Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Searcher by Tana French

12 reviews

jodar's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Grief, Animal death, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Mental illness

Minor: Xenophobia and Suicide

kshy's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Violence, Blood, Death, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Murder, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Cursing, Alcohol, Police brutality, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Stalking and Suicide

aseel_reads's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Death, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Alcohol, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail

mirandap442's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Trafficking, Addiction, Drug abuse, Gore, Blood, Death, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol and Cursing

Minor: Suicide

katiekaiser's review against another edition

challenging mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I liked this book enough. It was slower than I prefer and not as suspenseful as I expected. It seemed like a lot of build up for a somewhat anti-climactic  ending. The writing is very good. This is definitely not a fast-paced thriller. It’s almost more fiction than it is mystery. I don’t mind it, I was just expecting more suspense. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Animal death, Child abuse, Blood, and Alcohol

Moderate: Suicide, Car accident, and Gun violence

stacy837's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Gun violence and Drug use

placebogirl's review against another edition

dark inspiring mysterious sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Grief

noshelf_control's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Violence

moon's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

while tana french's writing is definitely a strong point of this novel, i find it hard to feel as positively for the plot. the pacing was quite slow so it was a challenge for me to get through the first part and the fact that the mystery was so boring didn't help in keeping my attention either. i mostly just kept going because i hate leaving things unfinished. the fomo is strong in this one (me). the conclusion to the mystery was pretty lacklustre and disappointing too because i had the impression that more shit was gonna go down.

that said, i'm a huge fan of the way tana french moulds her characters. all of them feel so authentically human, with their flaws and individualities that set each character apart from the rest. i have my reasons for disliking the main character and others as well, which is why i answered that i didn't find the characters lovable, but trey and lena are an exception. the way i got so attached to trey like she was my own sibling...

my point is, i didn't hate this book due to the brilliant writing, but the other things could be better.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Grief, Gun violence, and Police brutality

Minor: Hate crime

bookmarkie's review against another edition

mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

Minor: Drug use and Alcohol