A strange story, strange people, strange setting and even stranger end. Will it lead to a follow up? A story set in the back woods of Southern Ireland where the people of the village seem to live by their own rules and hand out punishment as they see fit. Not my sort of story but maybe of interest to people who want to see how these people live.

I love Tana French's writing and though this felt a little different from her previous books, it didn't disappoint - subtle, suspenseful, engaging, and thoughtful as ever. I really liked the wicked vein of humour running through the book.

Cal Hooper moves from the bustling Chicago streets to the quiet village of Ardnakelty in rural Ireland to begin a new life, a much quieter life far removed from his previous one as a detective in a big city but gets much more excitement than he expected.

This wasn't a book I'd desperately fight off sleep to continue reading (my usual issue and why I'm always tired!). When I was done reading, that was it I couldn't keep my eyes open to read one more chapter, or even just one more page. Once I was done, not one more word could be read. This usually means there isn't much drama happening, or any incentive for me to carry on. I think part of my issue was that there was just so much detail, endless pages on things that didn't feel necessary at the time, and could have been handled quickly and more succinctly.

I enjoyed the developing relationship with Trey and the conclusion with Cal's daughter but for the most part I felt like I was trudging along, just hoping for something, anything exciting to happen. Even the shock moments didn't feel very shocking as I found they were dragged out.

Overall it's an ok read and I'm sure that readers who enjoy Tana French's writing style or previous offerings will enjoy this, it's just not one for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

A disappointing read. A Chicago police officer retires to bucolic Ireland. There he befriends a young man with a missing brother. The plot was slow and the mystery a letdown.

Retired Chicago detective Cal Harper retires to the Irish countryside to an old, rundown house. On the back foot from the start as an outsider and someone who outbid a local to the property Cal wants nothing more than to restore the property and get some peace and quiet. This is easier said than done - he is being watched.
A local teenager Trey needs his help to find his brother Brendan who disappeared a few months earlier.
Like Cal, Trey is an outsider and eventually Trey’s dogged persistence persuade Cal to help.
A slow moving, deep story and not what I expected. from Tana French. Enjoyable read but don’t expect fireworks - more a slow burn.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ahead of publication in return for a fair review.
3.5 stars ⭐️

Cal is a retired US policeman who wants to change his life following a divorce. He moves to Ireland and finds a run-down cottage. With a renovation project in hand, a village with a small shop and a pub and with good fishing is near by, life seems good.

Cal's law enforcement background is common knowledge and he gets drawn into making enquiries about a missing person. It is difficult to do anything in a small community without it being noticed and Cal stirs up trouble.

This novel, about a middle-aged man who moves from Chicago to a small town in Ireland in the hope of a simpler, quieter life, is a slow-burner. If I’m honest I almost gave up on it as the plot takes a long time to get going and there is a lot everyday banter and focus on mundane details. However, the writing is excellent and there’s an authenticity about it that drew me in – I felt at times as though I’d been transported to this Irish backwater with its strong, quirky characters and beautiful scenery that belies the nefarious activities going on alongside it. Once I understood that the novel is more about personal growth rather than a mystery or a thriller I appreciated it more. It is sensitively written, quiet and atmospheric, but a little too slow for me I’m afraid.

I did enjoy this story, though at first, I had my doubts about it because it was rather slow to get started and at times was slightly repetitive. However, as I became invested in the characters and their surroundings I found myself pulled into the wonderful descriptive world of a small Irish village with interesting people who are set in their ways and have a barrel full of secrets just waiting to pour from the pages.

Cal Hooper is a man worn down by life itself. An American cop who has retired across the sea to Ireland looking for peace and quiet is all he wants. I liked Cal very much. He is such an easy character to read and I felt sorry for him many a time with the predicament he found himself in. I loved how he communicated with Trey Reddy the child who is so desperate for answers she is willing to risk everything, even her own safety in the process. Trey bought out many emotions in me. I desperately felt her pain and just how resilient this child could be. Strong and determined she never gave up, even when the odds went against her.

