Review of "The Hunter: Cal Hooper #2" by Tana French

The Hunter is the sequel to The Searcher, but can be read as a standalone.

Cal Hooper was a Chicago police officer who became disillusioned with his job and relocated to the Irish town of Ardnakelty. Cal is now an accepted member of the community, where he owns a house, grows vegetables, and supports himself as a carpenter.



Cal is in a romantic relationship with a widow named Lena Dunne.....



.....and Cal and Lena 'look after' 15-year-old Theresa (Trey) Reddy, who's had a troubled life.



Trey's father Johnny Reddy, who was always a wastrel, left Ardnakelty years ago, leaving his wife and children to fend for themselves.



Trey's mother Sheila did her best, but Trey was growing up as an ill-mannered wild child before Cal and Lena took an interest. Trey is now learning carpentry, and has even acquired a bit of polish. Trey is a troubled girl, however, because her beloved older brother Brendan vanished a few years ago, and Trey is convinced some men in Ardnakelty are responsible.



As 'The Hunter' opens, Johnny Reddy - who was always a charming con man - has just returned to Ardnakelty with a money-making scheme.



Johnny claims to have met an English millionaire in London, a man whose ancestors hail from Ardnakelty. The Englishman's relatives passed down a story about gold in the hills of Ardnakelty, with some information about where to find it.

Johnny spreads the word that the English millionaire is on his way to Ardnakelty, and if the Londoner finds evidence of gold, he'll pay the locals to mine their land. Johnny convinces several lifelong farmers to join him in a get-rich-quick scheme, and the farmers are soon gleefully making plans for their future windfall.





All this gives Trey an idea: she'll take advantage of the farmers' hopes and dreams to get revenge for her brother Brendan.



Cal and Lena fear Trey is headed for big trouble, but they're unable to dissuade her.





The confluence of events leads to a murder, and a police detective comes to town to investigate. The detective's interviews cast suspicion on many citizens of Ardnakelty, who get VERY nervous.



A good part of the book revolves around Johnny Reddy's devious schemes and the dysfunctional Reddy family. With a useless husband and father, the Reddys have always been indigent, struggling, and a bit disdained. Now that Johnny's back with big promises, the young Reddy kids are thrilled to have their daddy back. But Trey and her exhausted mother Sheila....not so much. This part of the book meanders along at a rather slow pace, and I was impatient for things to get moving.



Once the homicide occurs, and the police arrive, the book's pace picks up. It's interesting to see how people in Ardnakelty collaborate and scheme; they're a sneaky clever bunch for sure.



Tana French creates wonderful characters, such as the grocery store owner/gossip queen; the farmer obsessed with UFOs; and the scheming landowner. I was also drawn in by the town's ambiance, with the sweltering heat of summer, and the region's mountains, ravines, forests, bogs, farms, domestic animals, etc. I could picture all this and feel the discomfort of the perspiring townsfolk.



To top things off, Cal, Trey, Lena and others have pet dogs that add a touch of fun to the novel.



I enjoyed this compelling suspense novel, but wasn't completely satisfied with the ending.

Rating: 3.5 stars