This is the second of Tana French’s books that I have read. The description of the setting was great and I could picture myself out in the Irish wilderness. I really liked Cal as a main character & the fact he seems like a simple, decent character. He moves to rural Ireland to escape his job as a Chicago cop - and he buys a run down farmhouse with a view to renovating it. We join him as he tries to fit in, to not draw attention to himself and most importantly to stay away from any trouble. So the last thing he needs is to get roped into a missing persons investigation. This is such a good read. I was kept guessing throughout and I honestly didn’t see that ending coming. Great book!

Cal Hooper is an ex-Chicago detective who has moved to a remote Irish village to start a new life. Whilst renovating his run down cottage he gets regular visits from a local young boy called Trey . As their relationship develops Trey becomes Cal’s unofficial apprentice. It later emerges that Trey is in fact a girl.
She is aware of Cal’s background and seeks his help to solve the sudden disappearance of her older brother Brendan. Everyone, including their mother, seems to have accepted that he simply took off elsewhere but Trey is not convinced and feels there is a more sinister reason.
Some locals appear friendly but a lot are suspicious of the “American foreigner”, especially when he starts asking too many questions. Trey simply wants to know what happened to her brother and when Cal discovers the truth it causes the breakdown of some firm friendships.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I cannot make my mind up about it. I struggled for most of it and more than once nearly gave up. I felt it was really slow and wanted it to speed up but mostly just wanted something to happen. Then suddenly everything came to life, then it was over . After reading lots of previous reviews I wondered if I was reading the same book. I may attempt another book by this author at some point but think it might be a while before I do.

The Searcher by Tana French is a detective thriller with a difference. The book tells the story of Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago police detective who moves to a small village in the west of Ireland following the breakdown of his marriage. Unlike so many Americans, he has no Irish roots and instead was drawn to the area having seen a picture online. Despite the insular nature of small towns, Cal is starting to feel like he fits in, he has struck up a friendship of sorts with a neighbouring farmer, Mart, and is so well liked by the local shopkeeper Noreen that she tries some traditional match making with her sister. He is enjoying the peace and quiet of small town life , but in the last few weeks he has been feeling like someone is watching him, the instincts honed by years on the force are kicking into gear. To his surprise the water turns out to be a young local, Trey, who has heard rumours about his past life and wants him to look for a missing person. Trey's big brother has disappeared without warning, and no one seems to be taking it seriously, to most it seems that like many nineteen year old young men he has gone to seek his fortune in the city. Trey knows better, and when Cal hears the story he begins to ask questions. Not everyone is going to take kindly to a " blow in " sticking their nose into other peoples business, but the more Cal investigates, and the more he bonds with the shy but determined Trey, the more sure he is that something sinister is going on.
Tana French is an incredibly skilled writer, and this book showcases her skills at their peak. Her use of language is incredibly evocative , particularly in her descriptions of the landscape and wildlife, so much so that the land almost feels like a character in the book. Speaking of characters, her ability to capture, without caricaturing , the various inhabitants of the town is beyond rebuke. From nosy neighbour to garrulous shopkeeper, they are robust and believable. When it comes to the character, Cal, French makes him compelling , and even more so when Trey comes into his life. The dynamics between those two and the way their relationship grows is at the heart of the book, providing some of it's most poignant moments. There is humour too of course, most notably in the spiky banter between Cal and Lena, the woman shopkeeper Noreen is desperate to set him up with, and at times that humour takes a darker turn, particularly in a scene set at the local pub that has a distinctly menacing undertone.
Although the village setting is fictional, French includes some real place names which gave me a good idea of the setting, particularly since I grew up close to that area, and I commend again her skill in capturing both landscape and people. I found myself unwilling to put the book down, and compelled to keep reading to find out not only what happened to the missing Brendan, but what would happen to these characters who had come to life so vividly on the page. It is rare to find a book where the quality of both plot and writing is so very good, and such a joy when you get your hands on one as good as this.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

