Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date: July 2012
Format: Trade Paperback, 544 pgs
Source: Personal Library
Broken Harbour is the 4th installment of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad Series. Her first book, In the Woods, has received many good reviews from readers and up to now, I still couldn't get that plot out of my mind.
This time around, Tana French brought us to Brianstown (formerly known as 'Broken Harbour' to the residents living there); a ghostlike town where the residents would rather mind their own business and stay locked at home than going outdoors.
Brianstown is supposed to be quiet, but now that peace is disrupted after a family was murdered. Patrick Spain and his two young children are dead, while the wife, Jenny is in intensive care. Detective Mick Kennedy and his rookie partner, Detective Richie Curran are assigned to this case and they learnt that Patrick was laid off. Their initial speculation is that Patrick was stressed and decided to kill them all before killing himself, but there are a few things that they have found and couldn't explain. For starters, why there are so many baby monitors lying around the house and why are there holes in the walls? Did someone break into the house and killed them all? If that is the case, then why didn't the Spain family reported to the police? Did they have something to hide, and what is it?
As Mike investigates the case, he couldn't help but to think of his mother's suicide back in Broken Harbour when he was a boy when they went there for a summer vacation. He has been trying hard not to think of that past but this case has once again opened up his wounds and have his sister, Dina, off the rails as her mental state is a little unstable.
Although Mike's past has nothing to do with his investigations, Tana French shows her readers the other side of Mike and how behind Mike's sharp, intelligent mind and being a star detective and all, he is simply an ordinary person just like you and me. This psychological aspect, aside from the police procedural part, is the highlight of this intense thriller and I have to say this is the best installment I read among the series to date. What I could say without spoiling the story, is that the ending had me totally stumped and I hope Tana French will write a sequel to this. I wish I could say more but this is it.
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The best one so far???? OMG!!!! I can't stand it. Well, French's books are amazing on audio (those wonderful Irish accents) so I am waiting on hold for the audio at the library. I can't even sit still for the waiting.
I haven't read any books by her and I recently read that these are not a series! Or maybe the person meant that they didn't need to be read in succession. What do you think? Our book club almost picked In the Woods to read in October but we decided on something else. Glad you liked this one! Maybe I'll take Sandy's advice and listen.
I've been meaning to read this author, this series sounds amazing. Great review!
Sandy - Absolutely the best so far IMO!! I look forward to your thoughts.
Trish - You should read Tana French's books; they are all awesome! I think what others meant by they're not a series is that it doesn't have a fixed lead character in all her books, unlike other series that feature the same lead character. This series is focus more on the crime stories set in Dublin, thus the 'Dublin Murder Squad Series'.
Naida - Go read them and let me know what you think! ;-)