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katherineflitsch_'s review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
There’s a lot that I loved about this one: the boarding school setting, the teenage nostalgia, the back-and-forth between likable Detective Moran and ethereal coverage of the girls (evocative of BRUTES). It wasn’t the most complicated mystery, but I don’t think the case itself was the focal point of this book.
My biggest qualm (which I was far less bothered by when distance built up a buffer) was the thread of supernatural—in a vacuum I would have loved it, but coming in the fifth book of a series otherwise starkly in the camp of realism, I found it dissenting from the series, and I found that off-putting.
But then I went about a week with my reading on pause, and when I came back to the book I wasn’t so bothered. So I think my advice is yes read this book if you appreciate a boarding school setting and a mystery tied up in youth and the underbelly of teenage drama. But just don’t read it right after a binge of French’s previous novels in this series. Certainly give yourself some space between reading BROKEN HARBOR and picking up this one. And then, if you like Tana French (particularly for her prose) then you’ll love THE SECRET PLACE too.
My biggest qualm (which I was far less bothered by when distance built up a buffer) was the thread of supernatural—in a vacuum I would have loved it, but coming in the fifth book of a series otherwise starkly in the camp of realism, I found it dissenting from the series, and I found that off-putting.
But then I went about a week with my reading on pause, and when I came back to the book I wasn’t so bothered. So I think my advice is yes read this book if you appreciate a boarding school setting and a mystery tied up in youth and the underbelly of teenage drama. But just don’t read it right after a binge of French’s previous novels in this series. Certainly give yourself some space between reading BROKEN HARBOR and picking up this one. And then, if you like Tana French (particularly for her prose) then you’ll love THE SECRET PLACE too.
rita_c's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
michelle_mightbereading's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jess_mango's review
4.0
The 5th installment in the Dublin Murder Squad series takes us to a girls' boarding school where one year ago a popular boy from a nearby boys' school was found murdered. When an anonymous postcard declaring "I KNOW WHO KILLED HIM" shows up on the school's "Secret Place" bulletin board, 2 detectives from the murder squad show up to investigate. It is actually Holly Mackey, daughter of the Murder Squad's detective Frank Mackey who brings in the postcard. She is a student at the boarding school. Detectives Antoinette Conway and Stephen Moran reopen the case and spend time interviewing a number of the students trying to determine who put the postcard on the board and who committed the murder.
The narrative switches between Stephen's perspective and the perspective of the girls of the boarding school.
As always with Tana French novels, this was a literary thriller that pretty much pulled me right in. She does a great job creating a cast of characters, this time with 8 boarding school girls, who for me were initially hard to tell apart...but the author does say they all try to groom themselves in a similar manner (Fake tanner, blonde hair, groomed eyebrows etc.) so that may be intentional. I really liked the connection between the two detectives in this story.
What to listen to while reading...
I Will Possess Your Heart by Death Cab for Cutie
Pretty Girls Make Graves by The Smiths
Glory and Gore by Lorde
The Devil Within by Digital Daggers
One Time by Marian Hill
Secret by The Pierces
Teen Idle by MARINA
The narrative switches between Stephen's perspective and the perspective of the girls of the boarding school.
As always with Tana French novels, this was a literary thriller that pretty much pulled me right in. She does a great job creating a cast of characters, this time with 8 boarding school girls, who for me were initially hard to tell apart...but the author does say they all try to groom themselves in a similar manner (Fake tanner, blonde hair, groomed eyebrows etc.) so that may be intentional. I really liked the connection between the two detectives in this story.
What to listen to while reading...
I Will Possess Your Heart by Death Cab for Cutie
Pretty Girls Make Graves by The Smiths
Glory and Gore by Lorde
The Devil Within by Digital Daggers
One Time by Marian Hill
Secret by The Pierces
Teen Idle by MARINA
fantasynovel's review
5.0
Okay, I know this book had flaws. But GODDAMN was this book fun!! This review is more of a rave than a review, and it's entirely full of spoilers(ish).
So, first of all, the viewpoint switching. At first, I really thought that would detract from my reading experience, y'know? But it turns out that while the Stephen chapters were my favorites (and the ones I'll probably read, not skim, on a reread), the girls' chapters were spooky, funny, engaging, and just so boarding school. Going to boarding school has always been a dream of mine, right behind immortality and gaining the ability to fly. Even Secret Place couldn't change my mind. I also wasn't so sure about the blatant witchery at first. Although French has always dabbled in the supernatural, this was a good helping of magic. But, just like the viewpoints, it grew on me.
I do have issues. Like, if Holly is so smart, shouldn't she have figured out the killer was right underneath her nose? And the murderer seemed like more an idea than a real living, breathing character. And Frank Mackey finally crossed the line from "stubborn" to "really fucking annoying, Jesus Christ, is this obstruction of justice?" Although, Frank and Holly make a really good team. Maybe Frank will be the killer in a later book and Holly will cover for him?? 10/10 would read. Love that family.
Also, I've never heard anyone say "totes amazeballs". At first I thought this was Irish slang, but then I learned that this was American slang. And I'm American and, like, I don't remember this ever being a thing. Not even in 2014.
Whatever. The Secret Place was totes amazeballs!!
So, first of all, the viewpoint switching. At first, I really thought that would detract from my reading experience, y'know? But it turns out that while the Stephen chapters were my favorites (and the ones I'll probably read, not skim, on a reread), the girls' chapters were spooky, funny, engaging, and just so boarding school. Going to boarding school has always been a dream of mine, right behind immortality and gaining the ability to fly. Even Secret Place couldn't change my mind. I also wasn't so sure about the blatant witchery at first. Although French has always dabbled in the supernatural, this was a good helping of magic. But, just like the viewpoints, it grew on me.
I do have issues. Like, if Holly is so smart, shouldn't she have figured out the killer was right underneath her nose? And the murderer seemed like more an idea than a real living, breathing character. And Frank Mackey finally crossed the line from "stubborn" to "really fucking annoying, Jesus Christ, is this obstruction of justice?" Although, Frank and Holly make a really good team. Maybe Frank will be the killer in a later book and Holly will cover for him?? 10/10 would read. Love that family.
Also, I've never heard anyone say "totes amazeballs". At first I thought this was Irish slang, but then I learned that this was American slang. And I'm American and, like, I don't remember this ever being a thing. Not even in 2014.
Whatever. The Secret Place was totes amazeballs!!
chelseatm's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was exactly the kind of detective novel I loved. Slooooow. I know that sounds strange but I love slowly building detective series where you are witness to the detectives' thought process and the compilation of evidence rather than receiving some lucky break that feels like I'll get whiplash following all the twists and turns. It feels closer to reality. It also feels like I'm given the chance to solve the mystery as well.
I think a better way to explain this is if you like the methodical writing of the Robert Gailbraith Cormoran Strike series, you'll appreciate this book.
Highly recommended.
I think a better way to explain this is if you like the methodical writing of the Robert Gailbraith Cormoran Strike series, you'll appreciate this book.
Highly recommended.
laverrrne's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed it, but:
1. I’m not the kind of person who attempts to solve mystery books as I read, but I thought this was incredibly obvious.
2. Speaking the phrase ‘hashtag’ and wearing Uggs as fashion are not time periods that overlapped.
1. I’m not the kind of person who attempts to solve mystery books as I read, but I thought this was incredibly obvious.
2. Speaking the phrase ‘hashtag’ and wearing Uggs as fashion are not time periods that overlapped.