After Reading: FAITHFUL PLACE by Tana French

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

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 Rosie Daly were all ready 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 dumped him-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. (Goodreads)

There's been a whole lot of turmoil in my personal life lately so I haven't been posting much. Sorry about that. I'll post about it later, but for now, just a book review :)

This novel took me ages to get through, not because it wasn't enjoyable, but because the grittiness of the situation. I quite liked Frank's character, and the depth of his backstory, but it was also quite depressing. I kept reading deeper and deeper into his past and just wanted to cringe every time I heard a little more about how hard it was for him. And how Rosie, gah, poor Rosie, met her untimely end. I did enjoy the "trip" to Dublin and the setting there. That was quite interesting, as I've yet to make it to Ireland (I still kick myself for missing out on going with my friends when I was in college--why didn't I do that??). Frank's insight into the country, it's people, and everything else made it all so real. I've meant to read one for French's novels, and this one definitely hooked my interest...though I may want to find one that doesn't quite depress me so deeply.