Reviews

The Hunter by Tana French

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biodesert's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

4.0

wanderaven's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I'm not going to lie... I am on the side of the contingent who still pines for the Dublin Murder Squad and their ilk. While it's unlikely I'm never going to be incredibly excited about a new French, and I did enjoy The Searcher certainly well enough to pre-order The Hunter the moment I could, they are sloooow. If you're in it for a fast-paced thriller, please look elsewhere. On the other hand, French has never been in it solely for that vibe - her novels have always been heavy on the psychological games and community dynamics - so long term loyalists like myself will always settle in for the French we know. However, as I mentioned in previous reviews, The Witch Elm, for certain, and likely The Searcher, she's gone all in on the last three books, and if you're not in it for her signature elements, you're likely not reading any reviews, because she lost you some time ago.

I listened to this on audiobook, and if Roger Clark keeps narrating French's books, that'll be my go-to from here on out. He's so fantastic, and helped pull me through some of the slower sections.

Ultimately, it was lovely to revisit with Trey and Cal and the whole lot. The moment the murder victim showed up (late in the story), I knew immediately who'd done it (which isn't a brag but startlingly unusual for me with French), which was, perhaps possibly either intentional by French so that the reader can watch how it plays out, or really not even the point, because these books are always so much more than the actual murder, which often seems rather incidental to the narrative.

So, obviously, I won't hesitate to be back for more... but with a little bit of hope that the next one may be a bit more engaging from the off (plot-wise).