The Hunter: A Novel
- Downloads：2492
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-12-27 07:21:48
- Update Date：2025-09-14
- Status：finish
- Author：Tana French
- ISBN：059386672X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Nic
，
4。5* The Hunter is the second outing for Tana French's Cal Hooper， retired Chicago policeman who moved to find a quiet life in Ireland and it is an absolute stunner。Cal is still a 'blow-in' by rural Irish standards but he is building a life in the small community including a relationship with Lena and a carpentry business with the help of local teenager Trey （Theresa） Reddy。 When Trey's long-time disappeared （and feckless） father returns， he does so with a fantastical tale。 He has met a rich Eng 4。5* The Hunter is the second outing for Tana French's Cal Hooper， retired Chicago policeman who moved to find a quiet life in Ireland and it is an absolute stunner。Cal is still a 'blow-in' by rural Irish standards but he is building a life in the small community including a relationship with Lena and a carpentry business with the help of local teenager Trey （Theresa） Reddy。 When Trey's long-time disappeared （and feckless） father returns， he does so with a fantastical tale。 He has met a rich Englishman whose grandmother hails from the area and knows where there are pockets of gold 。。。 but to get to the gold， the local farmers will need to support the scheme。As Cal fights to keep Trey on the straight and narrow， he watches the local land owners lose their minds to the possibility of vast wealth below their feet。 On the surface is excitement。 Lurking below is a certain darkness and and tensions set to boil over。Tana French is the queen of literary crime fiction。 This is a slow boil and character driven book。 French's dialogue is incredible。 It draws characters in a way no other writer can。 It is also both lyrical and entirely readable in a way that you almost have to read it at a pace dictated by the book。 At times it is also laugh out loud funny。 Added in is a true sense sense of place and community。 It is a true masterclass in the craft of writing a story which is driven by the characters but has a very strong plot at the centre。I absolutely loved The Hunter and couldn't recommend it more highly （although its certainly not one to recommend to those who skim books！）。Thanks to Penguin UK， Viking and Netgalley for an ARC 。。。more
BooksnFreshair （Poornima Apte）
，
4。5 stars。 https://booksnfreshair。blogspot。com/2。。。 4。5 stars。 https://booksnfreshair。blogspot。com/2。。。 。。。more
Jo Dervan
，
The Hunter Cal Hooper， a retired American police detective， moved to a small town in the West of Ireland。 He started a furniture making and repair business and was very busy。 A troubled teen， Tre Reddy， decided to help him and had a talent for furniture repairs。Tre’s dad， Jimmy Reddy， had left his wife and children years before and set out to make his fortune。 So everyone was surprised to see him return with an Englishman who claimed to have relatives who lived in the town many years before。 The The Hunter Cal Hooper， a retired American police detective， moved to a small town in the West of Ireland。 He started a furniture making and repair business and was very busy。 A troubled teen， Tre Reddy， decided to help him and had a talent for furniture repairs。Tre’s dad， Jimmy Reddy， had left his wife and children years before and set out to make his fortune。 So everyone was surprised to see him return with an Englishman who claimed to have relatives who lived in the town many years before。 The Englishman was in search of gold deposits that he was told about by his grandmother。 Jimmy was helping him find the gold and also trying to get locals involved。 Cal & others were suspicious of the visitor but everyone was surprised when the man turned up brutally murdered on a mountain road。 The identity of the murder is not revealed until the very end of the story and will probably come as a surprise to the reader。I enjoyed this book as well as others by Tana French。 She accurately depicts contemporary Irish folks and avoids the stereotypes that we see in other books about those living in the Irish countryside。I received this ARC from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Hannah Nguyen
，
