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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
so unbelievably good. tightly plotted, thematically sound, delicious from start to finish. antoinette conway is my wife
We listened to this book in the car while on a road trip, and "couldn't put it down." I'm going to go back to the beginning to read her other books....
I will always read these, I think, because sometimes it's just that the only cure is a Tana French-y murder novel. It's a thing and you can count on it.
It wasn't my favorite one but I keep the faith. I don't really mind the places it breaks with tradition, and I liked Conway and Steve, and I liked the story being so deep inside the department that you're stuck in all the muck of getting things done. And even though I do like it when Tana French's detectives' heads completely explode (I mean, it's kind of the thing, is it not), I was happy for Conway to stay above water, except that there was some kind of prickle missing. I don't need her entire sense of sanity to be put in danger, but, I don't know, a little shark in the water is good for a protagonist in any novel. The one we get is weird and out of balance. And, ultimately, the solve on our mystery felt way off, not its answer but its explanation, and these things are all about the backstory. In a mystery novel, technically, that's the important part we're all reading to get, so, that's not the best reward I've ever gotten.
I read this as eager escapism close in the wake of the US election. It worked, but trigger warning for this joke in the denouement:
Nothing's safe in 2016, even the Dublin Murder Squad.
(Okay, especially the Dublin Murder Squad.)
It wasn't my favorite one but I keep the faith. I don't really mind the places it breaks with tradition, and I liked Conway and Steve, and I liked the story being so deep inside the department that you're stuck in all the muck of getting things done. And even though I do like it when Tana French's detectives' heads completely explode (I mean, it's kind of the thing, is it not), I was happy for Conway to stay above water, except that there was some kind of prickle missing. I don't need her entire sense of sanity to be put in danger, but, I don't know, a little shark in the water is good for a protagonist in any novel. The one we get
Spoiler
with the identity and meeting of her fatherI read this as eager escapism close in the wake of the US election. It worked, but trigger warning for this joke in the denouement:
Nothing's safe in 2016, even the Dublin Murder Squad.
(Okay, especially the Dublin Murder Squad.)
Was way too long. Scenes in the interview/interrogation room was too drawn out for me.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder
Tana French knows how to keep you on your toes. Just when you think you have it figured out she throws in a sticky wrench. What a stressfully fantastic read. So real and gritty, lots of character, lots of ‘in your head’ moments that don’t always feel that way till your clear of it.
Great read, just what I needed.
Great read, just what I needed.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In this story of the Dublin Murder Squad, the protagonist finds herself trying to solve issues of imposter syndrome and being an outsider as much as she is trying to solve the murder of a young woman. What seemingly starts out as a cut and dry domestic case quickly spirals into the murder squad partners having to look at their own. Very enjoyable!
"The Trespasser" is a wordy, over-long crime novel. I give it 2-stars but 2.5-stars is nearer the mark. The story takes place in Dublin. However, except for the Irish slang of the characters, it could have taken place anywhere. There's no Irish flavor or atmosphere otherwise. The story contains little action. The book's 449 pages are nearly all witness and suspect interviews spanning only the 4 days it takes to solve the case. Conway, the narrator and lead detective working the case, is not especially likable though you come to admire her determination and dedication. At times, the story almost becomes the exciting mystery you keep hoping it will be, but then the interminable dialog tamps it down. The ending works, but it isn't especially satisfying. I like my crime mysteries with a little more excitement and action. Maybe a car chase or gun fight. None of that here. But if you just want to read the details of how detectives investigate and solve a murder, this book is for you. Recommended with reservations (for being over-long and somewhat tedious).
