I've read every one of Tana French's novels and my reactions to them have ranged from Wow! to Meh. Her first book is one of my favourite crime stories ever. Atmospheric with brilliant characters and stunning dialogue Into the Woods is a classic and I bitterly regret giving it away. The Searcher didn't wow me at all. It's slow with lots of description of the west of Ireland (which is very well done - don't get me wrong French has a way with words all right). I didn't warm to Cal, the main character at all and to be honest found him a bit cliched. Nor was I convinced by the plot. Overall, I didn't warm to this novel. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is getting such great reviews and buzz in the book community. I have spent a few weeks plugging away at it but am still only 40% of the way through. It's just not grabbing me and moving very slowly. But that's just me. Everyone else is loving it so I know it's going to be a great success!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I came to this expecting a thriller, something page turning with lots of suspense, what I got was a very slow burn read which was an excellent piece of writing with great characters and location but a mystery that had me disinterested as it seemed like an incidental element of the story. If you like a dark atmospheric character lead read then this is great but it you’re after a page turner this might not be for you.

A most thoughtful and engrossing story of interesting and disparate characters set in a tranquil idyllic location. A Chicago cop has his life shattered when his wife leaves him for reasons he cannot understand. With his views of life shattered he decides to resign to find a new life and buys a derelict cottage in rural Ireland with some land, with a copse by a stream, surrounded by sheep farms. He spends his time repairing and renovating his new home and getting to learn a different culture and getting to know his neighbours in the farms and nearby little village. He cannot lose the sixth sense that was honed in the urban jungles of Chicago so while his is working on his house he senses that he is being spied upon, he discovers it is a young fearful child. How he slowly coaxes and lures the child to join him in his work and form a trust and friendship with fearful consequences makes a touching and exciting story.

A good and interesting read!

I would recommend this to everyone who loves a good story with captivating characters! Definitely a good read!

Cal is a retired Chicago cop, seeking calm and tranquility in rural Ireland. Until the disappearance of a local teenager forces him to confront the dark underbelly of the local community.

The story proceeds at a glacial pace and takes a long time to burst into action. As Cal's investigation proceeds, violence erupts but character reactions seem false and unrealistic.

I found Cal's 'code' so cliched and predictable and macho. Trey, a local youth who seeks Cal's assistance is a much more interesting character but everything is seen through Cal's eyes. Despite that, their burgeoning friendship is one of the more appealing aspects of the narrative.

This story appears a rather obvious attempt to tap into the Jack Reacher readership and, for fans of Child's work, it may well have appeal. But the vigilante approach to justice has limited appeal for this particular reader.

The Dublin murder squad stories have proved excellent crime thrillers but French's latest novels have failed to reach such levels. A real disappointment.

When Cal Hooper left both the Chicago PD and his wife his eventual destination was Western Ireland. Now, living in a remote, pretty much derelict house which he plans to do up while relaxing into his new lifestyle and location, he is quite satisfied with his lot in life.

Cal's new neighbour has made it his job to keep an eye on him while the owner of the local shop is trying to marry him off, preferably to her sister! He knows he won't be totally isolated except by choice but he didn't expect to have a young stalker! Trey's brother is missing but no-one, not even the local police, will help so Cal is the next best bet.

This is a very slow burner and although the descriptive portions are beautifully written I spent a lot of time waiting for something to happen. It is definitely a winter, snuggled up, read which will take time to get lost in. I liked Cal, and the idiosyncratic locals were believably drawn. This is the second book I have read by this author and I'm sure it won't be my last.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and happily recommend it.