I have been an avid Tana French fan ever since I read In The Woods years ago。 These last few books have been a big departure from some of the hallmarks of her earlier work。 It reminds me a little of when the movie The Village by M Knight Shyamalan came out and everyone expected a thriller like The Sixth Sense and instead got a slower examination of grief and how we try to shelter younger generations from it。 This book is the sequel to The Searcher， which I will admit I had forgotten a lot of det I have been an avid Tana French fan ever since I read In The Woods years ago。 These last few books have been a big departure from some of the hallmarks of her earlier work。 It reminds me a little of when the movie The Village by M Knight Shyamalan came out and everyone expected a thriller like The Sixth Sense and instead got a slower examination of grief and how we try to shelter younger generations from it。 This book is the sequel to The Searcher， which I will admit I had forgotten a lot of details about。 It is similarly paced slowly， mimicking the main character's decision to retire from detective work and move to the Irish countryside。 There is a very interesting commentary about group dynamics in insular communities。 It makes you interrogate your own thoughts about truth， justice， loyalty， and the greater good。 There is still a murder （and I'll admit that I never would have guessed who did it） but it is not the main driver of the plot。 If you're interested in the lengths people might go to， to protect their own， and how people determine who their own people are， you should check this out。Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for the advanced reader copy。 。。。more
Rebecca
，
Huge fan of French but the pacing on this one was way too slow for me。 It’s very atmospheric and it builds and you really sink into the town but the actual meat of the story feels flimsier than the setting。 A huge bug bear for me is repetition of story and unfortunately， the first 25% or so is a character explaining a plan to one character， and then the plan being explained to another group， and then the plan being retold to a different character。 I truly did not need to hear the plan three time Huge fan of French but the pacing on this one was way too slow for me。 It’s very atmospheric and it builds and you really sink into the town but the actual meat of the story feels flimsier than the setting。 A huge bug bear for me is repetition of story and unfortunately， the first 25% or so is a character explaining a plan to one character， and then the plan being explained to another group， and then the plan being retold to a different character。 I truly did not need to hear the plan three times。 。。。more
Kristin Gleeson
，
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for a review copy of this book。 I have read most of Tana French’s books and really enjoyed them and this one would be top among them。I’ve really loved French’s recent foray to Ardnakelty in rural Galway with the American former detective Cal Hooper that she featured in her last book and now this one。 Cal is a man who just wants to live quietly among the rural community where he chose to settle。 In this book， three years after the previous one， Cal has now establis Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for a review copy of this book。 I have read most of Tana French’s books and really enjoyed them and this one would be top among them。I’ve really loved French’s recent foray to Ardnakelty in rural Galway with the American former detective Cal Hooper that she featured in her last book and now this one。 Cal is a man who just wants to live quietly among the rural community where he chose to settle。 In this book， three years after the previous one， Cal has now established himself to some degree and found he’s become very attached to his young protégé Trey and also Lena， a widow who lives up the hill。 Trey was a half wild young girl in the previous book， but now Cal has tamed her somewhat and given her a sense of value through his quiet manner and their carpentry work， fixing up and restoring furniture for others in the community。 This quiet calm is disrupted by the return of Trey’s father Johnny， a chancer who’d long ago left Ardnakelty to find his fortune in London， leaving his wife and children。 This time he’s returned with company， an Englishman with a posh accent that sounds just as fake to Cal as the grand dream of gold he and Johnny are trying to sell。 Cal decides to keep a distant eye on them， for the sake of Trey， who has her own ideas of revenge that she keeps secret。 In trying to keep Trey safe for the future as well as her present， Cal finds himself entangled in ways he could never have predicted。 As always， French’s prose is so evocative， so atmospheric the reader is immediately drawn in， as if they were there， directly in Ardnakelty。 The compelling story， with tension hidden behind every sentence， only contributes to the necessity of reading without pause， while fighting the desire to savour each sentence and how it builds such a keenly observed picture of the unspooling scenes。 Such keen observation in dialogue and ordinary action creates an authenticity of an Irish rural community that has no whiff of cliché but shows the nature and workings of a small rural community anywhere， except with the gloss and reality of the Irish one。 Tana French is one of my favourite thriller writers because of all that she imbues in her writing and I look forward to the next one。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
E
，
4。5⭐️
Kathy
，
