THE HUNTER is both perfect and timely. Perfect in that it is yet another Tana French novel with the full feel of a classic work of literary fiction. Timely because of its March release, putting it firmly in the midst of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, where stories set in Ireland are more than welcome.

Cal Hooper, whom readers met in THE SEARCHER, is a retired detective from the Chicago police force who has purchased a home in rural Ardnakelty, Ireland, where he can settle down and escape his past. As much as Cal loves his new life as a carpenter, he is constantly having to fall back on his detective instincts when the dark side of small-town life in Ireland rears its ugly head.

"THE HUNTER is sheer brilliance from start to finish by one of the world’s finest writers.... There is nothing that Tana French can’t do, and anyone discovering her for the first time will have such fun working their way through her stellar backlist."

Cal has been mentoring 15-year-old Theresa “Trey” Reddy, who has proven to be quite the skilled carpenter and furniture builder. Winds of change are on the horizon for Trey and the rest of Ardnakelty in the form of her wayward father, Johnny, who had been away in London to make his fortune. Of course, that didn’t happen. Instead, he comes with a British mate, Cillian Rushborough, and a devious plan to dupe many of his former villagers out of their money so he can repay Rushborough the large sum he owes him.

Johnny is quite the charmer, but Cal sees right through him the moment he meets him. He is mostly concerned for Trey and how Johnny’s latest appearance in town might impact her. Johnny wants Rushborough to play off that he is a British millionaire looking to pay out big for land in the village due to the discovery of gold. The gold has been planted by the pair, and they use poor Trey to assist with their scheme to give it credibility. The landowners are more than willing to make an initial investment, with the promise of more riches to come.

All seems fine, in spite of people like Cal and his local lady friend, Lena Dunne, worrying. But that all changes when Rushborough turns up dead. Trey claims to have found his body in the early morning hours while walking her dog through the fields. He had been hit over the head with a blunt object and left to bleed out. Trey’s involvement is not just because she misses her father or out of any sense of loyalty. She is more than happy for him to get out of her life for good. For the moment, she sees an opportunity to use Johnny and Rushborough’s scheme to enact her own seething revenge plot against some members of their village.

Anyone in Ardnakelty could have been responsible for Rushborough’s murder, with most people betting that Johnny was behind it. The case twists and turns, as does Cal’s relationship with Trey, and this small village will never be the same quaint place it appeared to be prior to Johnny’s return.

THE HUNTER is sheer brilliance from start to finish by one of the world’s finest writers. It’s the literary equivalent of someone like Hemingway or Steinbeck penning a story about the human condition, set in Ireland. There is nothing that Tana French can’t do, and anyone discovering her for the first time will have such fun working their way through her stellar backlist.