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A review by booksandbark
Broken Harbor by Tana French
5.0
If I could give this book six stars, I would. Just when I thought I couldn't love [a:Tana French|138825|Tana French|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1535655031p2/138825.jpg] any more, I read Broken Harbor. I have to admit, I wasn't too excited about this one at first, considering its slow start and the fact that Frank Mackey from [b:Faithful Place|9675287|Faithful Place (Dublin Murder Squad, #3)|Tana French|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|7350661] has a pretty low opinion of Mick "Scorcher" Kennedy, the narrator of this book (also why didn't I find out that "Mick" is short for Michael until page 300?!). I loved the peek we got of Stephen Moran in [b:Faithful Place|9675287|Faithful Place (Dublin Murder Squad, #3)|Tana French|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|7350661], and I kind of was just trying to get through this book so I could get more of Moran's story in [b:The Secret Place|20821043|The Secret Place (Dublin Murder Squad, #5)|Tana French|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538064620l/20821043._SY75_.jpg|21598636] and [b:The Trespasser|29430013|The Trespasser (Dublin Murder Squad #6)|Tana French|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462998307l/29430013._SY75_.jpg|48321130]. But I ended up loving Detective Kennedy (Scorcher? Scorch? Mick? Mikey? Michael?) and his "partner," rookie Detective Richie (which is somehow short for Richard??) Curran, and the mystery. I wasn't too surprised at who the murderers were in [b:The Likeness|17775623|The Likeness|Tana French|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|6504351] and [b:Faithful Place|9675287|Faithful Place (Dublin Murder Squad, #3)|Tana French|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|7350661], but I honestly had no idea who the murderer was in Broken Harbor until it was revealed! When I picked up this book, I was beginning to think that French hit her best with the first book in the Dublin Murder Squad series, [b:In the Woods|3057240|In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1)|Tana French|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|3088141]. This is definitely not the case.
French has said that each of her books focuses on a larger conflict of ideas beyond what's happening in the story. For Detective Kennedy, that conflict comes with bending the rules, seeing things in grayscale instead of black-and-white, and coming to terms with the fact that he might not be "Detective Perfect." Like Scorcher, I love rules, so for me this conflict really hit home, especially because it's something I question in many cop TV shows where the detectives are much more willing to break and bend the rules than Detective Kennedy is (I'm looking at you, NCIS). For me, French's stories are always so much more about the internal state of the detectives and how that influences how they do their job than about the mysteries themselves (although I love seeing some of those solved, too!). In that sense, Broken Harbor really hit the nail on the head. My first reaction upon reading the book was to sit there and think about it for about an hour. My second was to read through the thread on Goodreads for another hour. My third was I want to read this book again. I'm sure I will, but just not today. I really hope this one stands up to a re-read.
Also, re the other characters in the novel: I loved Dina and Richie. I think Scorcher's spiral and the way he eventually ends up reacting to Dina was very well done. Also: RICHIE. Richie and Scorcher's relationship was a treat to read. I really missed the police procedural aspect in French's last two novels, and this return to partners and Dublin Castle was really really nice until, of course, it wasn't. French has the unique ability to get me to react to the supporting characters as the main character does, and Richie grew on me as he grew on Kennedy as the book progressed. I really would have loved to see more of him in another novel, but I don't think he appears in [b:The Secret Place|20821043|The Secret Place (Dublin Murder Squad, #5)|Tana French|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538064620l/20821043._SY75_.jpg|21598636] or [b:The Trespasser|29430013|The Trespasser (Dublin Murder Squad #6)|Tana French|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462998307l/29430013._SY75_.jpg|48321130].
French's books are rarely happy. You have been warned.
Spoiler
Also the mink thing REALLY got to me. I've come to love how unresolved French leaves some of her mysteries (and I've come to terms with the fact that we'll probably never know what happened to Rob, Peter, and Jamie in [b:In the Woods|3057240|In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1)|Tana French|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|3088141]), but I spent an hour or so reading through Goodreads reviews after I finished trying to figure out whether there was ever an animal there in the first place!!French has said that each of her books focuses on a larger conflict of ideas beyond what's happening in the story. For Detective Kennedy, that conflict comes with bending the rules, seeing things in grayscale instead of black-and-white, and coming to terms with the fact that he might not be "Detective Perfect." Like Scorcher, I love rules, so for me this conflict really hit home, especially because it's something I question in many cop TV shows where the detectives are much more willing to break and bend the rules than Detective Kennedy is (I'm looking at you, NCIS). For me, French's stories are always so much more about the internal state of the detectives and how that influences how they do their job than about the mysteries themselves (although I love seeing some of those solved, too!). In that sense, Broken Harbor really hit the nail on the head. My first reaction upon reading the book was to sit there and think about it for about an hour. My second was to read through the
Spoiler
mink plot lineAlso, re the other characters in the novel: I loved Dina and Richie. I think Scorcher's spiral and the way he eventually ends up reacting to Dina was very well done. Also: RICHIE.
Spoiler
Why does French have to ruin every satisfying partner relationship in her books?? This was going SO WELL until Richie decided to play judge, jury, and executioner with Jennifer Spain's life.French's books are rarely happy. You have been warned.