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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Trespasser is an intricately plotted murder mystery told by an unreliable narrator. Antoinette and her partner, Steve, are called to investigate the murder of a young woman. They usually get domestic violence cases, and this one appears to be the same - until it doesn't. The two work through theories involving gangs and old missing person cases while butting heads with another detective who's been assigned to 'mentor' them.
Antoinette, who tells the story and is the only woman on the murder squad, is paranoid and abused by her colleagues. She doesn't trust anyone because of the constant vitriol and pranks that she endures, except maybe Steve, but even that partnership becomes strained as they work the case. It makes her hard to like, especially as the book progresses, but the ending is well worth it.
Tana French does a beautiful job with this series. I admit I don't always get the Irish slang - some I know and some I can pick up from context - which can make reading some of the dialogue challenging, but I still enjoyed the story immensely.
Antoinette, who tells the story and is the only woman on the murder squad, is paranoid and abused by her colleagues. She doesn't trust anyone because of the constant vitriol and pranks that she endures, except maybe Steve, but even that partnership becomes strained as they work the case. It makes her hard to like, especially as the book progresses, but the ending is well worth it.
Tana French does a beautiful job with this series. I admit I don't always get the Irish slang - some I know and some I can pick up from context - which can make reading some of the dialogue challenging, but I still enjoyed the story immensely.
I loves this book! I really enjoy the team of Antoinette and Stephen and how well they work together. The case was very interesting and I was in suspense the whole time reading the book. I was happy with the ending and can't wait to read the next in this series.
This was good, but I have read much better by Tana French. The ending was pretty anti-climactic and Antoinette's personal story was not as developed as we usually see from French. I still enjoyed it and read it quickly, but I have enjoyed her other books a lot more.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a solid addition to the Tana French Dublin Murder Squad series. Not my favorite of the set, but Detective Conway is one of funnest to read. The Trespasser is more about the politics of a homicide squad, and how gender factors in. French is the best fictional crime writer out there, and The Trespasser doesn't disappoint, it's just not as exciting as some of her others.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I always enjoy Tana French's books, but I find that I rarely love them. They tend to go on for a while, and while I do appreciate a red herring, sometimes it just seems like it goes in the wrong direction for a long time. This book was decent in terms of moving quickly and not being too repetitive. I think the plot was good, not great, but solid. I enjoyed Antoinette a lot. I think I just tend to find French's female characters more interesting than her male ones. I also do appreciate that you can read this series out of order and still have it make sense without spoiling too much of other books.
Actual ratings: 4.5
Getting some problems to get this register as read on GR. Urghhh!!
Getting some problems to get this register as read on GR. Urghhh!!
Tana French drives me nuts. Her writing is excellent (maybe sometimes overdone for the genre, but that's okay) and plotting riveting, but her characters! I hate her characters. Not sympathetic, unkind, and unpleasant to be around. In the middle of this book, I was thinking I'll give it one more book and if I loathe the narrator, that'll be the last. By the end of the book, Antoinette is a tiny bit more bearable, but the concluding plot definitely has me wanting more.
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Every now and then, I like a murder book. This was not up to the high standard Ms. French set for herself with the first two Dublin Murder Squad books, but it was fine. The story was slow-moving, a procedural that was methodical to a fault. It seemed obvious early on that it could be a cop but the story takes its time getting there. Antoinette Conway is a hard, mean, paranoid, unlikable person, so not the most fun to spend an entire book with, though there's hope for her by the end. Her partner, Steve Moran, seems better than she deserves. I wouldn't be inclined to read another book with Antoinette in the lead.