Broken Harbor by Tana French

From Tana French, author of the forthcoming novel The Searcher, a New York Times bestselling novel that “proves anew that [Tana French] is one of the most talented crime writers alive” (The Washington Post). “Required reading for anyone who appreciates tough, unflinching intelligence and ingenious plotting.” —The New York Times Mick “Scorcherˮ Kennedy is the star of the Dublin Murder Squad. He plays by the books and plays hard, and thatʼs how the biggest case of the year ends up in his hands. On one of the half-abandoned “luxuryˮ developments that litter Ireland, Patrick Spain and his two young children have been murdered. His wife, Jenny, is in intensive care. At first, Scorcher thinks itʼs going to be an easy solve, but too many small things canʼt be explained: the half-dozen baby monitors pointed at holes smashed in the Spainsʼ walls, the files erased from the familyʼs computer, the story Jenny told her sister about a shadowy intruder slipping past the houseʼs locks. And this neighborhood—once called Broken Harbor—holds memories for Scorcher and his troubled sister, Dina: childhood memories that Scorcher thought he had tightly under control.

I enjoyed this whole series!

These Dublin Murders Squad mysteries are about the psychology of the detective solving them, more so than the actual mystery.

So far, my appreciation of the story has depended on how likable and compelling French has made each of her narrator/detectives.

I liked Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy just fine. Or at least I understood him a bit. The drive, the no-nonsense attitude that says doing well is more important than feelings, the priority of practicality over empathy, the belief that yes, you can do everything right and it will pay off if you stick to it.

Where this book lost me a little was mystery itself. I didn't believe in Jenny Spain's madness. There were so many different threads and possibilities happening that this very crucial aspect was underdeveloped . I understand a mystery has to go down a bunch of false avenues to make it challenging and compelling but I think when the solution is presented, it should feel right not like a twist for the sake of itself.

I do think Scorcher's character arc related well to the overall issues of the family. The emphasis on “keeping up appearances” as opposed to reaching out to other people was something he shared with the victims.

I'm not disappointed with the novel overall. Since it is mainly about Scorcher, I enjoyed the inner journey he went on in the course of solving the case. French is a wonderful writer and I'm still overall a fan of the series.