The Searcher: A Novel

Written by Tana French

Narrated by Roger Clark

Best Book of 2020
New York Times |NPR | New York Post

"This hushed suspense tale about thwarted dreams of escape may be her best one yet . . . Its own kind of masterpiece." --Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post

"A new Tana French is always cause for celebration . . . Read it once for the plot; read it again for the beauty and subtlety of French's writing." --Sarah Lyall, The New York Times

Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a bucolic Irish village would be the perfect escape. After twenty-five years in the Chicago police force and a bruising divorce, he just wants to build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub where nothing much happens. But when a local kid whose brother has gone missing arm-twists him into investigating, Cal uncovers layers of darkness beneath his picturesque retreat, and starts to realize that even small towns shelter dangerous secrets.

"One of the greatest crime novelists writing today" (Vox) weaves a masterful, atmospheric tale of suspense, asking how to tell right from wrong in a world where neither is simple, and what we stake on that decision.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Release date: Oct 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781984838032

Tana French

Tana French grew up in Ireland, Italy, the United States and Malawi. She is the author of In the Woods (winner of the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity and Barry awards for Best First Novel), The Likeness, Faithful Place, Broken Harbour (winner of the LA Times prize for Best Mystery/Thriller) and The Secret Place. She lives in Dublin with her husband and two children. She keeps a website at www.tanafrench.com

Reviews for The Searcher

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cal Hooper is a retired Chicago PD detective who moves to a rural village in Ireland to get away from it all. He buys a small home which needs a lot of renovations. He begins to feel like someone is watching him, and discovers it is Trey, a young teen who asks Cal to help find their missing brother, Brendan. It seems Brendan hasn't been seen for 6 months. When Cal reluctantly searches for Brendan, he is warned to stop by the townspeople in some subtle, and not so subtle, ways.
This book was a slow mystery. I felt there were many pages that didn't add to the mystery, but did develop the characters.

[vancouverdeb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cal Hooper is a retired policeman from the US, who moves to a small town in Ireland, in the hope of building a life of quiet. He leaves behind a difficult divorce and his adult daughter. Instead of the quiet he'd hoped for , a young , troubled kid, Trey, comes round to his property. Trey's older brother has gone missing and Trey hopes for his help. No one seems to care, least of all the local police. As Cal spends more time in this small , rural town, he begins to feel a bit threatened and uneasy. Things and the people are not not always what they seem. The story unfold at a languid pace. I enjoyed it , and plan to read the next in the series, The Hunter. Don't expect a thriller or a fast paced mystery, a bit more of a character study.

[kayanelson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good solid mystery. Cal, an ex Chicago cop, moves to a small village in Ireland. A local poor child wants his help in finding her brother. Lots of action but a little slow moving at times.

[waldhaus1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Remote Irish setting. A retired Chicago Cop develops a relationship with a young girl whose brother is missing. She gets him to investigate the disappearance. A lot of Irish culture and the personal dynamics of the mystery well done.

[lyndainoregon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This isn't really French's best effort. It's a meandering, glacial-paced tale of an ex-cop who moves from Chicago to a small Irish village after his marriage implodes and the pressures of the job begin to eat at his soul.

Not much happens for the first 300 pages as Cal Hooper mopes around considering the scenery, picks away at repairs to the tumbledown cottage he's purchased, lifts a few at the local pub, and reluctantly looks into the disappearance of a young man from a ragtag family up the mountainside. It's not until French rings in a major twist that things start moving. Observant readers will likely have picked up at least a couple of the key points long before that.

Once things get rolling, the last 150 pages deliver in fine style. It's just a long, long way to get there.

[nivramkoorb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have read a few books by Tana French and I enjoy here stuff. She creates a mystery and throughout her books she creates a good plot with lots of opportunities for the reader to guess how it will turnout. She also writes with a literary style that raises her books above the normal mysteries. This book has her usual good writing but it lacks a good story and a good crime solving plot. It deals with a retired Chicago policeman Cal who retires from the Chicago police department and moves to a small town in western Ireland. He get caught up in a missing person case. The book got most of its energy from her attention to cultural issues in Ireland and does it in a very slow developing way. Along with a slow plot what we have is a slow book. It was alright but not. one of her best.

