Broken Harbor

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.