Tana French is in a class by herself. She has written some of the greatest crime novels I have ever read and each book is filled with interesting characters and unexpected plots. Recently, she has been writing about a small town in Ireland where everyone knows everyone, but there are riptides and dangerous eddies that can catch a stranger unaware.

In The Searcher, we are introduced to Cal Hooper, an American ex-cop who comes to Ireland to escape the grind of his job and a nasty divorce. There he meets Trey, a young kid who wants him to help her find her brother who has gone missing. Cal tries to help, but realizes that even bucolic villages in Ireland have dark secrets that are better off left alone.

In The Hunter, Cal Hooper has finally settled into the village and is dating a local woman named Lena. He has been teaching Trey some woodworking skills and together they are slowly building a solid  reputation for restoring old furniture. But when Trey’s dad suddenly returns with an Englishman who believes there is gold to be found in the hills and valleys near the village, the calm is shattered and Cal’s cop instincts are warning him that something very dangerous is about to go down. Although Cal wants to protect Trey from whatever her father has planned, Trey sees an opportunity exact her revenge against those he thinks are responsible for her brother’s disappearance. With dreams of getting rich quick, many of the villagers buy into the the scheme proposed by Trey’s dad, but when a dead body is discovered instead of gold the stakes suddenly become very high. As Cal and Lena try to protect Trey, they discover just how far they will go to protect the ones they love.

French is an outstanding writer. Every word counts, every thought and action has a meaning and a consequence. She also has a way of getting deep into her characters so that there is a soulful quality that makes you connect to them in a deep way. French writes literary novels that just happen to be about crime and should be acknowledged as such! You should read The Searcher first then The Hunter to get the full effect of what French has achieved.

Brenda’s Rating: ***** (5 Out Of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Keith, Ken, Sharon and Marian

Book Study Worthy? Yes

Read in ebook format.