Faithful Place
November 4, 2019 8:36 AM - by Tana French - Subscribe
Third in the Dublin Murder series, this time starring Frank Mackie from book 2, starting what I think of as the second branch of the books -- In the Woods and The Likeness are tied together, and Faithful Place, Broken Harbour, The Secret Place and the Trespasser are as well, but the two groupings are more loosely linked.
Back in 1985, Frank Mackey was nineteen, growing up poor in Dublin's inner city and living crammed into a small flat with his family on Faithful Place. But he had his sights set on a lot more. He and his girl, Rosie Daly, were all set to run away to London together, get married, get good jobs, break away from factory work and poverty and their old lives.
But on the winter night when they were supposed to leave, Rosie didn't show. Frank took it for granted that she'd given him the brush-off--probably because of his alcoholic father, nutcase mother, and generally dysfunctional family. He never went home again.
Neither did Rosie. Everyone thought she had gone to England on her own and was over there living a shiny new life. Then, twenty-two years later, Rosie's suitcase shows up behind a fireplace in a derelict house on Faithful Place, and Frank is going home whether he likes it or not.
Getting sucked in is a lot easier than getting out again. Frank finds himself straight back in the dark tangle of relationships he left behind. The cops working the case want him out of the way, in case loyalty to his family and community makes him a liability. Faithful Place wants him out because he’s a detective now, and the Place has never liked cops. Frank just wants to find out what happened to Rosie Daly-and he’s willing to do whatever it takes, to himself or anyone else, to get the job done.
Back in 1985, Frank Mackey was nineteen, growing up poor in Dublin's inner city and living crammed into a small flat with his family on Faithful Place. But he had his sights set on a lot more. He and his girl, Rosie Daly, were all set to run away to London together, get married, get good jobs, break away from factory work and poverty and their old lives.
But on the winter night when they were supposed to leave, Rosie didn't show. Frank took it for granted that she'd given him the brush-off--probably because of his alcoholic father, nutcase mother, and generally dysfunctional family. He never went home again.
Neither did Rosie. Everyone thought she had gone to England on her own and was over there living a shiny new life. Then, twenty-two years later, Rosie's suitcase shows up behind a fireplace in a derelict house on Faithful Place, and Frank is going home whether he likes it or not.
Getting sucked in is a lot easier than getting out again. Frank finds himself straight back in the dark tangle of relationships he left behind. The cops working the case want him out of the way, in case loyalty to his family and community makes him a liability. Faithful Place wants him out because he’s a detective now, and the Place has never liked cops. Frank just wants to find out what happened to Rosie Daly-and he’s willing to do whatever it takes, to himself or anyone else, to get the job done.
I enjoyed this but I felt the ending, where Frank’s daughter’s testimony is enough to convert his brother, strained credulity.
posted by bq at 2:23 PM on November 4, 2019
posted by bq at 2:23 PM on November 4, 2019
My memory -- which is a bit fuzzy, I acknowledge this is a good book but I don't love it like I do many of her others -- is that Holly's testimony was only a small part of the evidence, though it didn't go into the legal details.
posted by jeather at 6:13 AM on November 5, 2019
posted by jeather at 6:13 AM on November 5, 2019
You’re right, and in retrospect my reaction was colored by reading this out of order with The Secret Place, which also features Holly as a character.
posted by bq at 8:47 AM on November 5, 2019
posted by bq at 8:47 AM on November 5, 2019
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posted by night_train at 10:54 AM on November 4, 2019 [1 favorite]