Tana French does not disappoint。 The Searcher and The Hunter are less dark than her earlier work， but not to any detriment。 The relationship between Cal and Trey is wonderful。 Trey is （grudgingly） a joy， and I love echoes of True Grit and Manon of the Spring。
Ceecee
，
4+ Cal Hooper #2It’s an unusually hot summer on the west coast of Ireland where Cal settles after early retirement from the Chicago PD。 Here he finds the peace he craves and a relationship with Lena Dunne。 However， Trey （Theresa） Reddy is not happy as her father Johnny has breezed back after a four year absence， claiming to have been in London。 With a twinkle in his eye and a smile like an ever ready battery， with words meant to charm but probably full of blarney， though Trey thinks he’s full of 4+ Cal Hooper #2It’s an unusually hot summer on the west coast of Ireland where Cal settles after early retirement from the Chicago PD。 Here he finds the peace he craves and a relationship with Lena Dunne。 However， Trey （Theresa） Reddy is not happy as her father Johnny has breezed back after a four year absence， claiming to have been in London。 With a twinkle in his eye and a smile like an ever ready battery， with words meant to charm but probably full of blarney， though Trey thinks he’s full of something else。 What does Cal think？ He believes there’s potential to disturb the peace and he’s not wrong as Johnny has a ‘big idea’ that will be ‘good for the place’ as he claims there’s gold in them there hills。 When millionaire Cillian Rushborough arrives in Johnny’s wake everything that Cal， Lena and Trey have tried to create in this small corner of the Emerald Isle is under threat。 I first visited Ireland as a seven year old and fell in love with the place and the people and Tana French transports me right back there。 There’s a real sense of place with vivid descriptions， some fantastic dialogue which is rich in humour， bringing the area and the characters to life in vibrant technicolour and making me feel as if I’m right there， observing the stir and drama that Johnny brings。 At the start some of the images especially from the scarecrow （doesn’t work！） and the rooks makes me laugh out loud， however， those devilishly clever birds know something’s afoot！ The characters we meet in The Searcher enter the scenes one by one， all portrayed so well with aptly chosen phrases。 I grin when Mart Lavin sidles into Cal’s place， less so with Johnny but the furore he creates is gripping。 This is a character driven slow burner stroll around Ardnakelty and the surrounding hills which is brimming with atmosphere and twists with terrific ever changing dynamics which are brilliantly done。 The heat adds something unexpected， somewhat like Johnny and it transforms the landscape as Johnny has the potential to do。 It all seems sunny on the outside but it hides a darkness within。 What emerges in the claustrophobic heat is a complex plot with multiple layers， peel back one and find something else concealed within。 Revenge is a strong element here but it has the potential to bring a load of danger。 The tension slowly builds， reaching a crescendo towards the surprising end， I so don’t see THAT coming！ Although I think Tana French has produced a magnificent sequel， it’s maybe a tad overlong as I suspect she’s having far too much fun with the chinwags and Jamesons in Sean Ogs and who can blame her？？ I hope there’s to be a number three。。。。With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin General UK for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Gary
，
I really enjoyed ‘The Searcher’ which was the first book in this series so was looking forward to the return of retired Chicago PD detective Cal Hooper。 Set in the Irish Countryside the novel is well written and proved difficult to put down。Cal Hooper left the hectic life in Chicago where he rubbed shoulders with criminals to take on a much quieter life in the rural countryside of Ireland。 Without going overboard Tana French sets the scene excellently so that you can almost see the landscape and I really enjoyed ‘The Searcher’ which was the first book in this series so was looking forward to the return of retired Chicago PD detective Cal Hooper。 Set in the Irish Countryside the novel is well written and proved difficult to put down。Cal Hooper left the hectic life in Chicago where he rubbed shoulders with criminals to take on a much quieter life in the rural countryside of Ireland。 Without going overboard Tana French sets the scene excellently so that you can almost see the landscape and while capturing the atmosphere sets up this exciting thriller。 Cal is a very good character who has started a new life in Ireland with a local woman， Lena as well as helping a young girl Trey Reddy to stay out of trouble。French excels in creating characters that feel authentic and complex， and Cal Hooper is no exception。 His journey from a retired detective seeking peace to a man caught in the crossfire of greed and revenge is both compelling and relatable。 The dynamic between Cal， Lena， and Trey adds emotional depth to the narrative， transforming “The Hunter” into more than just a suspenseful thriller—it’s a story of human connection， loyalty， and the lengths one is willing to go to protect those they care about。I found this novel a slow burner but not in a bad way as the tension steadily grows as Cal and Lena become caught up in a series of secrets and schemes with Trey very much a part of it。 The quiet life that Cal sought appears to be in danger of disappearing as he gets involved in local trouble。This is an excellent read， well written， interesting characters and a compelling plot。I would like to thank both Netgalley and Penguin UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Caitlin Sempowich
