The Searcher

A Novel

By: Tana French

Narrated by: Roger Clark

Best Book of 2020 by New York Times, NPR, and New York Post

"This hushed suspense tale about thwarted dreams of escape may be her best one yet.... Its own kind of masterpiece." (Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post)

"A new Tana French is always cause for celebration.... Read it once for the plot; read it again for the beauty and subtlety of French's writing." (Sarah Lyall, The New York Times)

Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a bucolic Irish village would be the perfect escape. After 25 years in the Chicago police force and a bruising divorce, he just wants to build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub where nothing much happens. But when a local kid whose brother has gone missing arm-twists him into investigating, Cal uncovers layers of darkness beneath his picturesque retreat, and starts to realize that even small towns shelter dangerous secrets.

"One of the greatest crime novelists writing today" (Vox) weaves a masterful, atmospheric tale of suspense, asking how to tell right from wrong in a world where neither is simple, and what we stake on that decision.

©2020 Tana French (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“A slow-burn stunner that will keep readers turning the pages late into the night. Recommend to the author’s legions of fans, as well as those who enjoy crime fiction set in small towns like Julia Keller’s or Jane Harper’s novels.” (Library Journal, starred review)

“In another stand-alone, French again displays impressive versatility...French skillfully builds suspense...a fine thriller, but also a moving story of an unlikely friendship that grows from refinishing a ramshackle desk to rebuilding two nearly broken lives.” (Booklist)

“Deliver[s] plenty of twists, shocking revelations, and truly chilling moments.” (Kirkus)

Slow build

Tana French fans such as myself likely choose to read her latest book hoping it will deliver the same compelling narrative, exciting pace, sharp detective-on-detective interactions, and rich Irish accents her previous works provided. But The Searcher is an atmospheric book, not fast moving, not action-packed but nonetheless compelling in its characters within their locale. Critical reviews of this book, largely from prior French readers, express disappointment, expecting more of the same. But I found it useful, instead, to adopt a new mindset; accept French’s choice to move into new territory, and place the Dublin Murder Squad on a shelf for a while because, well, French continues to be a lovely and accomplished writer. My recommendation here is that her aficionados do the same as she has done - let go of expectations from her previous works, take a few breaths, shift gears, and enter into this latest book with an open mind.

The Searcher is a slow-building, incrementally tension-tightening story, consistent with the place where Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago cop, has moved to - rural Ireland - to detach himself from his past and start a new kind of life. A young local teen, Trey, approaches him to help find a beloved brother who has disappeared. Although Cal is initially reluctant to become involved and has no formal position to act in a policing capacity, he is persuaded to deploy his detective skills to the task. French brings her well-crafted observations of the sociological and tribal nature of the place, the insider-newcomer tensions, the regional economy, as Cal seeks to understand and join the local culture. There are rich and evocative descriptions of the land, the air, the smells, the animals, the dreariness, and rural living. The ending is more denouement than climax.

The story called on my empathy, to enter this world as depicted through Cal’s experience. Character development over time, nuance, nature, local talk, and the relationship between Cal and Trey are the stuff of this novel, while the mystery itself takes second place. It’s a fine excursion for readers who enjoy immersing themselves in the characters and place as the storyline slowly advances.

In spite of opening myself to enjoy French’s new direction, I confess to missing her well-known strong female roles (women are minor players here), characters with rich Irish accents (the American accent dominates the story), and snappy police-partner interactions.

Disappointed

This book is nothing like Tana French’s other books: Dublin Murder Squad series and The Witch Elm. Those were impossible to put down. This one is boring and I found myself not caring about any of the characters. It was 17 hours long and nothing really happened. A huge disappointment.

Love the Irish accent

I really enjoyed listening rather than reading this novel. The readers Irish accent added a lot of character to the story. It was also good to have a ‘feel-good’ ending.

another beautiful story

Gosh, I love Tana French. Her stories hit me in my soul. Her characters are solid and well-developed.

Get past the voice

Struggled at first because I could not get past the bizarre, seemingly exaggerated, almost comical performance of thr narrator's voice. I suggest you try to get past it, because the story is great!

excellant narrator

excellant narration and performance
very atmospheric and moody
loved how landscape and weather plays a large role
ending was a bit abrupt and perhaps not the closure that i was looking for but i was captivated and entertained for the duration of the book

Disappointing

It wasn’t much of a mystery. It was obvious from the beginning who-dunnit. It was more of a character study about a lonely man and a troubled girl, which might have been alright if that is what one was expecting.

Finally. A Story I Haven't Heard.

Ther performance was lovely. I thought ther story started out a bit monotone and slow, but it didn't take long before I had a hard time turning it off. The story isn't really one I've heard before. Sure, all the standard parts of a good fiction remain, but it was witty and funny and intriguing and just overall a great read.

Wow. Just incredible.

Had me hooked from the start. A powerful and endearing story, well told and as good a narration as I have heard.

Ok

Almost all of French‘s books are excellent, a couple of them superb, but this is my least favorite since Broken Harbour. The lead character is not appealing, his motivations don’t make sense, and his character doesn’t have much of an arc. The worst part about this character is the way that he is narrated; in a messy attempt at an American accent that slips and slides distractingly, with expressions that Americans don’t use; this narration encompasses the bulk of the book, starting with a boring extended expository monologue that makes engaging with the book difficult. The overuse of expressions like “kid“, “mama“, and “Sunny Jim“ adds annoyance. The story is heavy on male perspectives that feel empty, the female characters feel thrown in for some spice, their gumption described, but not really felt. Hopefully French will get back on track for her next book, I’m always hoping she’ll finish the story she started in her first one.