Read 2020 - 42 - Broken Harbour by Tana French

A family is murdered on a ghost estate in Ireland. How close to home is the murderer?

Broken Harbour by Tana French is a Dublin Murder Squad book (number 4 in the series, I think). It is well told and I read it in about three days over the Easter holidays. Yes, my blog posts are always a wee bit behind. I do them in wonderful, magical batches. Or something like that,.

Pat Spain thinks there's an animal in the walls. Jenny Spain is either losing it or there's someone moving things around in the house and taking small, seemingly insignificant items. Despite unemployment and financial ruin, to outsiders they are the perfect family. We meet them at their end.

The lead detective, Scorcher, has things he is keeping from his new partner. When he was a child, his mother committed suicide at Broken Harbour, now named Brianstown, where the murder of the Spain family occurs. He is also battling the whims (and the devastation) of his younger sister, Dina. His partner, Richie, is a new detective, who has battled his way from the mean streets of Dublin's estates, and provides a stepping stone for the investigation when dealing with the neighbours.

Besides the murders, the catalyst for the story, it is also a tale of how we cannot always leave the past behind. A well-told tale, gripping, perhaps a little repetitive towards the end.

I shopped for this book in the Bestwick's study. He'd give it a mighty five stars. I'm nibbling at four.