The Trespasser by Tana French
/I always go into Tana French’s novels with two questions: who’s it gonna be and how’re they gonna get it? This time it’s Antoinette Conway, the half South American, half Irish, all woman detective with a chip on her shoulder the size of Dublin Castle itself. When Conway and her partner Moran are partnered with oily senior detective Breslin on what appears to be a routine domestic murder, Conway’s suspicions rise. There’s something more to this case than the gaffer and Breslin are letting on, but she isn’t sure what. Could it be a test of her skills? A gang connection? Or something more sinister?
The Trespasser didn’t disappoint. French’s mysteries twist out into directions that I never expect, and I find myself wandering among tangled what-ifs and who-could-ofs until finally when I think that I’m lost beyond all reasoning, I find the answer smack dab in front of me. Conway was an interesting pick as a protagonist – very different from most of her other previous heroes. There was one moment in the middle that felt very forced (you’ll know it when you read it), but otherwise the story read smoothly. (I also always try to pick out who will be the next protagonist, but I’m not positive this time – maybe Breslin, maybe the journalist…) Overall, a good read. Not her best, in my opinion, but definitely intriguing.