The Trespasser

August 29, 2016
Det. Antoinette Conway takes center stage in Edgar-winner French’s sharp but shakily paced sixth Dublin Murder Squad novel (after 2014’s The Secret Place). When Aislinn Murray, a young woman just coming into her own, is found in her picture-perfect apartment with the back of her head smashed in, the killer appears to be her new boyfriend, Rory Fallon, who was due to come over for dinner the evening of her murder. But that’s too easy for the suspicious Conway, whose hackles are raised when a more experienced detective takes an interest in the case and wants Rory charged. In several tense interrogation scenes, Rory’s sweat practically drips off the page, and it’s obvious why Conway, the only woman on the squad, is so good at her job. French is less adept than usual, however, in weaving in her main characters’ backstories. The underlying themes of loyalty and how far one should go to protect a person are what makes this entry worthy of French’s prodigious talents, though Conway isn’t her best conduit. Agent: Darley Anderson, Darley Anderson Literary, TV & Film Agency.

Since Tana French's marvelous Dublin Murder Squad novels have different protagonists, it makes sense that their audio versions are handled by different actors. In the newest entry, Hilda Fay gives a keenly considered performance in the voice of Antoinette Conway, the much-harassed only woman on the Murder Squad. Conway is often her own worst enemy, but that is not to say she does not face some serious and devious undermining as she works to resolve what looks like a routine domestic case, but isn't. Subtle distinctions among Irish accents play a fascinating part in Fay's performance. Only one character, Detective Breslin, has a speech pattern that seems made of spare parts, and this does little to distract from the power and pleasure of the overall experience. B.G. � AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

Starred review from December 5, 2016
In the sixth entry of French’s Dublin Murder Squad series, Detectives Steve Moran and Antoinette Conway investigate the death of a young woman fatally battered in her apartment. Whereas 2014’s The Secret Place was told from Steve’s perspective, the events this time around are described by Antoinette. Both the procedural progress and the narrative attitude seem edgier, faster paced, and fueled by more tension. But the warts-and-all portrait of Antoinette is at the heart of the novel, and reader Fay’s ability to mix the natural lyric quality of her Irish brogue with Antoinette’s working class, chip-on-shoulder hostility makes for a fully sustained, award-worthy performance. A Viking hardcover.