The Searcher by Tana French
I have a read a few other books by Tana French and preferred this to the latest I had read, The Wych Elm. This is a slow burn of a novel where the landscape and the small town of Western Ireland is as much a character as the people. Cal, the American ex detective, has escaped his life in Chicago for a remote, dilapidated Irish cottage. His plan has been to renovate the cottage, fish and generally wind down.
He begins to join the locals in the pub and to try the local poteen. He finds a youngster enters his life and try as he might he cannot shake them off. Trey, a thirteen year old from a “bad” family, wants his helps to look for a missing brother. He tries not to allow himself to become embroiled in this mystery but cannot stop himself.
The developing relationship between the two is very sensitively handled and there are well drawn supporting characters such as Noreen, who runs the local store. Noreen thinks she knows what is best for everyone and tries to manoeuvre a relationship between Cal and her sister Lena.
I felt that the character of Trey was believable and well-drawn and I could see the comparisons between the way Cal dealt with Trey and the way he approached the young pup he was considering adopting.
There are some wonderful descriptions of the landscape; early in the novel Cal says:-
“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; bite off a big mouthful, maybe, or rub handfuls of it over your face.”
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and although it took a while to draw me in I was very pleased that I persisted. I will definitely recommend this to my various reading groups. Many thanks to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this novel in return for an honest, unbiased review.

I've always enjoyed this author's books and in my opinion this is her best so far.
Cal. Hooper has retired from the Chicago police after twenty five years service. He is divorced with a grown up daughter. He has bought a run down house in rural Ireland. The house has been empty sometime and he spends most of his time painting and repairing. His nearest neighbour is a local Mart. Lavin. Cal soon realises this is a close community with secrets. He gets to know some of the locals down at the Pub. Some of the farmers sheep have been killed and mutilated. There is talk of U.F.Os Noreen who runs the local shop tries to match him with her widowed sister Lena.
Everything starts to change when he is befriended by Trey Reddy. Cal knows that Trey wants something from him. Eventually he learns that Trey's elder brother Brendan has gone missing in mysterious circumstances. Trey's mother struggles, her husband has deserted them leaving several small children. Trey is determined to enlist Cal's help to find Trey's brother, little realising the trouble it will bring to them both.
Very enjoyable. I highly recommend this book. Is the title a reference to the highly acclaimed John Ford western "The Searchers"?

Blooming heck... this was a bit of a marathon of a slow burning read. In fact, by about half way through I had almost forgotten we were supposed to be focussing on the disappearance of the brother of the youngster that Cal had befriended. In fact, the book focussed much less on that than it did on small town living and all the shenanigans that that entailed, along with Cal and his fixing up of his cottage. This is the first book I have read by this author and I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I don't think I was quite prepared for the saga that presented itself to me.
There's a whole load of nothing really happened all the way through this book but, at the same time, the feeling that you are left with as you turn the final page is one of fulfilment at the quality and indeed quantity of what you have just read. It's hard to explain but there is so much small stuff going on that it all adds up in the end even if it is less than remarkable as you are reading about each individually.
Cal is an interesting and intriguing character. Retired (burned out) from Chicago PD he has retreated to a small Irish town where he has bought a cottage. He has made a few friends and connections in the town and, when we first meet him, is ticking along nicely doing up his home. Until his peace is shattered when he becomes the focus of Trey who wants his help. But more than that Trey wants to be noticed and looked after and all things missing from family life. It's very character driven and the characters mostly do their stuff all the way through, just occasionally it all becomes a bit of a slog as nothing really much happens and then, suddenly, it all happens as we race to the end of the book. It's weird pacing but I guess it's how it must be to fit the story being told.
All in all, a slow burner of a story that didn't always hold my attention but which did interest and intrigue me enough to make me carry on reading even if it didn't wholly satisfy me at its conclusion. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

A standalone from Tana French...and about as far as you can get from the Dublin Murders books! The third person perspective leaves you feeling detached from the characters, however there is no doubt that Tana's prose is most definitely captivating. Her descriptions of the people and community of a small town W Irish village; it's scenery, weather and the comings and goings of it's populace are easily pictured in the mind....the scenes are set very well, but...in my opinion, this is just a little too long, too drawn out to be truly 'classic' territory. It's still a good read though, but not amongst the very best. Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the chance to tread and review the ARC.

I’ve not read books by this author, as far as I can remember. Overall, I thought it was a pretty well written, intense mystery. I didn’t find it to be completely mind blowing or unputdownable, but was able to finish without too much having to talk myself into it. I thought the character development was pretty good, the plot intriguing, but something was lacking for me. Would recommend to those who are looking for a decent whodunnit mystery, with a different location, if you’re from USA!

