Reviews
One of Fall 2020s Most Anticipated Books Entertainment Weekly TIME Vogue Parade CrimeReads The Week New York Post The Millions Kirkus Publishers Weekly Top 10 "Taught, chiseled and propulsive." -- Vogue "French takes this standalone novel at a measured pace, easing readers into Cal's quiet life before the thrills unravel." --TIME "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 "Plenty of French's trademark character studies and careful reveals. Fans and newcomers will be equally pleased!" -- CrimeReads, One of Fall 2020s Most Anticipated Books Entertainment Weekly TIME Vogue Parade CrimeReads The Week New York Post The Millions Kirkus Publishers Weekly Top 10 "Taut, chiseled and propulsive." -- Vogue "French takes this standalone novel at a measured pace, easing readers into Cal's quiet life before the thrills unravel." --TIME "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 "Plenty of French's trademark character studies and careful reveals. Fans and newcomers will be equally pleased!" -- CrimeReads, One of Fall 2020s Most Anticipated Books The New York Times Cosmopolitan Buzzfeed Bustle E! News Parade The Washington Post Vox Entertainment Weekly TIME Vogue Parade CrimeReads The Week New York Post The Millions PopSugar Kirkus Publishers Weekly Top 10 "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 "So simple, yet so effective as a plot device: A stranger comes to town." -- The Washington Post "French takes this standalone novel at a measured pace, easing readers into Cal's quiet life before the thrills unravel." --TIME "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 "The Searcher is an atmospheric, detective story on island time, with a lesson to impart about not taking situations--or people--at face value." --Amazon Book Review "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 "You can call off your search for the next thriller that will keep you up late reading because you just have to know what happens. One of the top modern mystery writers is back in action." --E! News Online "The queen of the thriller genre." --Bust "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
Synopsis
Best Book of 2020 New York Times NPR New York Post "This hushed suspense tale about thwarted dreams of escape may be her best one yet . . . Its own kind of masterpiece." --Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post "A new Tana French is always cause for celebration . . . Read it once for the plot; read it again for the beauty and subtlety of French's writing." --Sarah Lyall, The New York Times Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a bucolic Irish village would be the perfect escape. After twenty-five 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 when a local kid whose brother has gone missing arm-twists him into investigating, Cal uncovers layers of darkness beneath his picturesque retreat, and starts to realize that even small towns shelter dangerous secrets. "One of the greatest crime novelists writing today" (Vox) weaves a masterful, atmospheric tale of suspense, asking how to tell right from wrong in a world where neither is simple, and what we stake on that decision., Best Book of 2020 New York Times NPR New York Post This hushed suspense tale about thwarted dreams of escape may be her best one yet . . . Its own kind of masterpiece. --Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post A new Tana French is always cause for celebration . . . Read it once for the plot; read it again for the beauty and subtlety of French's writing. --Sarah Lyall, The New York Times Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a bucolic Irish village would be the perfect escape. After twenty-five 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 when a local kid whose brother has gone missing arm-twists him into investigating, Cal uncovers layers of darkness beneath his picturesque retreat, and starts to realize that even small towns shelter dangerous secrets. One of the greatest crime novelists writing today (Vox) weaves a masterful, atmospheric tale of suspense, asking how to tell right from wrong in a world where neither is simple, and what we stake on that decision.
