A follow up to The Searcher, The Hunter finds us still settled in the machinations of Ardnakelty, Ireland. Trey has developed her carpentry skills and developed a small business with Cal’s mentoring. Lena and Cal are now dating although they maintain independent homes and have decided not to marry. The community has offered subtle support to the Reddy’s, fixing their roof and making helping the family out with small gestures of kindness.

But the peace is short lived when Johnny Reddy, Trey’s father, plops back into everyone’s life, dreaming and scheming, as if he never left. Johnny is not alone, but accompanied by an Englishman Cillian Rushborough, who claims to have relatives from Ardnakelty, who have passed on a tale of gold being found in the land. Johnny convinces the locals make the most of Rushborough’s romantic notions and pull a con and plant gold on the land so Rushborough will invest in local mining rights.

Trey, who is ever seeking revenge for the murder of her brother Brendan, willingly helps her father. She soon realizes however that there is a con within the con. The situation further dissembles when Rushborough is murdered and found by Trey and Banjo on the mountain round just by the Reddy house. Soon the police get involved and a Dublin-based detective starts digging around, pressuring both foes and friends.

The fast moving tale is set in contrast to the slow moving rural Irish landscape in the background. French’s beautiful passages ground the story in its sense of place, with particular rhythms, quality of light, and local customs.

Daylight still slants in at the windows, in long rays turned solid by the lazy hang of dust motes.

The Hunter is a beautiful touching story about families we create and those we cannot escape. I give this book 4.75👍🏼 out of 5👍🏼.