Since the day a friend recommended In The Woods by Tana French, I have been hooked. Her literary-style writing is beautiful, her stories complex, her characters pitch-perfect, and her mysteries never end the way you think, or want, them to end. She is a writer whose books I recommend to other mystery readers and her newest book in her Dublin Murder Squad series, The Secret Place, will definitely be up there at the top of the list of recs.
Detective Stephen Moran has been trapped in Cold Cases for years. He needs a case that will get him into the coveted Murder Squad. When Holly Mackey, a student at the elite St. Kilda's College for young girls, shows up looking for Moran with a clue to an unsolved murder from last year, he sees this as his big chance. He and Holly share a history from the book Faithful Place when she was a nine year-old witness. He hunts down the lead detective from the murder at St. Kilda's, the prickly and foul-mouthed Antoinette Conway. Just as Holly handed Moran a gift, he in turn has one for Conway; she hasn't had a solve in over a year and the St. Kilda's murder was her first big case. The only female detective in the Squad, Conway is constantly trying to prove her mettle and she is not exactly up for membership in the after work pints with the boys club.
At St. Kilda's the detectives find that teenage girls are not the most cooperative witnesses. Secretive, contemptuous, flirty, angry: the girls' reactions to the detectives are all over the map. Whether their friendships are based on a true love or a fear of rejection, in the sterile bubble of this elite school the girls have formed cliques that are loyal only to each other. Moran and Conway are able to whittle down the witnesses to two different groups of friends that despise one another. The group the book focuses most upon is Holly and her three friends. Julia is the tough and cheeky leader, pretty but spacey Selena is the child of divorced parents, and Becca is the withdrawn child dropped off at the boarding school by her housekeeper because her parents live in Qatar. And Holly is the daughter of the polarizing Detective Frank Mathey from The Likeness and Faithful Place books. Love him or hate him, Frank is Holly's da and you know he will make an appearance.
The story unfolds in two ways: Moran's present tense first person narrative and the past tense of the girls' experiences at the time of the murder. And with the present tense part, the detectives' visit to St. Kilda's takes place within less than one day. To add to the storytelling is the author's countdown as to how much longer the murder victim will live. Interchanging the two narratives works well, it paints a fuller picture for the reader. We come to better understand the girls and their thought processes at the time of the murder. Because of their unstable home lives they are more than just friends, they are a family here at St Kilda's. But, true to the real world, families can become dysfunctional with secrets and betrayal and pain.
While the detectives share this tale with the girls who play the largest part in the book, the story belongs to Moran. This is a man who is not completely altruistic in his motives: he does want to solve the mystery, but he also wants to use it as a stepping stone in his career. Conway has a good introduction into the series, but I felt she mostly took a backseat and watched as Moran connected and interviewed the girls. He is able to open doors that were slammed shut on her last year during her investigation. Solving this, even with Moran's help, would boost her career as well. With each chapter, Moran feels he is connecting with Conway and stands a chance with advancement. But, the author is known for destroying squad partner relationships and this element adds to the tension of the story. And Mackey's manipulative way with his fellow detectives does not help. Thank god his teenage daughter keeps him in line.
The Secret Place is well told, beautifully written and ties up all the loose ends by the finale of the book. Despite the predominance of teen-speak, the girls are all compelling and I cared for them deeply. But I did feel if one more person said "Um, hello?" I was going to go mental. The paranormal element is a bit odd and like in her other books with this component French does not fully explain it. But, once again, I highly recommend another of French's Dublin Murder Squad mysteries. If you are a mystery reader looking for a complex, well written, and strong story peopled with multi-layered characters, her books are for you. I recommend starting at the beginning with In The Woods or even Faithful Place. They don't need to be in order, but Faithful Place can help the reader understand why family matters so much to the characters, especially Holly.
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It was beautiful. I love beautiful; always have. I never saw why I should hate what I wish I had. Love it harder. Work your way closer. Clasp your hands around it tighter. Till you find a way to make it yours.Highlighted by 817 Kindle readers- My body my mind the way I dress the way I walk the way I talk, mine all mine.Highlighted by 796 Kindle readers
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Reviews with images
This draws you in and takes you for a ride.
Loved getting lost in this expertly woven lyrical tale of secrets, lies, fragile friendships and tenuous alliances amongst savvy and silly teenagers and clever and cunning adults. Well done. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Top reviews from other countries
Jesus CORA ALONSO
A bit long, but great as usual with French's novels.
Reviewed in Spain on August 13, 2022Havovi Wadia
This is my favourite Tana French so far. And that's saying a lot because I've loved every book
Reviewed in India on January 2, 2021