，
I need to start by saying I have loved many of Tana French’s books。 The Searcher （to which this book is a sequel） was a little slow for me。 I did like the characters a lot， and Tana French’s writing is always beautiful。 However， this book took a LONG time to get into for me， and when I finally did， the payoff was not enough to make me forget how the beginning dragged。 If you are more of a scenery person， you may feel differently。 I was hoping for both a little more action， and a little more reso I need to start by saying I have loved many of Tana French’s books。 The Searcher （to which this book is a sequel） was a little slow for me。 I did like the characters a lot， and Tana French’s writing is always beautiful。 However， this book took a LONG time to get into for me， and when I finally did， the payoff was not enough to make me forget how the beginning dragged。 If you are more of a scenery person， you may feel differently。 I was hoping for both a little more action， and a little more resolution to the conflict。 And some characters really need to get what’s coming to them。 Lol。 Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc。 。。。more
Katie Stratton
，
This one （like the Searcher） is very character-driven， and descriptions of the setting are “only gorgeous， but。” Some of my favorite quotes that epitomize how I felt reading it:“Mostly I’ve only got half an idea what any of you guys mean， and I’m too worn out from getting that far to have any brain power left over for this guy。”“Everyone around her is changing， layered with things barely held in check。”
Shashi Martynova
，
Fantastic， amazing work。 Absolutely proper and proud sequel for The Searcher， in some ways even deeper and richer。*got my hands on the text because I'm translating it into Russian* Fantastic， amazing work。 Absolutely proper and proud sequel for The Searcher， in some ways even deeper and richer。*got my hands on the text because I'm translating it into Russian* 。。。more
Stephanie
，
When I read and reviewed Tana French’s standalone novel The Witch Elm in 2018， I noted that I would have enjoyed seeing more of the Dublin Murder Squad characters （Antoinette Conway， Stephen Moran， and others）， but that I had enjoyed getting to know a “whole new cast of characters。” When I reviewed her next book， The Searcher， it was another standalone， with a whole new cast of characters。 Now， thanks to Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley， I received a copy of The Hunter， the sequel to The Searc When I read and reviewed Tana French’s standalone novel The Witch Elm in 2018， I noted that I would have enjoyed seeing more of the Dublin Murder Squad characters （Antoinette Conway， Stephen Moran， and others）， but that I had enjoyed getting to know a “whole new cast of characters。” When I reviewed her next book， The Searcher， it was another standalone， with a whole new cast of characters。 Now， thanks to Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley， I received a copy of The Hunter， the sequel to The Searcher （which can be read and enjoyed as a standalone）。The Searcher was the story of a retired police detective from Chicago named Cal Hooper， who bought a fixer-upper in a remote coastal Irish village as an escape from his prior life。 After a grueling divorce， he kept in touch with his daughter， but was otherwise free of entanglements， so picking up and moving across the world to a small town where he didn’t know anyone wasn’t as impossible as it sounds。 Once there， he bonded with Trey Reddy， a local teenager with whom Cal bonded in a fatherly/friendly way。 Both these characters appear somewhat damaged and perhaps lonely， but they bonded in a way that was touching， surprising， and ultimately rewarding。As The Hunter opens， it seems that the majority of Trey’s waking time is now spent at Cal’s house。 Together， “they mend furniture for people， and they buy old wrecked furniture and fix it up to sell…” Cal is now involved with Lena， a local woman。 Lena “decided right from the beginning that she wasn’t going to make Cal’s moods her responsibility…When her husband died， five years back， she learned the skill of taking every scrap of happiness where she could find it。”