Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Searcher by Tana French

7 reviews

jodar's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

A well-written crime story. If it hadn’t bogged down in the middle part, I’d give it a higher rating.  In a way the crime isn’t central to the novel, and there’s not much suspense. Instead, the mystery is the means by which the characters are compelled to face dilemmas and hard truths. 

The MC is a bit stereotypical: a retired policeman looking to rehabilitate himself after an unhappy marriage in a new, apparently peaceful and remote part of the world. That said,  the MC is a likeable man who’s aware of his personal strengths and weaknesses. The relationship he develops, almost accidentally, with a young, distressed girl – central to the plot – is developed with care and insight. So too the MC’s internal struggles in reconciling his own code of conduct with his past family and work experiences, the new attitudes of his children’s generation and the repercussions of the crime he works to uncover. 

The description of the environment is attractively portrayed and sets up a sharp discordance with the brutality of what the MC eventually uncovers. Some of the seemingly cheerful, friendly inhabitants likewise are at variance with the reality the MC comes to understand.

Well worth reading provided you’re not looking for an action-packed, fast-moving crime thriller.

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kshy's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense slow-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? Yes

4.0


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kimberlynann's review

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mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0


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aseel_reads's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I only continued with this book because it was an easy audiobook to listen to, otherwise, it became copganda about halfway through and then it had some really off putting actions by certain characters who never got punished and I don't like that 

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seadeepy's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


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noshelf_control's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.5


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rachel_smyth's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25


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