THE BOOK FAIR

Review:

Tana French interweaves two stories: the recent, brutal murder of a twelve-year old girl and the unsolved disappearances of two young children two decades before, in 1984.  Both crimes occurred in Dublin, Ireland, and in the same neighborhood of Knocknaree.

 

Two detectives work the neighborhood crime scene, one of which was a victim of the crime, twenty years previous.

 

The fast-paced, well-written mystery, harbors a complex psychological drama, and is tinged with a light, hopeful romance.  Detective Ryan’s struggle with his unsettled past lends him a particular vulnerability, as does the close affection he holds for his detective partner, Cassie.