The relationship between Cal and Trey is seriously tested as Trey’s dad returns to the village and sets about trying to be a successful con man （after having not been successful at much his entire life）。 He arrives in the village with another man and， as described in the publisher’s blurb， “One of them is coming home。 Both of them are coming to get rich。 One of them is coming to die。”One thing I love about Ms。 French’s writing is the character development， and Trey is deeply affected by her relationship with Cal， in a way that allows the reader to deeply appreciate them as REAL people。 “Cal told her a long time back that everyone needs a code to live by。 Trey only partly understood…her code has always been a rudimentary。 inchoate thing， but since her dad came back， it’s been coalescing and sharpening。”The setting is beautifully written — definitely a character on its own。 The plotting is complex and well-drawn， and there are twists and turns as the story develops。 It’s challenging to discuss the book without revealing spoilers （which I never do）， but it is SO good and definitely worth five stars。 I actually reread The Searcher before reading The Hunter， and I recommend that — but as I said， this one can be read as a standalone。 Enjoy！！ 。。。more
Paromjit
，
Tana French follows up The Searcher with this atmospherically dark and finely detailed， character driven， slow burn of a return to West Ireland and immerses us in the remote， offbeat small town community of Ardnakelty。 It is where Cal， a retired NYPD detective， has made his home， an outsider who has begun to chisel a place for himself in his new home， with his relationship with Lena， and he has taken out of control troubled teen， Trey， under his wing， teaching her skills in carpentry。 We are giv Tana French follows up The Searcher with this atmospherically dark and finely detailed， character driven， slow burn of a return to West Ireland and immerses us in the remote， offbeat small town community of Ardnakelty。 It is where Cal， a retired NYPD detective， has made his home， an outsider who has begun to chisel a place for himself in his new home， with his relationship with Lena， and he has taken out of control troubled teen， Trey， under his wing， teaching her skills in carpentry。 We are given rich vivid descriptions of the location， and multilayered insights into the varied characters， their developments and complexities， that make them feel strongly authentic and come alive。 Amidst the burning heat， Trey's father， the feckless waste of space that is Johnny Reddy， saunters back， after abandoning the family。Brimming with charm， the silver tongued and manipulative Reddy returns from London to a torrent of gossip， with a companion in tow， a wealthy Englishman Cillian Rushborough， a man willing to invest in Reddy's gold prospecting schemes， which you know in your bones will not end well。 You would think few would be taken in with the wild scams， but there are always those desperate， who will trust， put money in， money that they are inevitably set to lose。 With Trey burning with revenge in her heart， Cal is unable to remain outside the unsettling drama， the sphere of the darkness and tensions that follow， including murder， with both of them facing their own specific issues。 This is a fascinating， subtle and powerful examination of community， belonging， relationships， secrets， and morality。Once again， French impresses with her trademark ability to depict in depth small communities and characters that feel all too truthful。 If you are looking for a fast paced read with an emphasis on action， then this is probably not for you。 It helps significantly if you have read the first book before reading this。 This is likely to appeal to many of French's fans， and to those interested in looking at and understanding small town Irish life， the undercurrents， abuse， poverty， language， and culture 。 Recommended。 Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more
Vix S
，
Delighted to be back with Trey， Lena and Cal again， as well as the beautiful way Tana French describes the Irish landscape， almost making it a fourth character looming over this dark， gritty tale。
Emma
，
I enjoyed The Searcher which is the first book in this series， so couldn’t wait to get stuck into The Hunter。 It starts off nicely， setting a lovely scene of life in a quaint Irish mountain village。 Lots of natural beauty， sunshine and a good helping of dogs。 We catch up with Cal， Trey and Lena and everything is good。 Then the real story begins！ Oh my， I loved this book。 Loved everything about it。 The beauty and the darkness of the characters is just superb。 I look forward to the book being rele I enjoyed The Searcher which is the first book in this series， so couldn’t wait to get stuck into The Hunter。 It starts off nicely， setting a lovely scene of life in a quaint Irish mountain village。 Lots of natural beauty， sunshine and a good helping of dogs。 We catch up with Cal， Trey and Lena and everything is good。 Then the real story begins！ Oh my， I loved this book。 Loved everything about it。 The beauty and the darkness of the characters is just superb。 I look forward to the book being released on audiobook so I can experience it again。 。。。more
