Review by Michelle Palmer
Veteran detective Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy has seen plenty of cases through his years on the Dublin murder squad. But when the biggest case of the year falls into his hands, Scorcher has a bad feeling about it, and as the mystery unfolds, we learn that Scorcher’s instincts are correct. There is much more to the murder in Broken Harbor than meets the eye.
It’s a headline-making case: a young family of four is viciously attacked in their home, leaving father Pat Spain, daughter Emma and son Jack dead, and mother Jenny clinging to life. The family lives in a planned community that has fallen victim to the recession; instead of a neighborhood filled with happy families, there are skeletal half-built houses, disgruntled homeowners and squatters. Pat has recently lost his job as well, and the family has been struggling financially. At first glance, this appears to be an open and shut case of murder-suicide. But something is very wrong in Broken Harbor and in the Spain household in particular: baby monitors are hidden throughout the house, large holes are found in the walls and a large trap is set in the attic.
Scorcher has encountered a set of victims he rarely sees: the truly innocent. Years on the force have left him jaded, and this case shakes him to the core. He and rookie partner Richie begin to focus on how and why the Spains were chosen; Scorcher wonders what “bright lure had hooked something clawed and simian . . .” that followed the family home. Adding to his burdens is the memories this case brings to Scorcher personally—long before the housing boom, his family used to vacation in Broken Harbor. While Scorcher investigates what may be the most important case of his career, he must also face his own demons, for it is at Broken Harbor where Scorcher’s own family was torn apart by his mother’s suicide. Scorcher’s younger sister Dina was at a fragile age when the suicide took place, and as the murder case becomes more convoluted, Dina begins to unravel.
Tana French’s descriptions are beautifully written and evocative; even the ocean in Broken Harbor takes on a personality through French’s skillful hands. Unlike many mysteries, the “whodunit” is almost secondary to the characters themselves; Broken Harbor is as much about the journey as it is the solving of the crime. Broken Harbor is not a light fluffy read; it is the kind of meaty novel that you sink your teeth into, with characters like Scorcher that you won’t soon forget.
Michelle Palmer is a co-chair of Read To Succeed’s One Book Committee and author of the book blog, Turn of the Page (michellepalmersbooks.blogspot.com).
