In 2021 I read Tana French's novel The Searcher (2020), a slow paced mystery that unfurls like a western movie. Retired Chicago Detective Cal Hooper relocates to the small fictional Irish town of Ardnakelty where he hopes to live a quiet life. There he meets a troubled young teenager Trey who seeks Cal's help in locating her missing brother. I really loved The Searcher with its deliberate pacing and the way in which French forces readers to slow down and immerse themselves in the story.
Into this mix comes Trey's wayward father Johnny Reddy who has been absent for four years living in London. Johnny waltzes back into town with an Englishman and tries to get the locals to join a scheme to find gold in the area. Both Cal and Trey know Johnny is up to no good and each independently try to uncover his motivations and the truth behind his scheme. Cal feels the need to protect Trey, but Trey sees an opportunity to get back at those who harmed her family in the past. The only thing they both know for certain is that Johnny will not stay long once he has whatever he wants.
I loved The Hunter. The Ardnakelty environment and the local characters are realistically portrayed. The three main characters - Cal, Lena and Trey - reveal themselves gradually and give hints of greater depths that may come forth in future stories.
Tana French has done something remarkable with this pair of books - flipping the conventional crime novel on its head by slowing down the pace and letting the tension build slowly. I would recommend reading the series in order as French presumes the reader has knowledge of The Searcher and it would enhance the reading experience.