Faithful Place

Faithful Place

By Tana French
Published: Viking, 2010
Pages: 400
Genre: Mystery
Amazon, Goodreads

I got to feel the riptide pull of my life spinning around me, one winter night, while I waited in the dark at the top of Faithful Place.

About the book

Back in 1985, Frank Mackey was nineteen, growing up poor in Dublin's inner city and living crammed into a small flat with his family on Faithful Place. But he had his sights set on a lot more. He and his girl, Rosie Daly, wee all set to run away to London together, get married, get good jobs, break away from factory work and poverty and their old lives.

But on the winter night when they were supposed to leave, Rosie didn't show. Frank took it for granted that she'd given him the brush-off - probably because of his alcoholic father, nutcase mother, and generally dysfunctional family. He never went home again.

Neither did Rosie. Everyone thought she had gone to England on her own and was over there living a shiny new life. Then, twenty-two years later, Rosie's suitcase shows up behind a fireplace in a derelict house on Faithful Place, and Frank is going home whether he likes it or not.

Getting sucked in is a lot easier than getting out again. Frank finds himself straight back in the dark tangle of relationships he left behind. The cops working the case want him out of the way, in case loyalty to his family and community makes him a liability. Faithful Place wants him out because he's a detective now, and the Place has never liked cops. Frank just wants to find out what happened to Rosie Daly - and he's willing to do whatever it takes, to himself or anyone else, to get the job done.

Review

Once again, Tana French expertly crafts an intriguing, who-dun-it murder mystery story set in poverty-stricken Ireland. I picked up this book because I wanted to read a good, thick mystery while I was stuck inside during a snow storm and I was not disappointed.

What makes French's novels so addicting and popular is the air of mystique she creates; every single one of her Dublin Murder Squad books is dark and emotionally-charged that leaves readers feeling ALL of the feels. I've read the first three books  (Faithful Place is the third), and they're all excellent.

As for Faithful Place, the characters are elegantly written. Frank Mackey is a character you can either love or hate. He's stubborn and snarky and willing to bend the rules to get what he wants. But, Frank is also charming and fiercely protective of his daughter, Holly, who becomes a major part of this story.

I've also read The Secret Place, which I believe is the seventh or eighth book of the series, and Holly is older and centered in that story as well; from reading that book then Faithful Place, I can tell French has adequately developed Holly's character and personality. You don't have to read the books in order, but I feel it is best in order to get the full effect of French's series.

So ANYWAY, back to the book (I feel like I keep getting off track!). The plot is solid, and French's novels are always well-written and gripping. The Faithful Place is the perfect book to read for those looking for a good mystery!

RATING (out of five puppies):