Another excellent, well-plotted book by Tana French. I have not been reading her mystery thrillers in order, but with maybe the exception of one, I am all caught up. Some are better than others, all are good. This book is probably the best of the lot that I have read. A young detective, Stephen Moran is teamed up with the sarcastic Antoinette Conway who is the chief detective on this case. As a woman of color, Antoinette takes more than her share of macho sexist behavior from her colleagues. In turn she is abrasive, stoic, and cold. She is tough to work with, but somehow Moran makes small inroads and gains her confidence. By the end of the book, they are a formidable team.
This novel begins with a cold-case murder on the grounds of a well-known prestigious girls' school, St. Kilda's. French makes a contrast between Moran who was raised in the tough Dublin neighborhoods and the privileged, world-weary girls he is investigating. In the end he discovers his preconceived notions about the girls were wrong, all except the extreme loyalty they hold for each other against all adults and outsiders.
At the center of the mystery is Holly Mackey, now a teen, the daughter of Chief Detective Frank Mackey with whom he worked in "Faithful Place." This, of course, makes the investigation even more sensitive.
I have reviewed a number of French's novels, and have praised her writing and story development, as well as her knowledge of Dublin and police procedures, and especially her local dialogue. Although this isn't her latest book, if you haven't read it, it is among the best.
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