[natalieriley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes I put off reading an author I adore, or a book I look forward to being released, for too long. I suppose I get overwhelmed by all the books to choose from. The Searcher by Tana French is a perfect example. I’ve read all her books up to the publication of The Searcher. I’m thrilled I finally read it!

Hal Cooper is a retired detective from Chicago who moves to a remote village in Ireland. He purchased a neglected cottage that he plans to restore so he can enjoy a peaceful lifestyle. He enjoys walking in the mountains and fishing. Hal begins developing friendly relationships with the locals. As the story progresses, the reader gains more information about the life Hal has left behind in Chicago. I enjoyed French’s style of giving away bits as though she were gradually handing out pieces to a puzzle. 

The last thing Hal is looking for arrives at his doorstep. A local boy, Trey, starts coming around seeking help from Hal to find his missing older brother. Hal doesn’t want to get involved in police work, plus he doesn’t have the resources to do so in a foreign country. Trey is insistent, and the community doesn’t appreciate Hal being nosy. 

I found The Searcher to be different from French’s Dublin Murder Squad books, whose story lines are still vivid in my memory. I’m happy that Hal Cooper is different from her previous characters. I really like Hal and want to see him content in Ireland. I appreciate the tug of war he feels in wanting to both help Trey and establish a quiet life in his new home. The story didn’t have the quick-paced, suspenseful twists and turns that are common in a lot of thrillers. I found the pace of the story smooth and engaging. The overall outcome wasn’t surprising, but the details and people involved were unexpected. The Searcher contained more emotion than fast-paced crime-solving tactics. 

I borrowed the audiobook of The Searcher from my local library with the Libby app. Narration by Roger Clark was excellent! I look forward to reading book two in the series, The Hunter. I’m not procrastinating this time -- I already placed a hold on the audiobook with the Libby app.

I have photos and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog

[jbd1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first in a new series by this tremendously talented writer. Typically excellent.

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

French excels at the slow burn mystery, and this first installment in her newest series is no exception, plus is filled with the atmosphere of the Irish countryside.

[lkayc-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While the ending was satisfying, it took way too long to get interesting.

[indygo88 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cal Hooper, divorced and an ex-cop from Chicago, decides to get away from the crime and busy life of the big city. He buys a plot of land in rural Ireland, prepared to ease into a more relaxed and crime-free environment, keeping mostly to himself. But trouble comes looking for him when local pre-teen Trey Reddy comes to him, seeking his help in finding Trey's older brother who's gone missing.

I really enjoyed Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad books. I figured I couldn't go wrong with this one, which is not part of that series, but French had come to earn my respect with her well-developed stories and character development. I knew the reviews were not as good for this novel, but I wanted to read it anyway. And now I get the disappointment from a lot of readers. I, ultimately, was somewhat disappointed too. If you're looking for the faster-paced city crime story, this is not the one. This is more of a slow burn novel. I do think it's well-written, but it is indeed very slow and it took a long time to get to the meat of the story, which ultimately was not all that meaty. I didn't dislike this one, but it didn't wow me by any means. I wouldn't be opposed to reading book #2 in this series, but I'm not sure I'll rush out to do so.

[pgmcc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Searcher, her latest novel, is a big disappointment. Her Murder Squad books (well, the three I have read so far) and The Wych Elm, all demonstrate how well French knows Dublin, its people, its prejudices, and the recent history of corruption cases. The Searcher is set in rural Ireland and I am afraid she did not show the same level of understanding of the country communities as she did of Dublin and its people.

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Roger Clark. He's a new narrator to me but he did a good job of the various accents required.

