The Hunter

by Tana French
The Hunter cover
Good Books rating 4.24
Thriller/Suspense
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Technical
  • ID: 192
  • Added: 2025-09-04
  • Updated: 2025-09-13
  • ISBN: 9781405963992
  • Publisher: Random House
  • Published: 2024-03-07
  • Formats: 52
  • Reviews: 4

Set in the small rural town of Ardnakelty in the West of Ireland, The Hunter follows Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago detective seeking peace who has built a fragile new life mentoring a half-feral teenager named Trey. When two men arrive with a plan to find gold, including Trey’s estranged father, the quiet village is thrown into turmoil. Cal and his partner Lena prepare to protect Trey, but she is driven by a desire for revenge rather than safety. This atmospheric novel explores the complexities of loyalty, family bonds, and the sacrifices made when love and vengeance intersect. With slow-burning suspense and richly drawn characters, Tana French crafts a story that lingers long after the last page, delving into what people will do for those they care about and the costs of retribution. The Hunter is a gripping sequel to The Searcher and showcases French’s mastery of tension and character depth.

Reviews
Seattle Book Mama Blog · 2025-09-04
suspenseful 4.00

The Hunter is a suspenseful and character-driven thriller that vividly portrays a small Irish village and explores themes of loyalty, revenge, and the complexities of family relationships.

The reviewer finds the novel compelling for its strong sense of place and nuanced characters, especially the dynamic surrounding Trey, a scrappy teenager, and Cal, a retired cop trying to navigate the village’s close-knit but troubled community. The story’s tension arises from Johnny’s return and his dubious get-rich-quick scheme, which threatens to unravel the fragile peace and forces characters into difficult moral choices. The blog praises French’s ability to weave atmospheric suspense with emotional depth, making the novel not just a crime thriller but a thoughtful exploration of human connections and the costs of vengeance.

Quick quotes

    The village is a tiny one, and outsiders are few. Everyone in the vicinity knows that Johnny’s back; everyone wonders what he’s up to.

    He has a rich man’s smile, easy and understated, the smile of a man who isn’t required to put in effort.

    Now the question is whether this “plastic Paddy” is a shyster trying to rip off the locals, or if he is someone that Johnny is seeking to fleece.

The Bibliofile · 2025-09-04
tense 4.25

The Hunter is a taut and tense crime novel centered on complex family dynamics, revenge, and small-town secrets, featuring well-drawn characters and a gripping narrative about deception and loyalty.

The reviewer appreciates the strong character development and the exploration of themes such as familial bonds and vengeance within the atmospheric setting of a small Irish mountain town. The story revolves around Trey, a teenager caught in the turmoil caused by her unreliable father’s dangerous schemes, and Cal Hooper, a retired detective trying to protect her. The narrative delves into the murky moral territory of justice as personal agendas and old grudges collide, leading to unexpected consequences and a suspenseful climax involving crime and cover-up. The reviewer emphasizes the emotional intensity and the layered storytelling that keeps readers engaged through its twists and ethical dilemmas.

Quick quotes

    Trey has her own ideas about what to do about her father and his schemes in this story about familial bonds and vengeance.

    Johnny has a new get-rich-quick scheme, and he's trying to bring the whole town along for the ride.

    Cal Hooper is a retired Chicago police officer who has been teaching Trey carpentry. They both want to protect her and keep her out of harm's way.

Goodreads · 2025-09-04
brooding 4.50

The Hunter is a brooding and atmospheric novel that delves deeply into themes of justice, revenge, and moral ambiguity in a small Irish village, with a focus on complex characters and slow-building tension.

This review highlights Tana French's skillful storytelling in crafting a nuanced and atmospheric crime novel that explores what people will do for their loved ones and the sacrifices involved in seeking justice and revenge. The story’s pace is deliberately slow, creating a brooding mood that contrasts with typical high-action thrillers, emphasizing moral complexity where right and wrong are blurred. The focus on Trey’s perspective adds emotional depth, and although it lacks the familiar Dublin Murder Squad detectives, it retains French’s signature exploration of dark human nature through a more literary and contemplative lens. The reviewer misses the police procedural aspect but appreciates the new moral landscape and the persistent tension French maintains throughout.

Quick quotes

    The Hunter is Tana French’s latest in the Cal Hooper series and it’s even more engrossing than the first.

    Justice in Ardnakelty is different from what Cal is used to from his policing times. Here things are less clear, less right-or-wrong, more murky, more ambiguous.

    Tana French is a master of her craft at this point, and she has no problem maintaining the low but persistent tension.

The Guardian · 2024-03-11
atmospheric 4.20

The Hunter is a slow-burning crime novel that rewards patient readers with a richly layered narrative, emphasizing atmosphere and character depth over conventional plot pacing.

This review highlights the novel's deliberate pacing as one of its major strengths, suggesting that readers who expect a typical fast-moving crime story may need to adjust their expectations. The book excels in building tension gradually, allowing the intricate relationships and the rural Irish setting to come alive. The reviewer appreciates how the story unfolds with subtlety and depth, making it a rewarding experience for those who enjoy character-driven mysteries rather than straightforward crime thrillers.

Quick quotes

    The Hunter is undeniably a slow burner, and this is one of its strengths.

    As long as the reader is forewarned not to expect a conventional crime ...

    The novel emphasizes atmosphere and character depth over rapid plot development.

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