There are so many things I love about Tana French mysteries, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this, her latest. If you like mysteries and you haven't tried Tana French, do so immediately. This is her sixth book about the Dublin Murder Squad. French's lead characters have usually played a smaller role in a previous story, though in this book, we meet Detectives Antoinette Conway and Stephen Moran for the second time. They were previously in "The Secret Place." You don't have to read the books in sequence to enjoy them. I have not, and I have not read all yet, but look forward to doing so.
That said, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had the others I have read, but it is still a good read, especially the second half of the book when the reader has gotten beyond the red herrings. French teaches us a lot about the workings in the squad room in a very authentic way. You see the professional jealousies playing out and often just plain meanness. Her characters are very human with their flaws and quirks exposed to the reader. Her mysteries are cerebral, you think you know what is happening and then discover hidden depths to a character. French's characters all carry secrets, including the detectives.
The characters in this book slowly reveal themselves and their pasts. Conway and Moran were causally handed a case that at first seemed quite straightforward. A woman, Aisling Murray, was murdered apparently while making dinner for a date. The date, Rory Fallon, a milquetoast sort of fellow, quite naturally became the prime suspect. His interrogation tells you a lot about police methods and it is easy to feel sympathetic for sad Rory. In the meanwhile, we learn a lot about Antoinette Conway, and begin to realize that her acerbic personality and defensive manner has a lot to do with the fact that being the only female and non-white in the squad room has made her vulnerable to bullying and ragging from her fellow officers. And then there is the added burden of having to deal with Detective Breslin, a blow-hard egoist who has been assigned to the case as a sort of overseer when things become more complicated. All the while, Conway is nagged by a distant memory of having met the murder victim before. When she finally realizes when, she discovers a truth about herself, as well.
Like many of French's books, we walk the streets and discover the neighborhoods of Dublin. We meet people from all walks of life, though more often, the working class Irish. The dialogue is terrific and authentic which adds to the enjoyment, though I would like to be better able to figure out the pronunciation of Irish names. Enjoy.
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