The Searcher by Tana French

You might remember Tana French as the author of the Dublin Murder Squad series. I first came across French with her dark and twisty psychological thriller, The Wych Elm, which I loved, so was pleased to get my hands on her new book, The Searcher. But this novel has quite a different feel, with its setting in the hinterlands of Ireland, in a tiny hamlet miles from anywhere.

Former Chicago cop, Cal Hooper, has taken early retirement, his divorce still raw, when he buys a run-down house on a small holding in rural Ireland. He wants to spend his time fishing and hunting, living the quiet life. But when he befriends a teenager from a troubled  home, he soon finds himself involved against his better judgement in a missing person's case.

Young Trey tells Cal his older brother Brendan has been missing for several months, and thinks he wouldn't run away without telling anyone. Cal reluctantly begins to interview Brendan's friends and his troubled mother, but soon comes up against a wall of secrecy and well, not lies exactly, but a lot of blarney. Cal doesn't want to be the one who has to give Trey the bad news, but his cop's instincts suggest that things don't look good.

The story moves at a gentle pace that suits the quiet, rural setting, gathering steam as Cal discovers more than is wise. In the background, Cal's chatty neighbour, Mart, invites him to the pub where stories about sheep being attacked by wild cats or UFOs are the order of the day. Mart and the town gossip, Noreen, conspire to set Cal up with Lena, who is only really interested in persuading Cal to take a puppy from her dog's new litter.

There's plenty of Irish banter and Cal takes a lot of ribbing, but French also reminds you that there isn't a lot for young people in places like this - they either leave for the city or get into trouble of one kind or another. Secrecy and threats of violence add a layer of menace which cranks up the tension as the story develops.  You really feel for Trey and his family, who are struggling, but no one lends a helping hand. Cal himself is an interesting and likable character, often a fish out of water, the outsider who has a lot to learn about how things are done.

I found The Searcher a little slow to begin with, but I am glad I stuck with it as the story pulls you in and builds to a satisfying ending. But it is as a character-driven mystery that this novel really shines, with plenty of empathy and insight. Tana French is definitely an author who consistently delivers a terrific read and I shall be looking forward to see what she comes up with next.

Posted by JAM

Catalogue link: The Searcher