Faithful Place by Tana French
by Jenners • 09/19/2011 • 4.5 Stars, F Authors, F Titles, Fiction, Mystery/Thriller • 50 Comments
Faithful Place by Tana FrenchPublisher: Viking Adult, 2010
Pages: 416
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
My Rating: 4.5 stars
This was the first book I read for the RIP VI Challenge. Because I don’t want to get too far behind in writing these reviews, I’m going to review all my RIP books by answering the 5Ws―Who, What, When, Where, Why. Plus I’ve included my patented Scare-O-Meter Rating system so you can decide if you can handle the level of fright induced by the book.
Scare-O-Meter Rating: 4 screams out of 10. This is another of French’s character-driven mysteries that are heavy on the psychological suspense and feelings of impending dread but not scary in a “Oh my God what was that sound?” way.
WHAT is this book about?
Frank Mackey (who was introduced in The Likeness) is an undercover cop who doesn’t always play by the rules and cut ties with his family when he left home more than two decades ago. In the prologue, we’re with 19-year-old Frank as he waits for his love, Rosie Daly, to meet him in the wee hours of the morning on their street called Faithful Place. They plan to run away to England and make a new life for themselves—far away from their dysfunctional families and the spiral of poverty and “small” lives that tend to entrap residents of the Place. But Rosie never shows, and Frank has always believed that she left without him. Now, 22 years later, Rosie’s suitcase (along with her ferry tickets to England) show up in an abandoned house on Faithful Place. When his sister Jackie tells Frank the news, he reluctantly returns home. The discovery of the suitcase shakes the foundations of Frank’s entire life: What if Rosie didn’t leave him behind? What if she never left at all? This time, Frank won’t be able to escape Faithful Place as long-buried secrets begin to surface and bind Frank to the place he fought to escape his whole life.
WHO do we meet?
- Frank Mackey, the narrator of the book. The foundation of Frank’s entire life is shifting under him as he’s forced to confront the past and the way of life he hoped to leave behind forever. His pain and discomfort at having to face his family again is agonizing, and he must call on all of his skills as an undercover cop to figure out what happened to Rosie all those years ago.
- The members of the Mackey family that Frank left behind, including: his sister Jackie, the only family member that Frank has stayed in touch with; Shay, the oldest brother who harbors resentment that his younger siblings got a better life while he and the eldest sister Carmel bore the brunt of their parent’s cruelty; and Kevin, the youngest brother, who has lived a sheltered existence thanks to the protection of his older siblings. The matriarch of the family, Ma, is viewed by her children as a nag and a manipulator, but she’s put up for years with her abusive, alcoholic, chronically unemployed husband, Da.
- Frank’s 9-year-old daughter Holly, who is growing up faster than Frank would like and, despite Frank’s best efforts, seems to have some Mackey blood in her.
- Olivia, Frank’s ex-wife, who always sensed Frank was waiting for “the one who got away” but tried to love him anyway. Their shared love and concern for Holly keep them tied to each other, despite Olivia having a few secrets of her own.
WHEN and WHERE does the book take place?
The events of the book take place in 2007, primarily in Frank’s old neighborhood in Dublin called The Liberties, which Frank describes like this.
The Liberties got their name, hundreds of years ago, because they went their own way and made their own rules. The rules in my road went like this: no matter how skint you are, if you go to the pub then you stand your round; if your mate gets into a fight, you stick around to drag him off as soon as you see blood, so no one loses face; you leave the heroin to them down in the flats; even if you’re an anarchist punk rocker this month, you go to Mass on Sunday; and no matter what, you never, ever squeal on anyone.
Frank also flashes back to the past, primarily 1985 when he and Rosie were together and making their plans for escape.
WHY should you read this book?
Tana French is a master of weaving complex, psychologically suspenseful stories that put you fully into the mind and environment of the narrator. Considering that French always gives her protagonists a complex mystery to solve, tensions always run high and I’ve read all her books with a feeling of doom and dread hanging over me. Yet I always find something to love about her characters and some sort of humor. In this book, I found Frank—despite his often morally dubious methods—to be a stand-up guy. In some ways, he reminded me Mikael Blomquist in the Steig Larrson books. In addition, the charm of the Irish way of talking and the vivid portrait of life on Faithful Place creates a richly drawn world that I felt like I was visiting whenever I read the book. The bottom line is that Tana French writes intelligent, character-driven mysteries that come alive in ways that affect your mind and soul. She hasn’t written a bad book yet, and I’d list her as one of my favorite authors. My only complaint is that she isn’t more prolific!
