Tana French: The Keeper
This book is too long. There is a detective story in it but the author seems much more interested in describing the complex relationships among dozens of inhabitants of the little Irish town where Cal Hooper, an American policeman, has retired, but where he gets no peace. I forced myself to read to the end. By the time the one and only death in the story was explained, I didn’t really care.
Occasionally, I found some amusing mentions of food in the book, especially raspberry jam that one of the women puts up in little jars and gifts to several other women, an action that becomes enmeshed in the plot. Detective Cal likes to cook: “even though he only took it up out of a belief that Trey [his daughter] needed to eat something other than hamburgers and grilled cheese and whatever boiled-into-submission stuff her mother came up with. Now he tries fancy things all the time, and mostly they work out.” (p. 180)
At a cafe that’s central to the action, the food isn’t very good, mostly fried eggs and “toasties,” but the cozy atmosphere is important, especially in contrast to the nastiness that is a big part of life in the town (and not just the mystery part). It’s a depressing town, as exemplified here:
“The townland is scattered with these places, homes emptied by famine in the 1840s, orphaned by emigration in the seventies, left behind in the millennium rush to easier city jobs. Mostly no one bothers to knock them down.” (p. 356)
I’ve read all of Tana French’s earlier police and detective stories, and I think I liked them better than this one.
The Power Plant
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| Besides reading, we took a Sunday afternoon walk along the Huron River. |
Review © 2026 mae sander
12 comments:
Yes, some books are almost more trouble to read than they're worth in the long run, aren't they!
There are some books I have to force myself to finish reading and there are some I just stop. Great view of the river.
Take care, have a great day and happy week ahead.
Oh how disappointing that Tana French's new novel is too long and drawn out. Just this weekend I started her The Likeness (466 pages) and am hoping I don't feel like it's too long by the end. So far, at about page 160, I am doing ok.
We had rain yesterday and it was a quiet day for me too. I reread an Elly Griffths Ruth Galloway mystery, which was an enjoyable read. Too this book didn't excite you.
A long book is appropriate only if every extra page is more riveting than the earlier ones. Unfortunately I often find that my excitement wanes.
I read The Searcher which was good, but I shall skip this one!
I'm surprised I've never read any Tana French. If I start, I'll pick another!
Love a quiet Sunday. Love the power plant photo. Regarding good reads, here is a (highly!) recommended one that you may or may not know: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islandia_(novel)
When I don´t like a book I skip it ... and am a bit mad at myself. A bit.
For Zwiebelkuchen btw I use this recipe, from #4 on and use ready-to-go dough :-)
It's easy for me to set aside a book these days; I have a long list of books I want to read before I die and time is growing short.
And when books fail me, I can still rely on nature.
A good review, and a book i think I will avoid. I dont mind explorations of relationships, but not if it'll dark and depressing.
I love how you stuck with it to the end even when it stopped gripping you! The raspberry jam detail is so charming though, and it says a lot about an author when food becomes part of the plot's texture like that. Your Huron River walk sounds like the perfect Sunday reset. Would love to keep reading along here!
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