Tana French
Ireland (b.1973)
Genres:
Mystery
Tana French recommends
Small Mercies (2023)Dennis Lehane"Lehane writes expert, compelling thrillers that dive into mysteries much more universal and more urgent than just a whodunit; he's one of the game changers who smashed the imagined boundary between genre and literature, proving that we can have the best of both at once."The Lincoln Highway (2021)Amor Towles"An absolute beauty of a book. Every character is a gem, the many locations spring to vivid life, the book is an intricate and moving exploration of journeys and the infinite unexpected turns they can take—and somehow Towles makes it all seem effortless. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again." Midwinter Murder (2020)(Murder For All Seasons)Agatha Christie"Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction." Fortune Favours the Dead (2020)(Pentecost and Parker, book 1)Stephen Spotswood"[Fortune Favors the Dead has] razor-sharp style, tons of flair, a snappy sense of humor, and all the most satisfying elements of a really good noir novel, plus plenty of original twists of its own." Lost Hills (2020)(Eve Ronin, book 1)Lee Goldberg"Lost Hills is what you get when you polish the police procedural to a shine: a gripping premise, a great twist, fresh spins and knowing winks to the genre conventions, and all the smart, snappy ease of an expert at work." One Night Gone (2019)Tara Laskowski"One Night Gone's strength lies in its all-pervading sense of precariousness: everything is fragile, unstable and under threat, from Maureen's prized freedom and Allison's hard-won recovery to the intricate framework of relationships and hierarchies that underpins life in the small seaside town. It makes for a subtly but relentlessly unsettling book." The Hidden Things (2019)Jamie Mason"Hidden Things is a treat: a heist story taken to pieces and expertly put back together at off-kilter angles into a startling, smart, vivid book." Grist Mill Road (2018)Christopher J Yates"The plot is darkly, intricately layered, full of pitfalls and switchbacks, smart and funny and moving and merciless; the characters are all that and more. This is a powerful exploration of how truth isn't a complete and immutable thing, or a pure force of redemption: it's made up of broken shards that lie buried somewhere in the spaces between people, and when the jagged edges work their way to the surface, they can be devastating." The Second Girl (2016)(Frank Marr, book 1)David Swinson"Within the first couple of pages, David Swinson pulls off a masterly piece of characterization: he creates a damaged, damned protagonist who no sane person would want to get close to, and then he grabs you by the collar and hauls you into Frank Marr's mind so fast and so thoroughly that none of that matters. The writing throws sparks, and the ferocious plot peels back layer after layer of Frank's character as we - and he - find out how much of his humanity is still left." Girl Unknown (2016)Karen Perry"Karen Perry writes intense psychological thrillers that explore emotional danger with relentless, surgical accuracy, and this may be their best yet." Dear Daughter (2014)Elizabeth Little"Dear Daughter has three of my favorite things in a book: a smart, damaged, unstoppable narrator with a slicing sense of humor; needle-sharp writing that brings characters and atmosphere leaping off the page; and a vivid, original plot full of satisfying twists. This is an all-nighter, and the best debut mystery I've read in a long time." The Quick (2014)Lauren Owen"Ambitious, elegant, atmospheric, and often deeply poignant, The Quick is a seamless blend of Victorian London and rich imagination. This is a book to savor." Perfect (2013)Rachel Joyce"Out of the smallest, most delicate building blocks, Rachel Joyce gradually builds a towering sense of menace. She understands people, in all their intricacy and vulnerability, in a way few writers do. Perfect is a poignant and powerful book, rich with empathy and charged with beautiful, atmospheric writing." Awards
| Anthony Awards Best First Novel winner (2008) : In the Woods | | Barry Awards Best First Novel winner (2008) : In the Woods | | Edgar Awards Best First Novel winner (2008) : In the Woods | | Macavity Awards Best First Novel winner (2008) : In the Woods | | Anthony Awards Best Novel nominee (2011) : Faithful Place | | Dilys Awards Best Book nominee (2013) : Broken Harbour | | Anthony Awards Best Novel nominee (2015) : The Secret Place |
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