After his divorce and retirement from the police force, Cal buys up a dilapidated property in rural Ireland and dedicates himself to a quiet, peaceful life. But life in a small town is never the ideal people make it out to be. When a kid comes begging Cal to search for his missing older brother, he gets wrapped up in a web of secrets and violence that he never could have foreseen.

I don’t have much to say about this book. It’s unlike French’s crime series, and follows more in line with The Witch Elm as a thicker, more literary exploration of culture and secrets. However, unlike The Witch Elm (which I abandoned), the characters and story are quiet engaging. Slow and relaxed, but engaging. Honestly, I’m not sure I’d say that the end result had any real impact – I had times when I wondered what the purpose of the story was – but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It was almost slice-of-life with a dash of intrigue and a little of changing-personal-codes along the way. There were definitely thematic elements, but they were subtle things, and I found myself listening more for the rhythm and flow than anything else. It helped that the audio narrator, Roger Clark, was brilliant. So would I recommend it? Unsure. I personally enjoyed it, but I think it would be hit or miss with many people. Interestingly, I do feel this one will stick with me over time, and that helps me to land on the “hit” side.