likeability. But, as becomes clear, the odds for luck are stacked as much on class and privilege as they ever are on personal attributes

An art marketing untruth which Toby is tangentially involved in, not the instigator, but nonetheless colluding in, leads to a night of violence which almost kills him, and his charmed life begins to unravel. He is drawn back into the past, to his memories of some 10 years earlier, idyllic summers spent at an eccentric uncle’s rambling home, with his two cousins, during their last summer before leaving school for university.

While absorbing, this did not quite work as well for me as French’s other books. She has never been a furiously fast plot driven writer, but normally the length of her books do not deter me, and feel as if the slow journey is necessary. Here, I felt the slow pace was overdone. Toby (and others) went over the same ground many times, and nothing new was being discovered or deepened in character. I also found a major problem in Toby’s sainted girlfriend Melissa. Snail pace and a character unrealistically close to deserving of canonisation (reminding me a little of some of Dickens’ over sainted, somewhat saccharine characters) have dropped my French 5 star love to 3 ½ raised to just, 4

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book
I really enjoyed it, for me it was slightly too long but beautifully crafted, an excellent plot.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this. I loved French's Dublin Murder Squad series so had high expectations, expectations that this met and more. It was creepy as hell and as a self proclaimed wimp I had to read this in daylight hours only. Tana French has a way of giving you relatable but ultimately flawed characters who you can't help but bond with. My only issue is it took far too long to get to the main mystery and I felt it was dragged out a little for a stand alone.

I bought this novel based on my previous great enjoyment of her other well written books. It was far too long, and I'm normally a glutton for a good long read however, the book descended into ridiculousness and I lost patience.

Another excellent read by Tana French, who cements her place as one of my favourite writers. Her exploration of friendship, how people perceive others and how they believe they themselves are perceived, is stunningly good.

I struggled with this book and did not read this as quickly as I normally would. It was a bit dragged out and I did not connect with the main character.

I am in charge of the senior library and work with a group of Reading Ambassadors from 16-18 to ensure that our boarding school library is modernised and meets the need of both our senior students and staff. It has been great to have the chance to talk about these books with our seniors and discuss what they want and need on their shelves. I was drawn to his book because I thought it would be something different from the usual school library fare and draw the students in with a tempting storyline and lots to discuss.
This book was a really enjoyable read with strong characters and a real sense of time and place. I enjoyed the ways that it maintained a cracking pace that kept me turning its pages and ensured that I had much to discuss with them after finishing. It was not only a lively and enjoyable novel but had lots of contemporary themes for our book group to pick up and spend hours discussing too.
I think it's important to choose books that interest as well as challenge our students and I can see this book being very popular with students and staff alike; this will be an excellent purchase as it has everything that we look for in a great read - a tempting premise, fantastic characters and a plot that keeps you gripped until you close its final page.

An engrossing mystery. I agree with another reviewer who said there were echoes of Barbara Vine. Very enjoyable.

It’s very sad as I adore Tana French, but this is actually the weakest of her novels. Without the structure of the Murder Squad to move things along, she seems to founder somewhat, and finds herself filling space with endless description and over-romanticised scenes between characters who for some reason, in this one, don’t quite ring true.

You know when a book comes recommended by Stephen King that you have to sit up and take notice, but before that I had heard of Tana French only as part of the stuff of legends, so when I saw this on Netgalley I jumped. Sadly, as I've realised has happened a lot, not only did I wait too long to read, THEN I waited a further two months to review!! 

This is a book about Toby and his family, who have found something macabre in their house at a time that's tough enough for them. I know this is listed as thriller but for me it was as much about reflection and family connections. I read this over a month, easing in and out seamlessly, and absolutely breathing in the beautiful descriptiveness, while appreciating the twists too. I enjoyed this very slow burner (also very long book at over 500 pages- I know, its wrong to say it but you have to be warned),  but I'm also looking forward to reading her more fast paced detective books next. Thanks so much to Penguin and Netgalley for the book in return for an honest review

Rating:4/5

There's a slow burn menace that runs throughout this book. The words sink into your skin and they stick, like tiny little barbs, dragging you deeper and deeper into the world being created.