Cal Hooper is a retired American cop who has bought a house in the west of Ireland. He seems to have left most of his life back in the States, a situation brought on by a mistaken shooting by his partner. He plans to fix up the house and get some fishing in and knock back a few pints at the local pub. He starts noticing someone hiding in his shrubbery as he works outside He finally coaxes the watcher into coming to help him repair dresser he's working on. Trey Reddy is thirteen years old and it turns out there is an ulterior motive in getting to know Cal. Trey's older brother, Brandan, disappeared some time ago and Trey wants to know what happened to him. The local police have washed their hands of the disappearance, mostly because the Reddy family is one of the poorest in the neighbourhood. Trey's father disappeared some years before, leaving the mother to care for the children as best she can. The police figure Brendan has lit off for the bright lights and eventually he'll come back or at least get in touch. But Trey knows that Brendan wouldn't leave without saying goodbye and wants Cal to look into it. Reluctantly. Cal agrees but says that Trey has to earn his work by helping out on the renovation. What Cal doesn't know but the rest of the neighbourhood does is that Trey is female; when he is finally told by his neighbour, he quickly bans Trey from the house. But he doesn't stop investigating Brendan's disappearance and he's starting to worry some bad guys who may have had a hand in Brendan's disappearance. There is rather a lot of violence hidden in this bucolic spot; Cal's not worried for himself but when Trey turns up on his doorstep badly battered he sees red. He's determined to protect Trey and solve the mystery but what he discovers isn't good news although it is a closure of sorts.

I understand there's a sequel to this book which I will probably read although I'm not a whole-hearted fan of Cal Hooper.

[patl_53 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another strong showing from French. As with many of her other works, it’s a bit slow to start and never break neck and peace, but it’s settled into a nice rhythm. I really enjoyed these characters and would love to see more now that we know them.

[carol420 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Our main character is Cal Hooper originally from North Carolina but has spent the last 30 years in Chicago with the Chicago Police. At this time in his life, he's searching for something much different. He says he wants “A small place...a small town...in a small country”. He sells his house, collects his retirement, says good-bye to his friends, and moves to Ireland. His daughter is now an adult, his wife has left him, so Cal is on his own...that is until a kid named Trey starts hanging around. Trey’s brother, Brendan, is missing. Everyone believes that Brendan has run off like his father did, but Trey thinks there’s more to the story than just another young guy leaving his family behind in search of money and excitement in the city. Trey wants the police detective who just emigrated from America, to find out what’s really happened to Brendan. Cal is interested and tempted, but he's a new arrival to a small, tight-knit community, so he’s cautious and unsure how he feels about discovering that he hasn't left crime and violence behind when he left Chicago and his police life. I liked the "Cal" character. He's complex just enough to be interesting, and he doesn't just jump in headfirst to solve this mystery. As it turns out the mystery, he’s decided to try to solve is less shocking than what he actually discovers. I liked the "slowness" of the story. It's neither fast-paced nor action-packed, and it has as much to do with Cal’s personal life as it does with finding Brendan. There is some action, but it's mainly in the last third of the story. The only thing that I found about the book that might bother some folks is the morally ambiguous ending. Overall, the author delivers plenty of twists, some shocking revelations, and some truly chilling moments. It's a story with several delicious layers of intrigue. Mystery fans that are willing to "wait for it", will probably like this one.

[decaturmamaof2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm a big fan of Tana French. This is a bit different than some of her other work, but I quite enjoyed it.

[john.cooper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Intensely realistic. psychologically astute, and ambitious enough to completely disregard the fast pace of most modern crime fiction, but ultimately unsatisfying: the conclusion involves certain compromises that are unlikely to be sustainable by the characters as described, or by just about anyone, I would think. If you're unusually patient--the details surrounding the central crime of this crime thriller don't even begin to emerge for more than 280 pages--or if you have an unsentimental love of Ireland and very small towns, perhaps this would be a worthwhile read. I admire what the author was trying to do, and the skill with which she constructed her setting, but I'm not sure I believe in the central character or in the journey he's described as taking.

[yukon92 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set in Ireland... interesting cast of characters.

[jmchshannon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Searcher by Tana French is the first novel I've read by Ms. French in several years, and once again, I am struck by how much I love Ms. French's stories. I don't know why it takes me so long to get to them, but they always fascinate me when I read them. She remains one of the best mystery writers today, and The Searcher is one more example of why she is.

