As a twelve-year-old, Adam Ryan played in the woods with his pals, Peter and Jaime. But Adam was found later, traumatised and alone, and his friends were never seen again. Now an adult with a new name (Rob) and a different accent, detective Adam enjoys a close relationship with his work partner Cassie. But when the body of a young girl is found in the woods, the two cops wonder if the murder might be connected to the earlier disappearance.
This is the first book in the Dublin Murder Squad series (recently dramatized by the BBC as the Dublin Murders). Tana French is a highly talented storyteller, casting her central characters in a quirky, secretive relationship that sets them apart from their colleagues. But the deterioration of that relationship as the plot drags Ryan and Cassie into an ever-deepening mystery, is beautifully and thoughtfully drawn, written with an intelligence and sophistication that’s not often seen in crime thrillers.
A cracking good read from an author who is quite clearly at the top of her game. And this is just book one!
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Colin Garrow 