Note: Now that I’ve read all three Tana French novels, I’m anxiously awaiting her next one, which is due in 2012. Because each of her books focus on a character that appeared in previous books, I was trying to guess who might be featured in her next novel. My money was on the young detective Stephen (who Frank manipulates and mentors in this book), but then I found this interview, which reveals that Scorcher Kennedy will be the next narrator. Although this threw me for a loop as I wasn’t exactly drawn to Scorcher in this book, I trust Tana French implicitly, and I’ll be buying her book the second it comes out.
What are other bloggers saying about this book? You can find out at the Book Blogs Search Engine. However, I happen to know that Jill at Rhapsody in Books recently wrote an excellent review of this book that is worth checking out.
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I haven’t yet read any Tana French … they build on each other, or can they be read out of order?
The first two books — In the Woods and The Likeness — are more closely tied together but are standalone books. However, The Likeness references some of the events of In The Woods so I would read those in order. And you “meet’ Frank for the first time in The Likeness but you don’t need to have read The Likeness to read Faithful Place.
This sounds so good! I’m reading the first book, Into the Woods now. I want to sit down with it and spend hours reading it but I have 2 books I have to finish first so it’s my treat book for the moment…hopefully I will soon be able to spend some good solid time on it.
What’s your next RIP book?
I love that you have a “treat” book. I would pace myself as Tana French only has three books and I hate that I finished them all. Sigh.
My current RIP books is The Monsters of Templeton, which I’m not exactly loving. I also read Blacklands by Belinda Bauer (need to write my review) and it was good but didn’t set my world on fire.
Hahaha I had to laugh at your line about not being more prolific…that’s my only “issue” with French, too!!
I know!! Why can’t she have 15 books that I could read. I’m all done all her books now and I don’t like it!!! : )
Hope you are doing well. Been thinking of you and the baby!
I haven’t read any of her books, but then my tolerance for scary falls pretty low on the Scar-o-meter I’m sure.
And sometimes psychological thrillers freak me out more than other types of scary.
That is a shame because she is SOOOOOO good! I think you ought to try her and if it gets to be too much, just stop!
I like this review format–right to the point.
Thanks! It is so rare for me to get “right to the point.” I should work on that!
I almost can’t believe that I haven’t read any of these yet, when all I have ever heard is that they are such great reads. French has so many devoted fans and her work is bound to be something that I really fall in love with. I think the problem is so many books, so little time, as there are a heck of a lot of reads that I am just dying to get to, and can’t seem to make the time for. I usually always add a book to my list or to my cart after having visited here, Jenners.
Oh I think you will LOVE Tana French. I know what you mean … so many books that sound so attractive. But she is really something special!!! I’ve loved all of her books, and how many times can you say that!?
I love the way Frank describes his old neighborhood. That just grabbed my interest completely.
Well if that grabbed you, I think you’ll love the book. The neighborhood just comes alive — almost like it is a character itself.
The book is interesting to read. It is because I would also want to know what really happen to Rosie. If she was murdered or if she really run away from Frank. It is terrible that Frank didn’t even ask Rosie’s family what happen to her. Thanks for sharing the good review of this book. I wonder if this book is available in kindle format in amazon.
You definitely find out what happened to Rosie … and the book is available on Amazon.
i can’t wait to read this book after LOVING her others!
I read this book last year and really enjoyed it, but agree it’s not scary (a great book though). Funnily enough I am reading In the Woods right now but my favourite so far is The Likeness which I just LOVED!!!
I’m glad you agree it isn’t “scary.” It is just emotionally affecting and disturbing in many ways. So interesting that you are reading In the Woods after The Likeness. I wonder how you will feel reading them in that order!!!
So many books, so little time. I really want to read one of French’s books – everyone seems to love them.
There is a reason everyone loves them!! And Sandy had recommended listening to them on audio to get the full Irish accent and I wish I’d listened but I already had the print copy. Next time, I’m going to do the audio.
I really want to read a TanaF soon. I am loving the scareometer, lol
Oh you really must read her!! She’s fantastic! And I hope to get some reads that are higher on the scareometer!
I read FAITHFUL PLACE earlier this year. Loved it. I’ve also read IN THE WOODS and loved it as well. Not sure why I’m missing THE LIKENESS, but I need to get on that soon. Very interesting to hear the main character of the new book. I guess the young detective as well. You know, Tana French has a way of making characters that are hard to like at first really work for the reader. I usually need to like the protagonist, but somehow I don’t seem to have that problem with her books. Guess we’ll see how it goes with the new one. Wish it were coming sooner! Nice review – loved the format.
