Review: Faithful Place
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4 stars. I was in the mood for something immersive, detailed and adult. Tana French always delivers. Faithful Place centers on Frank Mackey, a successful undercover detective called home when a suitcase is unearthed. The suitcase belongs to his first love, Rose Daly, who had ditched him for London twenty years ago. Thrown into his past among the people he swore to forget, Frank becomes determined to find out why Rose left without her possessions and broke his heart. Nothing is as it appears to be in this twisty mystery.
Compared to the first two books in this series, Faithful Place is the shortest, most predictable, most traditional mystery. It also threads more clearly the brisk Irishness only faintly felt in the other two. It's more focused on family, and class, and forgiveness. It's a slightly - only slightly - more believable premise. Frank is as deeply characterized as you'd expect, though much more charming and less mopey (sorry, Rob and Cassie!). It's all-around excellent.
I know this has been said every which way, but Tana French really is So Damn Good. Her colloquialisms and sharp turns are like disgustingly amazing. She somehow takes "shouldn't-investigate-but-investigates-anyway" to a whole new level. The layers of commentary about family and socioeconomic class are intricate and compelling. I feel like I learned a TON about Ireland - and about people. Seeing the world through Frank's eyes provided a unique, unforgettable reading experience.
This one is also surprisingly romantic - I suppose all of her books sparkle in a certain romantic way. I found it to be a bit melodramatic here (I don't really believe in "teen love"), and yet somehow charming. But it's also fucking brutal. It's not a feel-good book, it's just sort of darkly satisfying. And while I guessed the twist early on, I enjoyed feeling French dig her heels in with certain characters. She's smack dab on top of what makes a good novel and I ate up every word. Also, I think she may have nailed the 80's.
It's hard to make recommendations for these books, because there aren't many to compare. They're all just psychologically beautiful; quintessentially and delightfully Tana French. I want to study why they work so well.