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The Searcher

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The Searcher

By: Tana French
Narrated by: Roger Clark
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A disappearance. A small town. A question that needs answering...

Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a remote Irish village would be the perfect escape. After 25 years in the Chicago police force and a bruising divorce, he just wants to build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub where nothing much happens.

But then a local kid comes looking for his help. His brother has gone missing and no one, least of all the police, seems to care. Cal wants nothing to do with any kind of investigation, but somehow he can't make himself walk away.

Soon Cal will discover that even in the most idyllic small town, secrets lie hidden, people aren't always what they seem and trouble can come calling at his door.

Our greatest living mystery writer weaves a masterful tale of breath-taking beauty and suspense, asking how we decide what's right and wrong in a world where neither is simple, and what we risk if we fail.

©2020 Tana French (P)2020 Penguin Audio Crime Crime Fiction Crime Thrillers Fiction Genre Fiction Psychological Thriller & Suspense Thriller Suspense

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Critic reviews

"One of the most compulsive psychological mysteries since Donna Tartt's The Secret History." (The Times)

"To say Tana French is one of the great thriller writers is really too limiting. Rather she's simply this: a truly great writer." (Gillian Flynn)

"I'm a big fan of Tana French." (Ian Rankin)
All stars
Most relevant  
I love the accents, and the daily intrigues and goings on (and not so daily ones) in an Irish small town. Capturing, just the right size detective story for me, not too brutal or gory. Personal and relational


Great story and read

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This was the first time I’d “read” a book by Tana French and I was hooked by the blurb on Audible. Along with a healthy number of positive reviews, it did a good job and had me reaching for the buy button.

The story is told in the third person from Cal Hooper’s point of view. Having served 25 years in the Chicago police service and enduring a rough divorce, all Cal wants is a quiet life. A small village in rural Ireland offers him the tranquillity he desires and a run-down cottage gives him something to take his mind off what he’s left behind. In spite of being referred to as a “blow in” Cal is welcomed by a cast of characters including Mart, his nearest neighbour and Noreen the village shopkeeper, matchmaker and gossip. Befriended by a local teenager, Cal learns that life in rural Ireland isn’t quite as tranquil as he’d imagined. The kid’s older brother has gone missing under suspicious circumstances and while Cal doesn’t want to get involved, it intrigues him. Being careful not to ruffle any feathers, he makes discrete enquiries amongst the neighbours, villagers and pub-goers. It’s clear to Cal that he ought to leave it alone; easier said than done for someone who spent his career dealing with missing persons.

I love thrillers and I’ve penned a couple myself, although not to the same acclaim as Ms French. The ever helpful Audible suggested this book based on my search history and buying habits, so far so good. I subsequently note that it is listed on Amazon as number 4 in Gothic Romance, number 23 in Action and Adventure Literary Fiction and 26 in Historical Mystery, Thrillers and Suspense Fiction. Gothic Romance? I’m not sure what category it best fits into, but Thriller is stretching it a little. This book is slow to get going – very slow. It’s like a boot-sucking ramble across the Irish peat bogs that it depicts. The descriptions of the environment, flora and fauna are very very rich and if you’ve never visited rural Ireland you certainly get a great sense of the place in which the story is set. The characters arcs are more like flat lines. They don’t die but they don’t change much either. The kid’s journey is probably the better one. There’s something distinctly dodgy about Cal’s neighbour, Mart. I felt nothing for Cal himself. He seems like a nice guy but that’s about it.

I wouldn’t recommend this book, but that’s just my opinion. When it comes to social proof there are lots of readers who loved it – check out the reviews. I did wonder if it was just me, but having read some of the reviews after finishing the book, I found a couple who agreed that the book was slow to get going. From and audio perspective there is nothing wrong with the performance. Roger Clark does a great job, tackling the Irish accents with great skill. His performance as Cal is as gritty as I imagined the character to be. That said, a great performance can’t and doesn’t rescue a mediocre script.

Sorry, only three stars from me

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Good storyline, interesting characters and a good plot , had my attention throughout . Would definitely recommend.

Very Enjoyable Read

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A well written story. You get drawn into the place and plot, in the same way as the main character is gradually pulled into a situation.
Narrator good - enhanced the story

Draws you in

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I am a huge fan of French but this meanders and goes on and on and on…

Not one of her best

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Thoroughly enjoyed this - beautiful writing brought the landscape to life with a good tale to go with it.

Unexpectedly touching

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One of the best narrations of any book. Well worth a listen. It's a slow story but has just enough twists to keep you interested. Not too many characters to remember but the narration is masterful. I don't often write a review but narrators..here is your benchmark.

Great performance

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the setting of the scene is a bit long but the local intrigue and twists build

slowly builds to gripping end

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Really enjoyed this book. I was led on a meandering journey through rural Ireland. On the outside everything appears idyllic but there is an undercurrent of malevolence. The narrator does a fantastic job interpreting and developing the relationships between the central characters and building the tension as the story unfolds.

Modern day 'Shane'

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Easily the best narrative performance I've ever listened to! The narrator has a beautiful voice and navigated the changing characters and accents really well.

As regards the story itself, it was frustratingly slow moving. Not just at the beginning but throughout. I'm afraid that apart from likeable characters and good character development, this book didn't have much to offer

Slow Moving Throughout

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