For some reason I have never read a Tana French novel before but assuming The Searcher is as good as her previous novels I have a lot of catching up to do. The story revolves around the retired Chicago PD Cal Hunter, who has relocated to Ireland. He has bought an almost derelict house and is in the throes of doing it up when he is visited by the adolescent Trey who wants Cal to find an older sibling Brendan who has disappeared. Although Cal is loathe to become involved he is inextricably drawn to Trey’s heartache. Ardnakelty is an obviously close-knit rural community and has an amazing cast of characters who are incredibly well drawn. There’s the shopkeeper Noreen who desperately wants to fix Cal up with her feisty sister Lena and a host of farmers and low-lifes. I particularly loved the descriptions of Carl’s rural idyll, the witty observations of the rooks and the changing seasons, none of which I would normally associated with a mystery of this type. The mystery of Brendan’s disappearance almost plays second fiddle to the scenery and character dynamics but that’s no criticism. Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for the ARC.

Cal Hooper, having spent 25 years in the Chicago PD is choosing a new life of solitude in the Irish village of Ardnakelty. Recently divorced and leaving grown up daughter Alyssa behind in the States , he has bought an almost derelict property, once belonging to Marie O’Shea, and intends to spend his days gradually transforming this property into a home. He’s looking forward to a life hunting and fishing, with no intention of becoming caught up in anyone’s drama. Building a friendship of sorts with elderly neighbour Mart and his erstwhile doggy companion Kojak, life looks easy and uncomplicated, his only obligation to provide Mart with the biscuits he loves. That is until intuition tells Cal he is being watched, someone desperately wants his attention. Nighttime noises and a feeling of a shadowy presence on his land finally translates into the appearance of Trey Reddy, a child looking for answers into the disappearance of brother Brendan, believing Cal is the man who can help. As these two tentatively forge some kind of relationship, Cal reluctantly agrees to help investigate the disappearance of this young man. Uncovering secrets in this small town, disturbing the normal pattern of life is no easy task and may not be wise but one which Cal feels unable to avoid.

The actual storyline is pretty bleak and gloomy even if it’s one of the most atmospheric I’ve read in a while. It’s hard not to let a veil of despondency descend as you become immersed in the storyline but if you can persevere and see past the initial rawness of the landscape and the visceral nature of the main character then you will also find touches of compassion and glimmers of humour and hope. The brutality of the landscape and the harsh isolated life many of the farmers lead in the small western Irish town of Ardnakelty is a given and you have the sense only the toughest characters can survive. The author has captured that small town vibe where everyone knows your business and outsiders are regarded with suspicion but Cal is well suited to dealing with both the isolation, which he welcomes and the scrutiny from the likes of Mart, his neighbour. There is a scene in the local pub that is full of subtle warnings to Cal as a newcomer to leave the past in the past and to not go digging for trouble but will he heed this unasked for advice? I felt Cal was being put on probation by Mart and his old cronies, and his true mettle tested. I never doubted for a moment that he was more than a match for this bunch. Despite wishing to live a life without unwanted interruption and unencumbered by relationships, Cal finds it impossible to lay his twenty five years of policing to rest, casting aside doubts in order to help Trey. This desire to help, to find answers is part of him, it’s in his very bones just like this landscape is infused in the hearts and minds and lives of these Irish townsfolk.

To read The Searcher is to also find yourself at one with nature, such is the extent at which this landscape seeps into the storyline so it’s impossible to escape its bleakness and its beauty. There are a couple of scenes that showcase this brutality in terms of the treatment of animals living on the land and also violence shown towards some of the characters which whilst unpleasant to read is in keeping with the overall tone of the novel. My immediate thoughts, reading this from the comfort of home was that the kind of life Sheila Reddy and her children experience up in the mountains or indeed the one Cal has chosen is not one I’d adapt to very easily. There is a creepy undertone throughout that applies not only to the environment and the weather but also to the mysterious disappearance of Brendan Reddy. I wasn’t ready (haha!) for the massive shock that occurs part way through however I did guess who or what was responsible for this young man’s sudden departure.

