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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
dark
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
A very slow paced story. Mike "Scorcher" Kennedy is lead detective on a triple murder investigation along with newbie Richie Curran. The entire story takes place in under a week with revelation happening in the penultimate chapter. The final pages of the story were a let down.
I just could not get into it. Every time I picked it up something distracted me.
I figured this one out on page 314 (of 450) so the last 136 pages took longer to get through than if I was kept guessing. The mystery had a good concept though in this one I could have done without the backstory surrounding Detective Kennedy. I absolutely loved "The Likeness" and "Faithful Place"; however "Broken Harbor" did not have the same level of intrigue.
"Broken Harbor" revisits some of the themes running through "The Likeness" (tight knit group of friends willing to do anything for one and other) and "Faithful Place" (jealousy, socioeconomic effects on people, bringing the past into the present), but the result is hollow compared to the other novels.
I also felt that the motive in this one was hard to believe. Without inserting a spoiler alert, I'll just say that I'd be hard pressed to find an actual family whose actions mirror the Spains'. I can't believe there are people so shallow that the outcome of this book would be preferred to...well...any alternative.
"Broken Harbor" revisits some of the themes running through "The Likeness" (tight knit group of friends willing to do anything for one and other) and "Faithful Place" (jealousy, socioeconomic effects on people, bringing the past into the present), but the result is hollow compared to the other novels.
I also felt that the motive in this one was hard to believe. Without inserting a spoiler alert, I'll just say that I'd be hard pressed to find an actual family whose actions mirror the Spains'. I can't believe there are people so shallow that the outcome of this book would be preferred to...well...any alternative.
not my favorite of tana french’s but still an interesting story. more slow paced & lengthy than i like but still written so well
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
*I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of Tana French's Broken Harbour through a Goodreads giveaway.
Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series is fantastic, and Broken Harbour is no exception. Mike "Scorcher" Kennedy may have been burned by Detective Frank Mackey in Faithful Place when he tried ally with Mackey in hopes of making a name for himself, but as the featured detective in this novel, he knocks it out of the park. When a family is brutally attacked in their home and the wife barely survives, Kennedy takes on the defining case of his career that parallels his struggles with his bipolar sister.
Broken Harbour combined my favorite elements of French's past novels. Her mysteries are particularly fascinating because she narrows the field of suspects to two or three real suspects. Here, French gives us an in depth character study of the husband, wife and their childhood friend. You become emotionally invested in the potential suspects, and most importantly - this is no bait and switch. There's no random stranger or undiscovered evidence that comes in at the end and let's everyone off the hook. Someone you care about deeply about by the end of the story will be the killer, which only heightens the emotional impact.
And her characters feel powerfully real. This story, like many of her others, is about broken families. There's the obviously broken family, brutally slaughtered in their own home. There's Kennedy's broken family, as he and his sister Geri struggle to finally come to terms with their mother's suicide, and save their bipolar younger sister as she spirals out of control. There's Jenny's own family, and her long time group of friends, who drifted apart as Jenny realized she wanted a traditional life while her sister Fiona desperately wanted to feel unique.
Despite the familiar characters, the mystery is the main focus and French keeps the reader guessing. Halfway through the novel you realize the protagonist, Kennedy, knows the end game already. Yet French keeps the reader in the dark, making the reveal that much more powerful.
One criticism I've seen lobbed at French's novels is that the characters can be unlikable. And they frequently are. But that's the appeal of her writing. These are broken detectives, living tragic lives, making mistakes we all make. When Kennedy struggles, he makes bad choices. He snaps at his partner. He ignores his mentally ill sister. He ignores possible leads due to his emotional investment. It's frustrating, and he is often not a good person. But in the end, he solves the crime. He gets the killer. And for me, that's enough to absolve him for his smaller sins.
This is my favorite installment, after The Likeness. The general consensus is that the first novel, In The Woods was the best, but I'm partial to The Likeness, the story of a detective slipping into the shoes of her recently murdered doppleganger while investigating a cult-like group of grad students.
Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series is fantastic, and Broken Harbour is no exception. Mike "Scorcher" Kennedy may have been burned by Detective Frank Mackey in Faithful Place when he tried ally with Mackey in hopes of making a name for himself, but as the featured detective in this novel, he knocks it out of the park. When a family is brutally attacked in their home and the wife barely survives, Kennedy takes on the defining case of his career that parallels his struggles with his bipolar sister.
Broken Harbour combined my favorite elements of French's past novels. Her mysteries are particularly fascinating because she narrows the field of suspects to two or three real suspects. Here, French gives us an in depth character study of the husband, wife and their childhood friend. You become emotionally invested in the potential suspects, and most importantly - this is no bait and switch. There's no random stranger or undiscovered evidence that comes in at the end and let's everyone off the hook. Someone you care about deeply about by the end of the story will be the killer, which only heightens the emotional impact.
And her characters feel powerfully real. This story, like many of her others, is about broken families. There's the obviously broken family, brutally slaughtered in their own home. There's Kennedy's broken family, as he and his sister Geri struggle to finally come to terms with their mother's suicide, and save their bipolar younger sister as she spirals out of control. There's Jenny's own family, and her long time group of friends, who drifted apart as Jenny realized she wanted a traditional life while her sister Fiona desperately wanted to feel unique.
Despite the familiar characters, the mystery is the main focus and French keeps the reader guessing. Halfway through the novel you realize the protagonist, Kennedy, knows the end game already. Yet French keeps the reader in the dark, making the reveal that much more powerful.
One criticism I've seen lobbed at French's novels is that the characters can be unlikable. And they frequently are. But that's the appeal of her writing. These are broken detectives, living tragic lives, making mistakes we all make. When Kennedy struggles, he makes bad choices. He snaps at his partner. He ignores his mentally ill sister. He ignores possible leads due to his emotional investment. It's frustrating, and he is often not a good person. But in the end, he solves the crime. He gets the killer. And for me, that's enough to absolve him for his smaller sins.
This is my favorite installment, after The Likeness. The general consensus is that the first novel, In The Woods was the best, but I'm partial to The Likeness, the story of a detective slipping into the shoes of her recently murdered doppleganger while investigating a cult-like group of grad students.
It took me forever to get through this book. It was not as enjoyable as her other books. It was a bit boring and it dragged on. Three stars is a bit generous. I won't give up on her books but if I start another like this I don't think I'll stick with it or her!