I’m sorry but I found this book a slow burner, I appreciate a book that draws me in from the start something I felt this book lacked. I did preserve though and found it to be a ok read in the end.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Having loved all of Tana French’s previous books and loved them (apart from The Wych Elm) I was excited to read this.

I found the book really really slow and although the writing was superb, I didn’t find it particularly thrilling or mysterious and found myself skimming large parts just to find out what happened and get to the end. Unfortunately I was really disappointed and this book didn’t do much for me at all.

I loved spending time with this book, perfect for reading on dark winter nights in front of a warm fire. It's calm novel about how the right thing to do is not chasing bad guys but staying home and deal with the trauma the bad guys left behind.

I thought this book was really well-written - the author drew me in with her description of the setting in Ireland and the characters! Wow - loved all the characters - I felt like I knew them personally by the end of the book. The main character was fantastic and I loved the premise. At times, the pace was a little slow but to be honest that's probably because I'm so used to reading fast-paced thrillers and it didn't take away from the enjoyment of the book for me - in fact, it was nice to revel in the language. Well done to the author.

Goodreads tells me I was reading this latest Tana French book for twelve days, though I'd say a good ten of those days was getting through just the first hundred pages. The Searcher was another slow-starter from French, in my opinion. Neither this book nor The Witch Elm have grabbed me as fully as her Dublin Murder Squad books always did.

That being said, once I did make it past those first hundred pages and finally settled into the rhythm of this story, I began to really enjoy it. Cal was far more interesting to me than Toby from her previous book. I also really liked the dynamic between the two main characters in The Searcher - Cal and Trey - and would liken it to a couple of other book relationships I've enjoyed, but it would be a bit of a spoiler to do so. (view spoiler)

French returns to what I feel she does best with this book: grit and grime. The Searcher takes place out in rural Ireland, an isolated place of farms and local folk who've known each other's nasty business for decades. Hands get dirty, animals get killed, skinned, and eaten, not necessarily in that order. Into this wilderness comes an American ex-cop looking to settle down for a peaceful life.

Instead, Cal gets caught up in the disappearance of a local boy. Soon he is finding out that the idyllic place he imagined, the place of "no handguns, no copperheads or cottonmouths or rattlesnakes, no bobcats or bears or coyotes, no black widows, not even a mosquito" actually might be hiding all kinds of untold dangers. The comradeship and camaraderie between locals, which he so admired initially, begins to take on a threatening hue.

French hits on a couple of current issues, too, weaving them in subtly. Police shootings feature, as does a critique of social media morality. In other words, the kind where people yell over one another to compete to be seen as the most moral, or "woke", but of course French doesn't use that word.

I think, in the end, French really wanted to experiment by placing a stranger in the Irish setting she's by now so familiar with. She takes this Chicago cop who's used to having guns, pals on the force, and a back-up team at his disposal, and she strips all his resources and defenses away. Puts him in a strange land and lets him feel it out for himself. It's got the crime-solving excitement of the DMS books, but with an additional obstacle to overcome.

I'm still waiting for another Dublin Murder Squad book, but this wasn't half-bad.

The very gentle nature of the writing for the majority of the story belies the plot line, making the creepy bits even creepier and the emotions even more heightened.
Cal is fixing up a house in the back end of nowhere, Ireland. the setting sounds idyllic, the locals are a range of characterful characters and the attitudes are those often attributed to small villages of the "we don't like strangers round here" type!
Whilst working on the house Cal befriends his neighbour and some of the pub goers but mostly keeps himself to himself. He is then reluctantly dragged into a mystery- the disappearance of a young man- by the missing teens sibling.
His investigation, with none of the usual police resources, is beautifully carried out and his thinking clearly explained, bringing the reader right alongside him every step of the way.
The resolution of the case is slow to be brought about, making it a different style of read from the usual faster paced psychological thrillers/mysteries but none the less enjoyable to read.

Beautiful and gently written book about loyalty, truth and how much of both we can demand, need or cope with. Not just a psychological thriller but also about the faltering yet burgeoning start of relationships at all levels. Despite its darker depictions, there is still finally a feeling of the possibility of a brighter future.

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.