It is in the relationships that Cal forms with Trey and Lena, written sensitively and with compassion that the reader finds some shred of hope and human kindness present as well as an inkling of humour. This adds a touch of lightness to what is essentially a dark tale.

Did I enjoy this read? I was convinced I’d read books by this author before but I don’t think I have so I’m unable to measure The Searcher up against any of the author’s previous novels. In terms of writing style and use of language Tana French is outstanding and the way is which she has woven the storyline embedding it amongst this harsh and hostile landscape is first class and therefore deserving of five stars. In some ways I was almost mesmerised and intoxicated by the depictions of this small place Cal has chosen to inhabit, to the extent I forgot there was a potential crime to be solved. However it’s very slow paced which won’t appeal to those who prefer a rollercoaster of a read and there is a heavy reliance on nature and the environment which again may deter some readers. There isn’t a great deal of action at all so unless you can fully appreciate the beauty of the language in relation to the setting I can understand why this storyline might not hold your interest. Although there is a sense of sadness imbuing the narrative,I found the ending incredibly moving and hopeful. For all these reasons I have settled on a 4 star review. I don’t think upon completion it’s one that immediately makes you think wow; only as my thoughts settled and I allowed my mind to process this piece of fiction as a whole did I think that yes, this does indeed possess that wow factor.
If you enjoyed Chris Whitaker’s We Begin At The End then this might be the book for you. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed The Searcher very much. For the most part this standalone mystery novel moves quite slowly, but it held my attention right from the beginning. It certainly isn’t a book to rush through, rather it’s one to savour. The main characters are Cal Hooper and thirteen-year old Trey Reddy living in Ardnakelty, a remote Irish village. After twenty five years in the Chicago police force, Cal has recently moved to the village, wanting to build a new life after his divorce. He is a loner and wants a quiet life in which nothing much happens. But he finds himself getting involved in the search for Brendan, Trey’s older brother who had gone missing from home.

Cal is a methodical man, slowly doing up his run-down cottage and getting to know the locals – his neighbour Marty, Noreen who runs the village shop, her sister Lena and above all, Trey. I liked the slow build up to the mystery, and I loved Tana French’s beautiful descriptions of the Irish rural landscape. It’s the sort of book I find so easy to read and lose myself in, able to visualise the landscape and feel as if I’m actually there with the characters, watching what is happening.

But this is no ‘cosy’ crime fiction novel. Trey is like a dog with a bone and won’t let Cal give up when it looks as though they will never discover why Brendan left and what had happened to him. I realised after a while what could have happened to Brendan, but I hadn’t foreseen the twists and turns in this book, one of which really surprised me. The ending is terrific. The tension builds and builds as Cal and Trey find themselves in danger. Above all, it is about family relationships, responsibility and friendship. It is atmospheric, spellbinding, and compelling reading. Tana French is a great storyteller.

Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for my review copy.

I was sent a copy of The Searcher by Tana French to read and review by NetGalley. I loved this book - it was quietly compelling! It is beautifully written with a good deal of psychological musing. It has a great selection of well fleshed out characters and fabulous descriptions of the landscape and the weather. This is not your usual run of the mill type of thriller, it is much more subtle, but a thriller it is - with the tension slowly increasing the further into the mystery it goes. If you like to get yourself immersed in a sense of place and feel like you actually know the players then this is the book for you!

This is the first Tana French book I've read and I loved it. It's a detective crime thriller, but not as you know it. It's more character driven, more of a slow pace to it (not in a bad way). I loved all the characters - good and bad - and fell a little bit in love with the main man Cal Hooper. Recommended.