This story is not a thriller, but it is full of mystery and deep-seated secrets that kept me hooked all the way through. I absolutely fell in love with the way this author described this Irish village, it's surroundings and the characters in it. Vibrant, full of colour and life I was transported to those green hills and valleys of the Emerald Isles so much so that when the time came to let them go, I didn't want to leave them. I wanted more.

This is another gripping book from Tana French which had me hooked from start to finish.
Ex cop Cal Hooper moves to a remote Irish village after his divorce, hoping to get away from everything. Instead he finds himself sucked into local life when a teenager enlists his help to track down their missing brother.
Nothing it quite what it seems in the village, and even the friendly locals aren't telling Cal everything. His own code won't let him drop the investigation even when it becomes darker, even when he is put in danger.
Well worth reading to uncover all the secrets.

This book was not what I expected.
It was more of a meander than a rollercoaster .
The characters held my interest but the the. end was anti climatic in my opinion.

There is a reason why Tana French is one of my all-time favourite authors, and her books are on my most anticipated auto-buy list. And even though I am still hoping for another instalment in the Dublin Murder Squad series, this did not curtail my excitement on finding out that her new stand-alone novel is coming out later this year. I did a happy dance that sent the dog scurrying outside in fright when I received an ARC from Netgalley!

Every one of Tana French’s books may be quite different from each other, both in characters and even writing style, but there hasn’t been a single one where I have not instantly felt transported into another world within a few paragraphs. THE SEARCHER was no exception. I would almost say that it was French’s most atmospheric book yet, but then I think of the claustrophobic housing development in BROKEN HARBOUR, or the rickety old mansion in THE LIKENESS, or the spooky forest of IN THE WOODS, and come to see that atmospheric settings are her forte! Let’s just say that I particularly liked this one, the small village somewhere in Ireland, surrounded by gently rolling green hills, forests and mountains, and so idyllic at first glance. This is exactly what has attracted retired American detective Cal Hooper to the area and motivated him to settle across the Atlantic in his newly purchased tumble down farmhouse. He just wants a quiet life, and this place promises exactly that. Until a raggedy teenager turns up on his doorstep, and Cal becomes embroiled in a mystery some people are prepared to keep hidden at all cost.

Please note that THE SEARCHER is a slow-burning, character driven book that relies heavily on atmosphere and the things left unspoken to carry the story along. So if you are looking for fast-paced, you may be disappointed. However, if you – like me – love a story brimming with atmosphere and appreciate an undercurrent of menace and danger that is entirely being created by seemingly benign things, then you’re in luck! I enjoy nothing more than a small town setting that oozes intrigue and where everyone has something to hide. French recreates this setting so well!

I also appreciate the way that each character in the book ultimately managed to surprise me as we got glimpses beneath the surface. There again we had that bittersweet feeling of melancholy that is another one of French’s hallmarks. Whether it is the dream of friendship and family (THE LIKENESS), or of a beautiful forever home (BROKEN HARBOUR), or this time a peaceful life and healing from a failed marriage – we can all relate to those at some level, can’t we? However, like life, French has other plans for her characters, and the expulsion from an imagined paradise leaves behind a slight taste of sadness. We know that life for our characters will never be the same after this, and will always carry the scars, and the echo of things that could have been.

All in all, THE SEARCHER is the type of slow burning, atmospheric novel oozing with an undercurrent of menace and danger I have come to expect from the pen of Tana French. Grabbing me from page one, it didn’t let go until the very last page had been turned, and consumed my thoughts for quite some time after that. I enjoyed everything, from the rural Irish setting to its authentic characters and the mystery at the heart of the novel that threatens everything our main protagonist has hoped for when he moved here. I enjoyed every minute of it!

I love Tana French's books so was really excited to receive a proof (courtesy of Netgalley) of her new standalone novel. Cal is a retired Chicago cop who has moved to an isolated cottage in the west of Ireland. His new life is gentle, consisting of renovations, fishing, and visits to Mart, his neighbour. However, Cal is aware he's being watched and the quiet life he craves is soon disrupted by a child with a very specific request.

