Linda's Reviews > The Searcher

Tana French's The Searcher is a novel that contains a crime. Although she borrows familiar mystery tropes, the hunt for a missing person, a rough-edged, hard-boiled detective who is a loner with an ethical code, the novel's focus is character, relationships, and the internal workings of Irish village life.

Cal Hooper is 48, recently divorced, and has just retired from the Chicago police force. He has purchased a house in an isolated village in western Ireland that needs renovation. He views nature and manual labor as a salve for his troubled soul.

However, when Trey, a troubled 13-year-old, learns that Cal is a retired detective, he seeks help locating his 19-year-old brother Brendhan, who has disappeared. Cal reluctantly agrees to help the kid and gradually encounters the underside of village life.

I listened to Roger Clark's outstanding narration of this novel on a road trip. While driving through country roads in the pouring rain, I heard vivid scenes of pub life in an Irish village where the locals came to life, and the village itself became a character in the novel. French's skill at writing nuanced dialogue helped to create a sense of menace. At the same time, her compassionate portrayal of Cal and Trey's evolving relationship demonstrated the possibility of healing despite life's traumas.

Highly recommend.