The Witch Elm

A Novel

By: Tana French

Narrated by: Paul Nugent

A New York Times bestseller and a Best Book of 2018 by NPR, The New York Times Book Review, Amazon, The Boston Globe, LitHub, Vulture, Slate, Elle, Vox, and Electric Literature

“Tana French’s best and most intricately nuanced novel yet.” —The New York Times

An “extraordinary” (Stephen King) and “mesmerizing” (LA Times) standalone novel from the master of crime and suspense and author of the forthcoming novel The Hunter.

From the writer who “inspires cultic devotion in readers” (The New Yorker) and has been called “incandescent” by Stephen King, “absolutely mesmerizing” by Gillian Flynn, and “unputdownable” (People) comes a gripping new novel that turns a crime story inside out.

Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who’s dodged a scrape at work and is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn that will change his life—he surprises two burglars who beat him and leave him for dead. Struggling to recover from his injuries, beginning to understand that he might never be the same man again, he takes refuge at his family’s ancestral home to care for his dying uncle Hugo. Then a skull is found in the trunk of an elm tree in the garden—and as detectives close in, Toby is forced to face the possibility that his past may not be what he has always believed.

A spellbinding standalone from one of the best suspense writers working today, The Witch Elm asks what we become, and what we’re capable of, when we no longer know who we are.

Did the naysayers listen to another book??

I read some of the negative reviews of The Witch Elm, and am gobsmacked. Not liking the main character, thinking he's narcissistic? If your world changed this dramatically, I think you might spend a lot of time thinking about it, as Toby does. Privileged? Yes, but so what? That part of the character gives us more oomph to how these events and changes are so cataclysmic to him. Too long? Man, I love the length. Fleshing out everyone's nuances makes me feel like I am in the same room as the characters. The reader? He is awesomely talented, showing posh and street Dublin, Galway, Midlands accents and more.

In short, I love this book as much as all the other Tana French books. Which is to say, a lot!! She is a treasure.

Ho hum

I was so excited and saved this for a vacation week. I was disappointed. The story unfolds so slowly it gave me road rage or narcolepsy, depending on the moment. I kept waiting for it to get good. It was mildly interesting. I had a hard a hard time believing most of the character’s actions and by the end I didn’t care. I just wanted to finish the book. Don’t waste your credit or your time.

Very compelling

Tana French wrote a fantastic novel about perception, truth, justice, and human condition. The build up is a bit slow but necessary foundation. Each character is flawed and unreliable. Sorting through it all was compelling. Quite a feat in understanding criminal motivation and human relationships.

Encore!! Encore!! no, really.

Really, Encore! I wish Tana French could write faster. Every novel is so thoughtful and riveting. The waiting, though,

A psychological novel about loss and psychopathy,

I’m disappointed. My least favorite of her novels. One of the things that has made French’s previous novels so powerful but also so engaging has been the presence of at least one character who has a moral core. There is one here, but the damage and pathos surrounding him makes the novel depressing rather than intriguing. In the midst of this book that explores themes of narcissism, psychopathy, arrogance, and unfolding truths I found myself wondering why I wanted to put it down. It may be that our rancid political climate has soured me in stories without redemption. I didn’t put it down, and French wrapped things up tidily, but the darkness mirrors the wind and the rain and the Witch Elm Tree in the back yard.