Why I liked THE SEARCHER

After serving twenty-five years in the Chicago Police Department, Cal Hooper moves to the West of Ireland looking for a change of pace. He sets to work renovating a dilapidated house on the outskirts of the tiny village of Ardnakelty.

He soon realizes he is being watched. The watcher, a young kid named Trey, wants Cal to find his missing older brother, Brandon. Cal reluctantly agrees. The gruesome killing of several ewes on neighboring farms adds a layer of mystery to the boy’s disappearance. Against this background, the story centers on Cal’s growing relationship with Trey and his interactions with others in the close-knit village. This is a beautifully told tale. The untouched Irish countryside, the physical features and emotional underpinnings of the main characters, the interplay between the leading actors, all are depicted in exquisite prose.  The unfolding of the mystery’s thin plot -- a vehicle rather than the driving force of the narrative -- proceeds slowly eventually drawing Cal into the brutal and murky world of drug dealing.  Read this absorbing book for the marvelous writing and the extraordinary, out-of-the-blue surprise that punctuates the fascinating progress of Cal and Trey’s growing bond.  You will not see it coming.

Star Rating: 4 out of 5

Available on Amazon

Published by Penguin Books

November 2, 2021