Jenny
，
What a pleasure to read this new Tana French novel。 Just as good （if not better） than 'Searcher'。 Her characters jump off the page fully formed。 She is the master of dialogue and her entertaining observations of the intricacies of Irish small-town life feel very authentic。Unlike many crime novels the plot feels believable and French is particularly good at seeing the big picture and the implications which these events will have on the town as they unfold。I'm looking forward to the next in this s What a pleasure to read this new Tana French novel。 Just as good （if not better） than 'Searcher'。 Her characters jump off the page fully formed。 She is the master of dialogue and her entertaining observations of the intricacies of Irish small-town life feel very authentic。Unlike many crime novels the plot feels believable and French is particularly good at seeing the big picture and the implications which these events will have on the town as they unfold。I'm looking forward to the next in this series。Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance copy to review 。。。more
Janelle
，
Tana French is such a gifted writer。 She literally paints a scene with words and dialogue like no other author I’ve encountered。 This is a very nuanced novel， full of sensation of belonging or not belonging， the perpetual new man in an Irish village from America， trying to live a good life while knowing he will never be considered one of the village locals。 Have you ever felt not disliked， but never fully accepted when you move to a new place and spend years there。 Ardnakelty is a tight knit vil Tana French is such a gifted writer。 She literally paints a scene with words and dialogue like no other author I’ve encountered。 This is a very nuanced novel， full of sensation of belonging or not belonging， the perpetual new man in an Irish village from America， trying to live a good life while knowing he will never be considered one of the village locals。 Have you ever felt not disliked， but never fully accepted when you move to a new place and spend years there。 Ardnakelty is a tight knit village where its men tend to support each other because they are part of the way it has always been。 Cal Hooper， a retired Chicago cop， bought a piece of land here a few years back and has made huis home， but always knows that he’s from outside。 He has helped teach woodworking to Trey， an older teen girl whose father simply took off five years ago。 She finds Cal one of the few people she can really trust， and yet， this trust thing doesn’t come easy for her。， Life gets turned on it’s ear when her father returns and begins to spin a wild tale about gold to be found on the local farms and a man he’s bringing to the village to seek that gold and bring a windfall to all those willing to buy into his scheme。 Tensions rise until central figure in this scheme turns up dead and the village is looking for someone to focus blame it on to get the Garda off their backs。 The story is so carefully crafted， with each line of dialogue revealing so much about the characters and their motivations and relationships。 This is far more than a mystery and so deserving of being the very next book you open your mind to。 。。。more
Kathy
，
I loved Tana French's The Searcher and I was so glad to see that she was following up with another featuring Cal Hooper， his teen apprentice Trey and all of the sundry citizens of the rural Irish town of Ardnakelty。 This time we meet Trey's good-for-nothing father returned to town with a too good to be true scheme to get the whole town rich。 Like with The Searcher， this one is a bit of a slow start， but French's ear for dialogue and the rich （often hilarious） details really carry the book。 I wou I loved Tana French's The Searcher and I was so glad to see that she was following up with another featuring Cal Hooper， his teen apprentice Trey and all of the sundry citizens of the rural Irish town of Ardnakelty。 This time we meet Trey's good-for-nothing father returned to town with a too good to be true scheme to get the whole town rich。 Like with The Searcher， this one is a bit of a slow start， but French's ear for dialogue and the rich （often hilarious） details really carry the book。 I would absolutely recommend this book to fans of The Searcher looking for more Ardnakelty or anyone who loves a murder in a small town！FULL DISCLOSURE: I was provided an ARC of this book by Viking/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Chrissie
，
ATY 2024 - a book by an Edgar award winning author
Ilyssa Wesche
，