In the "The Seacher", French effectively evokes the atmosphere of her rural setting where the wildness of the bogs and mountains is accompanied by the oppressiveness of a small community where everyone knows each other's business and any secrets are soon common, if unspoken, knowledge. French’s latest novel is a gripping read full of suspense, excitement, and moments of quiet communion.

This is a good book but just not for me. Well-written and atmospheric, with flawed characters and realistic dialogue and mysterious plot - what’s not to like? I found it soooo slow and tedious that I just couldn’t get past 40% . Maybe it picked up later on but I didn’t care enough to keep reading to find out.
I’ll happily read another book from Tana French as I enjoyed her Dublin Murder Mysteries but this one wasn’t for me.

Cal is an American ex-cop who has moved to a small town in Ireland for a change of scenery. While he busied himself with renovating his home, he noticed that he was being watched. When he confronted his onlooker, it turns out to be a kid, and the kid came with a purpose. Trey's brother had been missing, and after hearing around that Cal used to be a cop, Trey asked him to investigate his brother's disappearance.

This is my first Tana French book. I know she is famous for her Dublin Murder Squad books, and if this is the amount of character detail I would find in her works, I am much inclined to read her previous works. At first I was unsure of her writing because she was taking quite some time before events begin to transpire, using the first chapters of the novel to draw out the kind of person Cal is. It does help with the storytelling; while Cal has the experience of a trained investigator, he is limited to the confines of being a civilian in a strange and foreign land. In a way, this isn't a usual mystery novel where thrilling events happen from one scene to another. The events do transpire slowly, but it leans heavily on Cal's character and his relationship with the people in the town, and the secrets that he begins to unearth through his inquiry.

I like Tana French's writing style. As I mentioned I was initially unsure about this because I don't take well to lengthy descriptive narratives, but when the story started to progress, I was immediately engaged. The pacing was done very well; it helps establish the repercussions that would eventually emerge as the narrative progressed.

*I requested a copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*

I think this is my favourite Tana French book ever. This is artful storytelling at it's very best. There is everything here to love, good plot, great pace, realistic and interesting characters, reveals and twists and a cracking ending. Perfection in a book. I was lost in this from start to finish and honestly didn't want it to end.

Beautifully written, suspenseful and mysterious. Tara has told a story that makes everyone question what is the fine line between right and wrong. This will keep you guessing. It threw up plenty of surprises along the way for me. I was totally thrown off and had a few jaw-drop moments with certain reveals.

Carl Hooper is retired from 25 years in the Chicago Police Force and has bought a run down house in a small Irish village with plans to renovate and live a quiet life. Sometimes plans don't work out as you expect. Carl gets to know the locals in this very close community and is slowly accepted with his warm personality but not everyone is happy he is in town.

When a young kid desperately asks Carl to help find his older missing brother Carl is torn. He thought his detective days were well behind him. This kid won't give up and with local police not bothering to take it as anything but a young lad leaving town Carl agrees to help. I LOVED this kid! One of the most memorable characters I have come across in a book in a very long time.

I have lived in Ireland and Tara depicts a small Irish town perfectly. Her use of certain Irish slang and lingo is excellent but don't worry if Ireland is not familiar to you, she will draw you into the sometimes suffocating closeness of life here.

Her characters are brilliantly done and I fell in love with many characters in this book. There are plenty to dislike also and as Carl digs deep into the secrets of this small town not everybody is as they seem. Many times Tara surprised me with reveals around characters that left me somewhat speechless. SO well done!

A tale of torn loyalties, small-minded life, secrets and complex relationships that will keep you engaged from page one. I hungered for more of these characters and felt empty once the book was done. This is a literary thriller that stands as one of my best reads of 2020. Get this one onto your bookshelf for sure!

Sorry Tana French fans but this book just didn’t do it for me. It’s a mountain of a book, set at an extraordinarily slow pace, epically detailed but just lacking substance.