I don't know if I liked this or not. It started really slow and I found myself skim reading it until I got to the bit where Cal starts asking Trey questions about his missing brother the it picked up a bit
It's not my usual read and I'm not sure I would pick up another book by this author.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

Cal Hooper has retired from the Chicago Police force and moved across the world to a remote village in Ireland.  He's hoping for a quiet life, fixing up the house he's bought, walking in the mountains and a bit of fishing and hunting.  When a local youngster comes calling and asks for help locating a missing family member Cal is reluctant to get involved, but finds his police instincts aren't that easy to shake off.  He agrees to help thinking that he won't find much, but before long realises that there is something rotten at the core of the village, and Cal can't rest until he knows what it is.

I've read a few books by Tana French in the last couple of years and they've been pretty good, so when I was invited to read and review this one I jumped at the chance.

I found this really easy to get into.  The story as a whole is a bit of a slow burn, and it does take a while before we meet Trey and find out about Brendan being missing.  That didn't matter though.  French is expert at describing the places and people in her books, and makes sure you have a thorough understanding of those before you get too far into the mystery.  In this case the understanding of the closeness of the village and how the residents all pull together is key to how things play out later in the book.

Cal is an interesting lead character.  He has a very strong sense of what is right and wrong, which shines throughout the book.  I think my favourite was Trey though, a kid who has been let down many times throughout their life.  French nailed the vulnerability perfectly. 

As mentioned earlier this is a slow burn, which is fairly standard for Tana French.  It hooks you in and compells you to keep reading.  The criticism I have is that I felt the ending became a little drawn out.

For fans of Tana French I'm sure this will be bang on the money again.  I'd say anyone who enjoys a mystery that builds steadily will enjoy this.

Great book! Full of atmosphere. Perfect book for a cold autumn night by the fire. My first Tana French book believe it or not! Will definitely be checking out her other works

'That's what I came looking for,' he says. 'A small place. A small town in a small country. It seemed like that would be easier to make sense of. Guess I might've had that wrong.'

Cal Hooper, former detective with the Chicago police, left the States for a small village in Ireland. He bought an old run-down house that he is now repairing to make it a liveable place. For a couple of days already, he has felt somehow observed but couldn't see anybody, when suddenly a small boy appears. At first, Trey is shy and does not speak and only reluctantly comes closer. It takes some time for him to open up and reveal why he has come to Cal. His older brother Brendan has gone missing and nobody seems to be concerned or willing to do something about it. Trey is convinced that Brendan did not just pack his bag and leave to find his luck in Dublin, something really bad must have happened to him. Cal has come to like the shy boy who is eager to learn about repairing old furniture and has become a pleasant company, therefore, he agrees to use his experience as a cop and ask some questions. It does not take long for Cal to realise that his new home is all but an idyllic and peaceful place.

Tana French's novel combines a mystery about a missing teenager with a heart-wrenching story about two lonely people who by chance find each other. It also shows a reality which nobody wants to see, a place which is out of the focus of any institutions and where some kind of parallel law has been established nobody dares to interfere with. The people, quite sadly, do not play an important role in this concept. Neglected youngsters either adapt or risk their lives.

The biggest star of the novel, at least for me, is surely Trey. A courageous small kid, about 12 years old, who obviously lacks all education but has the heart in the right place and definitely an understanding of right and wrong. Even though well known in the small village, he does not know anybody to turn to and has to address a total stranger to find help. Everything connected to him is touching deeply and it is heart-breaking to see how Cal manages to gain his trust and build a friendship.

The mystery part of the novel advances slowly but then accelerates and turns into a suspenseful crime story. The whole plot lives on the atmosphere and the characters who are brilliantly created and make it a great read.

Another excellent thriller from Tana French.

Ex Chicago cop Cal Hooper is now living in the remote Irish countryside, seeking a new more peaceful life.

Of course things aren't going to stay this way... enter Trey, a disturbed youth whose brother has gone missing. Cal finds himself drawn in, and enter lots of intrigue, violence, and a whole lot of interesting characters - ticking all the boxes for a satisfying thriller read.

Where to start, whilst the beginning is normally the best place. This book whilst following the path from start to finish, this bounces around. This is not a complaint it flows well even if it deviates in places.