A lot of reviews don't seem to feel the same as me though and that's okay. I can also see how, if I'd picked this book up on a different day, I too might have enjoyed it a lot less. Some of my work colleagues didn't reach 100 pages before giving up.

I really liked the malice, the tension, the strained relationships. It almost felt a little Scandi-noir.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a strange thriller that seems to have no way of resolving. The Wych Elm is a bitter story told with real heart.

The Wych Elm is my first foray into Tana French's books, and I am pleased to say it did not disappoint. It is deep, brooding and tense; I would describe it as a domestic thriller but also as a character study, as the narrative dives very deeply into the psyche of our main protagonist, Toby, and doesn't rely on crazy plot twists to add drama. The story was believable and gritty, which only adds to its appeal.

Alongside a well-developed main character, French also gives us several other beautifully created characters, my favourite being uncle Hugo, whom I loved and became rather fond of as the story progressed.

My only issue with this book is that there were a few characters that I didn't really 'understand', despite ample pages dedicated to getting to know them. I also personally would have preferred the novel to be slightly shorter, as although much of the description and prose is amazing, I can't help but think of some of it as superfluous. I have read many novels that manage to characterize/describe beautifully in several sentences, hence I don't think this novel benefitted from its occasional overwriting. The setup was also a little long for my liking, and I would have preferred if it had jumped into the action a little bit earlier!

That being said, I am aware that this is merely a personal preference (and that I am a very impatient reader who likes short, snappy prose...!).

Would definitely recommend to those looking for a deep and page-turning thriller with a bit of a twist.

I loved all Tana French's previous books. She's one of the best – if not THE best – crime novelist writing at the moment. So perhaps my expectations were too high, because I just couldn't get on with this book. I found it slow-moving to the point of lethargy, and I found I didn't care about anything that was happening. I feel like it was just a misstep though, and I'll certainly read French's future books.

I’ve loved Tana French’s Dublin series books, so was eagerly excited to read The Wych Elm, which does not disappoint. Told from the POV of Toby - a 28-year old, privileged white young man who works in PR for an art gallery, has a lovely, supporting girlfriend and the seemingly perfect life – this follows how his life is drastically changed after his flat is broken into and he’s violently beaten to death by the burglars. He suffered a serious head injury that affects his memory and speech, and as a result of breaking his ribs and hips he now walks with a gait. He’s nervous, anxious and paranoid, having lost confidence in his safety and himself. When he’s told his bachelor Uncle is diagnosed with cancer, that’s in its last stages, and has a few months to live, his girlfriend encourages him to move into the Ivy House. Toby is on the path to recovery when a human skull is found in their garden and their lives are disrupted…
I highly enjoyed this book. I loved the chemistry between Toby, Susannah and Leon, Toby’s cousins. French excels, as always, at crafting complex characters and creating escalating tension. The scenes with the three of them was my favourite. Per usual French writes dialogues that is sizzling with conflict and a thrumming tension. She really captures how differently people remember their adolescence and the affect this perception can have in later life through long-held grudges and bitterness. There are also some stunning debates on the themes of morality and guilt between the three cousins while lounging in the atmospheric garden of Ivy House. There is some truly lovely prose in this mammoth of a novel. Plotwise this was a slow-burner and the mystery unravels with shocking revelations and turns. My only gripe was the length of this book. At over 500 pages this was a rather long read and I felt that plenty could’ve been edited out for a crisper and tighter read. I was also baffled by the reveal of the murderers that came rather early, and with still another 20% left I was wondering where the story was going. I wasn’t taken by the last act involving Toby, and the direction the story went into. I think for me the problem was that once the murderers were revealed there wasn’t any questions left to be answered and so the story lost steam and suspense. However, taking into consideration these flaws this is still a novel that has lots going for it and I will definitely continue to read Ms French’s future works. 4/5