Ms. French's mysteries are compelling, but, as in The Searcher, the story's strengths are excellent character development and fantastic world-building. I loved her fictional town of Ardnakelty so much that I started researching real estate in Ireland. The thing is that she doesn't idealize her setting in any way. She shows it in all its bigoted, muddy, rural glory, and I could not get enough of it.

Then there are the townsfolk who are now Cal's neighbors. The story would not be half as interesting without them. They run the gamut from larger-than-life to sketchy to busybody to town pariah, but they more than set the stage for the mystery that occurs. Collectively, they play against Cal's straight-laced former cop persona in a way that is highly entertaining and yet slightly threatening and suspicious.

While it has all the trappings of the "former cop forced to solve a murder" trope, The Searcher rises above that. Yes, there is a missing person, and Cal appears to be the only one capable of finding the person. However, I believe the story is not about the mystery as much as it is a self-reflection/redemption story.

Cal has been in Ireland for several months. However, when we first meet him, he is still adjusting to his retirement and carrying the baggage from his recent divorce. As he becomes more enmeshed in Ardnakelty and has plenty of alone time renovating his cottage, he reflects on his marriage, relationship with his daughter, and past cases. By the time Cal solves the mystery, we see a different man than the one we first met. I like his growth, seen in his relationship with his daughter and Trey. I particularly love that Ms. French does not revolve the story around the mystery but sneaks in an entire storyline about personal growth.

Reading another Tana French novel is like sipping a fantastic cup of coffee. It is a special treat that requires savoring, just like The Searcher. I will admit that The Searcher takes time to get going. Thankfully, the build-up is worth it because it means the characters and the setting are as in-depth as can be. This means that there is a richness to the story that few modern novels have. If you have never experienced the pleasure of reading anything by Tana French, The Searcher is a great place to start.

Roger Clark is a fantastic choice of narrator for this audiobook. His parentage and unique upbringing mean he has no issues with the accents of the Arknakelty inhabitants. And, let's face it, you know you want to hear that accent. Mr. Clark is also a fantastic storyteller. You hear the weariness of a retired cop in his voice and his wry amusement at Trey's antics. His voice is pleasing to the ear and never becomes conducive to sleep. I highly recommend experiencing The Searcher as told by Mr. Clark.

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars

Cal is a retired police officer from Chicago who has moved to a small town in Ireland. He has a fixer-upper of a house, but is disturbed by someone creeping around the house. It’s not long before he finds out it’s a local 13-year old, Trey. Trey is not terribly trusting, but on finding out Cal was a cop, he asks Cal to look for his missing older (19-year old) brother, Brandon, who disappeared after simply walking away about 6 months previous. Brandon, who was so close to Trey, and Trey doesn’t believe Brandon would have left on purpose without saying anything.

This was a good story, and I liked the setting and some of the supporting characters, but it did move quite slowly. So, this was not as good as her other books, in my opinion. That being said, I liked the characters enough that I would be happy to read a sequel if there is ever one published.

[judithrs · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Searcher. Tana French. 2020. What a great book! A divorced, retired Chicago policeman buys a run-down house in a small Irish community. All he wants to do is rebuild his house and visit a pub occasionally. He was through with law enforcement or so the thought. But a Trey and woebegone child from the wrong side of the track, convinces him to look for his brother who has disappeared. The more he looks, the more he realizes there is more this sleepy little community than meets the eye. French is a great writer and know how build suspense and twists plots!

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cal is a retired cop from Chicago who decided to move to Ireland because it would be peaceful. Only it wasn’t. He meets a young boy who wants him to locate his older brother who has been missing for months. Cal doesn’t really want to, but the boy is impossible to dissuade and so he acquiesces. Thus begins this lengthy and slow-moving tale. Though some reviewers have applied the label “suspense” to this novel, it really isn’t. It isn’t much of a mystery, either. It’s more atmospheric with its setting and character driven with their interactions. That’s not to say there isn’t a plot, but it sure takes a back seat to everything else. The story is well-peppered with profanity - indeed, many characters can’t utter a sentence without including a swear word. Tana French may be considered to be a great writer, but this story does not show that. It was made bearable in the audio version by the excellent narration of Roger Clark.