OK, for starters, there's a a retired Chicago cop who has moved to Ireland for a quiet life, the troubled family; that everyone knows, the missing teenager and the big boys from Dublin. Oh yes, and the villagers.

I don't want to give to much away, as this is something that you need to read. Hats off, this really is THAT GOOD.


Status: Comleted

Rating: 4.8/5.0

The Searcher is an intense, slow burner of a novel which does have elements of mystery and crime in, but this wasn’t the main crux of the novel. The story centers on Cal’s life in rural Ireland having moved from America; the way he becomes entangled with teenager Trey, who he helps to look for his missing older brother, is a vehicle for their friendship but the mystery side of the story wasn’t what drew me in, which is unusual for me! I was far more captivated by Cal and Trey’s bond.

The story took a good 30% to draw me in as it starts off quite slow. I definitely found I was gripped much quicker when reading her other novels – particularly the Dublin Murder Squad series that I’m such a big fan of. This novel is significantly different from those so can’t really be compared fairly – the atmosphere and setting of the story really took me to that remote Irish village and I enjoyed reading about the interesting characters – Cal, Lena, Mart, Noreen, Trey, and others. I felt like I was right there with them, among the wild landscape and gritty everyday lives, where things are much more rough and ready than city life.

Various important topics are addressed in The Searcher. We hear Cal’s memories and thoughts of his previous life in Chicago working as a cop, and the police brutality which eventually caused him to step away from the job, as well as issues such as homophobia and classism. Trey is from a poor family and often speaks of how his family are judged by others because of this; the locals comment so often on families that are seen as trouble or rough, and this illustrates how embedded these judgements are.

I also liked that, where there could have been romance, French kept the story realistic and understated; the female character in question is a really strong woman who I immediately liked and she certainly isn’t falling into Cal’s arms – in fact we don’t see any real romance take place, despite other people in the village adding the pressure. Still we hear other characters say ridiculous things to Cal warning him about speaking to multiple women in case they start fighting over him, etc, which further shows the gossipy nature of the village. It also highlights how people are so fixated on relationships and women wanting to find partners.

I really enjoyed The Searcher novel and would recommend it to anyone looking for an atmospheric, multi-layered read.

I finished this book last night, and wrote a very hasty review in Goodreads.

In the cold light of day, I'm still not sure what I've just read - I thought this was a lovely slow burn of a book for the first half. Then figured there might some epic twist at the end to make it worth the read.

Other than a beautiful portrayal of the Irish countryside, I’m not sure what this book achieves? Who is the searcher in this one? Cal? Trey? Lena? Who knows. And to be honest? Who cares. It really is a wild book in which nothing much happens. The ending is a nonentity and the ‘twists’ are barely worth mentioning.

It’s my first book by Tana and not sure this makes me want to read more.

After twenty-five years in the Chicago police force, Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a remote Irish village would be the perfect escape.

But then a local kid, Trey, comes looking for his help. His brother has gone missing, and no one, least of all the police, seems to care. Despite his initial hesitation, Cal decides to help Trey and soon begins to discover that even in the most idyllic small town, secrets lie hidden.

This was a slow burn mystery but definitely intriguing
.
I loved the portrayal of rural Ireland, the description and the atmosphere throughout the book was great. It was more character driven so we do get to read some very interesting characters, who tend to reiterate the fact that people aren't always what they seem.

The investigation into what happened to Trey’s brother felt like kind of secondary to me. But the ending even though not surprising was good and quite positive.

This was a literary novel rather than the usual mystery and psychological thriller, that I generally read. So, it did take me a while to get into but I am glad I did, because was so different and captivating.

Thank You NetGalley and Penguin General UK for this ARC!

When ex Chicago cop, Cal decides to settle down in an Irish backwater, his life is going to be calm, quiet and without drama, isn’t it? Please don’t read this book if that’s what you’re expecting, but do read it if you want a well written, well plotted mystery, some excellent characterisations, vivid descriptions of place and plenty of Irish wit. The Irish wit is just a little forced at times, but otherwise this is a great page turner and a real pleasure.

