18 February 2026

Every once in a while,  I pick up a Tana French book; this one was a gift that has been sitting on my TBR shelf for way too long.  Broken Harbour is an atmospheric and unsettling entry in Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series, but for me it was also one of her more frustrating reads. There’s no denying her talent for mood and character, even when the story doesn’t quite come together as strongly as I hoped.

Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy is a compelling narrator — disciplined, ambitious and deeply committed to doing things “by the book.” Watching his certainty slowly erode as the case grows stranger is one of the novel’s strongest elements. The crime itself is haunting, with the eerie details of the Spain family home — the baby monitors, smashed walls and erased computer files — creating a constant sense of unease.

The setting plays a huge role in the story. The ghostly, half-finished housing estate is a powerful symbol of broken promises and economic collapse, and French captures that bleakness brilliantly. The personal connection to Scorcher’s past, particularly his relationship with his troubled sister, adds emotional weight and helps explain his rigid need for control.

However, the pacing tested my patience. The novel is long, and the investigation unfolds slowly, with extended introspection and repetition that dulled the tension for me. While the psychological depth is impressive, I often found myself wishing the plot would move forward with more urgency.

The resolution, though thought-provoking, didn’t fully satisfy me. It makes sense, but emotionally it felt muted after such a prolonged build-up, leaving me more reflective than shocked.

Broken Harbour is a dark, intelligent and deeply psychological crime novel, but it requires patience and a taste for slow-burning tension. While I admired much of what Tana French was doing, the execution didn’t entirely work for me. A solid three-star read — rewarding in parts, but not one of my favourites in the series.