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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Well, I was really looking forward to this book and tried to like it but I didn't. The writing is good but the story and the characters just didn't do it for me. I didn't find a single character I could identify with in the book. A little crazy is okay but that was just too much crazy for me.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book has confusingly neolib tones in its early pages which set me on edge, but it did not seem to continue with them. It was not a straightforward murder mystery and though it was a good read the outcomes confused me.
This is the fourth in the excellent Dublin murder squad series and the books get better and better.
The series is essentially a collection of stand alone novels about different officers and crimes investigated within the eponymous police department. Here we meet Mikey Kennedy a worn down but very successful detective who has just come out of a divorce and therefore waiting to be reallocated a big case . When a family of four appear to have been murdered/injured in their home in a remote Dublin housing estate Kennedy is allocated the investigation and his assistant is a rookie with whom he quickly develops a close relationship.
As the investigation moves on it is unclear if this a domestic crime or a random stranger and the pressure and emotion mount. This is ramped up as we learn of Kennedy's own history and meet his sister who has mental heath difficulties and as the investigation continues I loved the depiction of Kennedy unravelling as we also watch the husband victim similarly having fallen apart.
Great storytelling.
The series is essentially a collection of stand alone novels about different officers and crimes investigated within the eponymous police department. Here we meet Mikey Kennedy a worn down but very successful detective who has just come out of a divorce and therefore waiting to be reallocated a big case . When a family of four appear to have been murdered/injured in their home in a remote Dublin housing estate Kennedy is allocated the investigation and his assistant is a rookie with whom he quickly develops a close relationship.
As the investigation moves on it is unclear if this a domestic crime or a random stranger and the pressure and emotion mount. This is ramped up as we learn of Kennedy's own history and meet his sister who has mental heath difficulties and as the investigation continues I loved the depiction of Kennedy unravelling as we also watch the husband victim similarly having fallen apart.
Great storytelling.
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Maybe, as the saying goes, the third time really is the charm, since Tana French's fourth novel, Broken Harbor, was a huge disappointment. I work in Forensics, and tend to loathe all pop culture obsession with it, including over-the-top television series, and unrealistic crime novels. Then came Tana French, with a refreshing, gripping series of books about a Dublin Murder Detective squad, with realistic characters, page-turning plot, and great mystery entertainment. All three of her previous novels deliver.
There was a lot of hope and anticipation with the debut of the newest in her series, Broken Harbor. Unfortunately, I was turned off from the start. The main character, Detective "Scorcher" Kennedy, is portrayed with such cartoonish melodrama, I was reminded of David Caruso's ridiculous portrayal of Horatio Caine in CSI: Miami. Broken Harbor's plot is just as flashy-fakey as the television series. Too many pieces felt piecemeal, and rushed to come together in a not-quite-believeable, only-on-TV way.
Where French does succeed, however, is in the characters on the periphery. Her portrayal of the nosy neighbors, a victim's sister, and other familial relationships shows the great talent French grabbed us with in her other novels.
Unfortunately, that periphery is just enough to trudge your way through this otherwise dull murder mystery. Hopefully Broken Harbor is just a blah-nomaly in an otherwise brilliant series.
There was a lot of hope and anticipation with the debut of the newest in her series, Broken Harbor. Unfortunately, I was turned off from the start. The main character, Detective "Scorcher" Kennedy, is portrayed with such cartoonish melodrama, I was reminded of David Caruso's ridiculous portrayal of Horatio Caine in CSI: Miami. Broken Harbor's plot is just as flashy-fakey as the television series. Too many pieces felt piecemeal, and rushed to come together in a not-quite-believeable, only-on-TV way.
Where French does succeed, however, is in the characters on the periphery. Her portrayal of the nosy neighbors, a victim's sister, and other familial relationships shows the great talent French grabbed us with in her other novels.
Unfortunately, that periphery is just enough to trudge your way through this otherwise dull murder mystery. Hopefully Broken Harbor is just a blah-nomaly in an otherwise brilliant series.
Probably the saddest and darkest Tana French so far, both for the murder case and the main detectives. Scorcher Kennedy, who was first introduced in Faithful Place, is the narrator this time. I found him very annoying in the last book, sort of understood him and his perspective bit better through this book but still disliked him, and by the last pages i felt so bad for him and would even claim this is one of Tana French's best written characters.
Overall another great book, though I'm really sad Richie Curran (Kennedy's partner in this book), whom I really liked and was hoping would be a next narrator, probably won't get the chance to reappear for reasons I won't spoil.
Overall another great book, though I'm really sad Richie Curran (Kennedy's partner in this book), whom I really liked and was hoping would be a next narrator, probably won't get the chance to reappear for reasons I won't spoil.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A well-crafted, interesting, realistic-feeling book. Also very compelling and insightful, but possibly the saddest, most tragic of French’s books I’ve read so far (this was my fourth). The characters were all very clearly drawn & relatably flawed (not that I can relate to murder, just human frailty). I will say that having had experience with a loved one with a certain kind of mental illness, I was left feeling a bit more upset than I expected. Might this help me process stuff? It’s possible. But I’m not sure I was adequately ready for how I was affected. All the more so because French paints such a realistic picture of what can go wrong in people’s lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail
I expected nothing less from Tana French but every time I read her works, I'm taken aback at what an articulate and spectacular writer she is. Her ability to keep her readers engaged and guessing in each chapter is quite unique and splendid. I absolutely love her writing style and can't wait to move unto her next novel 'The Secret Place'.
More like 2.5.
Honestly, this started out really intriguing, but then it kind of started to spiral out of control towards the end.
Also, Jesus, I'm not sure I'm remembering this correctly, but isn't this the fourth detective now in as many books who's resigned from the Dublin Murder Squad because they've cracked over a case? Is this amount of turnover normal?
Honestly, this started out really intriguing, but then it kind of started to spiral out of control towards the end.
Spoiler
The stuff with Pat and the animal was really weird, and then Jenny and possibly Emma were going insane as well? I also don't get why Scorcher was so obsessed with vindicating Pat, despite his assuring us at the beginning of the book that he was all about control, he always got his man/case, he was damn good at his job, he didn't get emotional over the survivors/victims, etc. And why was Richie going to put everything on the line for Jenny, enough to jeopardize the case and his career? We saw him displaying compassion towards others and getting reprimanded for it a couple of times by Scorcher, but withholding evidence is on another level entirely.Also, Jesus, I'm not sure I'm remembering this correctly, but isn't this the fourth detective now in as many books who's resigned from the Dublin Murder Squad because they've cracked over a case? Is this amount of turnover normal?