[shellys_70 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tana French is a good writer, and while I prefer, so far, her Dublin Murder Squad books to her standalone novels (just two, so far), her prose makes all her books compelling reads.

This is not really a mystery, though the plot revolves around a missing teenage boy in rural Ireland. Retired Chicago cop Cal Hooper bought a house he'd seen on the internet, a real fixer-upper located near sheep farms and a nearby village. He sees the move as a way to get over his divorce and to put the job behind him, but when a thirteen-year-old kid pushes him to investigate his older brother's disappearance, he reluctantly takes on the investigation. As he starts casually questioning the locals, he begins to expose secrets and dangers he didn't bargain for.

Anyone looking for an intricate mystery will be disappointed, given the investigation is more plot device to peel back the facades of Cal's new neighbors as well as leading Cal to face some truths of his own life. In fact, the investigation doesn't start until a hundred or so pages in, as Cal settles into his new life. French skillfully builds tension while evoking a sense of place. The characters seemed so real that I hated saying goodbye to them. My only quibble is that Cal, a southerner who spent decades working in Chicago, didn't seem fully American, but that's a tiny quibble about a very readable book.

[shazjhb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well written but somewhat predictable. The writing is good and the characters made sense

[laytonwoman3rd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another great enveloping read from Tana French. Her last book, The Wych Elm, felt a little bloated to me, and I had a few quibbles with it. But this time, she had me in her grip the entire time.

Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago police officer who has lost faith in the job and possibly in himself, and whose marriage has dissolved for reasons he doesn't feel he completely understands, has gone off to the Irish hills to regroup by buying a fixer-upper cottage. He hopes to find peace in a simpler life where few decisions involve life or death, and where his inclination to fix what's wrong can be satisfied by addressing physical objects like broken furniture and walls that need paint. Naturally, the universe isn't in full cooperation with this plan. When a neglected teenager starts hanging around, it soon becomes clear that Cal simply cannot turn away from a situation where his talents and experience might be all this kid has to count on. Suspense maintained at a proper level, occasional surprises that work without feeling contrived, and a heck of a good story with lots of wicked Irish humor.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ms. French never fails to deliver. Cal is hoping for an escape from the complications of his life - divorce, estrangement, crime (he's a retired cop). But he gets tangled up in a case he doesn't want when he becomes friends with a young girl in his Irish village. This novel is simultaneously commenting on the tension between appearances and reality as well as documenting the growth Cal experiences in choosing relationship over the training of his job.

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Searcher by Tana French is a 2020 Viking publication.

When Cal, a cop from Chicago, retires, he chose to move to a small community in Ireland, buy a fixer upper, and now spends most of his time working on his house, enjoying his solitude.

When a local teen, named Trey, begins hanging around, and eventually gets around to asking Cal to look into the sudden disappearance of a family member, Cal discovers the nice community he’s made himself a part of isn’t all that nice…


This story moves as slow as molasses. It took an age for Trey to finally tell Cal what was going on, for the investigation to get off the ground, and for some sort of suspense to develop.

While I did like Cal and Trey, and the dynamic that developed between them, the plot was pretty dull, and suspense fell flat.

Although French promised this book would not be as depressing as her last stand-alone effort, it was still a melancholy affair, and I can’t say I was happy about the way the crime elements wrapped up. I’m not sure it was a win, to be honest, and it left me feeling dissatisfied.

Overall, this second stand-alone is better than that last, for sure, it still didn’t grab me the way I’d hoped it would.

3 stars

[starkravingmad_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Minimal plot and story. Much more of atmosphere book. not great.

[carolfoisset · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful writing in this French book. Lots of descriptive passages about countryside, nature, animals also great characters.
This one leaves me wanting a sequel...
Mystery/murder portion lacking a bit for me

[clamairy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yeah... There is a decent book in there somewhere, but this just went on much longer than it should have. I did enjoy the ending, but it was a bit of a rough slog in places getting to it. It's as if Tana French got stuck in one of the peat bogs that her book kept warning about. If this had been the first book of hers that I had read I am not so sure that I would pick up another. Thankfully it was not.