Don’t get wrong, I love big books and I also don’t mind reading books that are slow burners. But with this book I just found it all a bit too predictable and I feel like I’ve spent far too much time reading about how to sand a desk, shoot rabbits, talk to birds and about his memories of family life.

I was expecting this to be a real bed of mystery and to feel the tension rise as Cal (our main character) starts poking around in things he shouldn’t. But I’m left wondering what genre this book really is. Yes it’s a crime fiction, but that element is not the majority of the tale.

I like French’s style of writing. Her descriptive style is just beautiful and a joy to read. But sadly I feel more time could’ve been spent on driving the narrative so that to avoid a disappointing story.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

As a lover of Irish fiction, I was immediately drawn to this novel because of the setting in rural Ireland and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a leisurely-paced narrative in the traditional Irish style, with brilliant character studies and pitch-perfect dialogue.
The plot involves a newcomer to an area - an ex-cop from Chicago relocating to a remote Irish village - who gets drawn in to a missing persons case, whilst having to adapt to a different way of life and social rules. In this respect the novel follows the archetypal Western genre of the stranger in town who is called upon to sort out trouble - the film “Shane” comes to mind.
There are many evocative descriptions of place and local customs. and the story was so engrossing that I began to feel as if I were part of the local community - making me reluctant to finish reading and leave it all behind!

Tana French's name is no stranger to the book reviews section of my blog, and her 'Dublin Murder Squad' novels are one of my favourite crime series. I was excited to hear that French had a new novel out, even if it was a standalone novel (her last standalone, The Witch Elm, made it into my top 10 books of 2018). Unusually for French, a) the novel is set in rural western Ireland rather than Dublin, and b) the story is told in the third person.

The protagonist is grizzled, retired Chicago cop Cal, who moves to Ireland after his divorce and buys a falling-down cottage in a small town. He is hoping for the quiet life, but soon begins a strange almost-friendship with young Trey, a troubled child from the notorious Reddy family. Trey's older brother disappeared suddenly several months earlier and wants Cal to find out what happened. Cal initially refuses and yet somehow finds himself on this fool's errand, becoming increasingly drawn into the mystery and into the town itself. But not everyone is happy about his new mission, and asking the wrong questions of the right people might make Cal regret ever crossing the Atlantic in the first place. Like many of French's novels, The Searcher is a slow burner, but if you stick with it, you'll be rewarded with a deeply satisfying psychological thriller, in which the sense of place is evoked as powerfully as the keenly observed characters

I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin General UK for an advance copy of The Searcher, a stand-alone novel set in the west of Ireland.

After 25 years as a Chicago cop and a difficult divorce Cal Hooper moves to a small village in the West of Ireland for an escape and a quieter way of life. He spends his days fixing up his wreck of a cottage, fishing and drinking in the local pub until a local kid comes looking for help in finding his missing brother, Brendan Reddy. Cal doesn’t see how he can help and doesn’t want to but gradually finds himself looking into it.

I enjoyed The Searcher which is a beautifully evocative depiction of rural Ireland where nobody’s business is really secret and everyone has an opinion. It could be said that the novel reflects the ambience as it is slow to start and develop, for example the ask for help doesn’t come until about a quarter of the way in. By then, however, the reader is well settled in to Cal’s life and ready for anything, including an unexpected solution.

The novel has a crime but I don’t feel that is the focus of the novel as it’s solving takes a meandering and circuitous route. It’s more a story of an outsider trying to settle into a literally foreign environment and of a lonely man trying to do the right thing. I’m a crime buff and am’t much for character analysis but I found this fascinating. I liked Cal and his dilemmas and, having no knowledge of Irish rural life, I couldn’t work out if neighbour Mart’s homespun philosophy was real or a caricature. It didn’t stop me wondering.

I found The Searcher slow in parts but on the whole I can recommend it as a good read.

I am a big fan of Tana French but did find this was a bit of a departure from her usual writing.
This is very much a slow burn but I absolutely had to read after I heard it was a Chicago cop moving to rural Ireland.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it for a cozy winter read.