Oooh….I can’t believe you missed The Likeness!! That is tied much more closely to In The Woods, where this one is a total standalone despite having Frank introduced in The Likeness. I think Tana French is totally skilled at making her characters come alive so they feel like real people to the reader … and you get involved with them despite how you feel about what they are doing. I think the whole Rosie storyline humanized Frank so much.
With that kind of endorsement, you know that I have to add this author to my must read list. Character driven is what I’m always looking for in a novel. Thanks Jenners!
I would definitely make her a must read author!
I read the first book. I haven’t been too excited about the others. Not enough to pick them up and your scare-o-meter reading of 4 says that I can probably sit on it a bit more.
Yeah … it isn’t a scary book. It is psychological book … and that is what I love about her. If In The Woods didn’t grab you, maybe these won’t either.
I’m glad that the scare-o-meter is back! Love that! I have put off reading this one after finishing The Likeness. I really liked it, but Frank, as a character, kind of bugged me. I didn’t realize she was writing another book. It’s nice to find a really well-written mystery.
I saw a lot of people mentioning how they didn’t care for Frank but they ended up liking the book. The thing is that, in their own book, her narrators are more fully drawn than they are when they are minor characters in the other books. In the interview with Tana French, she mentions how Scorcher Kennedy is going to nothing like Frank perceives him in this book. I find that fascinating. I think you ought to give it a go!!!
Great review. I like how you set it up, Who, What, Scare O Meter. And I have heard of this author before, never had an interest. But $5 for the book is not bad. That’s worth taking a look at. I like thrillers when they are really scary, so this one was meh, I see, but I would still give it a try.
Her books are not really thrillers per se. They are so much more … these deeply layered mysteries that are all character-driven. They are just divine … and definitely worth checking out for $5!
Books with plenty of “psychological suspense and feelings of impending dread” are the WORST kind for me! I know everyone loves these books, but I think I’ll sit them out. I am, however, intrigued by how each novel features a character that’s been in the ones before!
I love how she progresses the books without repeating herself but having a thread tying them all together. When I first started the series, I kept seeing it referred to as “Dublin Murder Squad #1″ “Dublin Murder Squad #2″ and so on. I think this is a bit misleading because it isn’t your typical series as we tend to think of them. She has some great writing skills … I hope you get over your dislike of these types of books to check her out!
I plan to read The Likeness sometime next spring – right about that time I always get a craving for some mysteries, so I’ll save it for then. Then I hope to get to this one for RIP next year. Slowly I’ll catch up!
I think her books are worth spreading out so you have them to look forward to. I know you weren’t as big a fan of In The Woods as I was, but I think you’ll like the next two even more.
Thanks for mentioning my review but I happen to think YOURS is FANTASTIC!! :–) I especially love the section “Why you should read this book.” Great review!!!
No, YOUR review is fantastic! Well, it was just a fantastic book so it isn’t hard to rhapsodize about it!
Sounds like you really enjoyed this series. I own all 3 but still have not read then. I need to quit work!!
Yes … quit your job and read these books and then get rehired! It will be worth it … I promise! : )
I’m just coming to the end of her debut novel, In the Woods – and am enjoying it immensely! I’ve downloaded the second book onto my Kindle and after reading this review, I see I’d better buy the third book too.
Ooohhh…I’m so glad you’ve embarked on the Tana French experience. She hasn’t written a bad one yet. I suspect you’ll want the third book after you’re done the first two … unless you want to space them out to get you through 2012!
Still haven’t read her first one
Well you need to rectify that, Missy!
I am pretty excited to read her next book knowing that Scorcher takes the lead. I was very skeptical of Frank as the narrator before I read Faithful Place but was pleasantly surprised–it turned out to be my favorite of her books, so I will never doubt her narrator choice again!
I kind of liked Frank in The Likeness. I admit that I didn’t expect Scorcher to be the next narrator AT ALL! It just didn’t cross my mind. But I trust her totally. I was just hoping for a glimpse of Cassie in this one.
I’ve yet to read a Tana French book. From everything I heard about the first, I wasn’t sure I would like the ending so I just skipped it. Haven’t really considered one since. Just too many books I DO want to read!
I think they are all terrific reads. Yes, the ending of the first book is a bit messy and ambiguous but I still think it is worth reading. She is really really talented and worth making time for.