The Searcher

grandpa taught him about skinning game, and if the mule-tempered broadband will deign to find him a recipe for rabbit stew. The rooks crowd in, pecking hard and bracing their feet to jerk out bites of flesh, more of them zooming down from the tree to jostle in on the action.

 

Cal watches them for a while, stretching out his legs and rolling one shoulder in circles. Working on the house is using muscles he'd forgotten he had. He finds new aches every morning, although some of that is likely from sleeping on a cheap mattress on the floor. Cal is too old and too big for that, but there's no point in bringing good furniture into the dust and damp and mold. He'll buy that stuff once he has the house in shape, and once he figures out where you buy it-all that was Donna's department. Meanwhile, he doesn't mind the aches. They satisfy him; along with the blisters and thickening calluses, they're solid, earned proof of what his life is now.

 

It's headed into the long cool September stretch of evening, but cloudy enough that there's no trace of a sunset. The sky, dappled in subtle gradations of gray, goes on forever; so do the fields, coded in shades of green by their different uses, divided up by sprawling hedges, dry-stone walls and the odd narrow back road. Away to the north, a line of low mountains rolls along the horizon. Cal's eyes are still getting used to looking this far, after all those years of city blocks. Landscape is one of the few things he knows of where the reality doesn't let you down. The West of Ireland looked beautiful on the internet; from right smack in the middle of it, it looks even better. The air is rich as fruitcake, like you should do more with it than just breathe it; bite off a big mouthful, maybe, or rub handfuls of it over your face.

 

After a while the rooks slow down, getting towards the end of their meal. Cal stands up and picks up the trash bag again. The rooks cock smart, instant glances at him and, when he starts dow

poetic." Associated Press

"French takes this standalone novel at a measured pace, easing readers into Cal's quiet life before the thrills unravel." TIME

"Compelling." Vox

The Searcher feels different from French s previous books there s a sparseness to the setting that contrasts with the bustle of the Dublin Murder Squad, or even the gathered family in The Witch Elm but is no less addictive; the pages practically turn themselves. The Seattle Times

"A creepy slow burn that focuses just as much on the central characters inner lives as on the mystery at the heart of the story . . .packed full of twists, turns, and shocking reveals. BuzzFeed

"All things atmospheric and mysterious, this one may keep you up past your bedtime. Cosmopolitan

"A moving new tale of friendship and healing, set in an Irish countryside populated with eccentrics, curmudgeons, and a hilariously weird British woman obsessed with fairies." CrimeReads

"Evocative and lyrical, The Searcher is a mystery worth reading slowly to savor every perfectly rendered detail." Bookpage

It has everything you love the suspense, the questions, the unraveling of lies . obsessively fascinating. Marie Claire

The queen of crime returns with a thriller about a retired Chicago police officer who discovers the sinister underbelly of a seemingly quaint Irish town. Entertainment Weekly

In The Searcher, Tana French stakes out new territory: a rural Irish setting quite different from the urban and suburban Ireland of her previous works, and a central character who is an American . . . The Searcher blends qualities of French s best novels, the first and third of her Dublin Murder Squad police procedurals . . . Los Angeles Review of Books

Readers who share her interest in exploring the lives of flawed and compelling characters will find much to love in the atmospheric story of a retired cop who moves to Ireland for relaxation, only to be asked to find a missing teen. St Louis Post-Dispatch.

As always, French s prose is spellbinding and lyrical . . . The beautiful imagery combined with the dialect of the earthly, witty characters creates an appealing atmosphere that engages the reader . . ." The Austin American-Statesman

Insightful characterizations, even of minor figures, and a devastating reveal help make this a standout. Crime fiction fans won t want to miss this one. Publishers Weekly, starred review
 
  A slow-burn stunner that will keep readers turning the pages late into the night. Recommend to the author s legions of fans, as well as those who enjoy crime fiction set in small towns like Julia Keller s or Jane Harper s novels. Library Journal, starred review
 
In another stand-alone, French again displays impressive versatility French skillfully builds suspense a fine thriller, but also a moving story of an unlikely friendship that grows from refinishing a ramshackle desk to rebuilding two nearly broken lives. Booklist
 
Just pre-order and call in sick for a couple days after October 6 when the book comes out. The Millions
 
Deliver[s] plenty of twists, shocking revelations, and truly chilling moments. Kirkus