I wish I remembered more about The Watcher because if I did， I suspect I would have given this four stars。 The plot was at times ridiculously convoluted but I didn't care。 Watching them all trying to play each other was entertaining。I loved the relationships between everyone in this small town。 Having had some friends since birth myself I know what it's like to be 50 years in to a friendship and I totally bought all of it。 I kind of liked the townspeople the best - Mart especially。 I wish I remembered more about The Watcher because if I did， I suspect I would have given this four stars。 The plot was at times ridiculously convoluted but I didn't care。 Watching them all trying to play each other was entertaining。I loved the relationships between everyone in this small town。 Having had some friends since birth myself I know what it's like to be 50 years in to a friendship and I totally bought all of it。 I kind of liked the townspeople the best - Mart especially。 。。。more
Kristen O'Daly
，
Tana French is a literary gift to readers。 Her characters， plotting and gorgeous writing make it so you never want these books to end。 Always worth the wait！
Jess Milner
，
Provided by netgalley for a free and honest review。Tana French is one of the best writers of our current times。 I've enjoyed every book I've read from her。 I vividly remember listening to the audiobook of in the woods about 11 years ago and the images of that book and that place are still so clear in my mind to this day。 That's how I feel about this book。 I can see this village。 I can see these people。 I know these people。 She has an unwavering ability to write characters that are so real， so ra Provided by netgalley for a free and honest review。Tana French is one of the best writers of our current times。 I've enjoyed every book I've read from her。 I vividly remember listening to the audiobook of in the woods about 11 years ago and the images of that book and that place are still so clear in my mind to this day。 That's how I feel about this book。 I can see this village。 I can see these people。 I know these people。 She has an unwavering ability to write characters that are so real， so raw， you feel that these people really exist somewhere。 And there's a palpable tension from the very first page。 That's what's so sad about the stories Tana French writes。 We know it's not going to end well。 Trey knows， Cal knows。 But he can't do anything to stop what's coming， and neither can the reader。 He knows he's in a story where no matter what happens， he cannot see the outcome。 He is doomed by his narrative。 But he's going to try anyway because he's human， and that's all he can do。 He almost seems to understand he's the main character in a western。 He's going through the tropes of a western。This is a book about what loss does to people， about what abuse does to people， neglect， poverty。 This is a novel about what can happen to a community that gets left behind， in a time where more and more communities are getting left behind every day。But that's not to say it's all doom and gloom。 The thing that makes this duology stand out is the relationships between Cal， Lena and Trey。 The idea that he's adopted this half feral kid， and the whole town considers Trey to be his kid。 That Lena is so closed off but she's willing to give parts of herself away to protect not only a good man， to protect a child。 Trying to rewrite some of the wrongs of the past。 God there's just so many layers in this book and it's INCREDIBLE。And， best of all， it kept me guessing right till the end。 Tana French， you are a genius。 。。。more
Jessica Gilmore
，
The Hunter takes us back to Ardnakelty， the deceptively sleepy Irish village in the shadow of a mountain where retired Chicago cop Cal has come to terms with the events of two years ago （You don't need to have read The Searcher to enjoy The Hunter but it will definitely help）。 He half raises Trey， still wild and semi-feral， but doing better in school and with the makings of a good carpenter， and he and Lena have a nice understanding。 So the last thing he needs is Trey's shiftless at best father The Hunter takes us back to Ardnakelty， the deceptively sleepy Irish village in the shadow of a mountain where retired Chicago cop Cal has come to terms with the events of two years ago （You don't need to have read The Searcher to enjoy The Hunter but it will definitely help）。 He half raises Trey， still wild and semi-feral， but doing better in school and with the makings of a good carpenter， and he and Lena have a nice understanding。 So the last thing he needs is Trey's shiftless at best father Johnny to roll back into town， gullible Englishman in his wake， ready with a scam to tempt drough-stricken farmers and a starring role for Trey。 Everyone thinks they have a handle on Johnny Reddy， but who is really scamming who and where will the consequences fall？ Because as Cal knows， vengeance is part of the Ardnakelty DNA and outsiders are there to take the fall。 The Hunter is an incredibly tense， rich thriller， one that pulls you into the heart of the village with its ancient tensions， feuds and own code of honour。 I literally couldn't put it down。 Highly recommended。， 。。。more