Will buzz around and use lower Amazon reviewer number on release date!

This is a slow, atmospheric mystery novel set in a fictional town in Ireland. It takes its own time to reveal itself so it is not for someone who wants a fast paced action thriller.

The story takes you to an old town with lazy sheeps, crazy rooks and some alcohol-loving farmers.

Our protagonist is Cal Hooper - a not-so-young and retired Chicago policeman. He's come to escape his personal problems in an apparently idyllic Irish town. Cal for a while is hypnotized by the misty rains, open mountains and nosy but friendly neighbours.

However, this cannot be. Cal is drawn in reluctantly to solve a missing persons case.
As he chases the truth, he will soon come to realise that there is much more about this town than meets the eye.

While the main mystery is quite anticlimactic, but the central theme is the inner journey our protagonist has while chasing the truth.

Personal view:
This is a slow burn story. For me a bit too slow! For a large part of the story I felt we kept moving in circling.
As much as I appreciate the attempt at creating the setting there were some descriptions such as rabbit hunting day, then skinning it to make a stew that felt rather unnecessary. Description heavy writing style and quite repetitive in general. I would love it if it can be edited to follow the writing adage of more show and less tell.

A little slow to start, but as the plot wends and weaves around a small community in Ireland, the plot begins to emerge. Cal is a fully formed main character, looking for peace in a small place, in a small country, far away from his job, Chicago and his failed marriage.

But of course, as with any small community, his very presence brings whispers and disturbs the settled dust around secrets long buried in the peat.

An interesting read, and a great commentary on modern life in a rural location.

This was my first book by the famous thriller writer Tana French, and even though I'm curious to read her other books, I'm not sure that this was it for me. It was a very slow burn, maybe a bit too slow, but that also meant that the characters had a lot of depth to them. I liked the atmospheric setting of a small Irish village, and French's writing style, but I definitely would have liked a bit more action/mystery/thrills. But even if this wasn't really my cup of tea, I am looking forward to reading her more fast paced Dublin Murder Squad Series.

A big thank you to the publisher Penguin UK and Netgalley for my free copy!

This is the first book by this author that I have read and I have heard great things about previous novels so I was keen to try this.
Sadly I found the book quite slow to start and I struggled to identify with the main characters until about three quarters through the book.
The main make character is a retired US policeman who has decided to move to rural Ireland, following a marriage break up and some issues at work, resulting in early retirement. The family situation is never really looked into although I kept hoping to see what had happened between him and his wife and what had been the cause of the rift with his daughter.
The story in Ireland starts with Cal, our retired policeman, befriending a local lad, who then turns out to be a girl, looking for her brother. The people in the area seem very deprived but look out for their own. There is an almost love interest for Cal which comes to nothing and the ending, although it picks up, didn’t really keep me that interested.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication. A very different, slower-paced, read to those by French that I’ve read before but it has a curious charm. It took me a while to attune myself to its rhythms, but once caught up it was hard to not want to learn more.
Our main character, Cal, is an American ex-cop who’s moved to a remote Irish village. He wants a peaceful life, but finds himself caught up in a situation he can’t walk away from.
Young Trey comes from a local family not known of for their good decisions. Trey’s brother went missing earlier in the year, and Cal is curious enough to do some searching. Of course he gets himself caught up in some strange shenanigans, and those around him harbour a few secrets of their own.
We do get answers, though not quite what we expected. Cal makes some curious decisions and in spite of the bleak subject, there were some positives to this. Rural idyll it might not be, but it certainly showed a charm of its own...

