Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced ecopy of this book.

Tana French really is a master in atmosphere. This follow-up to The Searcher continued the setting and great characters from before, but it was rather lengthy with not a lot happening until about halfway through. However, since Tana French is such a great writer, it still kept your attention.

Sequel to The Searcher, with more of Cal and Trey and Lena and the dark business done by the men - and women - of the seemingly bucolic little town of Ardnakelty. It took me a good half the novel to really get into this, but then it seized me and didn’t let up. If you don’t love Trey with all your heart, I do not trust you.

Fans of Tana French, get excited! The Hunter is Tana French at her best. Yes, it's about the mystery, but it's mostly about the characters, including a massive dose of setting-as-character. If you love books that are less whodunnit and more whydunnit, this one's for you.

The Hunter would be best read after the Trespasser since it's a Cal Hooper story, but it's not totally necessary to read them in order.

Cal Hooper, a retired PD officer from the US, is enjoying the peace of living in the Irish countyside. He has a relaxed relationship with local woman, Lena, and is working to tame mostly feral, Trey Reddy, by teaching her carpentry. Things are good even with the intense summer heat. Then Trey Reddy’s father returns after several year away bringing with him a ‘posh’ Englishman. Both are looking to get rich, but one actually is killed. With her father’s return, Trey’s life takes a turn, and Cal’s peaceful life becomes more than unsettled.

Loved this newest book! I have loved this author's work since I read hers first book. Except for about a thousand too many F-bombs, there was nothing not to like about this second book set in a small.Iriah mountain area, revolving around the transplant Cal, from Boston and his teenager friend Trey. Lena rounded out the primary characters with neighbor Mart cutting a close third. This book takes place two years after Trey first semi-stalked Cal and picks up where you might expect but with a big surprise popping up to shake up everything. Hang on for a bumpy ride.

The Hunter is the sequel to French's The Searcher.
Cal is a retired police officer who moved to the hinterlands of Ireland to escape his other life. He has created a nice life for himself having formed a family of sorts with Lena and Trey.
Lena is his girlfriend and Trey is a young man with a troubled history that bonded with Cal.

When Trey's father appears with some miscreants they threaten the life that the three have built. They have to fight these gold diggers to keep them all safe.

I devoured this so quickly. I loved the first book and this one was just as amazing. The setting was utterly wonderful and atmospheric, the characters touched my heart once again. Highly recommended.

The second of the Cal Hooper books, here Trey Reddy’s father Johnny has returned after a four year absence and very few people are happy to see him….at first. But he comes with a scheme and with a partner from London to back him. Soon he has a number of the locals involved and Cal jumps in too, thinking he’ll best protect Trey that way. Big surprise, things don’t go as planned and Cal, Trey and the town are all threatened.

Like most readers I love Tana French but I wasn’t that crazy about the first Cal Hooper book, so I was a little disappointed to see another visit the the Irish badlands. However, I enjoyed this outing much more than the first. There was more Lena, more Trey (who is growing up) and I found the less Cal the more I liked the book. I still hope French doesn’t write only about Hooper in the future, but this was satisfying. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking for the opportunity to read The Hunter by Tana French.

Excellent! There's no one quite like Tana French when it comes to writing complex plots and characters. This was worth the wait.

Tana French has always been a top favorite author of mine. No matter what she writes, I know that I will be in for a treat. "The Hunter" was no different, and I am so grateful to Netgalley and the Publisher for this wonderful gift! I read it in one sitting. It was that good. Ms. French is always gritty and witty, and her plots and characters are always so intelligent and would satisfy the most hardened mystery reader, She has written many wonderful, wonderful books but I believe this has been her best yet! I loved it, and I could not put it down. If you have not read her yet, run to your nearest bookstore and begin. You will have a grand time and I guarantee will enjoy every second! I highly recommend her as an author, and this latest book was absolutely wonderful. In fact, after I write this review, I will read it for a second time, just because it was that good! 100 stars!!