Faithful Place by Tana French*****

Reading Dates: 04 March – 14 April 2019

Despite my apprehension about the character chosen from The Likeness, Faithful Place exceeded my expectations. It is, I think, the best Tana French so far. The choice of concentrating on a family plot tamed Francis Mackey a bit and made him a lot less flippant, a little more reflexive. Meeting his family, I understood where his attitude came from in the previous book. The dynamics are tense, the close-living hatred palpable, the class elements visible. The setting of a working class housing estate is perfect; the crime — a childhood sweetheart who disappeared without trace 22 tears ago — wonderful for the nicely written flashbacks. Tana French is excellent at her craft. It is not only that she can produce best sellers, she does so with care and flair, thinking about her task as a writer and delivering in all areas: plot, setting, character, narrative, style.

She chose another dislikable character for the next novel and, this time, I am looking forward to it.