Samantha
，
What do you owe to your community？ What do you owe to your community after they've harmed you？ What do you owe to your community when they've branded you an outsider？Cal and Trey and all of their quiet Irish town are back， but this time Trey's father has rolled into town with a mysterious stranger from London; the two of them bringing along some trouble that almost no one could have foreseen。 Another beautiful Western-style book from Tana French with her signature sparse vastness and melancholy。 What do you owe to your community？ What do you owe to your community after they've harmed you？ What do you owe to your community when they've branded you an outsider？Cal and Trey and all of their quiet Irish town are back， but this time Trey's father has rolled into town with a mysterious stranger from London; the two of them bringing along some trouble that almost no one could have foreseen。 Another beautiful Western-style book from Tana French with her signature sparse vastness and melancholy。 。。。more
Michael
，
One of Tana French's very best。 She has almost entirely transcended the mystery genre with this one。 A beautifully written， psychologically rich， and deeply tender novel about loyalties and love。 In her first novel to use multiple points of view， French hits it out of the park， creating layers of tension from the conflicting needs of her characters。 Just brilliant。 One of Tana French's very best。 She has almost entirely transcended the mystery genre with this one。 A beautifully written， psychologically rich， and deeply tender novel about loyalties and love。 In her first novel to use multiple points of view， French hits it out of the park， creating layers of tension from the conflicting needs of her characters。 Just brilliant。 。。。more
Stephanie
，
Thanks to Penguin & Edelweiss for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。Like some， I wasn't thrilled to see we were doing Cal Hooper #2; #1 was sub-par IMO。 I expect the moon and stars from Tana French and I usually get it; I did not with The Searcher although it was fine enough。 However， this book focuses much less on Cal and much more on Trey。 I have mixed feelings about Trey: I know many love her but I feel like she has some stock character traits that I don't enjoy。 She's Thanks to Penguin & Edelweiss for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。Like some， I wasn't thrilled to see we were doing Cal Hooper #2; #1 was sub-par IMO。 I expect the moon and stars from Tana French and I usually get it; I did not with The Searcher although it was fine enough。 However， this book focuses much less on Cal and much more on Trey。 I have mixed feelings about Trey: I know many love her but I feel like she has some stock character traits that I don't enjoy。 She's likable， but she's never gonna be my ride-or-die fave。 Nonetheless， this book benefits from more Theresa Reddy and *just enough* Cal Hooper。Little Ardnakelty is an unexpected hotbed of secrets & lies， and now Trey's dad， Johnny， is back from London with a business proposition for some of the local farmers。 Despite the fact that the townfolk are well aware of Johnny's being all mouth and no trousers， he gets some traction on his scheme。 Of course， there's more to it， and Trey gets mixed up in it， leading to Cal getting mixed up in it。Johnny Reddy is one of the best flim-flam men I've seen written in quite awhile。 He's such a creep， but you just can't look away， and boy， does he have the gift of gab！ It's less of him as a character， because we've all seen grifters depicted in novels， but his turns of phrase are things of beauty: subtle and devious。Could I do with a little less about the bond between Cal & Trey？ Sure。 It's almost as if French thinks that we're not buying it， so she goes big on it repeatedly throughout the book。 We get it， it's just like the first book， only more so。 I'd prefer to see a bit more of Sheila Reddy， that downtrodden wisp， living in a shack on a mountainside with no husband and a passel o'kids。 If we continue in Ardnakelty， maybe we can get some of her backstory （but I'd much rather return to the Dublin Murder Squad）。 。。。more
Louise
，
Whilst I think I've enjoyed everything French has written， I'm not such a fan of these chunkier slow burn books。Unlike the previous one， I didn't feel this one at times。It has the same characters from previous book， and we move forward with them， and the village as a whole。Some great scenes， the interaction of the characters， but for me， it didn't quite hit the mark。 Whilst I think I've enjoyed everything French has written， I'm not such a fan of these chunkier slow burn books。Unlike the previous one， I didn't feel this one at times。It has the same characters from previous book， and we move forward with them， and the village as a whole。Some great scenes， the interaction of the characters， but for me， it didn't quite hit the mark。 。。。more
Erin Malone
，