Faithful Place
Ratings120
Average rating3.9
2011: I'm not much for detective-type books, but this series has been terrific. This might have been my favorite.
Reread 2023: one of my favorite books.
3.5 rounded up
I think Tana French could write a book titled “The Fourteen Fungus Ridden Toenails of Henry VIII” and I would rush out and buy it on publication day,. There's just something about her style, it puts you right in the scene with the characters and the ash trays and the lace doilies. This story is about families, relationships, secrets, unresolved tensions etc etc. It's pretty grim to be honest, not in a gruesome bloodthirsty way, but a bleak way with no happy endings and main character who is so unlikeable I didn't care if he lived or died. Probably not as good as the previous book but enjoyable anyway.
This is my favorite of the Dublin Murder Squad books so far, mostly because of how much I loved Frank. He is one of those guys with that tough but sensitive personality type plus a touch of good humor. I was pulling for him, not just to solve the mystery but to get his shit together too, emotionally speaking.
The mystery was good, not too hard to figure out but satisfying and it connected so well to everything Frank went through. Of course it helped that he had such a personal stake in it.
The heart of the story is Frank returning to his home neighborhood and dealing with his troubled family, something that he had been avoiding for decades. The conflicting character theme that you can never go home but also that you can never really leave your home behind either resonated with me.
From the unpromising foundation of a twenty-plus year old murder, French weaves a tapestry of personal and familial interaction that is riddled with tension, envy, resentment, fear and hatred that is horrifying and at the same time compelling and gripping. The standard set in her first two novels is met and perhaps exceeded. I look forward to more of her work. Very impressive
If you were a cop and your first love is found after you saunter back into your old neighborhood after staying away for 22 years, how reliable would you be? And wouldn't you use your powers to find out what happened?
Tana French has a wonderful grasp on language and the cadences that everyday people use. Whether they're using an Irish brogue characteristic of a tenement neighborhood or they're cops copping it up to other cops, these sound like real people. There are unseen layers behind every pair of eyes because Ms. French understands that you don't underestimate anyone. Ever. And you keep looking behind every layer to
get to the source.
I'm so mad at Tana French... her writing is so great, but her endings SUCK. SO. BAD. So much that I'm done reading her books. This was my third try for her but we have to break up now. Sorry Tana..
Wow! This was AWESOME! I cannot wait to read the next in the series! I enjoyed this so much and was in full attention and waiting for the next page throughout the entirety! Great read! Fun! Exciting and thrilling! Descriptive and engaging writing that truly is a delight! LOVE!!!
I really enjoyed this book. It's about a detective, Frank Mackey, whose girlfriend disappears on the night they were suppose to runaway together. He is called back to his hometown and his estranged family when Rosie's remains are found 22 years later. It really kept me guessing till the end. Tana French can really write a good mystery.
This is my favorite of the first three Dublin Murder Squad books. They seem to get better with each one. I love French's writing style. She expertly couples plot with character development and background. I would've given this book five stars, but it suffered from a bit of lag about 2/3 into it. I think it could've been a five-star book with a tighter edit, but, hey. I think that about most books.
What a wistful ending! It made me teary the same way this song does:
http://lyrics.wikia.com/The_Helio_Sequence:Looks_Good_%28But_You_Looked_Away%29
If it becomes a movie I think that last scene should sound like this.