Bad boy, Johnny Reddy, returns to the small Irish village where he was born and raised and now has a family. He's been gone for a few years but he returns with a grift for the local landowners who can help him swindle an English Sassenach and "Plastic Paddy" tracing his roots in the old sod. Some of the townspeople do not look kindly towards Johnny, including Cal Hooper a retired American cop who is mentoring Johnny's 15 year old daughter, Trey. Cal knows he's an outsider, and is only tolerated by the villagers because he is FWB with a local widow woman who has lived there all of her life. Things get tense when Trey discovers the murdered body of the man who is to be hoodwinked, and sees this as an opportunity to avenge her own brother's death. When a detective is called in from Dublin, the villagers band together against the city slicker law enforcement agent-someone is going to take the fall for this crime, but will it be the real perp or an outsider who probably will get thrown to the wolves?
If you've read any novels by Tana French, you know that her murder mystery always takes second place to the character study. In The Hunter, the author gives us a peek into a small community of people who inherited their lands back multiple generations. They are insular and each villager is familiar with the other's strengths and foibles. The town's equilibrium depends on a delicate balance of known quantity and gradual change. When a theoretical grenade is thrown into this mix, anything can happen and does. Hold onto your shamrock!
Reviewed by Donna Ballard
Publication date - March 5, 2024
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