Sometimes you just need a really good mystery to sink your teeth into, and Tana French is the best of the best. Not only are her mysteries complex and rewarding, but her language is luminous and rich. It’s not often you find a series that appeals to readers of both thrillers and literary fiction, but this series has something for everyone.
Centered around the fictional Dublin Murder Squad, each title features a different detective who appeared as a minor character in the previous book. As is the case with many detectives, each one brings their own baggage that might be getting in the way of solving their case. There’s Rob, who disappeared in the woods as a child and is now trying to solve the mystery of another missing child in In the Woods. There’s Frank, whose girlfriend went missing decades earlier on the night they were to run away together and whose 20 year old suitcase has just turned up in Faithful Place. And, (my personal favorite), Cassie, who goes undercover as a murder victim who looks so like her that she is able to take her place to find out what really happened (The Likeness). While each book has characters and a location in common, you don’t have to read them in order.
These books are smart, gritty, and somehow beautiful. What are you waiting for?
