The Trespasser Book Review

The Trespasser: Book Review By Dinh.

Synopsis:

Being on the Murder squad is nothing like Detective Antoinette Conway dreamed it would be. Her partner, Stephen Moran, is the only person who seems glad she’s there. The rest of her working life is a stream of thankless cases, vicious pranks, and harassment. Antoinette is savagely tough, but she’s getting close to the breaking point.

Their new case looks like yet another by-the-numbers lovers’ quarrel gone bad. Aislinn Murray is blond, pretty, groomed to a shine, and dead in her catalogue-perfect living room, next to a table set for a romantic dinner. There’s nothing unusual about her—except that Antoinette’s seen her somewhere before.

And that her death won’t stay in its neat by-numbers box. Other detectives are trying to push Antoinette and Steve into arresting Aislinn’s boyfriend, fast. There’s a shadowy figure at the end of Antoinette’s road. Aislinn’s friend is hinting that she knew Aislinn was in danger. And everything they find out about Aislinn takes her further from the glossy, passive doll she seemed to be.

Antoinette knows the harassment has turned her paranoid, but she can’t tell just how far gone she is. Is this case another step in the campaign to force her off the squad, or are there darker currents flowing beneath its polished surface?

Synopsis from hardcover book, 449 pages, copyright 2016 and published by Viking.

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Review:

Awesome! Just awesome!

I just love it when I discover a new author that’s fantastic! I absolutely LOVE  The Trespasser by Tana French!

The Trespasser, is the first book that I have read by French although she has written 5 other books.

The Trespasser (#6) is part of the Dublin Murder Squad books but you can read this book as a standalone. I was hesitant to start there but I figured I could always go back to the first book if I liked it.

Her other works include In The Woods (2007), The Likeness (2008), Faithful Place (2010), Broken Harbor (2012), and The Secret Place (2014).

French’s books are now on the top of my to read list now!

So what was so good about The Trespasser?

Plot

I enjoyed the story line. The plot is simple and very effective in holding your attention. Set in Ireland, it’s a case of domestic tiff that turns into murder. It is up to detective Antoinette Conway and her partner Steve Moran to discover the truth behind the crime.

The beauty of this book is not just discovering who did it but how the detectives figure it out bit by bit. The assumption of a typical case is not what happens as French bit by bit let us figure the possibilities.

I enjoyed the journey in how the detectives found out who did it.

Author’s Style

French’s writing style is perfect for this genre. She has nailed the Irish culture and it’s colloquialism and slang.

I had so much fun reading this because I could definitely relate all the cultural references. It’s punchy, witty and full of exacting words with no room for fluff. Just great writing!

French knows how to keep a story moving and I found my interest deepening as I read the book. The pace was great, not to slow and not so fast either, but just right so I got to enjoy the story, and my interest never flagged.

One of the strengths of The Trepasser was definitely the dialogue. The dialogue is spot on and makes the characters feel real. You definitely know that it’s set in Ireland with the sarcasm and language expressed!

Moreover, French does a fantastic job in stirring your emotions and keeping the interest alive by making you laugh, anxious, excited or suspenseful. The interrogations scenes were so real.

I really appreciate how French mange to balance the pace of the murder investigation and delving into the characters with depth.

Characters

The trespasser is a character driven book. I loved the depth of two main characters and how they are so realistic. French did a good job making them like chalk and cheese.

• Antoinette Conway

I love that Antoinette is flawed. She is not your typical protagonist. She is arrogant and has a chip on her shoulder. At the beginning of the book, I didn’t warm to her but as the book progressed I enjoyed her character more and more as I began to relate to her.

Conway has some real anger issues and is pissed off  most of the time. Her anxiety and paranoia stems from being pranked on and harassed by the squad.

• Stephen Moran

Steve is a likable character. He’s easy going and works well with Antoinette. They are like Yin and Yan.

Ending

I enjoyed the ending and thought the ending was appropriately finished.

All lose ties are solved. It was not outlandish and was plausible.

My Final Thoughts

I absolutely LOVE The Trespasser by Tana French! It is a compelling and well written crime fiction. This page turner will pull you in with it’s wonderfully developed characters and simple plot.

I would recommend this fantastic crime fiction for anyone who enjoys intelligent crime writing.

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