Cover of The Searcher

Book · 2020 · nyt:hardcover-fiction=2020-10-25

The Searcher

by Tana French · Recommended by 4 people on 1 podcast

Why people recommend it

The Searcher by Tana French is a compelling mystery novel set in rural Western Ireland where a retired Chicago police detective purchases a rundown cottage in hopes of finding peace and quiet, only to become entangled in a local disappearance. On The Book Review podcast, Jumanne Catib discussed the book as the foundational first volume in Tana French's gripping contemporary series, tracing the protagonist's evolution across subsequent installments like The Hunter and later sequels. Gilbert Cruz referenced the novel while interviewing the author about the creation of her new series, highlighting praise from staff critic Elisabeth Egan, who commended French for writing some of the sharpest and most natural dialogue in the entire crime fiction genre. Tana French herself joined the podcast to discuss how the imaginary town of Ardmell served as the atmospheric backdrop for both The Searcher and its follow-up, explaining the motivations of her transplanted American protagonist. Tina Jordan also mentioned the previous novel to provide listeners with essential context and setting details for the new release, emphasizing how the retired cop's fixer-upper project in rural Ireland anchored the broader narrative arc of the series.

Who recommended it

Jumanne Catib — 1 mention
Discussed
“He was debuted in Tana's 2020 book called The Searcher, and then soon after came The Hunter, which is the middle volume, and now we're at The Keeper.”
Gilbert Cruz — 1 mention
Discussed
“it's a sequel to 2020s the Searcher in the New York Times book review STI Stein one of the editors on staff said French's dialogue is some of the best in the business”
Tana French — 1 mention
Discussed
“The Hunter is set in the same imaginary town of AR Mel where the Searcher was but this time cow Hooper who moved there from the US and when he retired as a police detective and was looking for a little bit of peace and quiet which he didn't get”
Tina Jordan — 1 mention
Discussed
“it's called the Hunter and it's set in the same universe as her last novel which was called the Searcher it's set in rural Western Ireland where a retired Chicago cop has bought like an old rundown Cottage and he's been restoring it and fixing it up himself”

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