Not much happens in Ardnakelty, and it’s exactly this reason that drew Cal Hooper to the small farming town in rural Ireland. After spending 20 years on the Chicago police force, Cal has decided to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city and has bought himself an old farmhouse on some abandoned land on the outskirts of Ardnakelty. He plans to spend his days fixing up the house, restoring old furniture, and fishing in the nearby river – after all, he turned in his badge and his gun for a peaceful, uneventful retirement.

Then one day, a young boy appears on Cal’s property. The boy won’t speak to Cal, but Cal can sense that something is haunting the boy. Over time, Cal learns that the boy is Trey Reddy, and that his brother disappeared six months previously, never to be seen or heard from again. Nobody is particularly perturbed by the disappearance of Brendan Reddy, who hails from a family of miscreants who pay little attention to the law and norms of social behaviour. The police are convinced that he has run away of his own volition; his mother believes that he’ll be back; only Trey thinks something is wrong and enlists Cal’s help to find out what happened to his brother … no matter how sinister.

The Searcher is the first book I have read by Tana French, and I was relatively pleased by it. The mystery was definitely a slow burn, and the atmosphere of the book was exquisite – I truly felt transported to the Irish countryside with its icy rain and its lush vegetation. I think the characters were intriguing and the story moved along steadily. Often, in the case of slow-burn books, the plot drags along at the beginning before being rushed and crammed into a couple of chapters at the end of the book, almost as if the author had forgotten that they needed to deal with the plot. This book certainly was not like that – the plot moved along steadily and progressed relatively linearly throughout the book. I didn’t ever feel like the core of the book had got lost as a result of side plots or diversions, which is not always an easy feat to accomplish in a slow-moving book.

Where this book did disappoint me was in the resolution of the mystery. I found the mystery predictable and the conclusion felt as if it were a lazy ending to a story that could have been much deeper and, I feel, more interesting with a bit more creativity. When a book is a slow-burn mystery, I want to feel that the build-up was worth it, and I just didn’t get that feeling with this book. Everything had been built up so carefully, each brick in the wall of the plot laid with such care, that for the ending to be a predictable, uninspired one was a massive letdown. I have no doubt that Tana French is an incredibly talented writer, and that she has it in her to produce excellent resolutions to complex and atmospheric mysteries, but this book just did not live up to that standard.

In many ways, though, there is a lot to enjoy in this book if you look past the ending. The characters seemed real and tangible to me, and I felt the writing was atmospheric. In fact, I complained at one point that I was reading the entire book in an Irish accent to myself (which was slightly off-putting given that I am South African), which goes to show how deeply the setting of the book draws you in. I felt that there was enough character development through subplots to be believable, and none of these plots felt forced. On the basis of this, I can see why French is lauded for her skill in crafting “gothic mysteries” – there is a certain magic to her writing that draws you in and keeps you hooked.

As I mentioned above, this book is a slow burn. Fans of the James Patterson, or Michael Connelly type of novel, where action is more freely available, may find this book hard to work through. People who have read and appreciated the Robert Galbraith books, or even Elizabeth George may find similar enjoyment in Tana French’s writing. Overall, I am glad that I got the opportunity to read this book myself – it wasn’t my favourite book of the year (by a long shot), but the glimmerings of promise shone through. Perhaps, given the quality of the Dublin Murder Squad books (also by French), it is good to have started here and have those (as I believe) masterpieces ahead of me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Carl has left the Chicago Policeforce behind for a remote town in Ireland. He wants a new start after a messy divorce and plans a quiet life renovating his new home.
A local boy comes to seek his help to find his missing brother. He doesn't really want to help but feels compelled to.
His new home may be remote but it hold secrets which he needs to unravel and people who may not be what they seem.
Will he find the brother and if so at what cost?