A perfectly paced mystery takes us to the heart of rural Ireland, where all is not as tranquil as it seems!
Retired Chicago cop Cal Hooper is hoping to escape it all in Ardnakelty village where he has bought a derelict cottage to do up. But almost from the start he feels he is being watched - and is proved right when a young under-privileged kid, Trey, appears. Trey wants Cal's help in finding older brother Brendan, who disappeared months ago. Unwillingly, Cal is drawn in - but he needs all his skills as an investigator to break through the barriers of silence built up by the whole community. So far, his neighbours have welcomed Cal into their fold - but what will happen when he starts asking questions?
This was a really absorbing read, not just for the mystery waiting to be solved, but for the sheer beauty of the prose. Author Tana French uses nature to create an air of menace - the story opens with Cal looking out at a clamour of rooks devouring a young rabbit - an allegory of what is to come when young Trey falls foul of the folk whom Brendan courted. Characters form before your eyes in just a sentence or two - shopkeeper Noreen "favours tops with explosive flowers and has short brown hair set in such tight curls that it looks like a helmet". Immediately you just know she's nosy and interfering! In a similar way, we get to know Noreen's sister Lena; Mart, a neighbouring farmer; Sheila, Trey's mum - together they are part of a community that is on the surface the kind of familiar small town that could be found anywhere in the world. Yet scratch the surface, and it becomes alien and somewhat menacing when it perceives itself under threat.
Cal's relationships are integral to the story - his brittle communications with his ex-wife and daughter back home, his friendship with sardonic Mart, his growing bond to Lena (just about the only person in Ardnakelty he truly trusts) are all explored with sensitivity. But it's his relationship with Trey that matters most. Through their bond, the narrative explores themes of trust and friendship, and also redemption as Cal looks back to a former life when he let down the person he loves most in the world. Conflicted by the situation he now finds himself in, will he allow history repeat itself? And what will happen to Trey if Cal turns his back?
Pathos, empathy, pace, atmosphere, perfect prose and an intriguing plot make this a superb read.

This author is known for her creepy and atmospheric thrillers. Unfortunately her latest in my opinion was not. The book was so slow. I wanted something to happen. Where were the twists and shocks I expect from this author. This read more like a domestic drama. Saying that I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
Thanks to Penguin General UK and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

The Searcher by Tana French.

I enjoyed Tana French's The Wych Elm and bought a copy for my mum and sister (both of whom did not like it as much as me) so was interested in reading this novel by the same author. It is the story of Cal, a disillusioned ex police officer from the US, who has travelled to rural Ireland to escape from a failed marriage and some estrangement from an adult daughter. He buys a dilapidated cottage and intends to renovate it and keep himself to himself, enjoying the peace and natural world. However, when he notices someone or something infringing on his land and watching him, he is drawn into the world of the town, whether he likes it or not.

Gradually he makes acquaintance with his elderly neighbour, Mart, who lives alone with his dog Kojak. The mysterious visitor turns out to be a child of thirteen, offspring of a maligned local family, the Reddys, whose eldest son has mysteriously disappeared. The child, Trey, asks Cal for help in finding out what has happened to Brendan, the missing brother. Using his policing skills, Cal begins to ask questions around town and stirs up trouble for himself and Trey as a consequence.

The book created a sense of menace and has a very keen sense of place. French really draws you in to this rural town and its rather desolate mountainous environs, and there is a real sense of winter encroaching, along with the creeping feeling of danger as Cal interrogates locals for information about Brendan's last movements. It is not fast paced, but its pace is in tune with that of a small, rural community, where locals are slow to warm to strangers and where Cal sticks out like a sore thumb. A scene in the pub where Cal is invited to drink poteen with Mart and his friends, is a brief humorous interlude.

The mystery of what happened to Brendan is gradually revealed, with violent repercussions for both Cal and Trey along the way. Without too many spoilers, I cannot go into too much detail, but there was an excellent key scene in the latter part of the novel, where the writing conveys real emotional intensity and almost cinematic visualisation of a crime scene. The book does end on a positive note with indications that Cal is willing to lay down some roots in the town, purchasing a puppy from Lena, a potential love interest, and with him deciding to stay to add some consistency to Trey's life, advice he was given from his adult daughter.

The book is an interesting depiction of the relationship between two outsiders, Cal, the American out of towner and Trey, the child on the cusp of adolescence, ostracised by the town and missing a father figure. Although tragic events bring them together, it is their love of furniture restoration and fixing up things that allows them to continue their friendship. In a sense, they are both broken themselves in some way and in their friendship to some extent their emotional vacancy is partly fixed. The Searcher of the title, could be Cal, looking for the missing brother, but could equally be Trey, looking for a less broken family and both find something of what they are looking for by the end of the book.