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After reading this novel, I realized that I don’t always enjoy knowing “whodunit” and then replaying how it happened in agonizing detail. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate Tana French’s writing, her cleverness, humor, etc, but this was the second thriller I read by French in a very short period of time that retold the crime going over periods of time backward and forward. This novel and especially the main character has really stayed with me. Kudos to the male narrator on audio who was truly amaz
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Jan 21, 2019
Nadine in NY Jones
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
broken,
oh-unlikeable-you,
audio,
mystery,
unreliable-narrator,
ireland,
psych-psych-psych,
suspense-thriller,
crime
This book will fuck you up.
It's got a really slow start, and (to my mind) a very unlikeable protagonist, so it's a tough slog in the beginning. Finally things start to get rolling once Toby has moved in with his Uncle Hugo at the Ivy House (a full 20% of the way into the book).
And slowly, so slowly, you get wrapped up in the sick web of a story. This is about identity, and who we really are deep inside, and whether our true selves are changed by the things that happen to us. This is about memor ...more
It's got a really slow start, and (to my mind) a very unlikeable protagonist, so it's a tough slog in the beginning. Finally things start to get rolling once Toby has moved in with his Uncle Hugo at the Ivy House (a full 20% of the way into the book).
And slowly, so slowly, you get wrapped up in the sick web of a story. This is about identity, and who we really are deep inside, and whether our true selves are changed by the things that happen to us. This is about memor ...more

Slow to start, pretty good in the middle, looonnngggggg fizzle in the end.
This is not your typical Tana French book. While there is a murder mystery at the heart, it’s much more navel gazer than thriller. It’s as much about recognizing one’s privilege as it is finding out whodunnit. The third act was a little drawn out in my opinion. If you’re in the mood for a fast paced thriller, this isn’t that.
This is not your typical Tana French book. While there is a murder mystery at the heart, it’s much more navel gazer than thriller. It’s as much about recognizing one’s privilege as it is finding out whodunnit. The third act was a little drawn out in my opinion. If you’re in the mood for a fast paced thriller, this isn’t that.

This is the fifth books of French's that I've read and I just keep waiting for something to click. I've been lukewarm to mildly positive on the others I've read -- usually due to some manner of outrageous plot contrivance, but the depth of the psychological writing has kept me (mostly) interested. This one -- not so much.
The story concerns Toby, a kind of stand-in for white male middle-class privilege. He comes from a nice family, went to an OK school, fell into a nice PR job at an art gallery, ...more
The story concerns Toby, a kind of stand-in for white male middle-class privilege. He comes from a nice family, went to an OK school, fell into a nice PR job at an art gallery, ...more

Oct 16, 2018
Isabel
marked it as to-read

Nov 08, 2018
Damian
marked it as to-read


Dec 18, 2018
Jocelyn
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Apr 06, 2019
Rebecca Manery
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Jun 15, 2019
Ann
marked it as to-read

Oct 02, 2019
Rebecca Manery
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liked it
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review of another edition
Shelves:
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favorite-author

Sep 18, 2021
Grainne
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